Making your own dust washer out of plexiglass?

[leapinlew]

How do you get liquids spilled on your CP anyway?

When your friends come to your house to play video games
(I assume this is what your friends look like Patrick) 

[Senator]

Here's how mine turned out.  Like I said, I was really happy with the way things turned out.  Then this thread comes along and I realize my whole cp is in mortal danger.  My friends come to my house and drink beer too

I think the 7/8" inch ugly hole still looks better than a 2 1/2" ugly dust washer.  You may note that I rounded off the plexi around the hole to avoid pinches.  The left one is a tad off center but clearance is still not a prob with the short throw mag stick pluses,

[AcidArmitage]

dont lie that thing still pinches! 

[Senator]

Nope, I'm not even sure how one would use a joystick where its possible.  After this first came up last night, I tried purposefully to do it and yes, I can pinch myself if I try but its hard to do and I really can't see it ever happening in real life.

[AcidArmitage]

i dunno about anyone else but when i make a fist, i have a little fold of skin that pops up by the upper crest of my palm (near the pinky)... im not fat and ive pinched it twice.. .maybe im a mutant

[Kremmit]

I pinched my hand on CPs with no dustwasher on top back in the day.  Lots of times.  I don't think it ever happened with a plain metal CP, always wood or a metal one that had a thick layer of plexi added to the top. 

So, for me, the rule of thumb is:  Washer on top if the joystick hole is more than 1/8 inch deep.  Not for authenticity or looks- just to keep my hand from getting hurt.

Also, thanks to whoever it was that pointed out Mountain's black plexi washers.  I think I'm gonna steal that idea for a vader panel I'm putting together.

[DaveMMR]

I too have pinched myself with the dustwashers on the bottom.  I have huge hands so it touches the hole on short sticks.

[TOK]

I guess the finger pinching is a very valid reason for the dust washers on top. I have my panel set up like Senators with 1/4" plexi on top and have never been pinched. I noticed after reading this that I hold the stick from the top and don't rest my hand on the panel near the base of the stick.

Now that it's mentioned, I do recall seeing people who rest the pinky side of the hand on the panel and move the stick with the base of the index finger and thumb.

[Dmod]

You could get a circle cutting jig for your router, and cut them with that.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=3582&productid=143735

Just to redirect the derailment of this thread in another direction...

These are cool.  But I don't quite get it.  Where's the router go?


Edit::  Guess it goes something like this.  Now that's a damn large washer!  That ought to do the trick.

[Xiaou2]

 For a small part like a dust washer,  I believe it would be better to invert
the setup.

 Basically, mounts the router upside down or use a router table.   Drill a
hole in the center of the plexi.   Secure a dowel that matches the hole
diameter that you drilled in the plexi.   Spin the plexi in a circle as the router
is on..  and you will have the part cut out.   The diameter controlled by the
distance you mount the dowel from the router blade.

 While you could drill the whole initially the same size as joystick size
needed..  it may be easier to use a smaller hole that will be easier to
find an appropriate dowel for.  (easiest would be a simple nail)

 Then, you could clamp the part down, and drill the hole large
afterwards.

[Dudeman]

These are cool.  But I don't quite get it.  Where's the router go?

The item you pictured is for large circles like cutting out tabletops. The item I linked to gets attached to and centered on the bottom of the router. You drill an 1/8" hole in you piece of wood, and place a pin in it. You then drop the router and base onto the pin making sure the pin lines up with the hole on the base that corresponds to the diameter you want to cut. Then you plunge the router into the work surface and pivot the router around the pin. That is how the circle is made.

The larger holes in the picture are the mounting points for various router bases.

[javeryh]

*sigh*  I totally destroyed the 2 pieces of plastic that Neverending Project sent me.  I also tried using a hole saw through some lexan and it didn't really work (the edges are a mess - but the hole looks nice!).

I'm never going to get this right.

 

[mountain]

*sigh*  I totally destroyed the 2 pieces of plastic that Neverending Project sent me.  I also tried using a hole saw through some lexan and it didn't really work (the edges are a mess - but the hole looks nice!).

I'm never going to get this right.

 

Yeah you are. I am beginning my next cab and will need more of the dust washers that I had made for my original cabinet. Let me talk to the guy that laser cut mine and see if he can rip out some more. If so, I will have him cut a few more for you.

I originally had him cut out of 1/16" clear Plexiglas. I then painted the bottom of them with black paint. Is this the way you planned on doing yours?

[javeryh]

*sigh*  I totally destroyed the 2 pieces of plastic that Neverending Project sent me.  I also tried using a hole saw through some lexan and it didn't really work (the edges are a mess - but the hole looks nice!).

I'm never going to get this right.

 

Yeah you are. I am beginning my next cab and will need more of the dust washers that I had made for my original cabinet. Let me talk to the guy that laser cut mine and see if he can rip out some more. If so, I will have him cut a few more for you.

I originally had him cut out of 1/16" clear Plexiglas. I then painted the bottom of them with black paint. Is this the way you planned on doing yours?

That's exactly how I'm trying to do it.  I'd definitely be up for a few extras when you place your order - just let me know and I'll chip in.  I got the idea from your cab!  Did you use acrylic paint or anything special or do you think the paint I used for the cabinet sides will be good enough?

[Neverending Project]

Wouldn't the paint wear away if it is on the bottom of the dust washer, and hence rubbing constantly with the CP surface? Just a question, really, since I have never tried it.

