RobbyMac's 1st build (Completed)

[RobbyMac]

Started cutting wood last night. No pics until I get it drybuilt or something worth showing anyways.
Based on the Ultimate Arcade II (as close as I can get from pictures anyways) with some modifications. 27" sony trinitron, 4 player CP (A ways off at this stage). Leaf buttons will be illuminated. Still undecided on joysticks.

Taking WAY too long, but I'm almost there... a few more pieces to cut, and then the bezel will be last.

Then halfway through cutting the wife hit me up with the idea of parking it in our 'play room' and making it so the kids can still watch TV on it if necessary (Eliminating another TV in the house). This means I will need to park the PS2, DVD & Sattelite receiver underneath with 'open' shelving of some sort (for remotes). It also means face frames But it's certainly feasible.

Any thoughts on this? Does anyone else regularly watch tv in their cabs? is it awkward with the screen up high and angled upwards (for a 27")?

Hours total so far: 160 (10 of that is fixing the damn tv) I stopped counting a while ago
Cost Total so far: $1038.50

$113 5/8" Particle Board, 1 x 2 & 2x2 Framing
$70 - Misc (Paint, sanding discs, tack cloth, bondo, etc)
$50 - 27" Sony Trinitron (craigslist)
$65 - 60 ft T-Molding, Bit
$18 - 100 - 6,000 mcd 3mm wide angle flat top LEDS ebay
$184 - 2 mag-stik plus, I pac-4, mounting kits, pcb feet
$136 - Buttons, 2 happ competition 8 way joysticks, trunk latches
$18 - pc Speakers & sub
$60 - Pr Glass Doors
$40 - 500w Power supply
$50 - Misc phono jacks, usb hub, coax connector, stereo connector, etc..
$37 - .2 acrylic for bezel face
$20 - Red Paint, More Primer
$70 - Happ 3" Trackball (Trans. red) & Mounting plate
$100 - Ultimarc Spinner & Knob
$30 - More misc (Spade bit for sinking tnuts, dblstick tape, bolts, etc)
$50 - more misc (plexi, corner protectors, replacement saw blade)
-$105 - Returned some unused/unneeded items (radio shack parts, nuts/bolts/constr. adhsive, 4 port usb hub, etc)
$10 - Screws. chain, piano hinge
$16 resistors
17.50 another crap tv

Basic plan (not to scale):


Basically it is a modified version of the Ultimate Arcade II cabinet. I did not have the plans, so everything was based on measurements found in various posts or in their assembly instructions or by eyeballing it. My original design (still a secret) was loosely based on this design, but was too difficult to pull off for my first build. I hope to try that design after this cabinet is completed. The further I got into simplifying my original design, the closer it got to the plain UA II style. When and if I start my second cab, you will see why I 'went back to the basics' in this cabinet.

CURRENT STATUS:
Completed! Yay!

[Epyx]

for a time I had my 27" Sony Trinitron in my 1st cab until I got my WGD9800...I just had a cable running out the back connected to a small Ikea 2 shelf stand that had a DVD/Cable switcher box on it. That way my wife was able to do her exercise and watch..no  need for extra exposed shelfing in the cab...that will just look ugly imo.

[RobbyMac]

My problem is it will go in a corner. I have no area to put a secondary' shelf unit to house the DVD satellite, etc... To the right is a sliding glass patio door, to the left an opening/archway into the dining room. The 48" CP will pretty much fill the corner.
So to put in the sat, dvd, ps2, I would need to put it in the cabinet. Perhaps I can get away without the face frame and just put shelves in (pin mount on the sides). But it won't have a coin door. And, now Im thinking should I attempt it, the front panel would need to be removeable (not glued) so that i could always put the coin door in later.
 Once I get the base built I will see just how much room I have, how much of an angle the TV is at, etc... and that will help me make my decision.

I'm just curious if others outt here have tried it and did or didnt like it (viewing TC via cabinet)
-r

[Epyx]

What would be perfect is if you had a Backwards compatible PS3 because you would have all the functionality you require in 1 box and with bluetooth you could hide it away in the cab and just use the bluetooth remote. 

