Sub mini bartop

[ark_ader]

Well I managed to get myself sorted out with a new workshop after arriving back from the states.  My first project was my slim build mame cab, which to be honest I am being lazy getting wood cut.  Well that's a encouraging sign as the designing  is done, but its going through revision 12F at the moment.  I most likely start it during this bartop thread. 

Then I thought about resurrecting the Dragon's Lair sub mini, but I was undecided on the wood I would  ( ) be using, but I settled on MDF.  I wanted to use 5" MDF so I can put some T-molding on it as I can get some nice black real cheap online, but I wanted to practice on 6mm MDF for the marquee and facia parts of the cab since the sub mini DL is a third of the size of the original cabinet.

So I figured I'd get my hands dirty (we had nice weather for a change this weekend) and play around with 6mm MDF.  Now I use the most basic of tools when creating my sub minis.  No power tools except the drill.  Nice and simple, take your time kind of way.  I found working with 6mm MDF okay so far.  Nice and easy to cut etc.

So today I cut the wood and get busy gluing all the sides together (pics to follow) and cut out the base and back panels as the laptop I will be using is - well shall we say different to mount.   

Now I believe the best form of flattery is making a cabinet of someones else's design, so I decided to make a cab up of my own and hope someone copies it. 

I would say its resembles a Stargate cab, but the controls are a single button joystick 4-way affair so I will not embark on the multitudes of buttons until the full size project gets started.

Anyhoo I will post some pics, its only 13 inches high and I have to figure out if I should use tinted glass or some window tint stuff on some rigid plastic.  My neighbors will enjoy my plastic cutting with a tile scorer again... screech screech screech 

[ark_ader]

Small update:

Got the back and the bottom parts on the shell.  I'm quite impressed with the sturdiness of 6mm MDF.

Pics soon - when I can get them off my phone..

[ark_ader]

Ok I got some pics of what my intentions are with this build.  I am still figuring the control panel, and I want to start testing the water with some aluminum with the wood or maybe some other light metal.

This is the shape of the sides:



To show the total height of the sub mini which is 13 inches:



I have a long way to go with this, and to harness the laptop, wire the keywiz and deciding if I should put the admin buttons on the back on the unit, instead on the CP.

More pics of my progress and ideas on artwork to follow.
I need to kick it up a gear to be finished by the end of the month.   

[ark_ader]

Small Update

Today I mounted the laptop and screen to a separate panel to increase airflow, as the processor is passive.  Since the power brick will be in the cabinet - I am trying to get power from the 5v coming out of the HD interface to power the marquee light and fan.  I am hoping the old fashion method of ventilation as used in the original arcade cabinets will suffice.

I've scouted around for the speakers, marquee light and admin buttons so everything is ready, no more excuses.

Painting to be done on the weekend, and then some more pics.

Real exciting stuff.   

[ivwshane]

Where are the pics you promised!

[Ginsu Victim]

Pics no work.

[ark_ader]

Hmmm.

I see the pics....

I'll look on the laptop if it is something local.

Nope its loading for me on the other machine.   

Nothing fantastic happening at the moment.  I mounted the laptop mainboard on the reverse side of the panel, and attached the LCD via standoffs.  Randy's superb Keywiz will attach near the CPU, if I can find a IDE cable long enough.  I have to paint it and figure out either to use glass or plastic for the display.  I need to add weight to it, so it might be tinted glass yet again.  I get these from used anti-glare screens from the old 14" VGA monitors.  Second hand shops are good places to source them.

I lost my ArcadeOs image on the CF card so its more work on Sunday reconfiguring that ****** again.  Once you get your head around how Arcade OS operates its fine, but I didn't update that thing for like forever, so its going to be a learning curve all over again.    I'll add some more emus to it for a change.   The laptop is a P120 with 32mb Ram so I'm not counting on CPS games.  The CF is 512mb so I have room to put some arcade MP3s on.

I'm making the marquee 90 degrees, so not to blind me when playing.  I haven't figured out a name for it yet so its going to be Arkader until I get a brain wave later on.  There has been a lot of discussion about tree frogs on TV lately, so I might make it a frog themed cab, unlike Frogger.  Something green.    A Yoda cab?   

More progress and twisted thoughts tomorrow (and pics). 

[ivwshane]

Ok, now I see two pics. Is that all?

[ark_ader]

Got the LCD mounted with the Motherboard innards, checking that it will actually boot up and it does. 

Went to my local B&Q and was shocked to find that the prices on aluminum plates were so freaking expensive. at 25 quid I can pass on it until the DL.  Bought the black spray paint today, and will give it a go over tomorrow.  No colour scheme yet.

