Some very Fine Details for my CP (questions for finishing touches)

[willhs]

Hello everyone,

I've been working on my CP on and off for about a year.  I almost gave up and sold off all the parts, but decided to really finish it.  I think I have a really nice and unique layout (more on that later -- I'll post pics).  Right now I have all the parts, and the holes are drilled.  I only have a few small challenges left, and I have a few minor details that I want to incorporate into the final product, but I can't seem to find the info anywhere.  Please let me know if you happen to either have these values, or can check on your stuff:

1) I'd like to know, at least roughly, where a REAL pinball machine places its flipper buttons (e.g., 2 inches from the front, 1.5 from the top to the center of the button).  I know that this probably varies, but if someone could give me some idea, that'd be great (I plan to add corners from a lockdown bar to the edges to make it feel as much like a pinball machine as possible).  The CP itself is the standard width of a pinball machine.

2) I'd be interested to know what a standard "tilt" is for a CP.  Preferably, I'd like to make it as similar to the tilt on a pinball machine.  I've yet to cut the wood for this, and I'm just not sure how much tilt to give it.  This seems very minor, but it would be much appreciated.

3) EDIT: nevermind on this one -- figured it out!

Anyway, I hope I'm not being too needy here, but I thought those questions were fairly legit.  I can safely say that my CP design is a different take from any I've found, and I think it'll be at least a little interesting to you guys.  I'll give it a good writeup w/ pics shortly.

Thanks!

Will

[DaveMMR]

I think I have a really nice and unique layout (more on that later -- I'll post pics).

What kind of "unique"?  You didn't make some kind of abstract design with your buttons, did you?  I'm kind of curious.   Post pics. 

1) I'd like to know, at least roughly, where a REAL pinball machine places its flipper buttons (e.g., 2 inches from the front, 1.5 from the top to the center of the button).  I know that this probably varies, but if someone could give me some idea, that'd be great (I plan to add corners from a lockdown bar to the edges to make it feel as much like a pinball machine as possible).  The CP itself is the standard width of a pinball machine.

Although I don't know exact placement, here's a tip:  Place your hands on the side of the machine where they comfortable.  Mimic the motions of pushing the flippers.   Make note of the location and then get something round and raised you can temporarily tape to the sides and "try-it-out".   If your fingers are unusually long, you may want to push it back a  half-inch or so.   Even if you get "exact" measurements, arcade cabinets and pinball machines are slightly different beasts.   

2) I'd be interested to know what a standard "tilt" is for a CP.  Preferably, I'd like to make it as similar to the tilt on a pinball machine.  I've yet to cut the wood for this, and I'm just not sure how much tilt to give it.  This seems very minor, but it would be much appreciated.

From what I've read, the plumb bob used in pins is cone-shaped so you can adjust the sensitivity by raising and lower it slightly.   That seems like the best way to go.

[willhs]

Pics and design philosophy to come pretty soon.

By "tilt" I meant the inclination of the table itself -- and actually I finally found it on the web!!  It's 6.5 degrees (or 6, from a less reliable looking source).  So, hopefully if someone searches this forum in the future for that, they'll find it here.

Good advice on finding what feels right.  I'll try to think about that more when I build the rest of the box (now that I know the inclination, I can build the box).  I'll post pics once the box is together.

[DaveMMR]

By "tilt" I meant the inclination of the table itself -- and actually I finally found it on the web!!  It's 6.5 degrees (or 6, from a less reliable looking source).  So, hopefully if someone searches this forum in the future for that, they'll find it here.

Well then now I need to ask:  Are you building an arcade cabinet or some sort of replica pinball machine?   Because if it's the former, the tilt (or "slope" actually, which is the word you should use to describe it since it's a lot less confusing in the context of pinball), then it's immaterial for the cabinet (again, arcade cab and pinball machine - two different beasts). 

If it's the latter, well then you best post some pics post-stat.   

[willhs]

Tell you what, I'll post a pic and my design philosophy, but I have 2 more questions I need help on:

1) If anyone happens to have a pinball machine around, I'd much appreciate if you could measure the distances to the center of the button, just for a guideline/comparison.