For a tv tuner I would just use an ATI tv tuner at throw it in an empty pci slot but again you have RF remote and don't require line of sight to change channels...then you have everything tucked away and yet still accessible via the remotes.

As for the angle...CRTs are pretty generous with their viewing angles...even at extreme angles. I had mine at a non-extreme angle but it was just fine.  Just don't angle it too much and you will be fine.

As you can tell im trying really hard to dissuade you from shelving...not that you couldn't pull it off but the line between "wow cool" and "wow crap" is a pretty thin line.

[Turnarcades]

I've built several cabinets before that had similar arrangements, and we build several cabinets with internal shelving accessed from the front. You could always build a section with smoked plexi in front so whilst you couldn't see straight through it, the remote controls could send signals in. If you don't wanna do that, build it with a drop-down front door like on our cabinets and at least you can just drop the door straight down rather than having doors opened horizontally and sticking out. See some of our cabinet designs to see what I mean. (Click the links from my signature or look at this recent thread)

[RobbyMac]

I'm def. leaning toward coinbox and not shelving...
problem is marriage in general lol.

PS3 would be SWEET!!! But I dont think thats an option considering the amount of money I am putting into this project, and I think she bought a wii for the kids today (that was the plan, but she got home a half hour ago looking pretty disheveled from black friday and said 'I'm going to bed'. So I haven't seen the goody bag yet.)

I just finished the base. originally thought I could get away with 1 2x4 support under the monitor. But the friggin 'lead filled' Sony I have made it bo about an 1/8th of an inch at the front. So I went and moved it then added a 2nd 2x4. Suprisingly, everything is plumb level and square (a first for me). Having seen it dry built, I am leaning more toward coin door and no shelving. But we'll see if I can convince the wife. She made the comment "wow thats big" already, so It's not looking good (She'll want to replace out existing TV in the corner with this arcade). Mybe I can make it TOO big to fit there or something?

My angled pieces above the coinbox and below the CP are lined up pretty good but I noticed theres a bit of 'flex' in the middle (like they could bow out slightly toward you) and I fear they could separate or crack the paint. What does everyone else do in that area? Will the glue be good enough to hold it? or do I need to put some sort of L brace to make sure they stay put?

I've not glued anything yet... It's all just slapped together dry so I can make sure it all fits. I will dissasemble it for slot cutting and finishing later.

[RobbyMac]

25 hours later... man I wish I knew what the heck i was doing.
Nothing you guys haven't already seen before, but it's all new to me.

Dry built/assembled. ready for dismantling, t-molding, and paint (unless I can somehow convince the wife that another $150 is 'needed' for laminate)
Front 3/4 view:


Rear 3/4 view:


FYI: The smoked glass idea is a good one. I'd thought of doing that to 'hide' everything but still be able to use remotes. Probably what i will do should I install shelving below. I really want to avoid it (Shelving) at this stage. we'll see how it goes.


The Bezel still needs to be cut (fitted/created). I've opted for no keyboard drawer. i will include a keyboard port in the cabinet for m connecting a keyboard when needed.

FYI: this TOOL is pretty handy for this sort of stuff. 2 batteries kept me going and made my angle cuts (near the edge of material) pretty easy.
 though they have 18v ones now.

[RobbyMac]

Nothing new to show yet... Disassembled, glued base together. Once I got the cab together I noticed a slight rock (about 1/16th inch) on the casters. when the tv was in it sat stable, but I shimmed it anyways to make sure its solid.
Bondo'd the countersinks last night (Wow you have to work fast with the stuff) and will sand and prime the base today. Maybe I'll get lucky and get 1st coat of paint on. Weather sucks, so i am carting into the garage to sand, then back into the house to paint. then back to the garage for sanding, then back in to paint etc...

I've updated the first post to reflect the time and $ as I continue with this.

I've ordered my buttons. I switch to microswitch buttons as leafs are just much harder to find and quite costly. I actually have a slew of buttons, but the holders and lighting seems to be an issue. initial test on lighting my leaf buttons didnt go as well as I had hoped. the green is very dark, red not so bright. lt blue and orange rockin. I will probably put these up for sale in the swap and sell board at some point.

