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I became interested in building a MAME cab around May last year after stumbling across BYOAC. After purchasing Project Arcade I then found myself hooked big time.
Due to an injury my opportunities to begin construction were delayed several times. Looking back now this was a probably a good thing because I have changed my mind so many times regarding what I actually wanted that if I had rushed in I would now own something I regretted (or it would have almost certainly ended in failure). All said and done these frustrating delays have given me more time to research and this can only be a good thing
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Im also hoping to build something soon and havent done much except a new cp for a cabinet i bought, ive found the longer you hang around and see other peoples ideas you tend to learn more and find better ways of doing things. I also have changed my mind many times and more changes are to come im sure.
Im still a long way off from a build, but i wish you luck.....so enjoy and post many pictures.
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Wow, one day since my announcement and I am posting my first update!
Last night was a sultry evening and although rain was predicted, it did not eventuate and the sky remained quite clear. Stars were indeed visible through the hazy sky of polluted Western Sydney.
Glancing upward I took a deep breath and returned to my office only to find I had lost 4 hours.
Confused, I proceeded to drink some more of the alcohol which I found in a old shoe box when cleaning up and see if I could discover what had happened. No hang on, this was two nights ago, that's right... Mental note: Do not drink metho.
Last night I decided to get my crap together and I emailed my file to the professional printer I had researched and spoken with a couple of months earlier. Today I called him to confirm he had received my file which he did, he also remembered me which I thought was a good sign.
I asked him to print two copies of my design on a sticky backed polypropylene which is UV protected and can be drilled in place etc. (Which he had previously used and recommended.) He said it would take about a week and I thanked him. When I got home from work he had called. I rang him back and he told me it was done already!
He said it looked bloody awesome and I would be very happy with it. He also congratulated me on my work which was nice. So tomorrow (Saturday), I go pick it up. $50.00 for two copies! Cool.
More good news: I was given a piece of Lexan 1300mm x 600mm as a freebie from one of my suppliers at work. The best price I had on this was around $150 so this is a good saving as long as I don
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Today went well & I achieved two things.
Firstly I brought a digital camera, but more importantly I picked up my printed CP overlay and I am very happy with it. Strangely enough the orange border has not been printed and I did not realise this until I got home. I have no idea why as I confirmed the file I sent to the guy and it all looked good and should have appeared. I haven't spoken to the printer and probably won't bother as I like the way it looks anyway.
When I get the hang of this new camera I will post some decent pics but for now here is a quickie.
Hoping to buy some wood tomorrow if all goes as planned. Very nervous about drilling into this print! (I have a second copy if I stuff it up.)
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man is that tough bones! ;D Well done! The best use of invader artwork I've seen to date. Good Luck on the rest of the project
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Official construction: Day 1 (First
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Pic 1
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Pic 2
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Pic 3.
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A better pic of my failed jig. Anybody know a better way to cut a straight line?
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Gorgeous CPO! I wish I knew how to use PSP better, but that program runs sooooo dang slow on my PC I probably wouldn't bother. It took me FOREVER just do do my simple CPO using it. Maybe one day.
The buttons on your CPO seem kinda close - almost bumping into each other. Hopefully that won't present any problems when cutting/drilling. Got a drill press or know someone who does?
I'd be careful cutting thru the CPO - and really don't think I would, not with a drill anyhow. I would advise applying the CPO after drilling the holes in your CP, then apply the CPO and cut the CPO holes with a utility knife. A drill may tear it to shreads and then wouldn't you be pissed!
Your jig looks reasonable - I used the same approach although I used a piece of 4' straight edge metal made for this purpose. Be certain your piece of wood you're using for a jig is as perfectly straight as possible.
Is child labor legal in Australia? :D Nice pic of your daughter, I'm sure she's a great helper! And be careful in the shop! Shoes and protective eye gear is a good idea (if not required) and don't forget your dust mask (I see your daughter didn't!). You can sand the kamikaze bugs off after your paint dries. Don't leave 'em, they''' create miniscule bumps in your CPO that'll make you crazy if you don't!
Great work so far! I'm looking forward to your progress.
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The buttons are spaced 40mm (1-1/2"=38mm) apart.
The guy who did the printing was so confident it wouldn't tear during drilling that he said he would print me another free of charge if I had any problems. I peeled the sticky back of one corner for a peek and it was not like vinyl, it was more like a thick flexible plastic. I think I will trust him and if it turns to crap I will put it down to experience.
Thanks for the jig tip. I looked at metal but couldn't find anything with a thick enough lip to get a clamp onto, will keep my eyes open though.
Today on the way home from work I purchased some black paint and a reasonable paintbrush; ching, ching $38.00 later......
Tonight I will sand and re-coat.
Here is a full pic of my CP overlay. I had to climb onto my workbench to fit it all in hence the unusual angle. The CP is upside down, for the sake of the pic I didn't flip the wood over.
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You know what I would do. Just not to take a chance in ripping the overlay. I would get it on there where you want it without sticking it down and clamp it down. Then I would take a blade and cut lines where you have the "X" in the middle of the buttons. Take a pencil and mark exactly where you want the buttons. Pick up the overlay and do the drilling. then Stick the overlay down and take a exacto blade to cut out the circle where the buttons go. Then you wont even have a chance to rip the overlay.
Just a thought.
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You know what I would do. Just not to take a chance in ripping the overlay. I would get it on there where you want it without sticking it down and clamp it down. Then I would take a blade and cut lines where you have the "X" in the middle of the buttons. Take a pencil and mark exactly where you want the buttons. Pick up the overlay and do the drilling. then Stick the overlay down and take a exacto blade to cut out the circle where the buttons go. Then you wont even have a chance to rip the overlay.
Just a thought.
In a perfect world that would be my method also. But, I live in fear just knowing that if I went this way I am going to have problems with a huge sticky overlay getting stuck down where it is not supposed to and just a few mm out will stuff me up big time. I have two identical CP overlays so if I trash the first one I will try a different way next time.
Thanks for the suggestion, I know it's a good one but I am determined to take this guys advice. When I am wrong, YOU will ALL know. ;D
I shall keep all my failed parts and once the machine is built I shall webcam the mighty fire that will be fueled with my failings.
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It's looking good so far.
I cut my panel using a jigsaw and a straight edge, and I have to say my experiences were very similar to yours.
I found the first cut went very well although it was slow noisy work. But after that the jigsaw developed a slight bias to the left possibly due to wear and tear as it's quite old. This doesn't matter much if you're freehanding because you can compensate, but it's disastrous if you're using a straight edge. The blade slowly got bent sideways until the jigsaw ground to a halt.
I've now bought a new heavier duty jigsaw and a circular saw (which are surprisingly cheap) ready for when I start building my second panel this summer.
I think the moral of this story is - always use the correct tool for the job.
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Bones, something I forgot.....look for something called a Sawboard. Google it or search here, I think I linked to some plans somewhere around here, but can't remember where the thread is now.
And I know it TOTALLY doesn't use "Invaders" ANYWHERE, but I thought of the PERFECT name for your cab....ready for it?
Bones Crusher
Even though it doesn't scream "Invaders", it'll still always lead back to "what made you call it that?" and then you can tell about your accident that laid you up (chicks dig hearing gory stories about cool guys on motorcycles, although danny told us you're as cool as plaid pants and striped ties) and how you had nothing to do but surf the net and you found us during brief respites from the pr0n searches...one thing led to another, and ala Emeril....BAM! (brief pause for theatrical purposes) "what stands before you is the product of one man's quest for gaming nirvana.....I give you.....Bones Crusher"
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I think the moral of this story is - always use the correct tool for the job.
Your right. I have considerable work to do before I need to cut any more MDF so I will delay the purchase until I buy more wood.
Bones Crusher
I like it. I like it a lot. But it almost feels a little....I don't know, kinda like when the name of a band is mentioned in their own lyrics. Then again, ego is not a dirty word.
I tell you what, I will give it some thought and if anybody thinks of a way to tie the current CP graphics with this name I would be interested to hear. Keep the ideas simple as I am an Illustrator novice.
There is a fly in my ointment.
My plan was to recesses the top of my CP to accommodate the trackball plate in a flush position and then apply the CPO onto the CP and trackball mounting plate. Then with CP overlay stuck down and lexan underneath, I was going to put a pilot hole through the centre of everything all at once and use this hole as a basis for boring the big holes. Sounded good in theory.....
Of course I forgot about the legs on the trackball plate that would hit the lexan if I tried this method. If I attach the lexan to the top and perform the same process I think there is a reasonable possibility of missing the very centre of the holes, also it would mean I have to remove the protective covering off the lexan to see through it and this is asking for troubles with kids and a crazy dog old dog. (It's like the Lexan asking to be scratched)
My solution will be;
Step 1
Recess trackball mounting plate and attach. (Glue down if neccessary)
Apply CP overlay1.
Drill pilot holes.
Step 2
Apply overlay2 to a thin piece of MDF the same size/shape as my actual CP.
Place lexan underneath this peice.
Drill through both layers using the CP overlay as the guide.
Everything should line up and if I trash the lexan ("Safeguard") and need more, I still have the template for all the holes.
This means I use my second CP overlay but my cab only needs one so the second was always for such a situation or as a sacrifice to the Ducati gods.
Painted last night and more painting/sanding tonight. Attempting to get to a stage where I can start drilling on Saturday and with this weekend being a long one (ANZAC day), it's the perfect opportunity to make some good progress.
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Invader Bones Crusher ??? Blegh!
Bones - Invader Crusher ??? Blegh!
Bones Crusher - Invader Alert ??? Blegh!
Bones Crusher ??? Daddy likey! ;D
(c'mon, you KNOW you wanna work your grue-cool-some motor sickle ass-ident into the conversation....and I'm helping you toot your own horn. I'm surprisingly able to toot my own horn AND stomp the life outta myself, if you can't handle both, just start with the easy first step....toot your own friggen horn! 8)
If you name it anything OTHER than Bones Crusher, when I make the trip over to visit, I'ma slap an "I'm a sissy who hates Ducati's" bumper sticker on your marquee just to make everyone point at you and laugh....then when you 'splain the reason why, they'll all cheer me and push you in the pool :angel:
For sideart, if you don't name it Bones Crusher, you could put up x-rays of your injuries and tell them the screw in your hand is to keep your limp wrist from flopping over, nancy-pants!
(man, I LOVE working on people who can take a joke! ;D )
NOW NAME IT BONES CRUSHER, DAMMIT! :police:
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Wow Drew, you really kicked the crap out of me there.
In remembrance of your fine nancy boy whip'n, I shall now name it Drew Hunter-Based on a real life character who hunts down a man(boy) in a far away land and beats him into submission with his huge freakin frankenpanel.
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Some painting done. This is the base of the CP where all the joysticks will stick out. I may lightly sand and repaint the black as my brushwork is noticeable in places. I will not be repainting the white undercoat.
About 1/2 the width of the black painted line will be seen when assembled. On top of the CP I am only going to paint the thinest strip of black and then sand it back. This is just to mask the edges if the CPO is ever so slightly missaligned, I also tend to think the overlay will stick better to a clean unpainted surface.
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This is the top of the CP with inner edges only just painted. Once dried I will sand this back so the edges are smooth and flat. Then I will concentrate on the trackball recess. I plan on making some type of stencil/template where I just drop the router and go for it.
This is gunna get fiddly....
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Here is some other junk I spontaneously bought a few months back. Not sure if I really want to use the coin door now, I might just trash it for the interesting hinge and buy something else. It seemed like a good idea at the time.....
See if you can spot the hidden message for Drew.
8)
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Apart from the normal game speakers I plan on putting in a thumping set of speakers and car stereo that can be played with the machine turned on or off. (By machine I mean PC)
This is the power supply that should run these with minimal fuss, if there is enough juice left over I may consider a 12V marquee set-up but this decision is a long way away.
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Picked up some wire today.
I brought shielded 7 core & 12 core. It looks bulky but it is surprisingly flexible. The 12 core will be perfect for the joystick+7 button arrangement.
The wire is overkill but I got it for next to nothing through an electrical company that visits me at work.
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In case you are a total novice to this stuff (like I am), you may be looking at the wires thinking "how is he gunna identify it"?
I thought the same and I was moments from kicking the old dog out of pure frustration when....
Yep, it's numbered.
I assumed when I ordered over the phone the wiring would be individual colours. I had never heard of numbered wire. Everything I have ever looked at has coloured wire. Even stuff your not supposed to pull apart has coloured wire.
I assume others as foolish as myself may also exist (probably in New Zealand), and I offer the explanation pic for your convenience.
I would prefer to have gotten coloured wire. This stuff is small and difficult on the eyes. I will probably have to buy a small magnifying glass which should successfully offset any saving I originally made on the original wire purchase.
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I could be wrong, but haven't people been recommending solid core wire?
Darryl
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stranded. The solid-core may snap/break/bend/loosen due to it being inflexible.
Bones, I was able to interpret your hidden message, and while I know you think of me as "El Numero Uno", taking a picture stating so wasn't necessary. You'll always be my #2 guy, however "crappy" that may be ;)
Looking good, how THICK is that conglomeration of wires? Are you planning on running it near each control and stripping off an end with enough to reach the switches, like a Hydra or something? Any way to fasten it to the underside to keep it from moving about? I've got an idea for you, but I'm currently unable to find my bit and take a photo of it to prove I did it first, and as you know, I can't have you stealing my glory....I have so little from which to draw from ;D
Hey, I know you don't have a circ saw, but do you have a router? I may offer you my idea if you don't have a router :angel:
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Looking good, how THICK is that conglomeration of wires?
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Saturday night update.
Today started good and then turned to dog turd when my little girl cut her head after making herself dizzy and fell against a pointed desk.
Once the blood was cleaned up we were on our way to Dick Smith and purchased some essentials. Spent $55 which I thought was reasonable considering the amount I brought. (Price does not include Spongebob for Alyssa.)
Also stopped on the way home at my trusty little hardware store that got me out of strife last week and brought a CP sized piece of wood for a few reasons.
1) I wanted to see how difficult it was to stick my spare CPO down and knew the practice would be a worthwhile exercise.
2) I wanted to see if I could drill it without tearing like my printer mate had told me.
3) I wanted to play it safe and thought a template would be a wise thing to have on hand in case of any future disasters.
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Saturday night update continued....
I got home and my wife was worried about the cut on Alyssa's head and decided to take her to the Doctor and have it checked.
Left alone and thinking my wife was being worried over nothing, I grabbed my new piece of wood and matched it to my CP. Clamping it all down I used my router to make a size for size copy.
This worked well but I was astonished at the amount of dust this generated. Wore mask, glasses and earplugs, I looked like a complete tool but I am glad I didn't breath that crap or get it in my eyes.
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Saturday night update continued.....
When my wife got home (daughter was fine no stitches required), I asked her to help me put the CPO onto the template.
The first step was to peel off a small section of the adhesive back and line up a straight edge which I firmly pressed down and it stuck into place.
Getting some sticky tape I attached it to the peel away section on the back of the print like some extension handles. The idea was my wife would pull the tape at a steady rate and I (with socks on hands) would work the material down as it unwound removing the adhesive back. (They were black socks in case this is important to the reader.)
This really didn't work. The tape came off once, another time it got stuck somewhere it shouldn't have, I believe the idea was good but perhaps my set-up or preparation wasn't. The help of a third person in hindsight would have been a bonus.
Getting frustrated i grabbed the tape my wife was holding and ripped the whole back off in one go and it just fell nicely into place. I reminded myself anger leads to the dark side and later apologised to my wife for getting grumpy at her.
So the CPO was stuck down now and by magic it lined up everywhere but it looked terrible. It had bubbles and creases and looked extremely poor.
However, I am glad I did this. It made me realise that this application method was not going to give me the results I wanted and I am glad I learned it now rather than later. Also happy I had the foresight to get two prints done.
Regardless of how poorly the print went down I could still use this as my template so I consider the exercise a success.
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Saturday night update continued....
Next step was to drill some holes in the Lexan (Safeguard).
I layed my template over the top of the Lexan and put some scrap wood below and clamped up. I started drilling small pilot holes right through the print and let me tell ya, no problems!
When I drilled in to far and the chuck came in contact with the print it left a mark, but didn't tear/shred the CPO. If you can get the stick-down process right, I would recommend this type of material for drilling. The material it is printed on is called polypropylene.
There were no problems during this stage, it went like clockwork.
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Now came the part I feared.
Seriously, I was freaking out like a grandmother who just ate a hash cookie by accident. Ever since reading about the dramas of putting big holes in Lexan I had become incredibly cautious about this. Also not having the Lexan brand I was even more concerned.
To drill the holes for the buttons and joysticks I had purchased a 28mm spade bit. (At least I think it is called a spade bit)
With my cordless drill I started very slowly taking care not to press too hard or melt the product or crack the material or 100 other problems I have read about in these pages.
First hole, second hole, third hole, fourth hole
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Saturday night update continued....
After my triumph with the Safeguard, I repeated the pilot hole process this time with my actual CP. I removed the template and was left with lots of little holes in the correct places.
The battery in my drill had had enough. I went out into the street where my neighbours had gathered for the weekend drinks and I had a single beer. They were headed down to the pub for a meal but with night quickly approaching, I borrowed a real drill from one of them and decided against going. I thought while the kids and wife were out having dinner and the sun was still up (just), I should do as much as I could.
Again using the
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Saturday night update continued
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Saturday night update continued
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This thread is quickly turning into a step by step guide of my experiences. I am hoping this will be of benefit to newbie
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More updates shortly. Pics have been edited to load quicker.
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Sunday night update.
I started on my project this morning at 9:30 and finished at around 4:00pm. I had big hopes today that I would finish the CP and be ready to wire it tomorrow but alas, this was not to be
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Sunday night update continued
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"I went out into the street where my neighbours had gathered for the weekend drinks and I had a single beer. They were headed down to the pub for a meal but with night quickly approaching, I borrowed a real drill from one of them and decided against going. I thought while the kids and wife were out having dinner and the sun was still up (just), I should do as much as I could."
It has begun. There is no turning back now. Family, Friends will all just become a fading memory. WELCOME TO ARCADE BUILDING MADNESS.
Looks great so far.
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Bones:
It looks like your trackball is directly over the top of your player 1 joystick.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=12270;image)
Have you play tested a mockup to make sure you have clear access to the trackball?
Artwork looks great! How's your daughter's head? :-[
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"I went out into the street where my neighbours had gathered for the weekend drinks and I had a single beer. They were headed down to the pub for a meal but with night quickly approaching, I borrowed a real drill from one of them and decided against going. I thought while the kids and wife were out having dinner and the sun was still up (just), I should do as much as I could."
It has begun. There is no turning back now. Family, Friends will all just become a fading memory. WELCOME TO ARCADE BUILDING MADNESS.
I chose arcade building over beer, that is a worry. My trip into Nerdsville will soon be complete.
Looks great so far.
Thanks!
Bones:
It looks like your trackball is directly over the top of your player 1 joystick.
Have you play tested a mockup to make sure you have clear access to the trackball?
Yeah I did mock it up and the trackball was actually moved further left from where I originally had planned on placing it. Using the trackball right handed is fine, using left handed will be difficult.
I invested a LOT of time in the placement of everything. Eventually I realised that I would never be 100% happy and would have to compromise something. I compromised the thing I believed I would use the least which was the trackball. The only way I could fit everything with the comfort that I wanted was to make the CP bigger and I didn't want to do this. The thing is already bloody big enough!
The method I plan on using to mount the CP will make removal a simple process and if I find that I am really missing out on what trackball games have to offer I may consider building a dedicated TB CP.
Artwork looks great! How's your daughter's head? :-[
Thanks!
Alyssa's head is fine. It was one of those things that looked worse than it was.
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Finally
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TWENTY-FRIGGEN-FIVE DOLLARS?!?!?!?!?
Hmmm... This was an inaccuracy on my behalf. The T-slot cutter was actually $25 and might I add, VERY difficult to find. The spade bit cost around $10, this equates to about $8.00 worth in your weirdo money.
If you've got Photoshop or some other image editing program, you can just resize your pics and save them as .gif's to have 'em load quicker,
I have used another program to fix up the file sizes. Most should now fall between 40 to 100K.
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Where did you buy those big clamps from and how much?
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Where did you buy those big clamps from and how much?
They are available at most hardware shops and are only cheapies at around $10.00ea. I know Bunnings sells them.
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Monday night update (Anzac day 2005).
Woke this morning ready to put in another solid day.
First on my agenda was to get that Lexan cut to the size of the CP. I had intended on sandwiching it between two pieces of wood and attacking it with the router.
I tried a few different methods to hold it down but was never happy. Finally I placed it on top of my CP, lined up the holes then clamped it down as best I could. Due to the reach of my clamps I found it difficult to hold it all down but played around until it was as good as it was going to get.
Despite my earlier success with drilling the Lexan, I had not tried cutting it yet so again I was in uncharted territory. I started cursing myself regretting I had not cut it before drilling the holes because if it cracked now I would have to start from scratch.
Started slow and gradually worked my way around the CP with the router stopping occasionally to move one clamp and attach it elsewhere. From the first cut to the last I was moving the router quite slowly.
At no stage did the material melt and I didn
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Monday night update continued.....
From the time I started cutting the Lexan to the time I finished, I suppose 20 minutes had elapsed.
Success!
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Where did you buy those big clamps from and how much?
They are available at most hardware shops and are only cheapies at around $10.00ea. I know Bunnings sells them.
Thanks. I am looking for some clamps. I figured they couldn't be too expensive.
Thanks.
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Monday night update continued
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Monday night update continued.....
All along my intention was to completely finish the top of the CP (CPO down and wired), then build the box for it to fit into.
I have now decided to build the box first. With everything attached it is simply going to be too difficult to throw it around and work with it. I imagine the chances of damaging it will also be increased, this is the right decision but I am so itching to start the wiring process. I heard a voice in my ear and it said - Patience young bones.
I roughly marked the underside of my CP where the frame and locking supports would go and realised the next thing I needed was more wood.