And javeryh... I am sorry to hear about your recent loss. Those pieces of acrylic and I shared some special times. I feel we really bonded. They were psyched to be traveling so far to end up on such a fine machine. I am sure they remained proud until the end, and they can rest well knowing that their loss will be for everyone's gain.

And now, a moment of silence for the acrylic dustwashers that never were...
 

[MaximRecoil]

8 way classics, it was on top.

Dustwashers, like plexi over the CP, didn't show up until the "lets slap this crappy game into a classic cab" era.
All the dedicated classics had the dustwashers below the panel.

Ikari Warriors, Victory Road, and Guerilla War all had dust washers on top. In fact, it would be impossible to mount them below without performing some sort of hack, because the base of the LS-30 is flat and fits flush against the underside of the metal CP.

Here's a quick list off the top of my head:

1942, 1943, Berzerk, Bosconian, Circus Charlie, Cloak & Dagger, Crazy Climber, Discs of Tron, Gauntlet, Gunsmoke, Gyruss, Jump Bug, Jungle Hunt, Kangaroo, Rampage, Robotron, Scramble, Smash TV, Street Fighter, Super Cobra, Super Zaxxon, Time Pilot, Time Pilot '84, Tron, Up 'n Down, Vanguard, Venture, Xenophobe, Xevious, Xybots and Zaxxon.
Even the Neo-Geo, PlayChoice, and .vs cabinets shipped with them underneath.

You are wrong about PC-10 and VS. machines. Those came with metal CP's and the joysticks had a plastic plate that sat on top of the base of the joystick with a raised circular section in the middle. This circular section fit up through the joystick hole in the CP. On top of that raised circular section sat the dust washer. Not only is this not "underneath", but the dust washer actually sits a little higher than most top-mounted dust washers, because it sits on the raised plastic which is a little higher than the level of the top of the CP. The same goes for other metal CP Nintendo machines, such as Punch-Out.

Also, the wooden CP Nintendo machines (DK, DK Jr., Popeye, etc.) had both top and bottom mounted dust washers, not to mention plexi CPO's.

Edit: BTW, it looks like Rampage had top-mounted dust washers too - [link]. There may be more but most flyer pictures don't show a good enough picture of the CP to tell.

[mountain]

Wouldn't the paint wear away if it is on the bottom of the dust washer, and hence rubbing constantly with the CP surface? Just a question, really, since I have never tried it.

I use a piece of felt between the dustwasher and the control panel.

[javeryh]

Wouldn't the paint wear away if it is on the bottom of the dust washer, and hence rubbing constantly with the CP surface? Just a question, really, since I have never tried it.

And javeryh... I am sorry to hear about your recent loss. Those pieces of acrylic and I shared some special times. I feel we really bonded. They were psyched to be traveling so far to end up on such a fine machine. I am sure they remained proud until the end, and they can rest well knowing that their loss will be for everyone's gain.

And now, a moment of silence for the acrylic dustwashers that never were...
 

I was so sad - I seriously spent about an hour sanding the edges up to 600 grit to remove all of the marks from whatever was used to cut them and to make the edges super smooth.  In hindsight I should have tried drilling the hole first but I really thought they were the perfect size and weight.   

Thanks again though...

[Minwah]

Lets talk about using carriage bolts to hold joysticks in.  ALL the classics did that....





 

[mrclean]

Sorry to pull this topic from the grave.. but it is almost halloween.. I was thinking about doing this to the sanwa / u360 dustwashers unless someone already made these ? I'd like to have my artwork exposed. Any one know the size of the shaft / and possibly the outside circumference of the dustwashers so i can get the same size as the black stock one but obviously make them clear !

[Franco B]

The shafts of the Sanwa JLW/U360 is 9mm. You want a hole in the washer approx 9.5mm for clearance when actuating the stick.

The Sanwa JLW comes with a 1.5" (38mm) washer and the U360 comes with a 2.5" (63.5mm) washer.

[Martijn]

little but offtopic, but does anyone know why the washers of the u360 don't stay flat when you move the joystick? it tilts a little when you move the stick to a way, no restrictor applied btw

and what is the little metal ring for that came with the washers?

 

[Franco B]

It tilts the washer as there is not enough clearance between the shaft and the washer when the joystick is actuated. The stock washers have a clearance of 0.35mm which is why I suggested 0.5mm clearance. Thats what diameter bore I made my stainless ones.

As for the metal ring, i'm not sure which part you mean?

[Martijn]

is the tilt gone with circular restrictor? or should i make it more wide, or let it be..



this ring came with it, it has almost the same hole size as the washer hole

[RandyT]

I'd like to have my artwork exposed.

I just wanted to mention that we've been supplying acrylic dust washers for the VersaBall shafts to our vendor customers for a while now.  The laser makes some nice edge work, so if anyone wants clear in ~1/16" thick acrylic, I can do a run of them.  Just give me the dimensions you need them in.  They'll cost a couple of bucks each.

I'll add the standard size to the store if anyone is interested in those.

RandyT

[clickhea]

i need custom dust washers, i just gotta take a quick measurement for you.

[Jack Burton]

I don't think anybody recommends putting a dustwasher underneath 3/4" of wood.  That's just stupid.

But, putting one underneath 2mm of metal looks really cool.   My MK cabinet had them this way originally. 

Does having it 2mm underneath the panel make a well for dust to collect in?  You bet your ass it does.  When I took mine apart it had a thick layer of concentrated black evil underneath the artwork.  And it did pinch my hands.

Still looks cooler though.