Got buttons and  joysticks from utimarc and lizard lick.

This board really annoys me, as I get to the bottom of the text window, it skips up and down with each keypress. Anyone got ideas on why its doing this? is it my browser or something with the forum/board?

[drventure]

I haven't heard of anyone else having that kind of issue with the board. What browser are you using.

Like the cab. About the shelves, you might go with internal shelves with a cabinet front that swings open. You could still even mount a coin mech to it, though it would cut down on internal shelf space.

Exposed shelves? Hmmm, it could be done but I'd have to agree with others that making it look right could be really tricky.

The real prob is one of balance. Because cabs have a monitor up high, they need the appearance of a lot of "bulk" down load or they'll appear to be top heavy and out of balance.

If you put shelves down low, it'll look like the cab is hollow on the bottom, so the balance will be out of whack.

At least, that's my theory

[RobbyMac]

I use ie 8. The problem is really noticeable when I edit a post, where the text flows below the 'edit window'. must be something with my triple monitor setup maybe... dunno.

I'm opting for the shelving. (Hence the addt'l hours re-cutting/framing it in) This leaves me the area where the keyboard slide would be (which I hadnt planned on doing anyway) or the back half of the cab to mount the motherboard and accessories. Putting in smoked glass doors with black hardware will keep it toned down. I am tempted to try a coin door face on each glass door, but will put that off for another day.
So far so good. But I wasn't going to mention it until after it was near completed (painted, with pics posted). Suffice to say, the room I have available, the cost involved, and the 'need' for me to build something like this requires a compromise. Slayer would call me whipped, but we'll wait till he's married before we throw down a final verdict.
So the shelving will not be 'exposed' to the outside because of the smoked glass. And I've framed the area in so no computer equipment, wiring, hardware, etc will be seen. I'll see if I can get a pic up tonight after I get sanding sealer and primer on it.

[diazsinger]

I have a 36" Wega, and I'm always impressed with Sony's Trinitron technology.
Soon I hope to get a HD tv, so I think I'm going to use the Wega for a nice big sit down cab.

[RobbyMac]

1 coat sanding sealer, 2 coats primer.
I may actually get the first coat of semi-gloss black on tonight...


This is the current view form the back. I will probably mount the motherboard vertically on this 'wall' since I will probably vent the top shelf to allow heat to escape from the video components.

[wp34]

Where did you find plans for your cabinet?

Looking great so far!   

[RobbyMac]

I based it off the ultimate arcade II. But I've modified it.
Cut the back legs in so they dont hit baseboard.
Ditched the keyboard drawer (will have a ps2 jack in the cab or control panel)
My upper section will be removable to make television access, moving the thing, etc easier.
Putting in shelving for satellite receiver, dvd player, ps2, etc... (to be enclosed with smoked glass doors)

Got my first coat of semi-gloss on. Glad I didnt go with gloss as this stuff is really transparent. Definately a 3 coat job.


I'm using a larger nap roller. It states 'for slightly textured surfaces' and was hoping for a bit of a 'pebble' finish I guess you could call it? But now im not so sure... it's still wet, so we'll see how it looks by morning. and see how it finishes once I sand it. I know I will not be able to do this with the outter top sides, because those will be wrapped with a vinyl print, and the texture is a bit much.

[RobbyMac]

After it dried, the semi gloss ended up alot less 'shiny' and has less dramatic texture showing. I think I'll keep it. My guess is they mustve been 1/2" nap rollers.
I will use 3/8" for the top so its smooth enough to accept the wrap.

While I am waiting for paint to dry, I picked up some computer speakers, and dry fitted them. Don't feel like taking pics at the moment, but they mounted ok. Just happend to have the right size hole saw for the speaker cone, and then drilled 4 mounting holes from the back to match up with the rectangular shape of the speakers. Luckily I had some longer 'really really tiny' screws. They're surface mounted, with black speaker cloth faces. I thought about recessing them/flush mounting, but decided against it. I Don't know if it'd look any better to be honest, and with that thought there was no point in risking the cuts.

