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A Mame machine in an antique buffet - USB probs solved (I think!)
saurian333:
--- Quote from: drventure on January 08, 2010, 06:34:23 pm ---
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:laugh2: Wondermark is one of my favorites!
--- Quote from: painterinfo on January 09, 2010, 07:19:17 am ---drventure I really like your work. I would like to make something like this one day but it seems to need a long term plan.
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Steampunk projects can go either way. They've either been planned out with excruciating detail, or they do sort of like drventure here and just add stuff that looks cool as they go along; it really depends on the project. Either way can have very impressive results. Doc has a big cabinet with lots of space to work with, and lots of necessary parts ripe for the dressing-up, so he can build his organically like that, and still end up with a great final product.
The best thing about such projects is that gaudiness is actually a feature, so there's nothing wrong with excess!
drventure:
Thanks for all the kind words! It really does help keep the ball rolling on this project!
--- Quote ---Doc has a big cabinet with lots of space to work with
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You know, that's what I thought as I was picking up various pieces that I thought might work in this thing. But it turns out, there's not near as much space as I thought there would be. One of the biggest tricks with this has been making sure that when it folds up, there's still space and clearance for everything.
--- Quote ---Agreed, his daughter is going to have some fond memories of Daddy working on his big 'puter
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I hope so. It's a big reason I started the project. Get here comfortable with computer bits and parts! This
This has definitely been an organic project. My original plan didn't even have anything to do with steampunk! Only thing I can say on that is, if you want to do something like this, surf the net, collecting as many photos as possible of stuff that might look good, cruise antique shops and Van Dykes Restoration Hardware, plus the brass fastener isle at the hardware store and collect as much as you can, cause you never know where the inspiration will come from (I never thought I'd be using macrame cord in a Mame cab, for instance!)
--- Quote ---Stuff made these days is designed to only last a couple of years, Granted you will need to replace it's electronics at some time but it looks like it will last a 100 years, long enough to become a real antique.
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Thanks, PainterInfo. I'm hoping it'll last that long. Yeah, the electronics will be replaced at some point (after all, I'd love to run cubequest or some of the other 3'd games that are just too dang slow on this particular machine), but since they're all in a "computer case of a fashion", they should be easy to swap out (assume computer components stay the same size or shrink :D
and yeah, the gaudiness factor definitely makes it more fun. I've got a filecabinet full of parts and bits that I've picked up intending to use that there may just not be space for.
Maybe a portable like the Benderama that folds up into a steamer trunk! (Ack no, not another project!)
Ryglore:
--- Quote from: drventure on January 09, 2010, 09:53:10 am ---Maybe a portable like the Benderama that folds up into a steamer trunk! (Ack no, not another project!)
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That would be pretty need actually....
(Joe Versus the Volcano quote incoming)
Luggage Salesman: This is our premier steamer trunk, it's all handmade, only the finest materials. It's even watertight, tight as a drum. If I had the need, and the wherewithal, Mr. Banks, this would be my trunk of choice.
Joe Banks: I'll take four of them.
Luggage Salesman: May you live to be a thousand years old, sir.
drventure:
I had a little free time today, so I decided to tackle a long standing problem, how to wire up both an MP3 player AND the main PC audio to my cab speakers, so I can get instant "power up" sound while the PC boots, but then have normal sound in Mame, etc when it finally finishes booting.
I started with a plain audio splitter path cord.
these work great for splitting an OUTPUT signal, but not so great for splitting input signals...
After a little digging, i turned up this simple circuit to do the job
The guy's page is here http://www.shed.com/tutor/mixer/linelevelmixer.html
This circuit simply mixes two input signals, no vol adjustment, etc, but that's fine for my purposes. Granted, there's plenty of little 30$ mixers for dj's and whatnot out there, but, I already had the splitter cord and resistors, so why not?
After cutting the cord, stripping the wire ends and a lot of CAREFUL soldering (the little wires in those patch cords are THIN!), I ended up with this.
and a little electrical tape later, it's all nice and, well, it's not pretty, but it'll get the job done :)
One step closer to having my instant on startup sounds!
Aceldamor:
WoW......really man...incredible work.
My fear for you Dr. V is that you have had such fun building the thing, by the time you are finished, you won't want to play ;D
Very inspiring piece. SP is one of my favorite Genres and I must say you have accomplished your goal sir, above and beyond. :cheers:
Please tell me you are going to incorporate the working gear system that you can see into a rotating monitor, that would be the topper!
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