The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: werdna on September 05, 2012, 09:52:50 pm
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I started a question about the CP design for this cabinet re-do in the "main" forum but my photos of the
restoreredo probably belong here.
Warning right up front I'll probably put a lot of photos here and I'm sure most of them won't be all that useful.
I got the cab of CL from a guy that was going to burn it to get rid of it. He apparently used the parts in another restore and sold the rest. There was some wood damage on the right side of the cab but otherwise it is in good condition. Price so far $0.
Sorry about the focus on some of these. Blame Apple.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5571.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5569.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5570.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5572.JPG)
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Oh, "Gossamer" is a Looney Tunes reference. Google it.
On to the plans. My initial take at a layout was this:
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/aja3.png)
With some pondering and assistance I believe the admin buttons will now be limited to the 3 white buttons that appear on the regular Neo-Geo CP.
With a plan starting I decided to build a box where the metal CP used to be. The plan is do the CP and a front lip at a right angle. The base and lip will be 5/8 MDF with a 1/4 inch sheet over it. Lowes locally didn't have 1/4" MDF so that will be plywood. I intend to flush top mount the joysticks in the MDF and then cover that with the dust washers underneath with the 1/4 layer. I'll probably just paint the CP and not do a paper/vinyl graphic covered with clear plastic.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5585.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5590.JPG)
messing around with some ideas on how to do a marquee in that HUGE Neo-Geo cavern up top...
[img ]http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5591.JPG[/img]
Removed the red vinyl from the coin area as it was "gross"
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5592.JPG)
Primed the coin area and the body work in the cabinet damage
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5596.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5598.JPG)
Some paint from Ace Hardware
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5599.JPG)
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After a couple glasses of wine the other night my buddy Barry "the human clamp" and I laid out the button holes and drilled them.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5612.JPG)
After work today I test fit my over/under coin door out of my other arcade machine into the cabinet. It will probably live in this one instead as the other will be turned into a dedicated 1 player machine and I plan to do something "funky" on the coin door area of that cab. This one is turning out more like an attempt at a partial restore. Coin doors are nice.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5614.JPG)
Next I set the stripped joystick housings down on the CP and traced them. 1st I cut out the middle area that will pass completely through the MDF with a jigsaw. No pictures. I must have been excited to get going. Here are the plastics test fit in those holes.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5616.JPG)
While they are in there trace with a sharpie so that I can route em by eyeball. Professionals make a jig. Someday I should make a jig. For now I just go slow and do it by hand.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5618.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5620.JPG)
Test fitting
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5622.JPG)
Focus! Focus! well you get the idea even tho it is blurry.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5623.JPG)
Top piece test fit. You'll notice I enlarged the holes. Not 100% sure about this but sometimes this is what you get when you work without a plan.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5628.JPG)
Fits well enough for rock and roll. Wood glue in the areas that won't squeeze out into the button holes or onto the sticks and start clamping with buttons and clamps.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5630.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5632.JPG)
Well that has to dry overnight so I took the time to post up everything to date. More to come soon.
Next steps:
- remove screws along top of CP that were used to clamp lower alignment piece
- drill 3 more holes for p1, p2, menu
- wood filler
- sand
- sand
- prime
- paint
- punt
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I have no patience. :) It has been a couple of hours so I took off the clamps and drilled the holes for the admin buttons.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5634.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5635.JPG)
Wondering how I drilled those holes through 3 different pieces of wood? Drill press and hole saw. Running the drill press on the slowest speed.
The wood glue holds very well :)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5636.JPG)
Next up, figure out how to use wood putty on that surface and around those wonky holes so that things can be made nice and smooth.
The answer, paint sample cards from Ace Hardware.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5637.JPG)
Now, this is absolutely not how I really think wood filler is supposed to be used but I was glopping it in the big holes so that I can carve them later.
Not sure if this will work or not. I do know that the palm sander is going to get a workout tomorrow.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5638.JPG)
I wonder how many times I'm going to have to attempt this to get good looking joystick holes.
-Andrew
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I'm always glad to see another Neo-Geo project!
About the dynamic marquees, you could probably use a regular monitor in the whole top area, display fake speakers with the Neo-Geo marquee and fake the four mini-marquees, display random marquees on the mini-marquees slots 2,3 and 4 while displaying the real mini-marquee in slot 1. When playing a non-MVS game, use the full width to display the usual horizontal marquee. Attached is a crude drawing explaining the idea.
Warning right up front I'll probably put a lot of photos here and I'm sure most of them won't be all that useful.
The problem is not the many photos, after all that's what a build thread is all about!
The problem, at least in my opinion, is that you're posting heavy, huge megapixels photos that don't even fit in most people's monitors. Could you scale them a bit before posting?
I'm not sure if it's a problem due to the update to the forums, but I can't remember seeing huge photos directly in the threads before, you had to click on a half-screen-sized photos to view the original ones.