I'm going to give the base a few days to dry before assembling the top (which requires clamping the sides onto the base). This will give me time to start copying files, begin work with a front end, preliminary wiring, etc...

The bezel has me a bit worried. I think I will use the 'paper' method, but with some foamcore. I will have some 1/2 material as a bezel (plus some plex), but will need the foamcore to compensate for the curve in the TV face.

Stopped by the glass store today. They were closed (sunday)

[RobbyMac]

Good news and bad news...

bad: My usual glass shop is out of business I think. their phone is disconnected.
good news: I found another shop and ordered the glass door fronts. 60$ for both doors at roughly 15 3/4 x 11 1/4 each. 1/4" tempered smoked glass. I chose a medium darkness as recommended by the salesperson for the remote to penetrate it. Since the interior of the cabinet is black, it will appear darker anyways.

good: I got my t-molding on one side of the base. It's easier to do now rather than after the top half is assmbled and installed.
bad: My paint apparantly wasn't completely dry and the side got marred (sanded and added another coat) ugh. the other side will have to wait.

good: I my buttons & led's in, and have begun testing illuminating them. I also tested insulating the led lugs using a rubber 'dip'. I don't know how else to describe it other than you can dip tool handles and whatnot into the stuff, and it dries with a rubbery coating. It works, and I don't have to get a gazzillion heat shrink tubes.

good: Desoldered the remote receiver on the tv, and extended it with cat 5 cable. it'll go in the bezel somewheres later. I also added onto the front inputs. A set of inputs will go on the exterior of the cab (under the control panel somewhere)

still nothing worth showing until this friggin paint dries.

[RobbyMac]

Finally got everything (I think). Went xmas shopping today, so didnt get much done. But I did pick up a power supply, and created the cruved portions of my bezel. Cutting the foamcore and miter cuts on it wasn't too difficult, but creating the template took quite a few tries.
Hopefully I will get the straights done tomorrow. Paint is almost dry... Now I am very nervous and even the slightest hint of tackiness on it keeps me from continuing the tmolding and starting final assembly for the top. I've a feeling once the top goes on, things are going to start moving quickly until I get to the CP.
Rain/snow has let up a bit and dry air is finally moving in, so hopefully I can get to it this weekend.
Until then I still have plenty of small stuff to work on/figure out so still nothing worth showing.
While waiting I will probably hack up my sidewinder for the flightstick, start determining locations for switches, jacks, etc... Rough layout/locations for motherboard, power strip, fans, wiring, etc...

[mwong168]

I based it off the ultimate arcade II. But I've modified it.

So I take it you bought the actual plans from mameroom and didn't find it for free another another site or source?  Very nice work and can't wait to see the next set of pics.   

[RobbyMac]

I did not buy the plans. I originally wanted to do a similar shape, but with one piece sides. I really liked the shape (hard angles and 'bulk' appearance) so I guesstimated on the angles based on the photos and the assembly pdf guide on the site. The original plan was to do an elaborate cutout and backlight the sides equalling almost the full height, but as I kept trying to design it/frame it, I realized that the project was just a bit too much to take on for my first build. I kept scaling back until it wound up like the original ultimate arcade II.
If all goes well, I will attempt my original elaborate idea on a 2nd cabinet (but dont want to elaborate and give it away yet). But for now, I need to learn and take it slow for my first build I think.

Finished hacking my sidewinder joystick for flight stick.
Dremel all around the circular mold in the joystick base. Clipped out any vertical braces keeping it attached. Sanded the top to flatten it out. There were 3 'posts', but I needed a 4th. So I hacked one off of the trashed base, and cut it to size, then epoxy'd it onto an existing short post (It is the screw/post located at about 2 o'clock in the pic). Attached to an acrylic base I scrapped form an old computer clear side case. It will be cut down, and mounted to some bracing under the CP when I get around to the CP. But at least I got osmething accomplished today anyways.



Also, good news... Firefox doesn't act all funky like IE does for me here.

