Little Devils Arcade Project

[billybruso]

After weeks of drawing in visio and researching what is involved in building a mame machine I'm finally ready to start building. I just completed my control panel overlay and thought I would share it. I like to do at least part of the graphics before building so I can keep focused on the theme. Many thanks to everyone on this board for providing such a great resource to newbies.

Also, special thanks to Knievel for sharing his great workmanship. I've based my control panel on his woody project.

[Ralman]

Looks good.  Simple design with just enough graphics to get noticed.  I like it.

[billybruso]

Thank you for the comment, I made a few changes this morning before sending it to the printer. I felt like the control overlays needed a bit more work. And I felt I should include the MAME logo as well. It may be too much but it's too late now! I'm a non-stop tweaker.

I actually got some woodworking going today. I made two control panel templates, one for the panel itself and one for the controls. It took twice as long and cost twice as much! My router skills are lacking. Hopefully they will improve as this project continues. But, by the end of the day I got the top of the control panel and the lexan overlay finished. I don't think the spinner shaft size is correct but I can enlarge it when the controls arrive.

[billybruso]

I've attached the Visio diagrams (vsd and pdf) for anyone else that can use them.

Also these are the links to the stock artwork I used for the control panel graphics.

Fire background:
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/illustrations-vectors/2504512-flames.php?id=2504512

Little Devils Green
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/illustrations-vectors/vector-cartoons/8428192-green-devil.php?id=8428192

Little Devils Red
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/concepts-and-ideas/emotions/8463117-little-red-devils.php?id=8463117

Fire Font
http://www.1001freefonts.com/cheapfire.php

[billybruso]

Whoo hoo! Happ order will be here tomorrow. Now I will get to make a different kind of mess! Sorry for the poor picture quality but my camera died and I had to take the picture with my phone. I got the bottom of the control panel finished, the sawboard thread really helped making the angle cut for the sides. The sides are 3/4" mdf glued and nailed with 1" brads. I cut a 1/2" rabbet in the bottom of the sides and used a 1/2" piece of mdf for the bottom. I screwed the bottom on with some flat head screws so I can remove it if I need access to the wiring in the future. Hopefully there will be enough space on the top to anchor the I-Pac and Opti-Pac.

[Hornpipe2]

Got a sketch of what the final machine will look like?  This control panel looks snazzy already.

[billybruso]

I haven't started the graphics for the side art yet, but I have the general cabinet design. I know it's not that traditional of a design but I tried to start from scratch and see what I could come up with. It kind of reminds me of an enlarged coleco handheld from the 80's. I'll post the side art graphics as I progress as well. Also does anyone have any thoughts on how many construction pics I should post. I look around in the forums and see all the great work and I second guess the pics I post because I assume everyone else has been there and done that!

[dekar24k]

Looks very promising. I'll be watching your progress!

[Octo]

Also does anyone have any thoughts on how many construction pics I should post. I look around in the forums and see all the great work and I second guess the pics I post because I assume everyone else has been there and done that!

Every build is different. Even people building their 5th cab run into some sort of new quagmire. I'd say document what you think is important, it may save someone else some trouble. However, you don't need to take multiple pics of every single piece, or chronicle simple procedures.

All in all, we come here to check on each others progress and ideas, and give encouragement and criticism. No one will be annoyed with too many pics.

[BASS!]

Yeah to tell you the truth, I would rather someone just take photos, and not make me have to read, when a picture could do just fine on its own.

[billybruso]

Yeah, I agree, I think the posts I most enjoy are the ones that are short in dialog and long in pics. I have some esp good ones during the time before I found the depth lock on my plunge router. I screwed up three different templates during that process! The audio during that time would have been the real gem though.

Thanks guys, I'm should be able to get some wiring going this weekend.

[billybruso]

I got the control panel painted and assembled this weekend. The print service did a knock out job, it looked much better than I expected. I used THP (http://www.thp.com/). As you can see in the picture, the paper is a little wavy in spots (like above the top controller). I kinda wish I had used some spray adhesive prior to setting it down. Also I got a couple areas on the t-molding that I am going to have to glue down. Other than that, I'm pretty happy with how it is turning out.

If anyone has any suggestions of how to get the lexan to lay tighter against the console, I'd love to hear it (other than screwing through the top that is).

[Ralman]

That CP is looking mighty fine. 

[billybruso]

Well after two years of doing nothing, I'm finally finishing this project. Actually I'm planning a boat restoration and my daughter begged me to finish this first! Here's the first pic of the cabinet construction.

[billybruso]

And the final artwork for the banner and side panels.