I lost my car keys and spent about
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Final thoughts after 3 days of construction
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I really need to do something about this mess, I spend 5 minutes at a time looking for a pencil or drill bit.
It's funny you should mention that. I've found a solution to the pencil problem, and also the key problem, but they require foresight and planning, realizing you WILL lose them if you have even the slightest need for them.
The keys first. I have one place, and one place ONLY that my keys get hung, and the only reason I have EVER lost them is when the wife lays her paws on 'em because she can't find hers. For the most part, I have broken her of this habit, but obviously it still happens from time to time, although WAY WAY WAY WAAAAAAAY less than it used to. Gentlemen, take note. I have had to spend 9 years of my life getting her to this point. Cats are easier to train. Women will take YEARS to train properly. Do not undertake this project unless you are positive you have the patience and dedication to do so. It is not for the faint of heart.
Losing pencils. That one's easy. Having a kitchen full of cabinets, shims, scrap wood, filler strips, saws, drills, etc crap in your way ;) is the perfect camouflage for a pencil. We solved this long ago. We buy carpenter pencils by the 50 count box. When we start a project, we set a few in any windows, put a handful around the floor, a handful in the garage (normally where the new stuff is stored) and 2 inside each cabinet we will be installing.
When we are done with the room and cleaning up, the pencils go back in the box for the next job. Somehow, that method has returned a complete box of pencils 99% of the time, and we get far less frustrated that the pencil we set down and turned our back on for 5 seconds somehow managed to become mobile without a visible set of legs and disappear from sight at the most inopportune time.
Sometimes ya gotta spend money to make money avoid pulling your hair out at your own stupidity! ;D
Was moving the clamps the thing that took you all that time? Here's a tip for anyone doing this. Put a few buttons in. You'll have to clamp far less spots, meaning far less clamps to move, and you won't have to worry about realigning it in case it moved on you and you're worried it won't work.
There's more to it than that, but unless you have a brad or finish nailer, it ain't worth 'splaining.
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Cleaned garage yesterday and still.....no keys. Drove to work with spare set. Then wife rang me at work today to say she found them a few hours later.
I left them in the closet when Alyssa cut her head and I was searching for a washer to clean her up. I don't loose keys, I misplace them in one of 3 places, obviously in the stress of the moment the keys were the last thing I was conscious about.
Drew, good suggestion with the pencils. I intended on buying a pack tonight but forgot. Will get some tomorrow when shopping for wood if I remember.
Was moving the clamps the thing that took you all that time? Here's a tip for anyone doing this. Put a few buttons in. You'll have to clamp far less spots, meaning far less clamps to move, and you won't have to worry about realigning it in case it moved on you and you're worried it won't work.
There's more to it than that, but unless you have a brad or finish nailer, it ain't worth 'splaining.
The buttons would have made it easy for sure but again I am working with the wrong tools for the job. My two horses are of different heights by a few inches. Therefore I have another piece of wood between the horse and my work.
It took longer than it should because I kept stopping and checking and going slower and thinking I heard something and stopping etc etc etc. I believe if I was to do it now once the clamps were set up we are talking all of 3 minutes work.
Anyway....
By the light of the enormous full moon, the boy became a man.
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:o :o :o
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=12381;image)
......and a hush came over all that were assembled to watch:D
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Saturday update.
From the moment I woke today I was not happy.
My 18 month old boy was in a mood and was crying and winging, a sound that pierces my every thought. His mood quickly infected my daughter who also started with the winging.
I went out to get some piece and quiet and to buy enough wood to construct my CP box.
I returned and started measuring.
I quickly realised how much I suck using a circular saw. From the start of the day to the end of the day I had not made a single reasonable cut I could be proud of. I realised I was not up to the task and decided to buy some more wood already cut to size so I could at least make some progress today.
In an attempt to go buy some more wood I couldn't get out my driveway because our street had a garage sale today and there was crap everywhere. I also later found out my wife sold the light to an old fish tank I had thinking I no longer wanted it. I said she could sell the frog tank, not the light....
I went back and manage to stuff what remaining wood I had left with the circular saw.
The day ended with me throwing my wood horse and some wood at my fence. I wasted $40.00 worth of wood and buckled my wood horse making it now useless. I now consider my circular saw a complete waste of money.
There are no photos today.
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What specifically seems to be the problem making a decent cut with your shiny new circ saw?
A "wavy" cut is my guess, since you're new at this.
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I have zero skill.
I cut over my pencil marks, my cuts are not straight, my jig moves, I can't measure, nothing is square or the right size, two pieces of wood done the same way are different sizes, the list goes on.
5 pieces is all I needed to cut, it shouldn't be this hard.
Today was disturbing as it has clearly shown me I don't have what it takes to move forward with my project.
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I refuse to believe you can't master that tool, although it looks bleak right now, but I DO recognize the need to vent ;D
Didja check out that sawboard thingy I told you about? That's helped me tons, and hey, even guys who do this day in and day out for a living aren't going to make perfectly straight cuts either. Square should be determined by measuring diagonals, and the measurements should equal.
I still like hearing your stories. It's heartening to know I'm not the only one ;) ;D
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Keep the faith BB we all cant cut wood perfecly like myself. ;D
Take a few days off, relax, then come back refreshed and try again, remember this is supposed to be fun.
Also try a few less beers before you start cutting that might help tremendously. ;)
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I have narrowed down the reasons why I had so much trouble yesterday. Although my ability to use woodworking tools is still very much against me, I have realised my tape measure has been giving me wrong dimensions.
It appears as though the clip at the beginning of the tape measure has been moving about 3mm due to wear. This doesn't solve my cutting problem but it does give me an explanation for the wrong sizes I kept getting.
I will try again today and if I fail I will take a break and do some thinking about how to get past this next step.
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Brought more wood today.
Took me over 1 hour to make three cuts after being so very carefull and checking measurements and that my jig was secure and angles correct etc. These pictures show the best that I am capable of.
Now it's time to take my wood to somebody and get them to make the CP base. I am just wasting wood and money and this ain't fun anymore.
I still have the confidence to at least delude myself into thinking I can build the rest of the cabinet as it's pretty much a square box, but these angles and cuts are requiring more precision and/or thought than I can muster at this time.
Project Bones temporally on hold till CP base constructed by outside skill and intelligence. Hopefully this will only be a week or two. :'(
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Bones:
In the U.S. many people believe that the homebuilders who make the most money ARE NOT THE BEST BUILDERS - THEY ARE SIMPLY THE BEST AT HIDING THEIR MISTAKES.
The beveled cuts you are making (in your photos) are difficult with a hand-held circular saw. I typically make these with either a large mitre saw or on my table saw.
So, what you are showing is easily hidden by putting a little wood filler in the crack. No big deal. Once it is painted YOU WILL BE THE ONLY PERSON WHO EVER KNOWS IT WASN'T PERFECT!!!!!
Also, your panel will hang over the box and you'll never see it anyway (assuming you paint the box black).
THIS IS FAR FROM A DISASTER!!!!! It is not reasonable to expect that on your first attempt you will make a project like a fine craftsman.
YOU ARE OKAY! Have a couple of beers and be strong for your young Padawan (apprentice). He needs a Jedi Master who will NOT GIVE UP!
A little tough love. Get on with it!
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I just spoke with a guy who is a builder. He had a look at my problem. I know where I have gone wrong now.....
This week I shall buy a dropsaw.
I will either build an arcade machine or go broke trying to.
Not giving up!
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I will either build an arcade machine or go broke trying to.
NOW THAT'S THE BYOAC SPIRIT!
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two pieces of wood done the same way are different sizes
I don't know if this helps but I find the best way to get two matching pieces is to clamp them together and cut them both at the same time, especialy if they are anything other than rectangular.
Don't give up, I think the fact that you are so critical of your own skills will ensure that you make a great cab. It's easy to settle for your first attempt, but the process of rejecting work that is not up to scratch will ensure that everything you make is of a high standard untill the day perfect cuts are second nature (a day I myself am still waiting for)
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I believe (I'm trying to use my "funny-sounding-language interpreter here) what he's referring to as a "dropsaw" is a miter saw. I'm guessing the referral is to a power version.
The power version has some limitations. I don't know how tall your pieces are, but you'll have to make sure you have a saw that can handle the height of the pieces. There's 8", 10", and 12" versions, and all can be found in compound versions as well. The compound miter saw is an excessive purchase if you've never found a need for one before, and will add $50-200 dollars, depending on the size.
When you go looking for one, measure the height of the piece you wish to cut. The box will usually list the max size of 2x it will cut; make sure it will cut a larger 2x than the height of the piece you have, otherwise you will be blaming yourself yet again for these mistakes, rather than the tool, like you should be :D
You can buy a handsaw miter box, but I dunno what your angles are you have to cut. For the amount of cuts you're making, check to see if they have the angles you need to cut. You may just save yourself a bunch of money.
Worst case scenario, I've got one. Just give me the measurements and send Mrs. Bones over to pick up the finished product. ;)
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Ummm...Drew....just wondering....you've got advice on everything from plantin' grass to fixin' cars to using power tools to gettin' a cat to crap in a toilet....but - I've never seen YOUR cabinet?
I tried to click on your web link but ended up at your church? Is that where I gotta go to see your handywork? :laugh:
BrokenBones1, don't give up. That problem is nothing a little (lot) wood putty can't fix!
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Ummm...Drew....just wondering....you've got advice on everything from plantin' grass
That's my job, my method of earning a living.
to fixin' cars
I don't remember fixin' cars advice, but I know what I screwed up, and what I did differently the next time, and I DEFINITELY remember what works
to using power tools
That's my side-job makin' money when unemployed for the winter stuff I do...and I happen to be an amateur tool collector if you ask my wife.
to gettin' a cat to crap in a toilet
Now I KNOW I definitely never told how to make THAT happen....and I only did it once myself....and learned it wasn't worth teaching again! Just read the directions, followed them, and the rest took care of itself, is all.
I'm one of those odd guys who ALWAYS reads directions for something, and learning how to make it work/bend to my wishes always fascinates me.
....but - I've never seen YOUR cabinet?
I've got a Time Pilot, an empty Pole Position, a poorly-made MAME box, and am currently working on (depending on some circumstances) a MAME Party box or a Showcase pedestal CP, and have drawn up some lame cocktail plans. I run a fantasy football website, and hate doing even THAT little in the way of setting up a web site, so I don't have a web site, and all my "projects" were either completed long ago, or are currently in progress.
Rest assured, I AM documenting my progress on my party box/showcase CP, but my progress is much akin to Pixelhugger's, without all the cool Photoshop mockups, pretty plexi bends, and all-around coolness factor to it. It's why I feel the need to give him crap....it makes me feel better about my progress ;D
Yeah, my link takes you to my church. No handywork done in the physical sense there, but I DO have some "projects" I fart around with there. This year, I'm looking into joining the basketball prison ministry there, and helped out in other areas there. I need 48 hours in a day, just so I could get half of what I want to do...DONE! I've got project A.D.D. I guess you could say.
I've learned a lesson long ago that Pixel prolly knows down deep. Never put a time for reveal on something you have no idea when you'll ever finish ;D When I'm done, I promise wholeheartedly to post pics. If it'll help ya, I'll send you some pics of my golf bag holder disguised as a Pole Position ;)
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to gettin' a cat to crap in a toilet
Now I KNOW I definitely never told how to make THAT happen....and I only did it once myself
Where do you crap the rest of the time?
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Where do you crap the rest of the time?
So you mean to tell me you never even NOTICED when you walked outside your door, and now you expect me to 'fess up? You should just be counting your blessings that you never happened to step in a nice steamer, and start looking where you're walking ;D
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The power version has some limitations.
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Bones:
In the U.S. many people believe that the homebuilders who make the most money ARE NOT THE BEST BUILDERS - THEY ARE SIMPLY THE BEST AT HIDING THEIR MISTAKES.
So, what you are showing is easily hidden by putting a little wood filler in the crack. No big deal.
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I will either build an arcade machine or go broke trying to.
NOW THAT'S THE BYOAC SPIRIT!
Hell yeah! That should be the BYOC creed.
Darryl
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It should at least be his forum title :)
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The wood I need to cut is 134mm or 5.2755905 inches high.
I had a gigantic revelation at how dumb I could be ::)
Your wood is less than an inch thick. You can lay it face down and cut it that way. I so totally screwed myself up, I was telling you the wrong thing!
If that slider wasn't too much more than the non-sliding version, keep it, otherwise, you can make your cuts with a non-slider and (usually) save bunches of money.
Worst case scenario, I've got one. Just give me the measurements and send Mrs. Bones over to pick up the finished product. ;)
She has large breasts and long Blonde hair and she is all mine. Unless of course you have a Ducati to swap...
I have the kids working on the scale model right now. ;)
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And the boy becomes a man, again..........
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My ANZAC day update is now complete.
Lest we forget.
Can I get some ANZAC cookies please...
Good Work!!
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You could have just put the sides together and used wood filler.Leave it on overnight and sand the excess..thats how I make all the angles.Works great !
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Yeah I think now we're moving past the point of common sense and into the area where the cost of tools is going to triple the cost of the whole project.
On the other hand I'm not one to scoff at an excuse to buy more power tools! I'm just curious as to how much you've already blown your budget by before the CP is together...
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You could have just put the sides together and used wood filler.Leave it on overnight and sand the excess..thats how I make all the angles.Works great !
He could unless he uses the excuse I use with my wife.
"But babe I really need this tool to get this project done!"
Man Ive got so many tools blaming the arcade cabinet. Works great.
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No one should be without a mitre saw ;D
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Yeah I think now we're moving past the point of common sense and into the area where the cost of tools is going to triple the cost of the whole project.
I always knew a circular saw was a necessity so this purchase was not unexpected. The drop saw was a luxury I could afford after having troubles so I brought it.
No big deal and I never had much common sense to start with.
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Neither did any of us. I started out building my first cab last year with a jigsaw and a router(both bought at a pawn shop). Since then, I've bought a new jigsaw, circular saw, table saw, router table, new router, drill press, belt sander, orbital sander, power miter saw, forstner bit set, etc...
Tools become an addiction. I think I'm not the only one that fell into the realm of "Tool Time" with Tim Allen.
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Been doing some more thinking about side-art and marquee and the general theme to go with my CP.
There was a classic Australian band hopefully most have heard of named Cold Chisel. Their last concert which is legendary (before they made a brief comeback a few years ago), was called "The last Stand".
The writing is instantly recognisable to most Australians that were around in the 80's.
I am considering naming the cab "Invaders last stand". The word "Invaders" would appear in the same style as the Cold Chisel writing and "Last stand" would be identical to the yellow writing.
I am thinking of side art featuring the Invader guy holding a can of VB with the cab name appearing underneath.
Aussies will probably appreciate the potential for this theme more than most. Very open to suggestions but perhaps I shouldn't have opened my mouth until testing if I am up to the task in Illustrator......
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Nice theme idea!
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Saturday night update.
During the week I acquired a 10mm drill bit and some 10mm screws and bolts to hold down my new saw. Went to do this last night only to find my drill wouldn
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Saturday night update continued
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Saturday night update continued
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Damn that's BIG!!
Have to admit... will save you on buying yourself a coffin in 50+ years time. ;)
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Damn that's BIG!!
Have to admit... will save you on buying yourself a coffin in 50+ years time. ;)
Yeah it looks goofier than my mind had imagined before the sides went up....
It's big enough to fit four average people comfortably, no bigger and no smaller.
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Damn that's BIG!!
Have to admit... will save you on buying yourself a coffin in 50+ years time. ;)
Yeah it looks goofier than my mind had imagined before the sides went up....
It's big enough to fit four average people comfortably, no bigger and no smaller.
Don't read me wrong, I'm definately not having a dig at your project... just linking the size of the panel to some coffin humour! (Back Pedal Back Pedal :) )
Love
spriggy ;)
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Don't read me wrong, I'm definately not having a dig at your project... just linking the size of the panel to some coffin humour! (Back Pedal Back Pedal
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Well it'll be handy if there's a flash flood. Your whole family will be able to row to safety in it.
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Hey guys, show some respect. Do you realize how many trees gave their lives so BrokenBones could practice woodworking on this project? ;)
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Hey Bones, is that a 4x4 in there? I can't tell cuz I don't know the scale, but that looks like a square piece rather than a 2x4 or whatever your funny measurements equate that to be. What made you decide to do it that way instead of screwing it together?
For future screwings and glueings, try this.....arrange your pieces to where you want them to be, drive one screw in there halfway, glue up everything, drive that screw all the way in now, and clamp/screw the rest in.
The first screw holds it where you originally wanted it to be, the clamps hold the rest in place like you want, and the rest of the screws secure it and pull the pieces together. Waiting for the glue to tack up like that makes it harder to flow and you may not get the coverage you were intending
Just how wide is that thing, because I may have to make my CP smaller in order to stay under your record there ;)
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BB:
On a serious note, it looks like the top is going to be perfectly level. Is that what you wanted, or did you want the control top to angle down as it gets closer to the player?
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OK.... Yeah it's a big bastard. Here are the actual sizes. I have rounded to the nearest inch for those Yanks that don't understand our superior metric system. ;D
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Regarding the wood sizes
The CP frame support ("A") is 70mm x 45mm or 2.75" X 1.75".
The piece of wood that will attach to the CP underneath ("B") is 90mm x 45mm or 3.5" X 1.75". I chose this size due to it's height as when everything is assembled I can place it down and it leaves enough clearance so nothing touches the ground. This was mostly for when it comes time for assembly. It will create a little table for me to work on.
When assembled it will fit together as per "C" making everything flush with velcro going between A & B.
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BB:
On a serious note, it looks like the top is going to be perfectly level.
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Sunday night update.
One of the things I had put off was the trackball hole. I had drilled the correct size hole but it remained unfinished and I wanted to put a smooth edge on it.
To do this I drilled the identical size trackball hole into some scrap MDF. I placed another scrap piece of MDF the same thickness as the Lexan on top. I than ran a few tests using the router with a curvy bit and a bearing to guide it. When I was happy with the result I lined up my Lexan on top of the scrap wood with the hole, clamped it down and used the same router depth settings.
I am happy with the result and again the
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Sunday night update continued
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Sunday night update continued....
Once assembled you can see the space between the legs and the CP box frame. I guessed this gap and I hope it doesn't bite me on the ass. In this gap I will attach the velcro which will hold everything down snugly.
It actually worked out a pretty good fit. I fluked the combination of a snug fit, but it's not difficult to remove or put the CP back in.
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Sunday night update continued
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Ill be watching to see that cp on the main cab soon?
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Ill be watching to see that cp on the main cab soon?
Eventually.... At this point in time there is no cab. I elected to build the CP first. When the CP is finished I will begin cabinet construction almost immediately.
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Sunday update
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Sunday update continued
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Sunday night update continued.....
It has been rewarding finally seeing some results for the time I have invested. Looking forward to finalising this stage and moving forward.
Sunday night update complete with one final pic.
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Thats one of the best looking 4 player panels I've seen. There is a fine balance on the 4 player panels... If the art is to "busy", it makes the panel look really cluttered since there are already a lot of controls. If the art is too spartan, it really makes the panel look huge and barren. You found the sweet spot between looking bare and looking cluttered. Nice work!
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W O W...I mean, just, WOW !!!!
Craig
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Thanks for the comments guys.
I am happy with it so far but like anything else, you look at it for so long you loose the ability to constructively criticise your own work.
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Starting to look like an arcade cab soon, looking good.
How about a couple of translucent buttons?
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How about a couple of translucent buttons?
Would definitely look cool but I have done all my CP shopping now. Maybe on the next one!
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1. Australian
2. Loves Cold Chisel (as any good aussie should)
3. Loves speed.. the really illegal kind that loses licenses and motor vehciles
4. Loves Mame
5. Loves (and quotes) from Pulp Fiction
btw, nice work son..!!
Hoops
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btw, nice work son..!!
Thanks Dad..... ;D
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Saturday night update
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Saturday night update continued
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Saturday night update continued
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OK, it's late. I have been going full-on for over 4 hours.
I am about 1/2 way through the wiring and I can't believe the amount of wires going to the encoder. Sure I knew most of the available outputs would be taken, but this is getting messier than I expected!
Sure hope it works. I hate the thought of trying to sort through this spaghetti when/if I have any faults!
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That's the nicest panel Ive seen with multiple joysticks & track balls, I usually think they look tacky with too much stuff, but that looks nice and clean dude! very nice.
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It has been awhile since my last update as I have been busy wiring my CP with nothing else of interest to report. I suppose now is a good time for a raving long story of where I am at and where I am going
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Couple of pics of my not so tidy wiring job.
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Bones, you're doing a great job. Remember, the only person that comes over to play that's going to see under that CP is another BYOAC junkie. If it works, all the better, and if there is some organization that at least you can understand, then no worries mate. Keep up the good work!
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Bones, you're doing a great job. Remember, the only person that comes over to play that's going to see under that CP is another BYOAC junkie.
Yeah, but when I get there after that long friggen plane ride, I'm gonna HAVE TO rag on him for his sloppy wiring job, and take Mrs. Bones back to the States with me as punishment for unseemly housekeeping under-side the innards....or something ;) ;D
Don't worry, I'm bringing duct tape to keep the noise level down....I suppose kicking and screaming isn't the way to take a crazed Aussie woman on an international flight. ;D
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You can always drop her off at my house! (Bring some of his new power tools too)
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Drew, Radiant.......
You couldn't keep up with her if you tried. ;D
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Friday night update
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Friday night update continued
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Gotta say, your CP is looking great, nice clean wiring, and a well-though out layout.
*Edit* I would love to see a spinner in there, maybe right between Player 1 and Player 2. Actually, with all that space, you could probably fit two spinners on the panel for some Pong action. In my experience, everybody loves spinning the spinner.
Cheers,
KenToad
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Gotta say, your CP is looking great, nice clean wiring, and a well-though out layout.