[RobbyMac]

I woke up this morning intent on starting to assemble the top (I think the paint is dry now).
But after pondering adding the various jacks and plugs, I got sidetracked when I remembered an old case I had, and its front panel.

So after a little modding, sanding, drilling, etc, I have the beginnings of my jack panel. It will be mounted at an angle on the front angled portion of the base. The underside is 'vented' or 'ribbed', and by angling it, will allow some airflow in through the front (without big honkin holes for fans showing in the front or sides).
I also got my tmolding on the base done last night (ignore the dusty fingerprints on the side of the cab);


Front of my jack panel (I screwed up and wound up with my keyboard and mouse jacks slightly off center):

It housed 2 usb ports, firewire port, power & HD leds, mic in & headphone jacks, and a reset button. I added keyboard and mouse ports, external inputs for the tv, and replaced the reset button with the power button. I prefer to have it out of the way and 'hidden' so people don't just push it wondering what it does.


Rear of the panel (Dryfit only. no epoxy/bondo added, no soldering completed yet):

Note the 'ribbed' section at the bottom. the bottom will stand off the base at an angle to allow airflow in (Not much but every little bit helps)

[RobbyMac]

Now we're cookin with gas (sorta).



Trying not to get too impatient...
Fan holes cut up top... Monitor secured. Appears to have enough clearance for buttons in the bezel.

Marked up the top of the shelf putting the tv in, but it won't be seen.

Still have work on the bezel and furring strips, foamcore bezel behind that. Then install speaker shelf, and make rear access doors to close it off.

Alot going on this week, don't know how much time I will be able to devote to her in the next couple of days.

[RobbyMac]

I actually got ALOT done today...

First off, assembly on the upper cabinet is DONE. No more gluing, screwing and cutting. I have some hardware to install, but after I get around to bondo and paint (The foamcore bezel is NOT installed in this photo. see below):



Rear, all closed up with access panel above:


...and below:


But the best part is, I got the bezel done after much debate and fried brain cells... I ultimately ended up making a foamcore framework, hot gluing it all together. It attaches to the tv face via velcro. The wooden bezel and acrylic slip up behind the speaker panel which holds the top of the bezel assembly in place. My control panel will then fold down to hold the bottom of the bezel assembly in place. there are stops on each of the sides.

It looks good in place, but I currently have it out so the silicone corners can dry. It will be finished off with a flat black.

Front face of bezel:


Front of bezel closeup:


Rear of bezel:

[RobbyMac]

Finally, the glass doors came in. I put a drill in to see the difference in smoked glass. Its more dramatic than whats showing in pictures (maybe because of the flash? I dunno). It does a fine job of finishing off the front and muting whatever is inside. The good news is, all of our video components and PS2 are black. I so suck at this, took me about 2 hours to install the damn things. I will need to paint an installed 'stop block' or whatever you call the thing I put in to install my magnetic door catch/release thingy.


In between, I managed to spray primer and flat black on my foamcore bezel. Its dry fit in this photo. My acrylic will overlay both of these (with back graphic about 1/4" in from the plywood you see here) But I'm not peeling my protective sheet until the very last moment. So for now, this preview is without the acrylic.


Lastly, up until today we didn't have a name or paint scheme for this thing. I say we, because my 7 yr old son is helping and thoroughly ecstatic about the mame arcade. All we knew is that we wanted it red and something with fire. I've really struggled between modern or retro... Last night I was pondering some names, and today I found the background graphic that made one of the names stick. Because it will host a few different emulators, and because it is also housing our receiver, dvd and PS2, we decided on the name Fusion and the sample logo/graphic below:

[Franco B]

Its looking great Robby. I was a bit concerned about how well it would turn out with the PS2 etc shelves but its looking like it going to come out really nice 

[drventure]

You know, the way you've done the shelf area, leaving some thickness at the bottom and sides, it looks pretty good. I guess in my head, i was seeing just having the open area go all the way out to the side panels, which wouldn't  have looked good.

The way you've got it? nice!

 

[RobbyMac]

Thanks guys... I know this isn't a terribly unique cabinet (like some of the other ones I've seen developing during my short time here) but for me it's all brand new. I also realise it's taking a very long time for such a simple design. But I'm constantly double checking myself and test fitting everything, which is making it take about twice as long as I think it should.

