j-stick and mounting

[jakejake28]

hey, i know that this must have been covered before, but i could not find it how well does the j-stick mount on 5/8 and 3/4 control panels. Is teh shaft too short, or is it playable. i want to buy a few, b/c i love fighting games and i will also be playing virtua fighter 4 ( i have board imported from jap, ssswwweeeeeettt game ) thanx in advance

[NY_in_TX]

how well does the j-stick mount on 5/8 and 3/4 control panels. Is teh shaft too short, or is it playable.

I have Happ Supers mounted in 1/2" MDF....and they are just the right height and feel.  I had a 3/4" panel and the sticks just felt too short and stumpy....playable, but not the feel your looking for in a fighter.    

I've heard a lot people route out the mounting area of the J-stick to make the stick poke out a little higher in 3/4 wood.  

here's a link to my cp if ya need it. the third one shows the height the best.  I'm horrible with postings so thanks again to Mr. TheTick.
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=7170


ny

[armad1ll0]

You need to top mount it.It requres two cuts to mount the Sanwa/Seimitsu sticks. (AKA J-sticks) One cut is for the joystick body and the other is for the plate. They were designed for steel cabs so the mounting height is very short. The shafts are not long enough for bottom mounting these japanese sticks. I then put the acrylic on top and it's nice.

[jakejake28]

thanks, that was pretty much what I was looking for armad1ll0, i think i will top-mount 'em w/ my overlay directly above it, so it is not visible

[Wade]

Is that black stick a J-stick?  I thought they only came in Red...

I mounted mine from the bottom in a 3/4" MDF, and routed about half the dept of the wood out.  They are MORE than tall enough...

I would point you to some pics but it seems my web server isn't working at the moment. :/

Wade

[armad1ll0]

It's a black bat-top sanwa (j-stick) The top feels closer to the Happ but the joystick body is the same as the ball top japanese sticks. It's very fast and switches to 4-way w/ a click. I really like it. I also did a ball top but used a capcom overlay to cover the "top mount"

If you top mount the stick then you need acrylic to cover the mounting job cause you'll feel all of those edges.

[CCM]

Is that black stick a J-stick?  I thought they only came in Red...

I mounted mine from the bottom in a 3/4" MDF, and routed about half the dept of the wood out.  They are MORE than tall enough...

I would point you to some pics but it seems my web server isn't working at the moment. :/

Wade

I just got my J-stick today and will be mounting it this weekend.   My control panel is also 3/4" MDF.  Did you use bolts through the top, or screws from the bottom?  Do you recommend routing less than half of the 3/4"?

Thanks

[Wade]

armad1ll0,

    Do you know if the height of your black top sanwa is the same as the ball top versions like Ultimarc sells?  Because mine look a lot higher than yours and I mounted them from the bottom.  Maybe it is just an illusion (I haven't seen your type in person to compare).

CCM,

    I used bolts from the top.  On my second control panel, I think I cut them a little deeper - closer to 2/3's of the way through, or about 1/4" left to mount to.
First CP pic: http://www.newwave.net/~flanham/wlanham/arcade/controls.jpg
Second CP pic:
http://www.newwave.net/~flanham/wlanham/arcade/screen/fullshot4.jpg (in this picture though, the reflection of the shafts on the plastic disc makes the shaft appear a little taller than reality)

    If you are going to use an overlay and want the height to be closer to correct, it would be better to top mount.  But mounting from the bottom seems to work just fine too, you just lose a little bit of the height.  IMO it is totally acceptable (no one has ever commented that my sticks seem too short or the throw seems too short).  I suppose it would come down to personal preference and whether or not you plan to use an overlay.

Wade

[CCM]

armad1ll0,

    Do you know if the height of your black top sanwa is the same as the ball top versions like Ultimarc sells?  Because mine look a lot higher than yours and I mounted them from the bottom.  Maybe it is just an illusion (I haven't seen your type in person to compare).

CCM,

    I used bolts from the top.  On my second control panel, I think I cut them a little deeper - closer to 2/3's of the way through, or about 1/4" left to mount to.
First CP pic: http://www.newwave.net/~flanham/wlanham/arcade/controls.jpg
Second CP pic:
http://www.newwave.net/~flanham/wlanham/arcade/screen/fullshot4.jpg (in this picture though, the reflection of the shafts on the plastic disc makes the shaft appear a little taller than reality)

    If you are going to use an overlay and want the height to be closer to correct, it would be better to top mount.  But mounting from the bottom seems to work just fine too, you just lose a little bit of the height.  IMO it is totally acceptable (no one has ever commented that my sticks seem too short or the throw seems too short).  I suppose it would come down to personal preference and whether or not you plan to use an overlay.

Wade

Thanks for the pics!  If you don't mind one more question... what size bolts did you use?

[jakejake28]

thanks for the info

any1 with the ball tops, can i unscrew it and paint it, because i really don't want a red knob?

[Wade]

CCM,

   At first I used silver bolts but later ordered black carriage bolts from Bob Roberts.  I think the ones I used for the joysticks are about 1" long, maybe 1.25".  They are size 3/16".

jakejake28,

   Yes the balltop can be unscrewed.  I'd dye it before trying to paint it though.  I've had good luck dying some plastics in the past and I think it would probably work well on these balls.

Wade

[armad1ll0]

Painting a ball top is ghetto. I'm working on getting different color balls from Sanwa as it converts to about $1 a ball.
I used a blue ball from a different stick on my "Capcom Frame Pefect stick"
I used a Sanwa in this stick.

The bat tops are longer than the ball tops. The perspective is odd because of the picture's angle.
I screw down my Sanwas from the top with #8 screws. I do open up the holes in the plate a bit to get it flush though.

I then cover it with an overlay and also acrylic.

[Wade]

Definitely let us know if you can make this happen.  I've been real happy with red balls on my cabinet but I think bright green or true blue (not the lighter blue like your photo) - if they make those colors - might look better with the color theme of my game.

Wade