*Edit* I would love to see a spinner in there, maybe right between Player 1 and Player 2. Actually, with all that space, you could probably fit two spinners on the panel for some Pong action. In my experience, everybody loves spinning the spinner.
Cheers,
KenToad
Okay, I see that your wiring is actually pretty tight fitting and you've got a wiring block there between Player 1 and Player 2, so scratch that.
Cheers,
KenToad
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*Edit* I would love to see a spinner in there, maybe right between Player 1 and Player 2.
Thanks for the kind comment. My plan was to have a spinner on my CP and to be honest I think it a little silly to build something this size and not have a simple spinner.
However, the fact is I struggled to find one I could buy in Australia and I didn't want to place overseas orders. I had a goal to build from locally available parts which to date I have been able to achieve.
If I really feel I am missing out it should be easy enough to add one later and I might even try at hacking my own just for the fun of it.
For now I suppose I will just play spinner games with the trackball.
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looking very smart. um, have you got anything to bolt it onto? besides your dead kombi ;)
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Drew, Radiant.......
You couldn't keep up with her if you tried. ;D
That's ok. I don't mind seeing a good looking woman walking away from me. Sometimes, they look better walking away, but who knew there were so many Mrs. Butterface's out there? ;)
looking very smart. um, have you got anything to bolt it onto? besides your dead kombi ;)
Danny's hit upon the ULTIMATE cab! Think of your CP strapped onto your dashboard.....The Bones Combi-Cade! Man, if I keep giving you these sweet ideas....
I didn't wait for all the pix to appear, why'd you decide to go with a terminal block for ground instead of daisy-chaining them? Electrical is the only thing I hate worse than hard math, and if you've got a good reason and find that way works out pretty well, I may follow your lead there.
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I didn't wait for all the pix to appear, why'd you decide to go with a terminal block for ground instead of daisy-chaining them?
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Did nothing today. Drank beer in the sun with friends all day. Intended on finishing my CP but crap happens sometimes.
Sometimes, when those beers start casting aspersions on your manhood, you just gotta stand up for yourself, suck a few down (more than a few, if your point isn't getting across), and show 'em who's boss.
I'm not the one to pooh-pooh your choice Bones! Nay, instead, I stand to salute you and say "Good for you Bones! Good for you!" (insert golf-clap here)
Now that I see this happens more often than I'd thought, looking back, I think those beers in my fridge were laffin' at me the other day. I'm gonna take your lead, my friend, and tonight (I like to do my work under cover of darkness, like a secret agent....007) the assassin shall strike! BRAVO BONES!
I think I've had too much sun :P
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Sunday update.
Today I planned on finishing the remaining wiring for my CP which I knocked off in a couple of hours. I had been testing all my connections with a multimeter and feeling confident all would be
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Sunday update continued
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You've broken a cardinal rule and hooked up the completed control panel before finishing the cabinet.
This will put you WEEKS behind schedule!
Disconnect it NOW before it's too late!
Nice progress BTW!
;D
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Final thoughts
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Been a bit slow on the project in the last week.
Received my trackball back and re-installed it. Took it for a test run and was a little disappointed. Not as smooth as I imagined. Might just have to get used to it a bit and also calibrate the mouse for best results. Maybe this is as good as a small trackball gets, really dunno.
Been playing on my CP a substantial amount and it really beats playing with the hand controller I have been using in the past. A working CP and a full collection of ROMs received just this week have strangely taken much of my time. ;)
Messed around a little with my cab design. Struggling to find best monitor angle to enable a good view from all 4 positions. I will sacrifice P3 & P4 view somewhat in favour of P1 & P2 as these positions will be used more often, but finding the balance without a monitor to stand in front of is creating more guesswork than I feel comfortable with.
Still very much in the early stages but leaning towards something that resembles this.
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I have now officially put together my working cabinet plans and will most likely begin construction within the next week although I will proof read the plans again before starting. The full size drawings were created using Illustrator.
I tested my working CP at different heights and found that I was comfortable in a broad range. Also found out that my wrists could tolerate playing at an angle so I have decided to slope the CP for sake of appearances.
Some key dimensions are;
Cab height: 1950mm (76.77
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Bones:
Does the cabinet need to be that deep to accomodate the monitor? It seems awfully big from front to back.
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Bones:
Does the cabinet need to be that deep to accomodate the monitor? It seems awfully big from front to back.
Yeah it did come out a little large.
The area that supports the CP is 350mm (18
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It looks neat. I just wanted to make sure you had room for it.
I really like the lines.
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Bones,
I only recently started reading the forums here after a long departure from building, but this thread has been a great inspiration. You have done a great job at documenting your project thusfar and I hope you continue such dedication. Who knows? You may end up with your own book :)
Its refreshing to see someone with equivalent woodworking skills end up with such quality output. I look forward to everything you learn from building the main cab. Your lessons have given me many things to consider that I may not have.
Keep up the great work!
-Stobe
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Thanks for the kind words Stobe. I am glad my ravings are helpful and you are getting something from this thread. Good luck with your bar-top plans.
What a nice young man.....
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Saturday night update continued
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Saturday night update continued
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What a nice young man.....
???
Just wondering what leads you to believe that I am either 'nice' or 'young' :)
Side note: I need to call my Australian brother-in-law every now and then to have him translate some of your terms, lol. There are still a few words that I haven't learned from watching the Wiggles with my daughters :)
-Stobe
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What a nice young man.....
What, are you gonna make a pass at him or something.....skip down the street holding his hand and singing showtunes? ;)
Wait'll I send this thread and your comments to Mrs. Bones. You are DONE, sir!
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What a nice young man.....
What, are you gonna make a pass at him or something.....skip down the street holding his hand and singing showtunes? ;)
Actually Drew,
I am flying to the States next week and I was hoping to meet up with you for some fun uninhibited times. Make sure you bring your gimp costume.
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Actually Drew,
I am flying to the States next week and I was hoping to meet up with you for some fun uninhibited times. Make sure you bring your gimp costume.
It's at the cleaners. Let me know when you're stopping by....I may have to purchase a backup for your visit. :-X
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Today I traced out where my cabinet would live in my garage to get a better idea of the space it would consume. It fits, but goodness...it really is freaken huge. If I build it to my design I won't be able to wheel it outside for sanding as it doesn't even clear my roller door height.
Little frustrating actually. I was very pleased with my design and the angles and proportions but it's obvious I have to go back to the drawing board and redesign to a lower height and perhaps reduce the overall depth.
At this moment I see some potential to lower the control panel maybe a few inches which will solve my height problem but the rest is going to be challenging to reduce in size and have it look aesthetically pleasing.
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Base the height of the control panel on your height and build the cab around that. If the CP is at an uncomfortable height, then you will hurt when you play.
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Coming along crackingly! I must say.
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Went back and trimmed my design. I still have excessive space around the back of the monitor but I am reluctant to close this gap any further.
Overall I have dropped the cab in height by 120mm (4-3/4
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Just curious why you changed the angle of your marquee when you trimmed it up? Was it simply a design preference, or was it somehow necessary?
-Stobe
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Just curious why you changed the angle of your marquee when you trimmed it up?
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Ummm ok..... Problem! >:(
MDF only available in Sheet Sizes: 1800, 2100, 2400 & 2700 mm by 900 & 1200 mm. My cab is 1300mm wide. I need to reduce width by at least another 100mm.
Bugger....back to the drawing board again.
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Holy Sh!t. That beast is huge if you are wider than the widest sheet of MDF. 51" wide if my conversion is correct. Most cabinets are 36" (910mm) deep plus another 8 - 10" for the control panel.
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Usually MDF sheets are 49" x 97", although that's nowhere near a standard, I've found out :-\
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What about if you make the top and bottom out of seperate sheets, that way you can have the 2 unbolt from each other like some cabinets I have seen around on here.
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Went back and trimmed my design. I still have excessive space around the back of the monitor but I am reluctant to close this gap any further.
Place number one you can shave some room, although I think you already knew that
Two other places I'm thinking you can shave some room is to eliminate/move in the two areas below
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What about if you make the top and bottom out of separate sheets, that way you can have the 2 unbolt from each other like some cabinets I have seen around on here.
Yes, good idea! I considered the "bolt on" box at the front and haven't fully dismissed the idea yet.
Drew,
The area highlighted by your arrow just above the CP looks like it could be narrowed or even eliminated but with the "secret" admin switches wired in series, I need to be able to reach around to the back top of my CP panel. My idea was to hinge a small door here with a barrel lock. For this reason I just can't bring myself to take it from there.
Last night I took 50mm off each side at its widest point and retained all my angles. This seems to work. I hope to finalize my plan tonight with the possible intention of buying wood this weekend.
Looking for a bright side and I found one. When I make my cab 1200mm wide (the maximum standard width), this is one less critical cut I have to make with my evil and possessed circular saw.
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Looking for a bright side and I found one. When I make my cab 1200mm wide (the maximum standard width), this is one less critical cut I have to make with my evil and possessed circular saw.
I'd sell that saw on e-bay. I hear you can make a fortune on normal stuff that is evil and possessed. See if there's a casino that has a need for a possessed circular saw ;D
I think the bolt-on CP is the way to go, and if you're not satisfied with taking that much room away from the backside of the monitor, it appears as if you have way more than enough support that you could take some away from underneath the CP.
Looks as if "The Gold Mine" whetted your appetite for a beast of a machine. ;) At least that aircraft carrier disguised as a CP won't look out of place ;D
Hey, when you're cutting with your circ saw, try to drop the blade further down to make the cut end as square as possible, especially on that back angle - the cut-in on the lower half. You'll have less to clean up or avoid the whole "use the saw on the other side to finish the cut - thereby screwing up the cut"
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I have a kick ass router. There is a good chance if I can get the width and height pre-cut and delivered, I might just router the other cuts rather than use a jigsaw or the scary evil circular saw.
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I have a kick ass router. There is a good chance if I can get the width and height pre-cut and delivered, I might just router the other cuts rather than use a jigsaw or the scary evil circular saw.
Well, since the width is going to be a full sheet wide, I think you should be able to at least get THAT part "pre-cut" ;) ;D
Lookin' forward to the rest of the beast :-*
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Went to the hardware store today and checked MDF sheet sizes. Standard size I can use is 2400mm x 1200mm x 18mm. At just under 50 bucks a sheet I suppose my cab will cost around $150-$200 in wood by the time I am finished.
I have now finalised my side profile and confirmed all sizes are good. I just went in 50mm from both sides and reduced the marquee angle to look neater.
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Width of cab will be 738mm which uses the nice round dimension of 700mm plus the width of the sides.
My artwork skills obviously speak for themselves but this pic shows all the proportions to the correct size so I can get a feel on what to expect.
Please not that actual arcade game may differ from illustration.
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This picture shows what my cab might look like if it were in orbit around the planet Saturn.
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Bones,
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:) All good. Yeah the thread is long and WILL get longer as I do want to document the entire process.
The company that did my printing was:
Etude Promotions & Marketing
http://www.etudepm.com/
John was my contact and I found him enthusiastic & helpful.
Where about in Western Sydney are you?
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Bones... I'm located in Windsor.
I have a few cabs I've converted to mame.... I haven't attempted to build yet, but I'm sure it won't be far off. ( Now that I know someone that has all the good tools, do you hire them out on an hourly rental...joke ) ;D
You mentioned you were putting in a 27' monitor..... have you found a place to buy this from yet.. if so I would be interested in a contact as well.
Are you making your CP artwork available?
Anyway... I'm looking forward to watching your progress.
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I made some phone calls regarding the monitor last week and www.zax.com.au has them in stock (VIC). Freight is about $50.00 to Sydney metro.
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Get that cab built man "get'er done" ;D
Just think, if the cab dosen't come out to your liking you have a great future in building CP caskits for the dead gamer.
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I plan on having the basic dimensions pre-cut before delivery. The fact is I have struggled with my cutting in the past and by doing this some of the major cuts/lines will already be made.
The following pictures show how I will pre order the material which I will organise for delivery next Saturday. I will need three sheets of 1200 x 2400 x 18.
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The pieces that are 700mm wide can be used anywhere as they reflect the width of my cab. I will cut them to length as required rather than try and predict exactly what is needed where beforehand.
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For areas that I do not consider load bearing (like the back of the cab where many people leave it open), I will most likely use some light material such as 6mm MDF. It's important I can keep small fingers out of there.....
Get that cab built man "get'er done" ;D
I begin in less than 1 week! ;)
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* Having the Canadian's tell you to buy the mother of all mitre saws
* Putting up with the canadian's wanting to steal your missus
If I'm a Canadian, that must make you a kiwi. :P
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* Having the Canadian's tell you to buy the mother of all mitre saws
* Putting up with the canadian's wanting to steal your missus
If I'm a Canadian, that must make you a kiwi.
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lol... I bet she would love to know she 's available for hire.
But I agree...... when you gotta have it... you gotta have it
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Paid for my wood yesterday arvo. It gets delivered on Saturday. Also seen this handy router bit.
If I can get one perfect side I can now make another identical using my router. The router bit can cut very deep and has a bearing to guide on the original piece.
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Saturday arvo update.
Cool, didn
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Saturday arvo update continued
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Saturday arvo update continued
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Saturday arvo update continued
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Saturday arvo update finished.
I started preparing to make the cab base but it was starting to sprinkle so I quickly moved my wood indoors and out of the rain..
I have every intention of doing more tomorrow although the weather may slow me down.
Update finished.
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Got home ready to immediately start and I might add, with a stupid grin from ear to ear.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=14764;image)
THAT is an ear to ear grin? I think you've misinterpreted what "grin" means....do you guys in Oz call that a grin? Here in the states, that's called a "grimace" or "wincing" like you might if you dropped a piece of MDF on your toe like Hulkster!
Oh, and sweet work!
p.s. Dude, fix yer collar, you're all messed up and stuff ;)
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Showing emotion is a sign of weakness. I consciously only allow 15 degrees difference between happiness and sadness.
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Showing emotion is a sign of weakness. I consciously only allow 15 degrees difference between happiness and sadness.
/me tees up a golf ball, takes his driver, and smacks Bones right in the stones.
Guys, he's right. It may be 17o, but he's DEFINITELY sad now!
;D :angel:
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Somehow i thought he was a black dude, not that theres anything wrong with that.
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Shut up you white honky boys.
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Saturday arvo update continued
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Sunday night update
Started out this morning by going to the hardware store to buy some castors and some more wood. Had a look yesterday but the small shop I went to wanted $30.00ea for the wheels
Today I found some for $12.00 rated at 85kg each. I brought 4, two that are fixed and two that can swivel.
I got home and started making the base.
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Sunday night update continued
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Sunday night update continued
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Sunday night update continued
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Sunday night update continued
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Sunday night update continued
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Only 5 minutes..........
Well now would be a good time to order a 3rd sheet of MDf and save one as a template........ It will save you a lot of time when all of you mates want one ( which of course will happen...
Bugger that!! My garage is overflowing now with arcade related building crap! They can build their own!!! 8)
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For no other reason but curiosity, I put the CP box in place to see how it would look.
Currently the CP box is being used as a junk box but it gives me an idea of how the proportions look against THE coffin.
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This picture shows what my cab might look like if it were in orbit around the planet Saturn.
HA HA HA HA so funny.
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Just ordered my 27" WG D9200 monitor, step-down isolation transformer (240V to 110V) and 2 player coin door with $1.00 coin mechs. They are 1000km away at the moment so I figure it will take a week before I see them.
Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.
8)
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Everything is proceeding as I have foreseen.
Wise is bones. Makes killer cab he does. The field is strong in this one.
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Wow!
Only placed my order with www.zax.com.au yesterday and today I received all my parts. Not a bad effort considering this company is interstate and 1000km from here.
I am really going to give these guys a rap. I spoke with a fella called Shannon on the phone that was helpful and really went the extra step to assist with my stupid questions.
Upon receiving the two boxes containing my parts, one package in particular literally took me 5 minutes to unwrap. There was shredded paper and the parts were additionally wrapped in bubble wrap. The box it came in was well addressed and sealed with packaging tape and staples. I literally had to destroy the box to get it open.
These people obviously take some pride in what they do and it reflects in the presentation of their delivery and the prompt and friendly service I was given.
Zax
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Here is a pic of the coin microswitch. I had wondered how they work, now I know.
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This is a pic of the reject button. I want to light these but not sure how. I expected to find a globe fitting mounted in them or nearby. I will have to do some research on how to backlight this area.
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Next up was the transformer to power the monitor. It was recommended to me to run the monitor at 110v and not the standard 240v that comes out the slots here in Oz.
Zax
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Finally the really big box. The monitor.
This thing is pretty serious. Initially I just stood back a little bewildered after opening the box. Having never seen one of these made everything I was looking at appear foreign, I looked it over for about 10 minutes and worked out where everything plugs in etc. I really wanted to touch the big suction cup but for now I will resist this foolish yet curious urge.
The frame of the monitor was much more solid than I had anticipated and the weight amazed me. I actually can
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Almost forgot.... Had a couple of barrel locks for the coin doors also thrown in.
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Touching the big suction cup is perfectly safe, as long as you follow two simple rules:
1. Wet touching finger to insure good contact (saliva is fine)
2. FIRMLY grasp a bare skin area of a bystander with the other hand,
immediately prior to touching the aforementioned anode.
While you may feel a definite tingle course through your body, this method will insure your not getting a life-ending jolt.
<superfastannouncertalk>
Disclaimer: Death may still occur if spouse is used as the donor-bystander in this procedure. YMMV
</superfastannouncertalk>
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BTW...
Your cabinet is looking great!
Oh, and please post your CP artwork to the depository :P ;)
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Touching the big suction cup is perfectly safe, as long as you follow two simple rules:
1. Wet touching finger to insure good contact (saliva is fine)
2. FIRMLY grasp a bare skin area of a bystander with the other hand,
immediately prior to touching the aforementioned anode.
While you may feel a definite tingle course through your body, this method will insure your not getting a life-ending jolt.
<superfastannouncertalk>
Disclaimer: Death may still occur if spouse is used as the donor-bystander in this procedure. YMMV
</superfastannouncertalk>
The Proceeding Statement is the responsibility of the author and is no way the opinion of this station or it's affiliates... ;)...but it sure was funny. I believe this was the same thing my brother (the TV guy) told me. Of course....he doesn't like me that much....
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If it hasn't been plugged in yet, it should be fine... but don't risk it. :O
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Didn
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Just ordered my 27" WG D9200 monitor
If you don't mind me asking, where did you get the D9200 from?
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Ahhh... Somebody hasn't been reading the thread, only looking at the pretty pictures huh?? ;)
Only placed my order with www.zax.com.au yesterday and today I received all my parts. Not a bad effort considering this company is interstate and 1000km from here.
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Vector clarity surprised me.
This pic is with the game on pause (duller), but gives a reasonable idea. Forgive me not taking the protective plastic off the screen just yet
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Ahhh... Somebody hasn't been reading the thread, only looking at the pretty pictures huh?? ;)
Only placed my order with www.zax.com.au yesterday and today I received all my parts. Not a bad effort considering this company is interstate and 1000km from here.
*Gak* busted! I only skimmed. That'll learn me. :)
Yeah, I've considered ordering from Zax, but I'm too scared to ask what the postage from Melbourne to Brisbane would be on those things. That, and the price they charge for units as it is just blows me away. The joys of being in the southern hemisphere, I guess. :(
Although the $50 you paid shipping it to Sydney is considerably less that what I would have expected.
For now I guess I'll stick to rescuing cheap JAMMA cabs off ebay for 1/3 the price of just the WG monitor, unshipped.
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I found the freight charges reasonable.
I had 2 boxes that would have weighed in total 60kg's. Overnight transport by a company that specialises in moving delicate PC equipment charged $98 for freight which is a little high but cheaper than getting a banged-up delivery by a common courier.
To QLD I reckon would cost the same or perhaps just another $20.
Based on the fact that Zax was the only company I could find who would sell me a D9200 they really could have charged what they wanted. $895 seems like a pretty honest price for a product that they monopolise.
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Based on the fact that Zax was the only company I could find who would sell me a D9200 they really could have charged what they wanted. $895 seems like a pretty honest price for a product that they monopolise.
That is very true. But from the little I've had to do with the Zax guys, they strike me as real arcade fans, and not ripoff merchants. Same goes for most of the people in that industry, it seems.
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Based on the fact that Zax was the only company I could find who would sell me a D9200 they really could have charged what they wanted. $895 seems like a pretty honest price for a product that they monopolise.
$895? how much is that in US dollar?
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$895? how much is that in US dollar?
It's around $650.
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Based on the fact that Zax was the only company I could find who would sell me a D9200 they really could have charged what they wanted. $895 seems like a pretty honest price for a product that they monopolise.
$895? how much is that in US dollar?
That's like 5 of your funny money bills. Really, just a pocket full of change. But you guys have all the 'roos, so it's a trade-off.
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That's like 5 of your funny money bills. Really, just a pocket full of change. But you guys have all the 'roos, so it's a trade-off.
Hey, there's nothing wrong with our plastic funny money. It's saved me a dozen times over when I forget to check my pockets for money before putting it in the wash. :)
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Made very little progress today. I have hit that stage in my project where all I seem to do is stare and look at it wondering what to do next.
To start the day I thought I would go and have a look at a car stereos and speakers with the intention of buying. As spoken about earlier in this thread, my plan was to use a car stereo for music and game sounds.
Prices for anything suitable started at $200 plus the price of speakers. I never intended to lay this much down so I walked out a little dazzled at what now to do.
Just a couple of doors over there was a TV repair shop that looks really out of place. It is old looking amongst a collection of newer establishments but I thought I would stick my head in there and say G
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Returning home I did some more looking and thinking. Finally I decided that regardless of how I will eventually amplify my sounds, I could at least mount some car speakers where I originally intended and again start working.
About 10 years ago I brought the Missus some speakers for her car which she never used. I have decided to give these a home rather than buy the fancier ones. Sometimes you have to remind yourself,
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Sunday night update.