2) I got a brand new Happ trackball, but it has sat around for the last year, and now the ball doesn't spin nearly as smoothly -- how do you guys usually correct that problem?  Do I clean the bearings?


Okay...  a pic of the layout -- it's not completely different from anything anyone has ever seen, but it's the first attempt to fit everything into the width of a pinball machine (23").  The pic looks distorted because I quickly and carelessly took it up close with a big honking wide angle camera.  The fighter buttons are equidistant apart, though it doesn't look like it.  Obviously, everything is just in there as placeholders, and I have work yet to do.

My design changed dramatically over the last year.  Here are the design principles I jotted down throughout the process:

1) AutoCAD is nice, but real world designs on cardboard/wood are much more realistic, and give you a better idea of how things will look and feel.  Make mockups – and bear in mind that form follows function.  The point is to make a CP that works for your purposes.

2) Conventional forum wisdom on how far apart items must be is not necessarily correct.  It is possible to cram and allow some space.  Real arcades are, by nature, fairly cramped anyway.  There *ARE* limitations set by the actual width of the controllers/microswitches, and you must avoid putting things in the way of other things.  With those rules in mind, again, make sure form follows function.

3) The goal of this design is to integrate pinball, classic fighters, trackball games, spinner games, and classic 4-way games into one portable CP (not easy).

4) To make it portable, and integrate pinball, the width of the CP is limited to 23” (standard pinball machine width).  This is not much wider than a standard keyboard, for comparison.  Surprisingly, it is feasible to fit all the aforementioned controls into the design and not be cramped.  The challenge was to keep things out of the way of each other, and squeeze every millimeter of space in terms of button placement.  With fighters, the buttons should be close together, anyway.

5) To further make it portable and usable socially, games and emulators will be loaded into a flashdrive that is part of the USB “central hub” in the CP.  This way, there is only one usb plug for the CP, and it has most major games built into it.  Plug and play.

[willhs]

Oh, sorry, to answer your question, this is a standalone CP to be used w/ regular desktops.  I'm not ruling out the possibility of building a full cab in the future and plunking this CP into it, though.

[Turnarcades]

If you do it the way described here;



you can have it launch an auto-play option so when it plugs in it will give you the option to launch the chosen emulator. I did this with a control panel a while back for a friend, launching MAME when it plugs in.

[willhs]

Awesome, yeah that's exactly what I was thinking.  Thanks for sharing that.

[Blanka]

Nice video Turncades, but the guy forgot to enable an escape button on the gamepads 

[Turnarcades]

Oh, that was one thing I did remember to do, but I haven't upped a video in ages, or I'd never get anything finished. 

[willhs]

Question -- I didn't use MDF in my panel b/c a carpenter friend told me it wasn't as sturdy -- was this a bad call?  It seems that everyone uses MDF... so I'm guessing it is more than sturdy enough for the job?

Also, if anyone can let me know how to clean a trackball (I have a new trackball, but it has been sitting around for a year and now it doesn't spin well), that'd be great, too.

[Turnarcades]

MDF isn't that strong in slim thicknesses, but at 5/8" and 3/4" and upwards like a lot of people use, it's damn hard stuff. I guess from a professional's point of view though MDF is a bit of an 'ACME' material. The only thing you have to be careful of with MDF is not to get it damp or scuff the corners as the sawdust-like nature of the wood means it will crumble or flake if that happens. MDF is mainly popular with cab builders because it is inexpensive and very easy to mould with routers etc. - perfect for T-moulding cutting and panel routing.

Oh, and cleaning your trackball is easy with white spirit or nail varnish remover (removes sticky stuff, stains and grease), assuming you can get the ball out, but as for interior components, it depends on the brand of trackball.

[javeryh]

I use a 5 degree tilt on my CPs and they are very comfortable. 

[willhs]

Do you think 6.5 degrees would be too much?  I thought it'd be cool to set it to that, since that's what pinball machines are set to.