Nothing much else, as I have been playing World of Warcraft instead of the project.  Bad me. 

I am currently redesigning the control panel to include a joystick (4way) and two buttons and some small admin buttons too.  I'm hoping that 12mm MDF will be strong enough for the panel.  I'm thinking of interchangeable control panels, but its a real pain trying to find a 9 pin serial mouse that works.

Keywiz and Control panel tomorrow and programing the  CF card.   Maybe I should ask Peale if there is an easier way to get Arcade OS up and running in 10 minutes.

[ark_ader]

Sunday should be a day of rest, for me it was a day of things going wrong. 

I mocked my control panel, and with the current cab design, could not freely do any gaming or access any buttons, so the design had to go the way that many of my bad designs go.  Through live revision.  Now when things are not going my way on a cab build, I get out my axe and go chopping at it until I feel better.  Unfortunately by the time I'm happy, the thing is demolished, so this time I just used my saw. 

I took the sides down and made it slimmer.





It looks better that way and I can put a milder marquee in there without making me stare at it instead of the screen.  Then I painted it black with a spray can of matt black (which the fumes stink to high heaven, so I will use a roller next time) to seal the MDF as I will go over it again with a dark green or light blue base.



I like Pengo so I mightl give it a Pengo theme.

I got the CF card to boot and currently getting the files in order to have Arcade OS boot with Mame .34.

Control Panel was a disaster, so it went bye byes, and I'm starting again from scratch.  I have the right incline this time and will space the buttons better.

I put spacers on the inside to get access to the panel which houses the LCD and CPU.  The brick will be on the back of bartop, but the power button is one of those slidey affairs.  Its a thinkpad, so I broke out the tech manual looking for an alternative momentary switch hack.  Power and admin will be on the back of the bartop with some flush buttons.

I got the bezel figured out, but until I fixate on a theme, it will have to wait.  I'm going tinted glass instead of plastic, but will use plastic on the CP.

Still lots to do......




 

[leapinlew]

It's like a text based RPG in here.

[ark_ader]

It's like a text based RPG in here.

Ouch I think I took 10 hit points for that comment. 

[leapinlew]

Ah, I see it. Were the pictures there the whole time?

[ark_ader]

Considering the pictures might be not displaying (probably Yahoo still being mean to me), I still carried on and got the laptop up and running with Arcade OS and Mame.  Got the keywiz together with the controls, and started making the CP (again).

I'm waiting for the glass to arrive and some decent weather to finish this puppy off.

I don't know what the heck to call it.

Stay tuned. 

[ark_ader]

Not much done due to lousy weather.  Got some colour ideas and the frog theme, is going bye bye and giving way to a look like The Last Starfighter cabinet. 

The glass arrived and when I unpacked it, it was cracked, so back to the glass merchants to make another. 

Oh well.   

[ark_ader]

It has been a busy week, so I decided to get cracking (like my glass) and get the sub mini finished.

I started the underlay painting, and have decided to stencil the sides of the cabinet like Galaga.  I finished the control panel and wired it up to the Keywiz.

Just have to finish the marquee and the bezel and it will be done.  That should be tomorrow.

Then I can carry on with my larger build.

Pictures from the this build (and hopefully from my flakey host server too) soon. 

[ark_ader]

Oh well bad day for me, and some insects that got into my workshop.

I finished painting the sides of the sub mini, and it was getting late so I air dried it on the bench with the window open as it was not water based.  I have asthma, so paint fumes and me don't really mix.

This morning the painted sides was a glorified fly paper.  I counted 30+ bugs on it.

You would think as it was going to be a Galaga theme, I should leave the bugs there for some life reflecting art.

Or somebody somewhere is telling me to get the axe out and start again or stick to water based paint.

Tempting thought, just the same.   

[danny_galaga]

Then I thought about resurrecting the Dragon's Lair sub mini, but I was undecided on the wood I would  ( ) be using, but I settled on MDF. 

that reminded me of a tv ad from years ago in oz. it featured edward woodward. he said something like:

"would wood sand as smoothly as this? would wood plane as nicely as this? craftwood would, or my name isnt edward woodward"

ah, the memories...

oh, nice project by the way 

[ark_ader]

Then I thought about resurrecting the Dragon's Lair sub mini, but I was undecided on the wood I would  ( ) be using, but I settled on MDF. 

that reminded me of a tv ad from years ago in oz. it featured edward woodward. he said something like:

"would wood sand as smoothly as this? would wood plane as nicely as this? craftwood would, or my name isnt edward woodward"

ah, the memories...

oh, nice project by the way 

With all things being Equal(izer) I wood agree.