Today I attached the front panel that will hold the coin door and speakers. I fooled around with the position and finally decided to recess it back a little further than I originally had wanted. This creates a kind of kick plate area but with the depth of my control panel you would need to have a size 27 shoe to actually kick it.
My decision to do this was purely aesthetical.
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Sunday night update continued
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Comming along nicely i must say, i hope you're going to put some grills on those speakers.
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Yeah sure am.
I have the originals which clip into place and I have located a supplier of speaker material which I may use to cover the ones near the marquee.
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Maybe installing the speakers on the inside so they are not sticking out with the grill on? You might have to work some magic to get the grills on that way though.
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The grills are significantly larger than the holes I have cut. They are designed to attach on the outside of the speaker and lock into place.
They actually look quite good and with the depth of my control panel they could not be easily kicked or damaged anyway....
I will post pics when the time comes, until then you must have faith young man without a title.
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young man without a title.
Ooooops, better scub that NFL Expert...... ;)
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Saturday update
Today was my marquee retaining day.
Unable to buy anything similar to a Happs marquee retainer in Australia and further choosing early in my project to not order parts from overseas, I had to work out another way of mounting the marquee plexi glass.
I found some aluminium in a U shape during my travels, I don
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I cleaned up the Aluminium brackets with some turps and gave them two coats of primer undercoat followed by a couple of coats of gloss black.
This picture sux but should give you an idea.
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Next I mounted the pine piece at 90 degrees into the cabinet, and attached my speaker shelf after cutting out the speaker holes. The speaker shelf follows the profile of my cabinet and buts up tight to the pine piece.
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Unhappy with the way the sides of my cabinet look after these pieces were mounted I have chosen to re-shape this section. Perhaps a job for tomorrow. Pain in the ass having to do another slot when I cut this hideous piece out
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OK
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Really nice work, bones. You've done a tremendous job on your cabinet & documenting your project. Is a website in the works?
I don't think the area around your marquee looks 'YUK'. Maybe you've been looking at it too long! Great job.
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Is a website in the works?.
Not at this time. I have never written a web page before and finding the extra time now to learn would be difficult. I have kept all my pics so perhaps when it is finished I will dedicate some time to this.
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I don't think the area around your marquee looks 'YUK'. Maybe you've been looking at it too long!
Interesting comment and considering the routing difficulties I will endure with the bottom speaker shelf now glued & attached (unable to mount my slot cutter this deep from the otherside), I will put it to the vote.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=40394.0
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Monday update....
After becoming somewhat aggravated over the appearance of the marquee area and due to it not looking the way my mind had imagined, I took some time off and did nothing on Sunday.
Cutting the pointy bits off the cab was not going to be an issue but putting the t-molding slot back into this area was a major concern. I simply couldn
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Using a jigsaw I cut out some triangles and then fired up the biscuit cutter. The process was quite speedy and the results are not great, but they are acceptable. I will more than likely squirt some silicone in the grove when installing but now at least I have a guide and something for the t-molding to hang onto.
Pics show the new profile and results of my new slot attempts. I think from the front the cabinet has improved in appearance but I must confess to liking the old side profile much more. Alas, I can not have my cake and eat it too.
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Sure you can (have your cake and eat it too)!
Use that same biscuit joiner and add same new wood back on to that area in whatever shape you want.
With biscuits and glue, It'll be plenty strong; You can use some fiberglass reinforced Bondo (auto body filler) on the seam; you'll NEVER see it.
Fix the shape to something YOU will be happy with... or else you'll always notice it and hate it down the road.
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The differences are subtle and the more I look at it the more it is now growing on me.
I think overall the new shape is an improvement.
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Vector clarity surprised me.
This pic is with the game on pause (duller), but gives a reasonable idea. Forgive me not taking the protective plastic off the screen just yet
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FYI you can run mame with -pause_brightness 2.0 for raster games and -intensity 2.5 for vector games to get a better picture when pause is pressed.
Thanks Buddabing, the software side is not something I have fully thrown myself into yet (still using mame32), but this is nice to know for when the project is finished and I want to take some final pics.
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** Edit. Worked out auto trace function in Illustrator which made life easy!
I am at a stage where I am designing my marquee graphics and I have decided to stick to my idea and call the cab
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Saturday night update.
I put in a huge day today and really have nothing to show for it. There was lots of repetitive and tedious work before the dashboard started to take form.
The dashboard in my design is somewhat necessary. If you cruise back to the final pics of the completed control panel in this thread you will be reminded about the administrator admin switches which are wired in series and hidden. (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.msg337094#msg337094)
Having these switches gives me 100% control over my cab but unless they are easily accessible, they would serve no purpose. The dashboard is my gateway to these buttons.
To make the situation a little more difficult, the dashboard must be removable for monitor installation and also for accessing/cleaning/changing the monitor glass. (Although I have decided to use 6mm Lexan for this and not actual glass.) The dashboard will also house the cabinet
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The speakers are mounted facing upward and will be screwed in place. I will put a rubber oring between the metal surfaces which should act a dampener and stop any vibration.
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Next task was to make some speaker grills. These were made these from 6mm thick MDF as I wanted the profile to be subtle. I cut out two 100mm square pieces and drilled some mounting holes in the corners that also go through the dashboard. I then sanded and rounded the edges.
I repeated the screw mounting process on the speaker grills as per the dashboard by countersinking, a nut underneath and putty filling the top. There isn
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Final work for the day was routering the administration access panel which will house the barrel lock. Picture shows actual dashboard positioning but I will probably remove the clamps. ::) ;D
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I was bored and decided to sand the grills tonight. I also gave them one coat of paint which will need to be sanded and re-coated tomorrow.
They came out average but in the big scheme of things they will be completely covered in fabric anyway....
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Sunday night update.
First thing was to give my speaker grills a second coating of black. Once they were dry I installed the speaker fabric. I was a little concerned about this mainly due to the wood thickness and I wasn
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Next I cut out the access panel and sanded it to size
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The need will arise to remove this shelf for initial monitor and glass installation/maintenance so it is held in place with some case clips. This seemed like the simplest way I could think of that didn
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This pic shows everything in place with the hidden admin switches in reach of the access panel.
The only thing I really need to do now is install the potentiometer for volume control which will have to wait until next week.
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And finally a pic of everything sitting in place.
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Reinforcing what should be the obvious. Yesterday I did a lot of MDF sanding (by hand) and didn
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I have posted initial designs for my marquee in the artwork forum. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=40840.0
Feedback at the above link would be cool.
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Saturday night update
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Once my jig thingy was in place I put the yet to be cut-to-size monitor shelf under my jig and one of the future monitor supports under this. This held the shelf in place on one side. With the other side I adjusted the position of the shelf with clamps until I decided it was level. (By level I mean parallel with the other side.)
I used a tape measure, spirit level and right angle to get the position correct before attaching the monitor shelf support on the other side.
The shelf supports are held in by a plethora of screws that have been screwed and countersunk from the outside. They are also glued in place. The monitor shelf is held down by the same method.
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To add additional support I attached two of the four steel brackets I brought. Pictures speak for themselves
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I walked across the road and asked some tough neighbourhood dudes to do the lifting for me. They put the monitor into the cab pretty easy (from the front). We sat back and had a cool refreshing VB while I took in how the positioning looked. It looks good. My little jig thing worked a charm. The monitor matches the slope of the cab sides perfectly and the vertical position is how I imagined.
I will leave the monitor in there for now while I customise the fitting.
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There is considerable space behind the monitor which is good as it does have to slide back a couple of inches to make room for the monitor glass and bezel. (If I decide to have a bezel.)
This probably concludes all work this week. Tomorrow is little Harleys 2nd birthday and dad wants to spend the day with him.
Happy birthday little man. :angel:
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Lookin good 'Bones. Everytime I look at your cab, I kick myself for not using a WG D9200. Maybe in the future....or for my next project.
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Looookkkkin Good Bones.
I savin my beer money for a monitor like yours...... cause I just want one.
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I gotta say, parting with the $1000 bucks (for monitor and transformer) was not exactly easy but I have put this much effort in and wanted a decent screen.
No regrets although I missed out on the fun of hacking monitor cables.
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Today I spoke to a guy at work who is a welder about how I would go trying to bend some angle iron and make some brackets.
He told if I supplied him with some details he would make the brackets up for me.
I got home and cut the required angles into a block of wood with my drop saw and roughly sketched what I was after with the tolerances I could live with. (I will give the chunk of wood to him.)
These brackets are to hold the bottom of the monitor in place both at the front and back.
I will most likely screw the top front frame of the monitor directly into a support beam I will have to add to my cabinet.
I found some slight variances between the PDF file at Wells Gardner and my own monitor. Just small things like my monitor has an extra two mounting holes at the front. I have closely estimated the slant of the frame on a flat surface at 80 degrees at the front and 110 degrees at the back.
PLEASE, if coping these plans, check them against your own monitor!
I will post pictures on how the brackets turn out when they are finished.
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As long as your numbers are all correct, and half-competent welder can make those cuts witout blinking.
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Got my Brackets today.
They are made from grade 316 stainless steel. The rear brackets are made from 6mm thick material and the front bracket from 3mm.
Both feel incredibly solid and the weld marks are pretty clean. The front bracket has been polished up and the flash gives it a wavy look but this is not the case.
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The nice guy who made them for me said if there was any problems to take them back to him. Both brackets are slightly out on angle but I reckon I could shim the difference on the monitor shelf. I will talk to him tomorrow and see what he says.
He also said I would probably struggle to drill the material myself so they might end up going back for dilling after I have discover for myself just how hard it is to drill stainless steel.....
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go bones! its gunna be a doozy (",)
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Looking good dude, you're making me want to start a new project.
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I have really enjoyed the process so far. It's only 75% completed and already I am considering what my next project will be.....
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Saturday night update.
Let me start tonight
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Next I got the foam/cardboard I purchased and cut it to size, I then cut a square out of the middle for the actual screen display and put everything in place. My intention is to also paint the back of the lexan to conceal its mounting blocks.
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Now the problems
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gee that sucks....
why not while you are waiting for happ's email, why don't you try the $2.00 bezel a shot? ::)
maybe you will like it better than having to pay load of $$$$$ from happs.
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Since posting the update I have been adjusting the bezel and thinking more about it. I might still be able to use this cardboard thing and get a reasonable result if I can't find a bezel in Aus.
Really, spending $100 freight for a $20 part is not something I want to do. Also, I would like to stay faithful to my original plan of not buying parts from overseas.
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Were the scratches put in the Lexan-like material before you bought it? It seems like an good idea and one I would try also, but I have not held up any Lexan in front of a monitor to see if it has any inherent scratches. I will probably buy the Happs bezel too, fortunately I am here in the states. I guess I take that for granted, although, my Ultimarc stuff came from the UK.
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The $2 bezel is a piece of cake to do, just make cardstock mockups until its right, then cut parts from your black stock to match.
I used hot glue at the corners of mine. It really made it sturdy.
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Were the scratches put in the Lexan-like material before you bought it?
If was given to me free of charge and yes, the scratches were in it when I got it. The protective covering was missing in some places like it had been torn. It really isn't terrible and I could easily use this piece if I had to. I am leaning heavily towards tinted glass now, I just know I won't be 100% happy unless I get some.
I am over stressing about the bezel & will give Tailgunner's tutorial a go.
nostrebor, that bezel looks bloody great.
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Sunday night update.
Minor work today. In the morning I messed around with the bezel before deciding I could procrastinate this task. This is probably a good thing because I can make it to suit when the monitor is fully installed.
I have pretty much dismissed any thoughts of getting a Happ
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I just want to second the $2 bezel - It was really my only option when I made my bezel, but I was happy with the results. If/when you do it, like most things, the longer you spend on it the better it will look. I suggest making the depth of the bezel bigger than you want to account for heaps of little trimmings here and there - Once I had mine fitting snug it almost didn't reach the frame that it is supposed to join. (You know the old story about sanding the table legs level.. ;) )
Good luck!
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Thanks. I will likely make a cardboard blueprint to get the sizes and angles right and then transfer this design to balsa wood.
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Saturday night update.
I made the decision to use tinted safety glass for my monitor screen. The Lexan I cut looked fine, but the more I read on this tinted stuff the keener I became. I sent out some emails and as usual I got no replies. Refusing to chase the places I had emailed for answers, I rang a local glass glazier and had a chat with him explaining what I wanted.
He recommended
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Another mid week realisation I had was about my damn sound system
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Only other construction today was strengthening my cabinet design. In the short time the monitor was in place there appeared to be the slightest bowing of the MDF monitor shelf.
I reinforced the shelf and sides with 2X4 pine and installed 4 big ass metal brackets.
Further construction today was cut short when my one month old cordless drill failed. The chuck become stuck wide open and could not be closed. I had to run around getting another. I was lucky I kept the docket because normally these end up in the bin or lost. The drill was exchanged with no questions asked and zero fuss which was nice.
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Tomorrow I might play with the potentiometer for my volume control although at the moment I am in dire need of a cleanup before I even think about going much further. This picture speaks for itself regarding the state or my workshop. It is obvious who is to blame for this mess and I blame saint, his book & this web site.
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I think you'll be very happy with the tinted safety glass. I used tinted Lexan in my first cab and when the monitor is on, you cant even see if a bezel is there or not. Dont worry, if you go the $2 route, it wont be as bad as you think. :police:
Keep up that attention to detail!
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I think you'll be very happy with the tinted safety glass. I used tinted Lexan in my first cab and when the monitor is on, you cant even see if a bezel is there or not. Dont worry, if you go the $2 route, it wont be as bad as you think. :police:
Keep up that attention to detail!
Yeah, the tinted glass should hide any bezel roughness. <bonus!> 8)
*Edit spelling.
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That workshop doesn't look too bad. It looks like you can still walk around. What type of car is that in the picture on your wall. I suspect it is a Dodge Charger since I see a licence plate with "Charger" writtin on it. You know.....I had never considered blaming Saint for all my mess/struggles until you mentioned it. It's definitely his fault. How dare he wrote that book. I was just minding my own business walking around a book store that one day, and there was his book and it just reached out and grabbed me. I haven't been the same since ;D But I sure am having fun :P
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What type of car is that in the picture on your wall. I suspect it is a Dodge Charger since I see a licence plate with "Charger" writtin on it.
The picture on the wall is a Phase 3 Australian Ford Falcon XYGTHO.
I used to own a Charger, but an Aussie one (Not Dodge). I sold it a couple of years ago. :'(
The number plate was a gift from a dude I used to work when I had the car.
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Sunday Morning.
I got lazy & didn
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The blue marks on the wood are off the dropsaw body. It was a big slam.
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Glad you're ok. Tools can do some serious damage. I've NEVER used clamps when using a miter saw, I've always held the wood by hand. You're supposed to clamp the wood you're cutting somehow? :o
Since my machine is on (somewhat permanent!) loan from my father-in-law, I've never had the manual to read.
Again, glad you're ok. It coulda been a completely different story you just told.
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I had the same thing happen to me TWICE before I figured out why it was happening.
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wow, those blue marks really show how hard that thing must have hit.
If I've learned anything from good ol' dad, it's to respect power tools. Although I think we're all guilty of being a bit lazy at time since it's "only one cut" or "too much work to set it all up" I know I've done that before, and I'm betting most of us have. I'll think twice about that next time I fire up the saw.
Keep up the good work on the cab though, it really is looking good.
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Glad you're okay Bones, power tools will bite you without a second thought when given half a chance.
Also glad to see you're warming up to the $2 cardboard bezel. 8) I figure cardboard was good enough for almost all of the manufacturers, and you can waste a lot of it perfecting your pattern without costing you anywhere near the price of a plastic bezel.
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looks nice... but if it is going to be a showpeice.. shell out the $ for a plastic bezel bro.
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Sunday Morning.
I got lazy & didn
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Heh. Everybody loves a little drama. My link has never had this many hints in such a short time before! You guys want me to do something else stupid? ::)
After my close call today I dedicated the rest of my weekend to cleaning up my workspace. I should have done it ages ago. I finally have a floor again and everything has it's place. Thinking safety-first for the duration of my build. This was a really close one and to not take notice of the warning signs would be extremely foolish.
Today I also went to the place that sold me the dropsaw and had a talk to them. I told them about the problem and I may have curved reality just a little bit, ahem...ummm, OK then, a fair bit. Anyway, they are happy to replace the dropsaw with a new one under warranty which with any luck will arrive prior to next weekend.
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looks nice... but if it is going to be a showpeice.. shell out the $ for a plastic bezel bro.
No way man, I ain't coughing up over $100 for a plastic square on principal alone. I am confident with effort I can make something that will look the biz.
Also glad to see you're warming up to the $2 cardboard bezel. 8) I figure cardboard was good enough for almost all of the manufacturers, and you can waste a lot of it perfecting your pattern without costing you anywhere near the price of a plastic bezel.
Yeah I will give it a shot when the monitor has been permanently installed. Thanks for the effort you put into the $2.00 bezel link.
You know 'Bones, no project, no matter what kind, is complete without atleast one drop of human blood. ;) Every project I finish, whether its working on a car, arcade, or house, I always somehow manage to get a cut or deep scrape that draws blood.
You cant avoid it 'Bones. It WILL happen! ;D
Yeah I agree. Skinning knuckles and cuts are always gunna happen, I ain't afraid of those. But this one was different. This was 2200 watts of spinning blade, this could have been life changing.
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You guys want me to do something else stupid? ::)
Of course we do :) But next time put a piece of the cab on backwards or something..... nothing involving power tools or possible lost appendages. Keep up the stupid stuff, just not the potentially deadly ones heh.
As they say, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
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looks nice... but if it is going to be a showpeice.. shell out the $ for a plastic bezel bro.
That's just silly. My Time Pilot would WHOLEHEARTEDLY disagree with that, as would MANY other games. Not only did they use cardboard bezels to surround the screen and mask off the innards, Tailgunner's method and Bones' use of tinted glass would make it so that not only could you couldn't tell, but he could use whatever color he wants AND it won't cost him at LEAST a hundred friggen dollars (go ahead, find out what SHIPPING that thing costs. I'd bet shipping runs a C-note, since it's expensive as hell just to ship in the states)
Bones, it might be the picture and the angle it was taken, but it looks to me like when you had your accident you bent your fence on the saw. It might not make a difference on pieces that span the whole table on it, but for shorter pieces, you might end up with some stuffed up angles that'll have you pulling out your hair. It you did, see if there's attachment holes on the table and build yourself a new (better/taller/useful) fence to screw back on there. MDF will be fine for that too, in fact, I may have plans for a saw "center" floating around the house if you want me to see if I can scan 'em in and send 'em. It'll give me a reason to buy a new printer/scanner ;D
I'd bet you bent your blade and perhaps the hold-down washer (if there is one) and arbor bolt. Check 'em out and see if replacements are cheap.
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You guys want me to do something else stupid? ::)
Of course we do :) But next time put a piece of the cab on backwards or something..... nothing involving power tools or possible lost appendages. Keep up the stupid stuff, just not the potentially deadly ones heh.
Try to work bacon in there somehow too.
As they say, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
I thought it was supposed to be "it's funny until someone ruptures their uvula"
looks nice... but if it is going to be a showpeice.. shell out the $ for a plastic bezel bro.
No way man, I ain't coughing up over $100 for a plastic square on principal alone. I am confident with effort I can make something that will look the biz.
I can't believe that without even reading this first that I was balls-on the money for how much that thing would cost....throwing useless overpayments at our projects doesn't "make" a project, doing a quality job with what's available for ease of construction is what ultimately "makes" it.
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So... how do you auto-trace in Illustrator?
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Bones, it might be the picture and the angle it was taken, but it looks to me like when you had your accident you bent your fence on the saw.
Hmm... yeah I had a look at the picture and it does look bent although I don't remember spotting any damage when I was cleaning it up last night. Anyway, it is in my car now and will be covered under warranty. I am dropping it back tonight on the way home from work.
This works out well because I would have had to change the blade soon and I don't know how to change it.
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This works out well because I would have had to change the blade soon and I don't know how to change it.
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That's likely the cause of what happened, dull blades are far more likely to bind up during a cut.
In all honesty the blade is still pretty sharp and appears in good condition. I checked all the teeth expecting to find a couple missing after the Dropsaw IncidentTM, but they all look perfect. There are no chips or bruises that I can find anywhere.
The blame for what happenned rests firmly on my shoulders. No other external factors contributed to the Dropsaw IncidentTM.
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I'm with Tailgunner on this one. As soon as I saw it, I thought "crappy blade". I used to reno houses, and I've probably made a gazillion cuts on a gazillion pieces of lumber, of all sizes. One, I recommend DeWalt chopsaws, and Two I recommend DeWalt or Diablo blades. The things that can cause a piece to jam would be dull or bent blade, and reduced speed on the motor (were you pushing too hard on a dull blade maybe?).
I've never had a piece slam like that, and I've never clamped the wood. Get an upgraded blade when they replace the saw. Oh, but DO wear safety glasses at all times! ;D
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I'm in construction management and I love to help out on every job. This same thing happened to me about three weeks ago. I was cutting a small piece of stair nosing (half round solid wood) and I was holding it by hand. The chop saw was dewalt and the blade was a red diablo.
I brought the blade down maybe before the motor was at full speed and I guess I wasn't holding the small piece well enough. It went BANG!! and shot a jolt up my arm. Scared the crapola out of me but there were a bunch of workers on the site so I played it of legit. No one said a thing.
There could have been a lot of factors that caused this to happen. Who knows. But I personally have the $99 Ryobi 10" chop saw that still has the blade it came with on it. Its done baseboards for three entire houses + and still wont even chip MDF.
Everyone rags on Ryobi but this saw is great. I cant tell you how many fast cuts I've made with my fingers 3/4" from the blade with the blade between my line of site and my fingers!!
I love my fingers so I'm trying to "help out" a little less now. I can actually visualize mameing myself when I use the thing.
"mameing myself" eh? ;D
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I'm with Tailgunner on this one.
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OK.... here is something interesting.