I spent way too long on those glass doors just hoping not to screw up the install in some way. I thought to play it safe by cutting back an 1/8" on the height and width of each door to 'give me some play' to work with. In retrospect I shouldve left my original measurements because I think (for my taste) the gap is a bit wide all around. But then I remember this is much like home improvement. I'm going to nitpick every little thing, and noone else is even going to notice.

Nevertheless, I am getting anxious to actually have this thing all together, cleaned up, and presentable. I'm in the home stretch now...

[RobbyMac]

Today I have nothing to show... but am getting something accomplished. I decided to put 2 bolts in each of the sides (top half) to anchor it to the base. I just don't feel confident using L brackets inside. I also needed something to brace the lower portion of the top half while I am painting and sanding. I inserted a 2x2 temporarily, which allows me to stand the top off a small table, allowing me to paint the whole thing. When assembled, the boltheads will be capped with black plastic hinged screwcaps. It didnt look bad when I tested the look of them, plus the full wrap side graphics will add some impact.

The reason I am painting now (without my control panel built yet) is because I am really cramped on space. My 2 car garage is spacious, but not heated and we've had some bitterly cold days as of late. The family is NOT too hip on the smell of primer, paint or bondo... but theyre putting up with me. Once the cabinet is done, the unit will go to its final resting place, and the kids can start watching tv on it, etc... (it will replace the kids room tv) Thus leaving me room here int he office to do my construction, painting and wiring of the control panel.

I've decided to paint the upper half outside red. Little if any will be seen but perhaps the edges near the tmolding... but should I ever take the wrap graphics off, it will be a nice contrast and fit nicely with the tmolding I think. Forgot to bring the tmolding with me to the hardware store, but luckily I got it pretty well matched. Having forgot all about the fiasco with painting my office walls red, I neglected to get some grey primer. My walls have about 6 coats on them because the stuff is really transparant, especially when used on white primer.
So, tomorrow when I take my son to Lowes Builder Workshop (Highly recommend if you have kids) I will pick up the grey primer. For now, I have one coat of primer (white) on the entire top, and I am off to bed.

[RobbyMac]

Nothin super exciting... Waiting for paint to dry;


Soldered up my jack panel, tested all connection before attaching my mouse and keyboard with some bondo. Wiaitng for my bondo to cure so thought I'd hop on here and update some pics.


Drilled some holes in my lower cab to accomodate some stuff like my jack panel above, or this coax/network faceplate below...


And overall I'm tinkering with whatever I can while I wait for the top, removable rear panels, and shelving to dry...

I did manage to print my side panels today, but it will be a little while longer before they get installed, so you will have to wait to see those.

[RobbyMac]

Mounted my computer. I decided to keep the case frame, making it easy to mount the mboard, drives, etc... Because of the av components up front, I've done some ductwork. The hose on the left allows heat to escape to the rear of the cabinet. The central hose draws cool air from outside the cab down low to the cpu area. The power supply blows air back toward the back of the cab, and Im not sure about it yet. There are two exhaust fans up top, with an airspace at the back of the cab to draw that air from (hence exhausting the av air toward the back of the cab)


Mounted the front jack panel, tested and all looks and works good. Notice the shelving is in. Im mixed, I don't expect this to be a piece of fine furniture, but the particle board shelving sans laminate isn't terribly 'nice'. For now it will serve its purpose by helping my av components defy gravity.


Interior does not look so good, but its rock solid and serves its purpose. Despite it looking all crappified, I have access to each connection and the small board.

[emphatic]

Those fan tubes are a brilliant idea. 

[RobbyMac]

I was thoroughly expecting to be made fun of for those... lol

The disappointing part is, no home stores sell plastic anymore... its all foil? Im assuming its for safety issues/fire hazard with dryer venting or something.

with luck I will be able to assemble the top this evening, and finish up wiring the speakers and marquee light.