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I'm always glad to see another Neo-Geo project!
About the dynamic marquees, you could probably use a regular monitor in the whole top area, display fake speakers with the Neo-Geo marquee and fake the four mini-marquees, display random marquees on the mini-marquees slots 2,3 and 4 while displaying the real mini-marquee in slot 1. When playing a non-MVS game, use the full width to display the usual horizontal marquee. Attached is a crude drawing explaining the idea.
That is a great idea. I was also hoping to have it show the CP layout briefly when a game was started.
The problem, at least in my opinion, is that you're posting heavy, huge megapixels photos that don't even fit in most people's monitors. Could you scale them a bit before posting?
I'm not sure if it's a problem due to the update to the forums, but I can't remember seeing huge photos directly in the threads before, you had to click on a half-screen-sized photos to view the original ones.
Hmm, I guess my web browser was "fixing" that for me. Photos reduced dramatically.
If you want to peep at pixels you will have to go to http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize (http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize)
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Not a whole lot done tonight. Two buddies came over and we drilled holes and routed top mount joystick into his CP for his JAMMA box.
There was some sanding done. Fllowed by a quick coat of primer (all I had was white?). Primer showed some spots that needed more filling so that was done and tomorrow I try again.
I'm thinking it should be ready for several thin coats of black paint starting tomorrow night. Maybe I can get the red and white areas painted this weekend too. Would be great to be wiring by next week.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5640.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5641.JPG)
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Seems like progress has slowed :( Painting sucks.
I've been busy painting the base layer and the 2nd layer on the control panel.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5651.JPG) (http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize/IMG_5651.JPG)
Tomorrow night hope to be masking the area off for white stripes. Then masking those with rounded corners for a few more layers of black around the outside and clear coating.
In the mean time I've taken my other lower door and cut square holes in it for the NovaGEM fake coin thingies.
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5652.JPG) (http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize/IMG_5652.JPG)
I did straighten that left button after looking at the photo. ;)
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So much for the under mounted dust washers and painted control panel. I forgot to put in the spacers for the joysticks. So dust washers busted out. Have to order new ones. :(
Cheap overlay printed at the campus print shop. Planning on a plexi with dust washers over the top.
New t-molding installed. Ready to spray the interior flat black and move the cabinet to the basement where play can begin and the rest of the parts can be installed mostly dust-free.
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ugg. acrylic sucks. $10 wasted so far.
Stepped drill bit cracks,
spade bit with flat outer edges is too sloppy
regular small drill bits crack the stuff.
Even at $10 a pop I just don't see this project being worth the $$$ to get an overlay and acrylic. Kudos to all of you who have the awesome graphics and well cut plastics. This step has always seemed like the largest barrier to entry in the hobby. That is why my previous machine had formica on it and the next one likely will have formica as well.
:(
-Andrew
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ugg. acrylic sucks.
Have you read Selfie's thread Working with Plastics (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,119165.0.html)?
Scott
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I have. Multiple times. Only the router left to try.
I'm sure after lots of practice there are some "simple tricks" but so far that hasn't been how it's working out.
-Andrew
ugg. acrylic sucks.
Have you read Selfie's thread Working with Plastics (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,119165.0.html)?
Scott
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ugg. acrylic sucks. $10 wasted so far.
Stepped drill bit cracks,
spade bit with flat outer edges is too sloppy
regular small drill bits crack the stuff.
Even at $10 a pop I just don't see this project being worth the $$$ to get an overlay and acrylic. Kudos to all of you who have the awesome graphics and well cut plastics. This step has always seemed like the largest barrier to entry in the hobby. That is why my previous machine had formica on it and the next one likely will have formica as well.
:(
-Andrew
Don't apply any pressure on the drill. Don't even think of it as drilling. Think of it as slowly grinding a hold in it with the tip of the bit.
If the bit tries to shave off any more than a tiny amount at a time, it will bite in and crack the piece.
I'm still getting the hang of it.
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(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5682.JPG) (http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize/IMG_5682.JPG)
(http://www.werdna.net/arcade/IMG_5683.JPG) (http://www.werdna.net/arcade/fullsize/IMG_5683.JPG)
Well, router on a new piece of acrylic went better.
Paper CP art in place for now. I see what I need to change on the art and then send it off for a better vinyl version.
Guess it is time to start wiring.
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A little more progress.
Purchased a 24" monitor for the main screen and moved the 22" to the marquee. Plan is to use mamehooker or something similar to display marquee and control panel/move info for the games as they are started up on the marquee. Need to get another video card to get monitor #2 up and going.
The control panel is now wired and functioning. Also have the coin buttons wired up to the controller.
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My new GeForce 8400 GS arrived. Two monitors working now!
Next I will have to figure out if mamehooker or something else will easily display marquee and control panel info up on that top monitor.
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mamehooker seems to be working.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=124921.0;attach=271291;image) (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=124921.0;attach=271290)