Today I returned the dropway and while waiting I was looking over it and noticed the bevel indicator was not set at 0 degrees. It was sent at about 8 degrees which is roughly the slant on my monitor shelf and also the same angle I had been cutting the previous day.
As the Dropsaw Incident was on the first cut I did on the following day, there is a reasonable chance my carelessness was two-fold.
Not properly locking the wood into place and attempting to do a bevel cut is likely the true cause of my close call.
Then again there could be the chance it moved while I was carrying it and putting it in & out of my car but it all seems a bit too much of a coincidence.....
Live and learn.
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So... how do you auto-trace in Illustrator?
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My guess is that because the piece you were cutting was so short, it was getting squeezed into the open space between the two sides of the fence.
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Wow...Glad to hear you weren't hurt.
My take on this is that the friction between the wood and the blade was high enough to overcome the force available for spinning the blade, which is also responsible for cutting the wood. Once it stopped cutting, it grabbed the wood and pulled it into the blade guard.
Possible causes:
Dull blade
Underpowered motor on saw
Extension cord too long or low current at outlet.
Too much down pressure on saw
Saw not up to full RPM
Damp wood - can create more friction and cut less readily
These are few things to consider, some have already been said and I'm sure there are more possibilities. And power tools deserve a lot of respect. Accidents happen in the blink of an eye (when's the last time you heard about it taking a couple of minutes for someone to loose a finger on a tablesaw? ;) ) There is almost never time to react to a dangerous situation, so your only alternative is safe operation and proper preparation.
Always, safety first...unlesss you want learn how to play Asteroids with your TOES!!
RandyT
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Have no fear all. The skid marks in my undies, the pounding heart and the fact my mind had already processed what damage that thing could have done before I even caught my first breath back have put me on the straight and narrow.
I am glad it happenned. I can learn from the experience.
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Thanks Bones.
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Have no fear all. The skid marks in my undies, the
Not only didn't you need to add more words to this post, you probably NEVER needed to type those in the first place. Did you leave those in the bathroom too, like the last pair you shart in?
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Did you leave those in the bathroom too, like the last pair you shart in?
No. I am still wearing them 3 days later. :P
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Glad you're ok, it's a freaky experience to say the least. I had a similar incident happen with my tablesaw.. I took the guard off, mainly because the guard on my craftsman sucks. I was just chopping sections of mdf and one caught ( I must not have had a good enough hold on it). The whole piece jerked, the saw lifted a little bit, I suspect using me as a pivot with the large piece of mdf as the fulcrum; and it pulled me a bit towards the table before I let the piece go. I just about had a heart attack.
No matter how many times someone tells you about power tool incidents, it seems to take a scare (for most people), to fully appreciate their power.
BTW, your cab looks awesome :)
- derek
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I got sent a PM asking about the Logitech Z3 speakers I purchased so I thought I would give them a quick review. I would have blindly purchased the Klipsch speakers as recommended in the book but they were unavailable here.
Firstly I should admit to not having sampled many different speakers so comparisons are always going to be difficult. The only real comparison I have is against my normal PC speakers which are the Creative Gigaworks 7.1 speakers. To compare against these would make any of my comments useless and unfair, but
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I bought this same set of speakers about 2 months ago for around $70. They sound great. I purchased the UAII kit and velcroed the speakers to top and have the volume control coming out under the marquee. I velcroed the volume control next to the speaker grill for easy access. Looks pretty good.
The sub adds a lot to the setup, especially for asteroids.
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Bones, thanks for the review on the Z3's
Like you said, for mame alone they'd be great. But when playing Metallica and Guns and Roses at a party, they probably wouldnt quite cut it. (I have some pretty loud mates).
Oh well, now i have to talk the missus out of more money.....
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P.S. - Bones, nice bacon......
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I'll have mine crispy with the rind off please.
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Got the magic call today. Mr Bones, your saw has arrived.
Picked up my errrr, ummmm
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Bones dude,
Whats with the Bacon?
Nice review on the speakers
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What's with the bacon? What kind of question is that?
-S
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I'll be bacon.
-S
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BACON!
-S
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Bacon's curse.
-S
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Smoked bacon.
-S
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Bones dude,
Whats with the Bacon?
Your very first post EVER on BYOAC, and you trashed it with THAT? There should be some probationary period for new folks where all they can do is read, and if bacon is disparaged within their first 5 posts, they are immediately banned and forced to talk to Subzero in person :o
Bones, way to stick it to Big Saw ;D
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Have you seen the SawStop (http://www.sawstop.com/media/Table%20Saw%20-%20WMV%20high.wmv) demonstration video? Evidently the saw can detect when the blade touches flesh, and super-quick pulls the blade out of the way.
I wonder if it would work with bacon?
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Have you seen the SawStop (http://www.sawstop.com/media/Table%20Saw%20-%20WMV%20high.wmv) demonstration video?
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I've only ever seen the safety test done on a hot dog, but man, if it works on a hot dog, wouldn't you feel safer after potentially sawing your finger off and being saved losing a digit?
That said, no, I don't own one either :-\
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Your very first post EVER on BYOAC, and you trashed it with THAT? There should be some probationary period for new folks where all they can do is read, and if bacon is disparaged within their first 5 posts, they are immediately banned and forced to talk to Subzero in person :o
And by Subzero, you mean Hillary Clinton.
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And by Subzero, you mean Hillary Clinton.
Dartful taught me it's Hitlery ;D
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Bones dude,
Whats with the Bacon?
I am surprised there was not more of a bacon related backlash.
If pork were king, bacon would surely be a god. I would explain the bacon fetish to you but to do this is to betray my fellow enthusiasts and to even whisper the secret of bacon is taboo.
I will however say this, tradition states that a great bacon god will again walk the earth and reward all his followers with a mint condition Star Wars sit-down cabinet which has been lovingly stroked by a harem of blonde virgins, each one even more attractive than Jessica Simpson and Joss Stone combined.
Welcome to the forum.
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Saturday night update.
Hardly worth updating tonight. Really didn
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Unfortunately I didn
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Some other unexpected success today.
I went out to pick up Thai food tonight and the place I buy my computers from was open. Crazy, I went there on Thursday night when all the shops are open and he was shut. Now on a Saturday night he is open. Anyway I went inside and had a chat with him.
I got a quote on a P4 2.8 system, 512mb memory, 160Gb hardrive with CD ROM. I already have the Ultimarc VGA card ready to go. I explained to him what I wanted it for and showed him this thread. He said he could wire an on/off lead to the motherboard so I can mount the power switch where I want it. I may take him up on the offer if he is going to be the one holding the soldering iron on my new computer.
I don't need the PC just yet so I will hold off for a couple of weeks before ordering it.
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I got a quote on a P4 2.8 system, 512mb memory, 160Gb hardrive with CD ROM. I already have the Ultimarc VGA card ready to go. I explained to him what I wanted it for and showed him this thread. He said he could wire an on/off lead to the motherboard so I can mount the power switch where I want it.
Dunno, I expect you'll get comments on "that's WAY overpowered for what you're doing". The only thing I'd say is step down to a smaller hard drive, and if you aren't planning on playing anything off of a CD, and only want it to transfer your r0m$, perhaps think of picking up one of those nice little sweet USB keys. It'll cost you a bit more, and DON'T use the brutally slow USB 1 versions, move up to the 2.0 for speed.
I started transferring my music collection from the PC it's currently held on, and it takes longer for me to transfer 'em from a CD than if I filled my USB key and did it that way. Dunno if it's a computer setting, but it saves me about a minute and a half per CD, which will amount to HOURS AND HOURS after transferring the entire collection.
Think about jumping up the RAM as well.
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Dunno, I expect you'll get comments on "that's WAY overpowered for what you're doing". The only thing I'd say is step down to a smaller hard drive, and if you aren't planning on playing anything off of a CD, and only want it to transfer your r0m$, perhaps think of picking up one of those nice little sweet USB keys.
Think about jumping up the RAM as well.
Go for it Bones!
I just bought a new PC for my cabinet as well; while the specs are WAY over what I need for 99.9% of MAME games, it DOES have some advantages.
The thing I love most about my cabinet now with the new PC is the speed it goes in and out of hibernation.
I press a key on my CP to "wake" the cabinet; the PC is at the ready BEFORE the monitor turns on / warms up enough to show a picture!
You (and I) will also have the ability to do ANYTHING on our cabinets that we want (play Doom 3 for example).
Also, depending on your motherboard, you SHOULD have the ability to set your new PC to "wake on keystroke". If you can, you can then set up a "hibernate" icon in the windows software.
Result: click the big red hibernate icon on the desktop to "turn off"; press any key on the control panel to "wake up".
Don't listen to the naysayers!
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That's cool. I have been reading about people using t-nuts, and that's the first good picture and explaination about how they work. Thanks. I could have used those in several places in my cab. I'll just use them on the next one...... :o
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I got a quote on a P4 2.8 system, 512mb memory, 160Gb hardrive with CD ROM. I already have the Ultimarc VGA card ready to go. I explained to him what I wanted it for and showed him this thread. He said he could wire an on/off lead to the motherboard so I can mount the power switch where I want it.
Dunno, I expect you'll get comments on "that's WAY overpowered for what you're doing". The only thing I'd say is step down to a smaller hard drive, and if you aren't planning on playing anything off of a CD, and only want it to transfer your r0m$, perhaps think of picking up one of those nice little sweet USB keys. It'll cost you a bit more, and DON'T use the brutally slow USB 1 versions, move up to the 2.0 for speed.
I started transferring my music collection from the PC it's currently held on, and it takes longer for me to transfer 'em from a CD than if I filled my USB key and did it that way. Dunno if it's a computer setting, but it saves me about a minute and a half per CD, which will amount to HOURS AND HOURS after transferring the entire collection.
Think about jumping up the RAM as well.
It is overkill, I agree. But I am getting it at a good price.
I originally started with a 80gb hardrive and no CD ROM but the difference in price to get the CD and big HDD was only like another $60 so I thought what the hell. At least it will do anything I throw at it.
Interesting comment about the RAM, I though 512mb was more than enough after some of the stuff I have read here. Maybe I will consider maker the jump to 1gb when the time comes to order.
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512 IS more than enough, but I bet since he's building you a system, you can get an additional 512 relatively cheap. It'll help with anything else (I rip DVD's on my HTPC now because I save more time than on my old machine due to the increase) you might plan to do, like throwing a jukebox in there. Oops...did I just add to the ideas you want to do with your cab?(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=13118.0;id=14035;image)
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Sunday night update.
Last night I spent considerable time writing a list of what needed to be done and put the tasks into some type of order. This was a good call and it made today
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I secured the speakers using scrap wood and have sandwiched the speakers into place. They will be held down with a strip of Velcro but if ever my cabinet is in a position where the speakers could fall out, you better call the paramedics because it would mean I was trapped underneath. In reality I see no reason to really hold them down at all.
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Next was the marquee light.
I went to a hardware store and went looking for something that was
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Where the control panel box will mount to the cabinet I glued and screwed a big piece of pine. I also did the same inside the cabinet. I didn
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Things I still need to do before preparing to paint.
Order some more wood for the back panels and attach with T-nuts. (8mm MDF)
Install volume control (pot) on dashboard.
Fix some rough areas. (Coin door hole and some damage on the bottom from moving it. Other little stuff.)
Make speaker grill for speakers under marquee
Final pics of today
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I was wondering if the marquee light would be bright enough but this pic confirmed all should be OK.....
*Edit- Bacon is Tasty.
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I like the way you are bolting down the control panel to the base of the cabinet. I rigged up some latching clamps but I know if I were to try to sit on the front of the control panel, it would all come tumbling down. Your cabinet is looking great!
Hmmmm...."Bacon is tasty".....I think I am finally starting to figure out this Bacon fascination.
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Bones, man it is looking great, I really like that you are taking your time with this machine, most people rush..like me :P. Keep up the good work, also I really like the shape of the cabinet, looking good 8).
-Ben
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I rigged up some latching clamps but I know if I were to try to sit on the front of the control panel, it would all come tumbling down.
I also have some of those case type clips which hold down my dashboard. They hold it down well and are pretty sturdy but I don't think they alone would be up to the task of holding down a CP.
My design produces a lot of overhang on the control panel box so I really wanted to make it secure. Four people thrashing the controls is bound to load things up a bit.
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that has to be the coolest marquee Ive seen in forever
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I printed one of my marquee designs on standard paper at a medium resolution to test for appearances. The image is not mounted and sandwiched as per the method, it is just held in place with sticky tape.
I believe the black background (when eventually printed on suitable paper), will be black, not this horrible shade of grey I am viewing at the moment. As all the lines and colours appear dirty and without vivid definition, this exercise achieved pretty much nothing.
I think I will just have to keep working on my idea and submit my final design to the printer and hope for the best. I don
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that marquee looks great ,
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Tomorrow I will order some more wood for the back panels. Given the choice I would prefer to leave this entire section open but with 2 small kids I just can't take the risk that curious fingers will end up inside.
Everything I read suggests that intake and exhaust fans are the way to go, but I am thinking due to the colossal size of Project Bones that this will not be required. (You really have to see it in the flesh to appreciate its size.)
After some extensive wind tunnel testing and numerous discussions with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I have decided to use the method as indicated in my diagram.
I have some spare Lexan I originally cut for the monitor glass which I will incorporate into the design. The angled section at the bottom will not be covered but rather there will be an overlapping of the wood and Lexan leaving a substantial but hidden gap that is still child safe. My hope is that cooler air will be drawn in through here and the super heated gas dispersed out the top through a gap. I would explain the thermodynamics in terms of a mathematical equation but I don't think anybody here would understand.
I will use the same size MDF as the Lexan which is 8mm although I haven't checked the availability of this material as yet.
The MDF and Lexan will both be retained with T-nuts.
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I'm diggin' those leopard spots, man.
-S
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I'm diggin' those leopard spots, man.
-S
The brochure there says they're optional. That means they don't come on the base model. I think Bones is going with another option package that don't have the spots as an option in it. Shame. I think Mrs Bones would like the camo look for that new outfit I heard she's gonna sport at the unveiling.
Hey, throw an air vent cover on the top of there. That'll let it cool down. If not, it looks like you could fit a nice 20" box fan inside there to get the air moving.
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I'm diggin' those leopard spots, man.
-S
Shame.
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Leopard skin print does look pretty cool. There is no way I could convince my mrs to let me have that. Otherwise I will find out all the info I can on the paint used on myine to get you a real nice smooth finish!
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I wanted to install a floor in the cabinet. The screws that hold the casters in place were making like difficult. I have lost count how many times these screws have magically found their way into the opening of my anus and I was sick of the continued invasion. I also knew these protruding screws would probably get in the way when it comes to mount stuff inside later.
Why are you going to mount stuff inside there?
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I wanted to install a floor in the cabinet. The screws that hold the casters in place were making like difficult. I have lost count how many times these screws have magically found their way into the opening of my anus and I was sick of the continued invasion. I also knew these protruding screws would probably get in the way when it comes to mount stuff inside later.
Why are you going to mount stuff inside there?
;D Very good.
Thank you, come again.
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I'm diggin' those leopard spots, man.
-S
Shame. I think Mrs Bones would like the camo look for that new outfit I heard she's gonna sport at the unveiling.
Hmmm..... Ideas, ideas. I might have to talk Mrs Bones into putting the sexy gear on for the final unveiling. Unfortunately, all she wears is g-strings so the pics would probably just get sent to post hell. :(
I'll be happy to set you up with your own website for this purpose. ;)
-S
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I have narrowed my
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-I need to contain the leaking light from the marquee fluoro.
Pretty low-tech solution, but I just lined the inside of of my marquee light area with aluminum foil. Worked a treat. Made the marquee brighter too.
-S
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Aluminum tape is expensive but even better.
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Pretty low-tech solution, but I just lined the inside of of my marquee light area with aluminum foil. Worked a treat. Made the marquee brighter too.
If I do this I will only be one small step away from planting canibis up there and listening to Pink Floyd.
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Line the bottom with rubber or set a window sill planter box in there first if you go that route. Wouldn't want the water to damage all that hard work.
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Saturday night update.
Minor works today although I did get a few things crossed off my list.
I attached the runners on the back of the cabinet for the back panels. I used 4x2 for this for two reasons, I had the spare wood and I hoped these big bits of wood would make it easier to hammer the T-nuts into place. The three wooden panels & Lexan sheet that make the back section were attached to check the fitting but have now been removed for painting. The next time they are put back on my cabinet will be finished.
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When attaching the runners, I aligned the end of the wood so I could attach a thin light panel that now blocks just about all the stray light from the marquee. Any light that now gets through will be concealed by the monitor bezel.
There is a gap that allows airflow from the marquee and monitor area and my hope is that this will be enough ventilation to not have to use additional fans.
I also installed the support floorboard today and filled a few holes with putty.
Tomorrow I will try and finish everything else except the dashboard.
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good for you!
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Monday night update.
Due to poor weather, progress yesterday was delayed. I always cut my MDF outdoors and was unable to do this in the rain
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Finally, the view that matters.
The extra hole above the volume control is from termites. I may take advantage of this hole and mount some type of system indicator light.
Then again I might just fill it with putty.
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Finally, the view that matters.
That's called the "Money Shot".
The extra hole above the volume control is from termites.
You have the neatest-hole-boring termites in the history of mankind. Perhaps yuo should fashion some sort of housing for them to use their mystical properties in lieu of drill bits.
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Finally, the view that matters.
That's called the "Money Shot".
The extra hole above the volume control is from termites.
You have the neatest-hole-boring termites in the history of mankind.
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Dude, if you have termites before the thing is even finished, your house must look like swiss cheese.
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Damnit 'Bones...
Just say no to pot!
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Wow! I never knew termites in Australia enjoy heat compressed glue and saw dust so much.
It's an evolution thing. MDF trees are very common here.
Dude, if you have termites before the thing is even finished, your house must look like swiss cheese.
Yes, it matches my underpants.
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Dude, the cops ordered you to stop wearing those crotchless panties.
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Okay, first you say you aren't going to line it with foil & plant cannabis in there, now you're mounting your pot.
-S
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He said cannibals.
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Try smoking cannibals sometime. It's almost impossible to keep it lit, and the paper keeps trying to fall off.
-S
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Try smoking cannibals sometime. It's almost impossible to keep it lit, and the paper keeps trying to fall off.
-S
??Why would it be be impossible to keep lit??
??Why would the paper fall off??
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Try smoking cannibals sometime. It's almost impossible to keep it lit, and the paper keeps trying to fall off.
It gives a hell of a bite, though.
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I can honestly say I have never toked on a cannibal.
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I can honestly say I have never toked on a cannibal.
Choked, sure. Toked, nope.
Hey, I just need a few small pieces of plywood, can you send me some of those plywood leaves from your MDF trees?
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Hey, I just need a few small pieces of plywood, can you send me some of those plywood leaves from your MDF trees?
Sorry, they are an endangered species due to all the damn MDF termites.
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Excellent work so far Bones. Keep wanting to see the next update. Where are you getting all the lexan stuff from. I'll need to get some for my cp soon. Will be making sure to go for the grey tinted safety glass. How much did you pay for that piece?
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Excellent work so far Bones. Keep wanting to see the next update. Where are you getting all the lexan stuff from. I'll need to get some for my cp soon. Will be making sure to go for the grey tinted safety glass. How much did you pay for that piece?
I have been fortunate in not having to pay for any of the Lexan. It has all been supplied free of charge through plastic companies I deal with at work. All pieces have just been off-cuts otherwise it would have cost me big time, especially for the 8mm thick stuff.
The laminated glass cost $105 and it measures 695mm x 575mm x 6mm. I did receive a few quotes that were all in within $10 of this price so I suppose this is what to expect. However.... another member told me he received a quote of (from memory) $35 for a similar size piece so perhaps it is worth looking around.
Disturbing avatar dude, very disturbing.
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Disturbing avatar dude, very disturbing.
It fits in this part of the forum
Project Announcements and HoF
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Saturday & Sunday update.
I am pleased to announce that construction is pretty much finished.
This week I fixed the fit of my coin door, mounted the speaker remote control, adjusted the height of the monitor glass and did a lot of puttying and sanding.
I have also been busy making the speaker grills that fit on the marquee shelf. I will put together a DIY speaker grill tutorial and post it here when they are finished in approximately 1 week.
I don
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Mounting of remote control.
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(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=17386;image)
You need to dump a bag or twelve of sand on your driveway and fill in those gaps. ;D
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You need to dump a bag or twelve of sand on your driveway and fill in those gaps. ;D
Yeah, I got problems.
I was going to clean the drain but the driveway is trying to fall forward and I know I won't get the drain cover back on if I mess with it.
The drain is filled with sawdust, Lexan shavings, screws, putty, wire etc etc etc. If you could somehow remove and re-assemble this material to it's former state, you could build a miniature and fully functioning Arcade Bones and probably also get a six pack of VB from all the dregs poured down there.....
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What is the indentation for? To insure that the machine will be hard to transport!! ;D
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What is the indentation for? To insure that the machine will be hard to transport!! ;D
The back profile is for appearance only and If I ever have to move the cabinet I have enough room to mount a small block V8 behind the coin door.
My plan is to one day remove the back paneling, sit in the space behind the monitor shelf then smoke the bags and blow this joint leaving behind nothing but a big black hacky up my driveway.
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Paige never misses an opportunity to bash the cosmetic back indentation...
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Paige never misses an opportunity to bash the cosmetic back indentation... He is passionate about it.
But he is right, it is a bltch to move because you can't just pop it on a hand truck. I still like mine though, I like the look much better.
Your right. I don't.
It was something one guy did on a machine designed with almost no reference to any actual cabinets, and then copied, over and over, and over, and over again. It complicates the design, makes the cabinet harder to build, easier to tip over, and harder to move.
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Well I own my house, have one kid enrolled in school, work close by. I ain't going nowhere soon....
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It complicates the design, makes the cabinet harder to build, easier to tip over, and harder to move.
Yeah, but it's pretty.