[bartre]

I gotta say, that's a good looking cab thus far.
I like the A/V stuff on the front.
also, don't worry about the interior, if heat isn't a problem, and you know what's where, it's all good.

[saurian333]

Very nice.  The smoked glass doors look good.  I particularly like the idea of integrating everything and keeping ports/etc. accessible from outside the cab.  I have a PC remote/receiver I'm not using that I thought about integrating into a cab (probably my next one), so I'll be interested to see where you end up concealing the one for the TV in the bezel.

[RobbyMac]

Woot I got a ton done tonight... Unfortunately we have to wrap gifts so no time for pics...
One side wrapped, wiring done inside the top... Tomorrow I'll wrap the other side, slap on tmolding and install the top for the last and final time.

Not sure where I'm going to put the infrared receiver yet... I got plenty of wiring, but it will either go in the bezel, or in the speaker panel. (Its the one thing left to mount in the top)
I should accomplish that tomorrow as well.

Its going to almost look like a cabinet tomorrow, and I am thrilled.
-r

[Tiouko]

This is beautiful I'm loving this air-duct system. You know what would be good? an air filtration for quick cleaning just a tought. Can't wait to see the finish product.

[RobbyMac]

Yeah... I thought of it too late. The intake at the rear is just perforated (like speaker holes), but Im trying to figure a way to fit a thin filter in it somehow. Might be easier at the chassis...

OK, the cabinet is just about done... got alot accomplished;

Wired the interior... all power down the left side, all video and audio down the right. Not sure if Id get any interference or not, but thought I'd wire it this way to be safe.


Speaking of wiring... I got my speakers installed, and the wiring all connected. When I tested it (All audio is output from the TV) the speakers sounded horrible all buzzing, and I went to check my connections at the rear. A few moments later I smelled something burning and the circuit board was fried on the speaker controls. Luckily, I bought the same speakers that my wife has on her desk computer, so i swiped hers and all is good (at least until she finds out). I must've soldered osmething wrong/shorted something out the first time around. All volume will be controlled by the TV, but if for some reason i wish to adjust the audio, I can open the marquee to do so. Also, the marquee light is switched from a lighted switch at the rear of the cab and NOT the switch seen on the lamp housing itself.


I got the wiring run in the back (This does NOT show all the video components wiring) with the sub and the power strip.


And of course I got the Tmolding and wrap done on the sides:


It is now currently functional, and sitting in its final resting place (Sunroom where the kids tend to watch tv):


I won't place the acrylic bezel until last, so it's not shown here. It will be wrapped with fusion scheme graphics also.

I have not determined where I am going to mount the IR receiver for the TV, but will probably be my next step, along with finishing off the marquee. and then of course, the control panel. I also need to install my crimp connect fittings for the front inputs. The wiring/soldering is done, I just havent connected the via quick disconnects yet.

For now, I am taking a break for the holiday, and might get something more accomplished on sunday.

[RobbyMac]

No new pics yet... Working on CP sorta.

In the back of my mind Im figuring out the marquee mounting...
Made up a cardboard template CP. I'm mixed now on the fixed flight stick. I will probably include it for symmetry, but realized too late (Already hacked my sidewinder up) that I couldve just plugged it into my usb ports on the front of the cab for any flight stick games. Thoughts?

Went to dads (Hes got a helluva setup) to route out the areas for the joysticks and begin the cp. Drilled a bunch of holes, etc... Waiting on spinner and trackball to finish the top off.

Last night I mounted all my LEDS inside the buttons.

I'm dreading the box/frame for the CP. Angles are just not my thing.

[Bender]

Love the Fusion Artwork great job!

[drventure]

+1 on the artwork. Very nice!

[RobbyMac]

It seems like each time I post I first think 'Wow, It's really starting to look finished' and then I think 'Wow, I still have alot more to do'.