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I am extremely keen on having everything in my cabinet come to life with the push of a single button. I also like the option of having my cab in sleep mode where monitor & speakers are powered down and can be switched back on with a keyboard (control panel) keystroke.
The obvious choice is a Smartstrip which seems to get a hit in just about every topic posted here regarding single button power-up options and furthermore I could not find a bad comment regarding the product.
Here in Australia we have 240V out of our sockets and a different shaped plug. I made enquiries with Smartstrip hoping they manufactured an Australian version and had a distributor of the product here. Unfortunately this was not the case but in my prompt reply from Smartstrip they advised they did have a working prototype version for Australia which should be available here in around 6 months.
Discussing power requirements with my buddy Misstasmiff (who has the ability to find the golden needle in the Internet haystack), he came across an Australian product known as the
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And put it together I must....
I really didn't expect to get what I finally received. I dunno what I expected, maybe I thought I may have to push a fuse into place, or perhaps screw a power cord together or something simple. I was way wrong. ::)
This is real DIY and for a bloke whose only experience with stuff that has wires was a train set when I was 12 and an IPAC now at 35, it is rather intimidating to say the least......
I see 3 options.
-I try and succeed.
-I try and fail. Sparks fly and I burn down my cabinet.
-I wire it incorrectly and I am transported back to the year 1885 where I live as a blacksmith in the wild west.
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Man that looks like you will need a few cans lined up in the fridge for after...and something to kick!.
Sleep mode makes it hard but I opted getting my electrician friend to splice a wire and make a switch which I mounted to the back of the cab. I would have done it myself but didnt feel like renaming my cab to "illegally wired cab" or "melted burnt out pile of ash on the round cab" basically I use thsi switch to turn everything on and off and set the PC to boot when power s restored. The switch is just an on off switch cut from the powerboard cable
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Yeah powering the computer and switching it on or off is no problem, getting the arcade monitor and marquee light to do the same when in sleep mode is what I am really trying to achieve.
My kingdom for a real smartstrip.
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good idea, but looking at that kit all I can say is best of luck champ I do not envy your task 1 bit
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Holy sack of mystery bits, Batman! Best of luck to ya, Bones. That looks roughly on a par with open heart surgery.
-S
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I'm no expert at electronics but I have put a LOT of electronics kits together. A few suggestions:
Get a good soldering iron and practice with it a bit. This will pay off many times over. DON'T USE A SOLDERING GUN! It's much too hot for this and can damage your components. Make sure you tin the tip of the iron before you use it the first time.
I'd suggest getting a "Third Hand" tool. Here is an example (http://www.findingking.com/storefrontprofiles/processfeed.aspx?sfid=102022&i=53705617&mpid=1&dfid=1) of one. This isn't required but I find it invaluable in making clean connections. I generally have one clip holding the board and one clip holding the component. Then I hold the solder in one hand and the iron in the other. Without the Third Hand, you end up setting the board down and hoping it will balance on the component and hold it in place. This never works out well.
I'd also suggest a "solder sucker". Here is an example (http://www.hobbytron.com/Solder-Sucker.html). This way, you can easily remove a glob of solder that you screwed up on. It WILL happen and a solder sucker can pull the molten solder right off the part and leave things ready for another attempt. A spin-off of this is "solder wick". I don't like this nearly as much as you have to really heat things up to draw a lot of solder off but it works too.
Clean the circuit board with a light abrasive before you begin. Something like steel wool works wonders. You want the contact pads to be nice and shiney. That will make your soldering much easier. Be gentle though as the pads can seperate from their foundation on a poorly made board.
Bend the leads of your components with a pair of pliars before you place them in the board. Not only will this look much better, it keeps you from forcing components too much. Certain components (like ceramic caps) are easy to break and a beast to replace if you don't know exactly what it was to begin with. Many of them are very poorly labeled if at all.
Take your time, go slowly. Triple check that the component you have selected IS the right one. Many of the components like diodes, ICs, electrolytic capacitors, etc. have a polarity or orientation that must be correct. Be mindful of it when you place the parts. When you do solder something, try and heat the pad and the lead at the same time. Apply the solder to the work, NOT the soldering iron tip. A well soldered connection is bright and smooth. Solder will "flow" around the joint when things are heated properly.
Personally, I like to start in one corner of a board and work to the opposite corner. This seems to give me the most room for component placement and just makes things easier in general.
Your board has nice large traces so this shouldn't happen much but if you accidentally bridge traces, you can use an x-acto knife to cut the solder between them in a pinch.
As solder gathers on your iron's tip, you need to clean it off. An easy solution is to have a folded square of damp paper towels. You can just rub the iron tip across this a few times and the crap will come off and leave the tip clean.
Don't let things get too hot. Almost all electronic components are heat sensitive to varying degrees. If things start heating up, stop for a minute and let them cool down. This goes for you too :) ICs are the most suseptible, but other components might be as well. It's best to play it safe and just keep things as cool as possible while still getting good joints. This often means that I have to stop a joint and redo it once it's cooled down. It sucks, but this prevents you from buying another kit if you screw up a hard-to-replace part.
One last thing, WEAR SAFETY GOGGLES! Everyone assumes you can't get hurt with solder, but if it splatters in your eye, you can be blinded. I'm on another mailing list where a guy had a component explode and the solder nailed him on the upper cheek. A few millimeters higher and he would have lost sight in that eye permamently. Safety goggles are a small price to pay for that piece of mind.
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Whew, I didn't realize I had written so much, sorry about that. I hope this is useful to you. Good luck!
Mike
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Thanks for the time taken in your reply geek.
I have now read the accompanying instructions twice and a few more times won't hurt. Great thing about this is that it can be done at my leasure, or put differently, I can still have a working cabinet without it.
I am normally not pessimistic about things but I get the feeling my chances of success on this one are low.
If I can pull it off I will definitely take some knowledge away so I am going to give it a shot.
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I know I'm gonna have to hunt around for it, but I am 99 1/3% positive I saw some discussion about using a regular ol' ordinary power strip and infusing some basic parts to do this, which looked like more work than it was worth for me, since I have access to all the good American bits over here.
To me, it's worth it to look for you, if only to help give you the satisfaction of sending that conglomeration of frustration back to them and a big "eff you" note inside.
Is Sears in Australia? I also seem to remember Sears having something VERY similar to this, or at least serving the same function.
I'm off for a bit, but PLEASE, for the love of Pete, DON'T unwrap any of that crap before taking a look or waiting for my reply. I flat out HATE being treated the way it sounds as if you were, and I make a conscious effort to hose those companies and alert as many people as possible about my experience.
Circuit City, I'm talking to you. Tape your "return policy" to a 10' pole and shove it where the sun don't shine. Sideways.
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oops, I was just re-reading my reply and forgot to mention that when you start from one corner, also start with the smallest parts first. Makes placing things easier. Whatever your decision, good luck!
Mike
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I know I'm gonna have to hunt around for it, but I am 99 1/3% positive I saw some discussion about using a regular ol' ordinary power strip and infusing some basic parts to do this, which looked like more work than it was worth for me, since I have access to all the good American bits over here.
To me, it's worth it to look for you, if only to help give you the satisfaction of sending that conglomeration of frustration back to them and a big "eff you" note inside.
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Im sure there was mention here, and also another JAYCAR Kit that switched on a power socket from a USB connection, was very simple, just grab the +ve from the USB pins and run that into an opto coupler that drives a TRIAC which switches the 240VAC, needed less than 10 components to do all the appropriate interfacing and triac snubbing (probably too much info...).
Just found it
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_102979/article.html
didnt know it actually sells as an Aussie product, cool does not look like a kit but the page shows all the part numbers!.
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Peale built a simple relay-based circuit which turned on a power strip.
Here's a link to the thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=19304.0)
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Peale built a simple relay-based circuit which turned on a power strip.
Here's a link to the thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=19304.0)
Bones, that's the one right there. Thanks budda
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Peale built a simple relay-based circuit which turned on a power strip.
Here's a link to the thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=19304.0)
Bones, that's the one right there. Thanks budda
And here is the irony. I decided against that method because I found it too difficult and thought an off-the-shelf solution would suit me better.
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sucka foo' ;D
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What I've done for every cab I've ever built so far:
1) Grab a standard AU$5, 4 or 6 point power board from anywhere
2) Grab a AU$4 standard 3-pin australian power connector from Jaycar/Dick Smith/whatever ( Link here (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=PP4000&CATID=35&keywords=&SPECIAL=&form=CAT&ProdCodeOnly=&Keyword1=&Keyword2=&pageNumber=&priceMin=&priceMax=&SUBCATID=610) ).
3) Drill an 8mm hole in the back of my cabinet
4) Cut the plug off the power board
5) Feed the cut cable through the hole
6) Reconnect with the plug from (2) (no solder needed - just strip the wires and screw in as per the instructions)
7) Jump into your PC BIOS and tell it in the power management section that it should power on after a "Power Failure".
8) Plug everything else into the power board (monitor, speakers, whatever).
9) When needed, plug your cabinet into the wall and turn it on. Everything powers up. When finished, power down your cabinet via your frontend (I use both MAMEWah and AdavnceMenu, and they both support this feature). Turn it all off at the wall. Next time you power on, up comes the PC again!
No crazy power strips needed. If you're afraid of chopping up power boards to add the plug, you can just drill a bigger hole (say, 40mm or so diameter) and feed the original plug through that instead of a smaller hole for just the cable.
Even trickier, if you have a rear door on your cabinet, where the door meets the next panel you can drill a small 8mm hole on the side edge, so that you can easily place the power board cable there, shut the door, and it fits nice and snug.
If all of that sounds too confusing in writing, I can post pics of all three solutions in action.
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Yeah but I really really, really want the sleep mode function!
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Yeah but I really really, really want the sleep mode function!
What for? No trolling intended, I'm just very interested.
My cab takes all of 30 seconds to power up to a fronend, and all of the frontends I use have some sort of slideshow-based screensaver. A sleep mode for me is completely pointless in something as task-specific as an arcade cab.
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What for? No trolling intended, I'm just very interested.
My cab takes all of 30 seconds to power up to a fronend, and all of the frontends I use have some sort of slideshow-based screensaver. A sleep mode for me is completely pointless in something as task-specific as an arcade cab.
I just read somewhere about the option and it really appealed to me. The truth is without something like this my machine would end up running night and day due to my careless nature. ::)
My hope is to never turn the PC off but rather let the computer shut everything down when it detects zero activity after awhile.
Something about instand on demand gaming really tickles my fancy.
Besides, I brought this crazy kit now so to not attempt assembly would be a almost as stupid as attempting to assemble. Errr..... Or something like that. ;)
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Should have also mentioned.....
If after reading the instructions and looking over the parts another 10 times and I still feel I am completely out of my league, where I work there are about 12 electricians and 2 electrical engineers so I might send out an email advertising a free case of beer for assembly and see what happens.
However, much of me yearns to take up the challenge myself so the decision to have somebody else assemble it doesn't sit well at the moment.
Time will tell.
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Should have also mentioned.....
If after reading the instructions and looking over the parts another 10 times and I still feel I am completely out of my league, where I work there are about 12 electricians and 2 electrical engineers so I might send out an email advertising a free case of beer for assembly and see what happens.
However, much of me yearns to take up the challenge myself so the decision to have somebody else assemble it doesn't sit well at the moment.
Time will tell.
Maybe you could get one of them to look at the kit and give some advise, before you start...I don't envy you that's for sure...good luck...
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Just because you're dangerously underqualified is no reason to not do it. Look at me, I do crazy stuff all the time and only land myself in the emergency room every once in a while. ;)
Disclaimer statement: Hey kids, just because Stingray is a moron doesn't mean you have to be one too.
-S
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Disclaimer statement: Hey kids, just because Stingray is a moron doesn't mean you have to be one too.
You stop being a "moron" by learning. So I 'd say it's a good idea to try things out. Of course there are limits ... ;)
I have put several of these kit things together and I know little about electronics. You just solder in the components. How hard can it be? It can't be more difficult than a jigsaw puzzle. Allthough I must admit this puzzle looks a bit more daunting than the ones I tried.
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Saturday update.
Update about 5 hours earlier than normal today. I have a visitor coming over soon and a plan has been put in place to drink beer, lots of beer.
For a few hours today I did more sanding and then re-puttied some of the areas I wasn
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I just have one question Bones.....Is the weather always so damn nice there? It seems like every photo has pure blue sky and plenty of sunshine. Here in Houston Tx. it's only that way maybe 20% of the time. Anyway, I remember the sanding part. You are smart wearing the mask. I was blowing that crap out of my nose for weeks. It gave me a sore throat too!
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I just have one question Bones.....Is the weather always so damn nice there? It seems like every photo has pure blue sky and plenty of sunshine.
Yes, it really is that nice here. It only rains during the nightime and all of our woman are hotter than Jessica Simpson.
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Hungover today. Update will be short.
Finished sanding and cleaned up surfaces with a rag and turps. Applied two coats of MDF sealer to visible areas with a paintbrush. Results are average. I will buy some rollers mid week for future coats.
I will try and finish sealing remaining areas of cabinet this week in preparation of more fine sanding and further undercoating next weekend.
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its really starting to come together! that white knight mdf primer is the bees knees! use a really fine foam roller...
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its really starting to come together!
Yes, my journey up this steep hill is almost complete, I am anticipating the downhill rush that will build to a climax sometime before November.
that white knight mdf primer is the bees knees! use a really fine foam roller...
Fine knee foam bee roller, gotcha. Thanks mate I will check Bunnings.
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I brushed 2 coats of that same primer - was quite thick stuff and now I have very visible brush strokes. I wish I had have used a roller, now I hve a lot of sanding to do to bring it back to a nice surface before top coating. Make sure to get foam brushes as well to do the edges.
http://www.camartech.com.au/ress/shop.php3?aisle=painting-brushes#
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I put the first coat on really thin and it remained quite see-through in many areas. The second coat went on smoother and a lot quicker and the wood surface became more hidden.
But yeah, my crappy painting skills and the $30.00 paintbrush I brought that dropped hairs everywhere have ensured I have a lot of finishing work to do....
I will continue doing what I have done with the paintbrush but after the initial base has been put on and cut back nice and smooth, I will definitely use rollers from that moment forward.
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I think you should start over, i don't care for how it's looking. ;D
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I just have one question Bones.....Is the weather always so damn nice there?
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Chads right. I don't even really exist.
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Chads right. I don't even really exist.
who said that?
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Again, nothing much to report this Saturday.
I sanded down the sides previously primed with a paint brush and applied a third coat of primer with a fine foam roller. (Thanks danny)
Results are better. Priming and sanding will continue for another week or three.
My little assistant helped with the insides.
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I guess I'll be the first..........
AAAAAAawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
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I'm so excited to see the finished product, I can't stand it! Vicarious living is one of the century's greatest inventions. :) I know you've been working on it for many months now, but aren't you going apes**t not being able to play it yet?
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the child seems a bit happy for painting :-X
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I'm so excited to see the finished product, I can't stand it! Vicarious living is one of the century's greatest inventions. :) I know you've been working on it for many months now, but aren't you going apes**t not being able to play it yet?
Yeah, you would think that but the answer is no.
It's not that I don't want to play it because I do, but it's more like- "OK, this has gone on long enough".
Right now I just want it finished. I am yearning for free weekends. I have been motivated enough to work every weekend since I begun but it's starting to wear off a little so close to the finish line.
:(
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Bones, can you possibly take another picture of your assistant working on the cabinet, specifically one that makes it absolutely clear that it IS an arcade cabinet. It could be useful to me in persuading future wives.
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It could be useful to me in persuading future wives.
To do what? Paint cabinets for you?
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It could be useful to me in persuading future wives.
To do what? Paint cabinets for you?
No, to let me build games in the living room!! ;D ;D
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No, to let me build games in the living room!! ;D ;D
I am pretty sure I can't help you there. Even I don't try and push my luck that far.....
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I've read through this thread more times over the last 2 weeks than I care to admit. But... Mr Bones, I have a couple of mix-n-match, oddball questions for you.
1. Would you mind posting a couple of additional pics of the back of your control panel (the part that seats against the cabinet) I'm having a hard time seeing how you've planned to secure it to the cabinet so that it won't move at all.
2. What influenced your decision to use those ball top joysticks as opposed to the "competition" variety? Authentic feel? Price?
3. Comment: looks like your rocker switches (your admin switches) are upside-down unless it's the rule of thumb in Aussie that "toward the equator" is off. ;)
I have to say, however, that your design and the hard work you have put in to this project has inspired me more than many others because you aren't a veteran woodworker (had to buy your first sets of tools), had never built a cabinet before, and don't strike me as a geek (TBD :))
EDIT: provide link to control panel pic (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.msg370004#msg370004) I'm talking about above
EDIT 2: Ok... nevermind on question 1. I thought you were actually going to use those case latches. (my bad (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.msg387839#msg387839))
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1. Would you mind posting a couple of additional pics of the back of your control panel (the part that seats against the cabinet) I'm having a hard time seeing how you've planned to secure it to the cabinet so that it won't move at all.
Sorry man, I am unable to supply more pics at this stage as everything is back in pieces again but I will post something at a later stage during final assembly.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=15762;image)
I think you may be struggling with the angle of this photo. The white painted section is the CP box (coffin ::)) and the CP fits into this and is held down by gravity only. The CP has legs around 2" deep that locate it and stop it going anywhere. The coffin itself is bolted down and cannot move. (The case latches hold the dashboard in place only)
2. What influenced your decision to use those ball top joysticks as opposed to the "competition" variety? Authentic feel? Price?
Nothing in this project has been based around a budget (except paying freakin $100 in freight for a freakin bezel) and I did not get a chance to try the joysticks out before I purchased. Here in Oz there are limited suppliers of arcade parts so I pretty much ordered what was available at the height of my excitement.
There is another place selling some Happ's joysticks now but I like to do my shopping all at the one place and this was what Ozstick had available at the time. I had a goal when I started to make this cab from locally available parts, in reality I now wish I hadn't. I had some bizare idea about supporting the developing hobby in my country...blah blah blah.
3. Comment: looks like your rocker switches (your admin switches) are upside-down unless it's the rule of thumb in Aussie that "toward the equator" is off. ;)
Are they really? Ohh well, live and learn. Thank you for highlighting my stupidity.
I have to say, however, that your design and the hard work you have put in to this project has inspired me more than many others because you aren't a veteran woodworker (had to buy your first sets of tools), had never built a cabinet before, and don't strike me as a geek (TBD :))
In reality all I really purchased was a circular saw, jigsaw and dropsaw. But you are right, my woodworking skills are very amateur and nah, I am more of a dork than a geek.
Thanks for all the nice comments and glad you have found the thread useful and perhaps my journey even a little humorous, after I finish all this horrid painting there will be more interesting updates on the way.
Cheers,
Bones 8)
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Nice on having the daughter help you. My older son and I have tons of quality time working on games. My younger son doesn't care to do it yet, it's still over his head. He just wants them on and playable.
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Nice on having the daughter help you. My older son and I have tons of quality time working on games. My younger son doesn't care to do it yet, it's still over his head. He just wants them on and playable.
Yeah it has been cool getting her involved and she enjoyed the painting but man, she has left me with some rough work to fix up. Who would have thought a 4 year old would do such an average job.... 8)
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Saturday update
Have now put three very thin coats of sealer on the sides which were sanded at 240 grit between coats and the insides were also sealed with a single coat thicker coat.
Also started painting flat-black where this needs to go. Touch up will be with a paintbrush and I will then apply another full coating using the roller. When all the black is done to final finish, I will sand the sides and apply a final coat of sealer in preparation for undercoat & colour.
Waiting for paint to dry is a waste of time.
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As I was planning out my own control panel today on paper, I wanted to know just how big the coffin top actually was. From the measurements on page 5 (I believe), I used Photoshop to resize the last big copy of it you posted (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=34108.0;id=11701), to the full 47 x 22. I used Illustrator to print it out on as many sheets of paper as it would take and taped them all together to get a real-world idea of the size.
DUDE! That thing could sink the titanic! Very nice! ;D
At any rate, my under-design CP will likely be slightly smaller, but not by much since four person gaming is the fun I hope to have.
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Yeah.... It is big. This pic shows the proportions well. I just couldn't bring myself to build a squashy 4 player CP.
When the colour goes on it will be interesting to see what effect colour has on the appearance and size.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=16942;image)
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That CP does conjure images of a coffin when it's open like that ;)
That is going to be a kick-ass cab for sure.
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That is going to be a kick-ass cab for sure.
Well hopefully, if it's ever finished. The only thing I hate more than painting is sanding before I paint.... ::)
Progress has definitely slowed.
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I was just looking at your drink holders... do you have any extra wood protection from all the condensation that's going to come of those drinks?
Hate to see you start to put everything in the cab and have problems.
Aloha. ;)
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I was just looking at your drink holders... do you have any extra wood protection from all the condensation that's going to come of those drinks?
I believe those are actually speaker holes. The one's just above the control panel, right?
Or was that a joke -- intended on suckering in the noob who responds and lining him up for unending ridicule. ~sigh~
:D
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In2ishun is right. The holes are for speakers.
Anybody who brings a drink near my finished cab will be beaten with great vengeance and furious anger.
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The only thing I hate more than painting is sanding before I paint.... ::)
Bones... I'm with you, sanding and painting suck.
Why hasn't anyone tried building with pre laminated mdf ( Kitchen Cupboard Stuff? )
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The only thing I hate more than painting is sanding before I paint.... ::)
Bones... I'm with you, sanding and painting suck.
Why hasn't anyone tried building with pre laminated mdf ( Kitchen Cupboard Stuff? )
Because unless you use the right tools, the stuff tends to chip on the edges quite easily. Even if you DO use the right tools, it still can happen.
Laminating after cutting your parts out requires the right tools as well, but you're not locked in to the colors they have in stock, although there's a better than average chance that NO ONE needs any color other than the stock stuff, so that might be a wash.
Price is also another consideration, although your area may be different than mine. A sheet of MDO (that's what they call the stuff I believe you to be talking about) is $10 more per sheet by me, and it's also heavier than even a sheet of standard heavy-ass MDF
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It has been sometime since my last significant update and although I have been working constantly on my cab, I really don
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Yesterday I applied two coats of undercoat over the top of my previously sanded and primed white surface. The undercoat is basically white with a black tint added to produce a grey finish. This was necessary in order to obtain the final colour I have chosen for my cab.
It was later explained to me that the original MDF sealer I used could have had the black tint added which would have reduced much of the previous work and help keep cost down.
At first I was a little pissed about not realising this but considering the problems I had along the way with the putty expanding, the amount of work and paint used would not have changed anyway.
The cab photo pretty much looks white not grey so I have included my paint stirrer which is in fact white and the difference can easily be seen.
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My colour of choice is called Jack-O-Lantern and is identified by the Wattyl colour code 19A-1A. It is not orange like a piece of fruit but has a more
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Damn, that almost looks Photoshoped.
Looks good though!
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Damn, that almost looks Photoshoped.
I suppose I will take that as a compliment!
I have worked incredibly hard in the painting department and invested much more time than I thought it would initially require so I am optimistic for good results....
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NO. you're not going orange are you? Grey or blue would be good.
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Damnit 'Bones, why didnt you consult us first before painting the sides!! Its our project too ya know! :police:
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NO. you're not going orange are you? Grey or blue would be good.
Damnit 'Bones, why didnt you consult us first before painting the sides!! Its our project too ya know! :police:
Ahem... Gentlemen, you have had many months to submit your objections if any.
Cabinet will be Orange, T-Molding is black which is the only colour I could get locally.
Yeah, it's orange but in the flesh I am liking it. Sideart with a white border and black t-molding will bring out its potential.
Can't wait for the objections when I paint the front white. And the crowd goes wild.
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Hey, everyone seems to like a good DK Jr resto, and look at that putrid color! Besides, if it's too hideous and Mrs Bones won't let it in the house, he'll be re-painting it toot-sweet or sending her to stay with me, so either way, we all win. ;D
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Hey, everyone seems to like a good DK Jr resto, and look at that putrid color!
You are actually not far off the mark with that comment....
The colour was inspired by some of the hideous (yet common) colours of the later 70's and early 80's. My hope is the finished product will have a retro feel.
Under the glow of my garage lights it has taken on a filthy mustard type appearance. With the suns rays the orange becomes more intensified and convincing. I may have accidentally created a hippy mood-cabinet.
I chose mustard over the other colour description that I could have used which is of course "baby ---Cleavland steamer---".
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Wow thats turning into an excellent looking cab--You should apply to the government for giving people of reduced stature (or little people) job's painting the insides of cabinets--i wish i had a kid for stuff like that....damn child labour laws. :angel:
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lol... Burnt orange... how retro of you Bones.
My dad use to have a two tone Valiant Regal in that colour in the mid seventies ( or was it a Chrysler ) either way.... it suck out like dogs balls.
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My dad use to have a two tone Valiant Regal in that colour in the mid seventies ( or was it a Chrysler ) either way.... it suck out like dogs balls.
Ahh... good old Hemi orange.
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I just wanna see if I guessed this ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- right
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Bones,
Just a vote of confidence on the color. I like the old school look of the creamsicle orange. Your running commentary on the whole process is quite an entertaining read. Thanks for taking the time and I can't wait to see the finished product. I am impressed with your ability to take your time and do things right. I tend to take shortcuts and use lots of caulk and putty. :D
Great job!
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I continue to paint. Sides are now completed to my liking after...um... well I lost count, but I think it is 8 coats of orange. Front panel also completed in white which I like enough to keep.
I still have to paint the control panel box, the dashboard and some more internal tidying up before I can put my baby together.
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Just checking in, yup, still looks good. Has drew mentioned he has an ass hat recently? ;D
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Bones,
Just a vote of confidence on the color. I like the old school look of the creamsicle orange. Your running commentary on the whole process is quite an entertaining read. Thanks for taking the time and I can't wait to see the finished product. I am impressed with your ability to take your time and do things right. I tend to take shortcuts and use lots of caulk and putty. :D
Great job!
Cheers! Thanks for watching. Don't forget the range of merchandise in the gift store upon your exit.
Just checking in, yup, still looks good. Has drew mentioned he has an ass hat recently? ;D
Cheers! Ummmm......Thanks for mentioning ass hat.
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I love the colors. Very eighties.
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Just checking in, yup, still looks good. Has drew mentioned he has an ass hat recently? ;D
I named it Strawberry Speedbags. Or tommy, for short.
Now that I see that orange in the light, I think there's an ass hat zit video floating around here with that same color coming out of it.
My work here is done ;)
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Been experimenting a little with the colours on the CP box. I have decided on good old black. I have heaps of flat black paint leftover but am I thinking a gloss black would be best here.
There is the slightest possibility that my artwork skills are not quite as sharp as Pixel's so please refrain from making more fun of my diagram than is absolutely necessary or I will be forced to hunt you all down like dogs.
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Go with flat. It'll go with the rest of your cab, since the rest doesn't appear to be gloss, and oddly enough, gloss black somehow shows shmutz, and I've noticed fingerprints on the stuff I decided to gloss black. It was such a bother, I've gone back and repainted the gloss with semi. Flat would probably be just fine, but if you want some gloss, just go semi. It'll be enough to dazzle, but not too over-the-top to look out of place.
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Sound like good advice and there is nothing wrong with a semi......
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and there is nothing wrong with a semi......
Tell that to someone who was expecting a full-on. ;D
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In order of increasing gloss...
flat->matte->eggshell->semi
IMHO flat would look like crap pretty quickly because you couldn't wipe anything off of it. Matte is probably a better choice. I just did my den in Matte and it is washable without looking it.
$0.02
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Maybe you should dump the CP overlay onto that picture, once you have the color of the artwork and buttons it could make a big difference to what color you decide to go with, although I think black will be best too.
Really I just want to see what it will look like finished :)
cheers
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Maybe you should dump the CP overlay onto that picture, once you have the color of the artwork and buttons it could make a big difference to what color you decide to go with, although I think black will be best too.
Really I just want to see what it will look like finished :)
cheers
I did try this as I also wanted to see what it looks like but my Illustrator/Photoshop skills suck big hairy donkey balls. The end result was nothing short of comical and to post my attempt would destroy any remaining dignity that I am attempting to retain.
Anyone want to volunteer with the CP graphics mock-up and I won't say no to the offer....
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I took about a 10 minute stab at it:
(http://www.ogredog.com/Last%20Stand.jpg)
Not sure if the colors needed adjusted on the overlay or not. I pulled them up to the point where the outer orange ring on the overlay was close to the side panel color.
Edit: I went back and cleaned up the perspective on the screen shot and the coin reject buttons.
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That's friggen awesome man. You are a star. It looks very accurate to what I envisage the finished product will look like.
Thanks, you just gave me some motivation to hurry up and get her finished!
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Lookin Good Bones.
I rekon if I come around with my blower vac, we could mount it on the back, use the driveway as a runway and do a fly over of Sydney.
You be driver, I'll navigate and Mrs Bones can be the flight attendant.
Yippppeeeeee
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That is one big control panel.
*Salute*
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I really dig that orange colour. Blue or grey have been done to death! I had one cabinet done in that shade o' orange, and I really thought it had an 80's arcade feel to it. I might have to get those paint codes off of you!
(I can see the guy at Home Depot now: "What exactly is Dingo balls white??") :D
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You be driver, I'll navigate and Mrs Bones can be the flight attendant.
Hmmm... And Mrs Bones wonders why her ears have been burning.
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*jaw hits floor, puts thread on auto-notify*
I.
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13 PAGES!! :o Blast you people with crazy long ass threads!!
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Okay Bones, it's been a week since you reported any progress.
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Okay Bones, it's been a week since you reported any progress.
I applied a second coat of sealer just 10 minutes ago to my "dashboard". Damn... I still have paint on my hands this update is so live! :D
It would appear I have problems though...... http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=45093.0
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I have started exploring sideart options for my cab. Details here if interested. http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=44658.0
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Today I finally finished my home made speaker grills and temporarily installed them to check for appearance.
I figure the pics are pretty self explanatory but if anybody is interested in some of the finer details let me know and I will be happy to explain.
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Wow that's clever.
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Wow that's clever. Nice job!
Thanks!
I should also make note that all the routed edges were sanded smooth and the grill fronts were painted black before gluing on the speaker fabric, I just forgot to take pictures of these steps.....
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I am on holidays at the moment and therefore expect to make reasonable progress over the next week or so.
I continue to paint. After not being happy with the flat black around the monitor & marquee area I am in the process of overcoating this with a clear coating to make it shine a little. I have applied a single coat of the shiny coating and it will need to be sanded and re-coated at least another 2 times to look any good. With a 3 hour dry time between sanding and re-coating the progress remains slow. >:(
While waiting for more paint to dry I installed the coin door and bottom speakers and speaker grills. I have decided I am not totally happy with the speaker grill appearance and may end up knocking up another home made pair similar to the marquee ones. I think having consistency amongst the grill shapes will add to the final finish and I personally am digging the square shapes my of my home made ones.
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I think it'd look cool to flank the coin door with grilles in a matching shape (with matching radii) half or 2/3's the height of the coin door so it creates a sort of paneled design across the front.
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Also today I ordered the new computer which should be ready in a week or so.
As mentioned on the very first posting of this thread, I elected to go for the Ultimarc Arcade VGA card which according to everything I read should make the most of my D9200 and allow many true native arcade resolutions to be displayed.
The card was ordered and arrived last December so I have had it for some time. I briefly looked over this upon delivery but today when I unpacked it for a better and final look, I was disappointed to find just how twisted the backing plate was. I noticed this originally but didn't think much of it and then forgot about it.
I ordered over $1000 worth of parts from a local supplier and the way the packaging arrived was disturbing to say the least. The IPAC's & VGA card were wrapped in bubble wrap but pretty much just thrown in a big shabby looking box with everything piled on top. The only real packaging to speak of inside the box was the roll of t-molding which also arrived pretty bashed around and had kinks and stuff in it.
It really doesn't take much extra effort to take some pride in something as simple as packaging but alas, it was months ago and I really don't have the energy to contact the supplier again regarding another problem with the parts I ordered. (Remember the trackball......? There were also some incorrect buttons supplied ::) )
This will not be my last project of this kind, but it will be the last order I give to the local Aus supplier.
Anyway, provided I never want to use the S-video the card should still work fine but the lack of care really does get under my skin.
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I think it'd look cool to flank the coin door with grilles in a matching shape (with matching radii) half or 2/3's the height of the coin door so it creates a sort of paneled design across the front.
Hmmm... Pixel, any chance you could quickly illustrate what you mean? I am very open to suggestions at this moment.
Thanks!
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This is a rough example of what I was thinking. Maybe smaller :P
I was really impressed by your marquee speaker covers. I've wanted to do something similar on mine cab for a while so it was inspiring to see you nail it.
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Thanks Pixel. I think for the moment I will get this bad boy finished and after it is "finished" and playable I will re-visit the speaker grills.
I might even play with the idea of space invader alien ship grills. Might be a cool theme idea...
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Can I just add that I also purchased stuff from our Australian Ultimarc Dealer and my card came in *EXACTLY* the same condition.
Not happy. I had to bend it back, and now the card wiggles around even with the screw completely tightened.
Unfortunately due to a bit of careless packing, I won't be buying from him either.
Like you, I wanted to buy local, but when doing the maths, I could have saved $10 or so buying the parts direct from Ultimarc. Depends on the exchange rate of the day. Not to mention the stuff from ultimarc was foam wrapped, bubble wrapped and boxed.
My arcadeVGA was bubble wrapped, thrown into a larger than neccessary box with my buttons and joysticks. There was no additional packing and it rattled like a maracca when I moved it. I hate to think the abuse it must have copped while going through the Australia Post system.
Do yourself a favour, "Aussie Supplier" lift up your game a bit.
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The colors on your cabinet are amazing. I dont know if its the angle. but is that a different orange on the front than on the sides?
That is awesome, Rad or whatever they're callin it. The cats pajamas.
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Can I just add that I also purchased stuff from our Australian Ultimarc Dealer and my card came in *EXACTLY* the same condition.
My arcadeVGA was bubble wrapped, thrown into a larger than neccessary box with my buttons and joysticks. There was no additional packing and it rattled like a maracca when I moved it. I hate to think the abuse it must have copped while going through the Australia Post system.
Wow, so it wasn't just me. Our boxes were probably rattling next to each other the entire 1000km's! ::)
The colors on your cabinet are amazing. I dont know if its the angle. but is that a different orange on the front than on the sides?
Thanks for the colour approval. I knew it would be met with resistance and it was a risky move but it has also really grown on me. Not exactly sure what you mean by the colour on the front dude. There is no orange on the "front" but only one orange colour was used while painting if this helps!
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Today I faced the painful grim fact that the continued sanding and painting were not giving my dashboard the appearance I wanted and hoped for. The shape is a tricky one to paint. I tried painting it by brush and also purchased a very narrow roller for the job but the more I try to get it right, the worse it is looking and the more time I seem to be wasting.
Today I headed off to a manchester shop. Never before have I seen such a concentration of blue haired flabby armed woman all congregating in a single area. It was disturbing to say the least.
I looked at several materials which I hoped to cover the area with. I wanted a black covering and found my options were pretty limited. Finally I decided on a black vinyl covering that had an unusual texture and purchased a big chunk of it for $4.00.
I again sanded back the dashboard and this time painted the top surface with glue. I layed the dashboard onto the covering and pressed it all down hoping the glue gets into the material and adheres well.
The weather here is wet and lousy at the moment so I will give it a full day to dry before I attempt to trim it with a razor blade. I am confident I should get clean cuts because the vinyl seems to resist the urge to tear of fray.
I have already anticipated some problems that using this material may create because it has a thickness I had not anticipated in the original design. I may have to adjust the height positioning of my volume pot and I suspect the little grills I made may be difficult to install due to the length of the screws. <bugger>
Here's hoping tomorrow is a clear day so I can take the coffin outside and sand up the previous undercoating applied months ago. I also need to make a few minor modifications to accommodate the computer on/off switch which will be recessed and mounted underneath the front edge of the CP box.
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If the thinkness winds up being too big of an obstacle, you might try Parts Express speaker vinyl. (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-010)
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If the thinkness winds up being too big of an obstacle, you might try Parts Express speaker vinyl. (http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-010)
Thanks for the suggestion but I am here in Oz and it just wouldn't be worth the cost of freight or hassle. I am confident I will be able to solve any new problems that arise, it will just be a matter of investing the time.
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Could you have thrown a staple or twelve in there to draw it tight around the shape? I know it's too late now, but in case it has to come off....also, it looks like there's a padding you threw under there. Is that the case, or am I looking at an optimical thingamabob? Removing that might shave enough thickness off for your needs. If it's an optimical thingamabob, don't mind me, I'll just keep playing with the foil quietly in the corner here.
I was gonna suggest you pick up a foam roller, but too late for that I guess :-\
If you'da just had that ciggy and stopped trying to cover up your shame from us, I coulda given you these ideas before you went and stuffed it all up. I will accept your Kombi as repayment for your grievous error. Mrs Bones can drive it over ;D
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The staples would have helped, your right. What I really should have done in hindsight is place a piece of wood on top after it was glued and glamp it all down to help with the adhesion. Too late now but.... ::)
There is no extra padding just the backing of the vinyl. Really, we are only talking 2-3mm so the extra thickness shouldn't be too "tragic".
If it is showing signs of not working the way I wanted I will tear it off and try again. If I continue to have problems I might look at re-engineering this entire section.
I coulda given you these ideas before you went and stuffed it all up. I will accept your Kombi as repayment for your grievous error. Mrs Bones can drive it over ;D
Gee man, I would like to help but she can't drive a manual.
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I figured my glue had enough time to dry so I attacked the dashboard with a sharp hobby knife. Carefully I cut out the speaker holes and then the rectangular access panel.
From the back of the dashboard I re-drilled the existing holes going right through the vinyl to accommodate the speaker grill holes & volume control.
All went well and it appears no modifications will be necessary. Considering the ease I could have covered my whole cabinet in this stuff and saved a fortune and weeks of painting frustration.... I am pleased with the results and it almost has a classy look about it.
About bloody time.
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I have now pre-wired the two smaller dashboard speakers and the dual gang volume pot. I won't be able to test everything until I get my PC but this should only be a few more days.
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Damn Bones! Last time I was here, I was making bad coffin jokes. Now.... you've made a whole cabinet around the beast. Well Done!!
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Damn Bones! Last time I was here, I was making bad coffin jokes. Now.... you've made a whole cabinet around the beast. Well Done!!
Well almost a whole cabinet!
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Didn't get much done today. I did do some more painting but with the rain continuing here and the slow paint drying time, I was fairly restricted in what I could do.
Additionally today I also installed the main speakers and marquee light. This was all pretty straight forward as I temporary assembled these months ago before painting. I can't install my flashy speaker grills until the glass goes in place because the speaker grills also stop my glass from falling forward.
I was going to use Velcro to hold in the speakers but I already had some brackets so I put them to good use. These brackets are off industrial sensors and I rescued them from the steel bin at work.
If it is a clear day tomorrow and I can get my garage cleaned up, I will get some help and put the monitor into its final resting place.
Also (again subject to the weather), I need to sand and repaint my CP box as mentioned earlier. Once the box is painted I can finally walk away from this dreaded painting task which has now taken about ten times longer than it should have.... ::)
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have just had a look at your speakers (on the same panel as your volume control)
I may be wrong but it looks as though you are planning on fitting that panel between your CP and Monitor
with the magnets being exposed the way they are you may run into problems with your screen if they are too close (funny colours etc)
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with the magnets being exposed the way they are you may run into problems with your screen if they are too close (funny colours etc)
Don't bucking worry, she'll be right mate.
I got bucking magnets so it shouldn't be a bucking problem.
*Edit- You were right about the actual placement of these speakers being between the CP and monitor. I measured them and the closest distance to the monitor is 8 inches.
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Wait, wait, wait....!!
You're going to tell me that 'Bones actually has class??
That this thing might actually turn out good!??!? ;)
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Never let it be said that Bones is a classy guy. I've met some people worse than him that have projects turn out right. Class has nothing to do with it. He's probably afraid if he doesn't finish it, the wife won't let him live down "another one of those stupid projects that prevent you from doing some real work around the house".
Once the box is painted I can finally walk away from this dreaded painting task which has now taken about ten times longer than it should have.... ::)
I'll have that HVLP sprayer write-up finished soon. My time frame is about a month after you need it ;D
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I'll have that HVLP sprayer write-up finished soon. My time frame is about a month after you need it ;D
---smurfette---
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Today as planned I got some help and lifted the monitor into it's final resting place. Somewhere in my sty of a garage are the right size screws to fix the monitor into place but I can't find them, so for the moment the monitor is held in place with a single cable tie. ::)
Also did some work on the CP box but it was too damn hot in the sun so I found some other stuff to do which included installing the monitor controls (again accessed through dashboard), and a few other minor things.
Had enough for today so hopefully the weather will hold out for more sanding and painting tomorrow.
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Blessed with another rainy day in Sydney I decided now would be a good time to finalise the wiring on my dashboard pot/volume control.
I used an old computer to set everything up and wired a "pot testing" rig.
It took some time to wire as the concept was still new to me and I was working things out as I went. Despite reading the tutorials I still struggled with the concept, something unnatural about about having three wires when my brain kept telling me I only needed two....
When I was finished wiring it the way I thought was correct, I fired everything up and popped in a John Couger CD. I instantly had sound and the volume control worked!
My jig looks pretty crappy and I am sure the audiophiles with cringe with discomfort but it works fine, there is no crackling or static in the speakers so I might just leave everything as is rather than re-wire it.
It was quite a buzz to hear sound coming out of my cabinet for the first time and it put a stupid smile on my dial. A great bonus is the speakers sound heaps better than they did when I first purchased and tested them, I think it's has something do with their mounted position and the closer proximity to my skull. Either way, I am real pleased with toady's outcome.
I will put a graphic together on the wiring for my cab sound system when time allows.
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I will put a graphic together on the wiring for my cab sound system when time allows.
Much of the original wiring information was gathered from here and Oscar deserves the full credit.
http://www.oscarcontrols.com/volume
*Edit- Pic labels updated.
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Today I picked up my new cab PC. It has been built with the following specs;
3.0GHz Celeron CPU
1024Mb RAM
160Gb IDE HDD
DVD Rom
1.44Mb floppy (I didn't order this, looks like it was thrown in as a freebie!)
ArcadeVGA
*Ruuning XP
I also supplied the PC shop with a little plug (the same type I mounted on the rear of my CP for the coin mech connections), this little plug has been wired to the motherboard thingy where the on/off power button would normally connect to and has been externally mounted on the PC.
The idea is I just connect a microswitch into this plug so I can turn the PC on/off from a more convenient location, in this case from underneath my CP via a switch I will recess. The reason for a plug is so...well so I can unplug it easily if I need to remove the computer in the future!
At the moment I have not wired up the connecting plug so I have to turn the PC on by making the connection with a rusty old nail.
Many will say the computer is overkill, but I will only partly agree. I went this way because I didn't see the point in installing an older computer that could handle MAME, but would struggle with newer games. Right now I have a dedicated computer that should suffice for a few years and run most things I throw at it.
I have also been buying computers from this guy for 15 years and I got it for such a good price the decision was an easy one.
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Being excited to crack the PC's cherry was met with some initial video card problems. When first switched on the display looked horrible. The colours were wrong, the screen was flickering, this was not what I expected to see.
After some fiddling and several cigarettes, the problem was fixed by running some of the Ultimarc programs I downloaded from their web page.
Firstly I ran cat-uninstaller.exe to remove any previous ATI drivers.
Next I ran the supplied Ultimarc disc with the correct ArcadeVGA driver.