Marquee:
I remembered a post about someone using plastic L wall corner protectors for their marquee retainers. So I stopped by Lowes and picked up some thicker ones and some thinner ones. The thicker ones (about 1") have pre-drilled holes on BOTH sides which I wasn't so fond of, but ultimately ended up using for the bottom retainer. They are clear which gave me the idea for mounting the IR led's for the TV.
First, I heated up the corner protector with a heat gun, and using some scrap cutoff pieces of wood, I pressed both halves of the L shape into my speaker board while it cooled in order to get the proper angle. The soft plastic molds easily, but can warp or curl also. I did it in two section (one half then the other) since it can be too hot to handle. Once I had my new angle, I trimmed off about 1/2" on one of the L shapes to remove the pre-drilled holes. This is the side that would be pressed against the marquee print. I then masked off the outter sides, and sprayed the insides with several thin coats of flat black.

Finished retainer (Not yet painted).


The Sony Trinitron I have has 2 IR receivers. Not sure why, and never looked into it, but suffice to say each one works/picks up a signal, so I mounted both of them. Each was removed, and re-soldered (using cat5 cable), heatshrink tubed, and wrapped in electrical tape (You can see them in the photo below). I then got a coping saw and started tearing into my finished speaker panel.


Once cut deep enough, I masked it off and sprayed it flat black (careful not to get any on my screen or light). I then 'stapled' the IR receivers into position. I used 3/8" and 1/2" staples, but drove them individually by hand (no staple gun used) so the wires wouldn't be severed/damaged.


I added some more black electrical tape over them so the staples wouldn't be visible, or scratch the marquee. I then dryfit my lower marquee retainer, and marked my IR led locations. Cut some over-sized circles from painters mask, applied them to my marked areas, and then shot the back sides of the retainer L with several thin coats of flat black. I masked off the outsides of the L to avoid overspray showing on the 'finished' sides.


I applied my marquee graphic to the 1/8" plexi. Had some light leakage on the sides, so I added some strips of 1/8" foamcore on the inside of the cab at the edges (Which didn't help enough), and then some more thin electrical tape wrapped onto the sides of the plexi as it was still 'edge lighting'. There isn't much room between the top of the retainer 'holes for the IR leds' and the bottom of the print, so i trimmed the graphic away several times, dryfitting in between each attempt until I got it right. However, I was a bit heavy with the knife with one of the cuts and the scratch shows through. This is disappointingly visible when the marquee is lit, but I can live without having to re-cut more plex, reprinting and applying a new graphic. It does not affect the IR at all. I had some light leakage, so i covered the IR led cutouts, leds, and wiring with a few layers of DUCT tape inside the cabinet (I was wondering when duct tape would be used on this project). The plexi is clear, and the print is on a white vinyl material that is translucent. The black doesn't wash out when lit, and the red and yellow glow nicely. Overall I am really happy with the way the marquee turned out. The IR receivers pick up the signal very well. I can bounce the signals off walls from behind, pick it up from any angle/location in the room, etc.


This was all done while I was waiting for my glue to dry on the control panel. It looks pretty crappy right now, but all I can say is compound angle cuts are THE SUCK! My 90's and 0's were fairly simple, but beveling the angled walls drove me nuts until I found the Compound Mitre Calculator. The control panel is angled 8 degrees and felt right during my cardboard mockup. I then sketched everything out using corel draw to verify my control locations, depths, angles, etc... Once the framework was together, I was disappointed to find my majistick plus joysticks (p1 & p2) were just touching the bottom of the cp. I went back and checked my drawings, cuts, holes, etc ultimately to find the digital profile line drawing of the joystick is NOT accurate, and the real stick is 1/2" longer (shaft and nut) on the bottom. Note to self: Double check EVERYTHING using the ACTUAL components. It can be resolved in two ways. I've not cut my cp top yet, so I can shift everything up towards the screen slightly AND/OR I can use a spade bit to take just enough material out of the CP Bottom to clear the joystick shaft.
I used 5/8" particle board scraps for the walls because I am over budget on this project. The 'floor' of the cp is 1/2" plywood, the top (not shown) is hardwood. The front wall is 3/4" hardwood because it will have a hinge installed on it. Below is a pic of the CP base, dryfit into position. No bondo, sanding, or finishing has been completed yet.

Ultimately I will attempt to add some interior framing members, cut into the bottom in order to gain access to the cabinet and mount my latches.