Finally everything came right after running the AVGA_TriSync.exe utility.
All I can say is WOW. The display looks bloody great!
Today I also purchased a 20 meter network cable so I could reach my PC office router and register the operating system. I also finally worked out how to network the cab PC to my office PC for easy file sharing, a process which is still running.
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Was that a 10k ohm pot you used for the volume?
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Was that a 10k ohm pot you used for the volume?
No, it is actually a 100K pot.
I will edit my diagram advising of this.
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monitor looks great inside the cabinet. good work bones. ;D i wish now that i would of spent the extra money for an arcade monitor.
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Today I brought some cardboard and started playing around making a bezel template. Although I didn't follow Tailgunner's $2.00 tutorial (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=17175.0), it is definitely the inspiration for my cardboard design.
This crappy version still needs some fine tuning but its purpose is to help me work out the angles, size and final positioning. When I get it all right and to my liking I hope to produce a more respectable version.
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Not interested in forking out a few buck for a plastic bezel?
I would have went with a real one if i didnt use a trinitron tv, could save you a bit of stress in fiddeling around and then not being happy with the end result...
Thant said, not a bad effor for a first try...
cheers
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Not interested in forking out a few buck for a plastic bezel?
I was very interested in the plastic one however Happs wanted over $100 just for freight and finding one locally turned out to be a dismal failure.
Basically left with no choice but to make my own.....
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your cabinet is too nice to have a $2 bezel..why dont you try and see if ponyboy can hook you up with a bezel
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your cabinet is too nice to have a $2 bezel..why dont you try and see if ponyboy can hook you up with a bezel
Already tried. Freight is the killer. Getting it here undamaged is also a big challenge.
Remember the bezel will be under tinted glass so this should help hide any imperfections......
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Why not try using fiberglass? Use the $2 one as a template for the fiber glass. I bet you would only need 2 layers to get it stiff enough(no jokes please ::).)
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If you apply the same care and tenacity in making a $2 bezel, as you have put into everything else on your cabinet, it will come out just fine. Especially if you are using tinted glass.
Spend the $100 on artwork or ??
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I can see it now. The headlines will read "Man decides to paint cab orange, but somehow is unable to avoid peer pressure and spends tens of tens of dollars getting a bezel that isn't going to make the HUGE difference people are thinking"
Yeah, that's just how it'll read ::)
Excellent job on the bezel, Bones. YOU are right, it'll look PERFECT behind the tinted glass, and probably not a SINGLE chucklehead here would be able to tell the difference when you're done ;D
Of course, even if I couldn't tell, it'd be the first thing I'd point out to you when I saw it ;) Better throw Mrs Bones on top of me to distract me, and QUICK!
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The horrid job done on yesterday
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I felt this idea might work so today I went to a picture framing shop that sold cardboard. I selected a piece of 2mm cardboard that was white on one side and black on the other.
I got home and transferred a corner design to the new material and ran some tests on how well it would bend, I discovered that to get a clean fold that would not pull the black layer off the cardboard, I needed to score the edge that was on the opposite side of the fold. As this material was much thicker than my trial pieces I also had to make some adjustments to accommodate the extra width.
I made several more templates before getting a result I was happy with.
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Once the 4 pieces were cut out I was ready to assemble.
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I put it together and temporally fixed the folds with some masking tape and checked it for size. It was pretty close and only a small trim was required on the sides to tidy it up.
I then proceeded to use a hot glue gun to fix the folds into place. Each corner I did stiffened the whole assembly.
This pic is of the back which shows how the folds fit the design.
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And finally a few pics of the finished bezel. The cardboard cost $12.00 and I already had everything else needed (ruler, knife, scissors & glue gun). I may get a black marker and dark the white cut marks although I kind of like the way they frame the monitor area so will probably leave it.
From start to finish it took quite some time, probably about 4 hours. I found it very difficult to photograph, to the naked eye the entire section is pretty much invisible under the tinted glass as I suspected
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From player 3 & player 4 positions you can slightly see past the bezel into the cabinet. Once the back of the cabinet is installed and the insides are in darkness I assume this will no longer be an issue.
If it is I will pack the sides of the monitor with some leftover cardboard which should then conceal everything quite nicely.
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Final list of things that need to be done.
-Paint CP box (damn weather, been raining all week)
-Install exctraction fans. Done 4/12/05
-Mount on/off switch under control panel
-Finalise marquee & sideart designs and get printed.
-Cut and fit marquee Lexan
-Wire coin door and fit barrel locks
-Wire dashboard speakers.
-Fit coin tin (Looking for a steel baking tray I can just drop in place)
-Mount all hardware inside cab and tidy wiring
-Install marquee speaker grills
-Redo dashboard access panel (May end up now going for a non lockable panel)
-Install T-molding (Considering my ---Cleveland steamer--- T-molding groove I think this may be a real nightmare.)
-Continue testing front ends.
I think this is everything! :D
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-Install T-molding (Considering my ---Cleveland steamer--- T-molding groove I think this may be a real nightmare.)
In my experience hot glue is your friend here.
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Your bezel looks great.
I used the same type of cardboard (matte board for framing pictures) The board I used was black all the way through, so no white edges. Also used hot glue for the corners, but no "tabs" in the back. Just butt the corners together and glue from the backside. If the cuts are accurate and straight, the corners will come out perfect from the front.
It took me a Sunday afternoon and about 1/10th of the $5 board to do mine.
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The board I used was black all the way through, so no white edges.
I consciously decided against all black because I thought it would be difficult to mark and harder to see the lines when it came time to cut out the shapes. As it turns out, a pencil mark was quite easy to see on the black so I will remember this for next time.
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Great job bones, bezel looks sweet.
Very neat job
cheers.
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Damn fine lookin bezel bones
The cash will definitely be better spent on artwork ;)
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Very minor works today but for awhile the weather cleared up which gave me the chance to do more sanding and also get a coat of MDF sealer over my CP box. Ignore the thick layer of paint on the edges, this is kind of an "experiment" that I intend on sanding away.
Thanks to a recent link in the software forum (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=46531.0), I was also able to make a simple themed boot screen.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=46531.0;id=20817;image)
I have been on holidays for the last three weeks and tomorrow is officially my last day but I will be spending it with Mistasmiff drinking Guinness in Sydney and gorging myself on filthy tucker from Chinatown..
I would have liked to have gotten my baby all finished before holidays end, but I am close. However, it will mostly be back to weekly updates from this moment forward.
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Thanks to a recent link in the software forum (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=46531.0), I was also able to make a simple themed boot screen.
I think the boot screen is wicked cool for your cab, but making a few minor changes will make it seem even MORE "arcade specific". I propose the following:
Change the blue progress bar to black to make it "invisible" and remove or change the text underneath the progress bar from white to black.
That way, it'll look like one of those "FBI" screens or something, and less like Windows - now you need MameWah and a custom skin for that too!
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The boot screen is rough, it was just a first attempt while learning how to change the bootskin. I am sure the boot image will change before I consider the cabinet "finished".
It pretty much goes without saying I want to run MameWah in there with a Last Stand invader image, I just haven't dedicated the time yet to learn the program. Buying printer paper so I could print the MameWah documentation would be a fine start though......
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Buying printer paper so I could print the MameWah documentation would be a fine start though......
oooh oooh! Here's what we'll do, we'll combine our resources and evil plots! Gimme your address, I'll ship you the paper, you learn everything, and then create MY MameWah stuff too, and then when Mrs Bones comes to visit, she can hand deliver it and show me how to install it and whatnot. Emphasis on whatnot
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Originally I was just going to rely on hot air rising out of a gap I left at the top of the cab. See diagram.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;id=17013;image)
But a few weeks ago I changed my mind and decided my monitor should have all the protection it can from the hot Aussie summers so I purchased two 12volt 120mm fans that should help generate some airflow.
Today I mounted the two fans. The plan was to mount them onto one of the back panels that is completely removable and held in place by T-nuts. Because this panel is removable I really wanted to avoid having to unplug cords when the panel is removed so I came up with a way to do it with aluminium foil but was advised against it in the main forum. Aluminium foil link (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=46662.0)
After a long search and failing to find something suitable at the electronics shops I decided to just wire the fans in the traditional manner with a long cord that can reach some distance from the cabinet when the panel is removed.
The fan grills are actually speaker grills I seen today while I was out looking. They cost $4.00ea and I think they look OK. They came with a black ring to hide the edges of the metal mesh which I removed. I might try them on and see how they look.
Don't know why the black paint looks so crappy.....the flash seems to show things I can't see in person.
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I also did some soul searching today regarding the mounting of the stuff inside the cab which includes the PC, monitor isolation transformer, 12volt power supply & subwoofer.
I have decided to mount the PC in the same fashion as per Project Arcade. I will also screw the monitor isolation transformer down into the cabinet floor.
The subwoofer and 12volt transformer I will just leave sitting in place. If for any reason the cab has to be moved or laid over, I am prepared to remove all the inside components.
I hope to have the innards mounted one night this week. (No more daytime cab building, my three week holiday is over and it's back to work tomorrow. All I needed was another week and I would be finished :'()
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OK, I will bite. While I am very familiar with Guiness I have NO clue what 'Filthy Tucker' from Chinatown is. I hope it isn't something you need penecillin for :)
Don
I have been on holidays for the last three weeks and tomorrow is officially my last day but I will be spending it with Mistasmiff drinking Guinness in Sydney and gorging myself on filthy tucker from Chinatown..
\
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OK, I will bite. While I am very familiar with Guiness I have NO clue what 'Filthy Tucker' from Chinatown is. I hope it isn't something you need penecillin for :)
Sometimes penicillin may be required if you get some really filthy tucker.
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....so I will remember this for next time.
you mean we are going to have to read through 15 pages or more AGAIN? :o
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you mean we are going to have to read through 15 pages or more AGAIN? :o
Can you guess how many, and what finger/s I am holding up right now? ;D
Go pick on Pixel....!
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Can you guess how many, and what finger/s I am holding up right now? ;D
Go pick on Pixel....!
Oh sure! You tell me you're using sign language to tell ME I'm #1, then you go throwing it at Danny too. I'm starting to believe your version of the #1 in sign language doesn't mean what you think it means ;D
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OK, I will bite. While I am very familiar with Guiness I have NO clue what 'Filthy Tucker' from Chinatown is. I hope it isn't something you need penecillin for :)
Don
http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html
Found this site helpful. It's like a dictionary for that side of the world.
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You must know by now people are relying heavily on your progress. What's with the strike ?
BTW, orange was exactly my choice (though its still sealed in the can).
Excellent color ;)
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Had a pretty busy day today as construction on my cab enters its final days
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This nifty little tool turns a standard drill into a right angle drill. I was still unable to drill both holes required but I was able to drill one with no problems. I won
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I purchased an extension cord and a switch. I cut the cord in the middle and a work buddy wired up the 240 volt switch for me. I was watching him and it really was a simple thing to wire but I don
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I gave the tinted glass a good clean and installed it along with the bezel, dashboard and marquee speakers. These are now permanently in place.
Next up I decided to mount the coffin. This still needs to be painted with the shiny stuff but I have decided to paint it in place. It has just been too hot here to paint. The paint is literally drying in 20 seconds and it is making it tough to get a good finish. I mounted the box because I have hopes of applying a first shiny coat tonight when it cools down. If I waited until it was fully painted I would have had to wait until next weekend. I just have to be very careful now not to make a mess
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The PC has now been mounted as per the Project Arcade method. Monitor isolation transformer has been screwed down. Subwoofer and a small 12 volt transformer will just sit in place, I figure they can
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I am hoping to pretty much have the cab finished in the next couple of days. I have a few hours worth of soldering and painting still to be done though.....
However, I have still not 100% finalised my marquee design so this may hold things up a little. Currently my choice of marquee is the following pic with a few minor changes (mainly the return of yellow writing instead of the orange and a few spacing issues).
When I am finally happy with my design I should be able to get it printed within a couple of days.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=40840.0;id=16741;image)
* Edit... Oh yeah, I was a little eager with this comment. I have a few hours worth of soldering and painting still to be done though.....
I still have a bit to do. ::)
-Mount on/off switch under control panel
-Cut and fit marquee Lexan
-Wire coin door and fit barrel locks
-Wire dashboard speakers.
-Fit coin tin.
-More work on dashboard cover
-Install T-molding.
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You must know by now people are relying heavily on your progress. What's with the strike ?
There ya go, an update! ;)
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At first look at that orange paint i didn't think it looked very good... after looking at it awhile it looks good and seems to fit.
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i have got to post a picture of my bright yellow cabinet. I for one am glad it's not another boring black cabinet
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The force is strong with you man. Such dedication and commitment to the forum must not go unforseen.
There's gotta be some kinda award
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Lookin good Bones. I can remember thinking you would never accept your CP with the mitre cuts, much less build the whole cabinet. Cheers to you!
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Lookin good Bones.
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Lookin good Bones. I can remember thinking you would never accept your CP with the mitre cuts, much less build the whole cabinet. Cheers to you!
Hey thanks. I have developed some woodworking skills since starting this project but without my wonderful dropsaw I don't think this baby would have ever progressed beyond scrap wood.
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Today I finished soldering all the audio wires and tidied-up the remaining wiring inside the cabinet. Also wired up the coin doors and installed the extended PC pn/off switch. I used a leftover arcade button for this switch.
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Put control panel into place and gave Alyssa a test run....
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From here on in (until marquee and sideart are done), I have a few minor issues to work through.
I had not budgeted for the thickness of the t-molding on the rear of the control panel. This is making it difficult to lift the control panel in and out and I suspect it is not sitting completely flush with the coffin. I need to fine tune this area.
Also another immediate concern is that when I plug in the coin doors it is disabling the P1 & P2 start buttons on the CP. I can register a credit using the coin slot, but not with the the CP buttons. When the coin door is unplugged the CP P1 & P2 buttons then work.....
But right now, well it is time for a beer or nine.
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Heh. Neighbours just came over to check it out and we had our first 4 player game. Was pretty cool! :D
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That CP is huge!!!
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That CP is huge!!!
Really? First time anyone has noticed.....
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That CP is huge!!!
The DICKENS you say!?!?! ::)
Seems as if you've got more posts than posts read ;D
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And Bones, whatever you do, don't tell him there's a bigger CP out there ;D
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Haven't been able to work on the cab recently as I have been busy playing Rygar! I am really digging my cab, it is such a cool thing to have. I have played it every day since the control panel was plugged in.
But... This week I did make some effort. Through a company I deal with at work (being a purchasing officer has its perks), I sent off some plans for Lexan sizes I needed cut & supplied. The dude has a CNC lathe and his business is plastics engineering. I wanted my dashboard Lexan to have a slight corner radius which I could not achieve with my own tools.
At the same time I gave him my required marquee sizes. I still have Lexan leftover but it is a bit scratched up so I decided not to use it. Besides, I just spent a whole weekend cleaning my garage.
The dashboard setup will consist of a top 3mm layer of Lexan where the corners and edges have been slightly rounded, then I will have an instruction card or the cabinet logo or some other artwork, then a 6mm piece of Lexan the same size as the top part, and finally.....A small piece of Lexan to spigot the assembly into the dashboard access panel.
Confused? Refer Pics. In the photo you can see the approximate position of the dashboard Lexan sitting on top of the vinyl.
I will have to use screws to hold the pieces together and I see no way I can do this without them being exposed. I have decided to countersink and screw from underneath and dress the top with some shiny acorn nuts. Rather than try and conceal these nuts, I might try and bring them into the artwork so they don't look terribly out of place.
I have not completely dismissed the idea of back lighting this section. I need to check it won't cause any glare on the monitor and then make a decision. I envisage the artwork will be a few images and text on a black background so all I really want is a subtle glow. I am even thinking the clustered LED's might be suitable..... More thought required here.
For anyone interested, I asked the CNC dude how he holds such small pieces for machining. He explained the CNC bed is a giant vacuum with little holes that suck down the workpiece. No clamps required! Cool....
Best of all I got the work done free of charge! 8) Big thanks to Aiden from Starwheel Manufacturing.
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WOW! Very cool. That's a lot like what I've been planning on for the instructional marquee on my cab. Here is a sketch of how I'm approaching it to hide the bolt heads.
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Hey that's a pretty cool suggestion/design and I notice your photoshop skills are just slightly better than mine......
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Sorry to hijack Bones,
Pixel, why not just screw into the wood from the bottom?
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Pixel, why not just screw into the wood from the bottom? The glued bolts look like an accident waiting to happen.
Depends on how thick the wood is there, might not be much to grip to.
Instead of glueing nuts why not use a T Nut? Speaker cabinet builders use them for the speaker holes.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=081-1073
Drill a hole the size of the middle part and pound into wood like a nail.
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Kind of a late comment, but they say better late than...
Just wanted you to know that I think the way you're documenting your project is admirable. I have seen nothing but the quest for perfection, and finally I confess that this project is the reason I became a BYOAC member.
So, if anyone's to blame, it's you ;D
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update pics? What color tmold will you be using?
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Thanks C64.
update pics? What color tmold will you be using?
No updates at this moment. I had a hand operation two weeks ago and still recovering. Hoping to return to construction in a few weeks.
There is very little left to actually do. I need to finalise my marquee and dashboard graphics then I will attach the t-molding (black), and we are pretty much done.
There will still be sideart but I am not treating this as a priority at this time.
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now to the HARDEST task- condensing this thread down to 3 pages or less ;)
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OK... Perhaps there is the slightest chance I over-documented the construction process......
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OK... Perhaps there is the slightest chance I over-documented the construction process......
Nah.. ;D
But I reckon you should stop changing your sig and avartar - it gives me headspins everytime I log on and see that it's changed
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OK... Perhaps there is the slightest chance I over-documented the construction process......
Not possible.
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OK... Perhaps there is the slightest chance I over-documented the construction process......
Not possible.
Quiet you! ;)
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soooo...........
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soooo...........
yes. soooo... will this quote flip it over to 17 pages?
(",)
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soooo...........
yes. soooo... will this quote flip it over to 17 pages?
(",)
hmmm, not quite i guess...
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17.............................now?
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uh...theres 40 posts per page, which means there needs to be 21 more posts before page 17
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I don't have anything to contribute. I just wanted to pipe in and let you know that I'm still following your progress, Bones. Oh and also to belittle you for being the reason that C64 joined. ;)
-S
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Just to add something project related to this page......
I have pretty much recovered from my op and I have started again fooling with my marquee design. I am also having mixed feelings about the black t-molding and I am keeping my eye out for some white stuff.
I am hoping to make some progress again over the next month although I am putting a hold on the sideart for now. I want to get it finished and photographed so I have a better chance of matching the sideart to the overall appearance.
However, the really good news is last night I got over 700,000 on Rygar! 8)
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uh...theres 40 posts per page, which means there needs to be 21 more posts before page 17
way to go destroying my fantasy of clocking it over in one post! dreams are free, brother. dreams are free...
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Just to add something project related to this page......
I have pretty much recovered from my op and I have started again fooling with my marquee design. I am also having mixed feelings about the black t-molding and I am keeping my eye out for some white stuff.
I am hoping to make some progress again over the next month although I am putting a hold on the sideart for now. I want to get it finished and photographed so I have a better chance of matching the sideart to the overall appearance.
However, the really good news is last night I got over 700,000 on Rygar! 8)
believe it or not bones, we sell white t-molding at work (",) . bad news is you will have to buy several hundred metres of it :o good news is that my staff discount is cost plus 5% :o :o . i've NEVER seen such a sweet staff discount. if you want i can investigate to see if we sell it by the metre too and i can find out next week what all the costs will be...
edit: beware though. white t-molding marks really easily...
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I heard Clark Rubber might sell the stuff but I haven't had a chance to check them out yet.....
Maybe your company has a distributor in Sydney?
PM me with company details if this is the case (if I can get something local). Discount is great but I am happy to pay retail if I can get it close to home.
Thanks man. ;)
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Firstly, I'd just like to say your CP looks really great. One of the few 4+ player CPs that doesn't look like a candy coloured minefield.
Did you get the CP printed in Sydney (I think thats where you're from)? If so, where exactly? Also have you been sourcing other parts from Australia as well? I'm having a bit of trouble finding places that look trustworthy.
I don't think you've printed your marquee yet so I hope its alright to comment on this. To me, the font you chose doesn't really look suitable. It just doesn't seem right for the space invaders artwork, but you've most likely put more thought into it than me.
Cagey.
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Yep, I am in Sydney and a company called Etude Promotions & Marketing did the printing for me.
http://www.etudepm.com
My contact was John. (Very nice and helpful bloke in Parklea.)
I purchased the encoder, buttons, joystick, trackball and VGA card from Ozstick.
This thread is as long as they come but if you flick through it I am pretty sure I have recorded where most of the major parts were sourced.
When I am finished my project I will put together a list of credits which will detail local suppliers. This should make it a little easier for the Aussies to find what they are looking for.
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Great, thanks alot. Now I guess I'll trawl trough your thread, or maybe it'd be faster just to wait for that list :P
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This should make it a little easier for the Aussies to find what they are looking for.
Thank God for that. All this time I've wasted climbing the highest mountains and scaling those damn city walls... :)
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This should make it a little easier for the Aussies to find what they are looking for.
Thank God for that. All this time I've wasted climbing the highest mountains and scaling those damn city walls... :)
And you still haven't found what your looking for?
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Little known trivia.. The Edge revealed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien that that song was written after searching supermarkets for Boo-Berry cereal.
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=ConanOBrien
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So that's it?? February 4th hits and no more updates? C'mon now - how's the progress coming along?
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Phew....Just finished reading all 16 pages. I am tired. It's 6:42 am here. I did not get up that early...(hint...).
Anyway from start until now I've seen the progress you've made in your cabinet and your skills. Your cabinet is definitely something to behold. Some very unique touches (the home brew speaker grills, the gigantic 4 player aircraft carrier..er control panel, the admin panel, etc.) that beg to be emulated. I'm a ways off of building my first cabinet but I'll keep all your progress and mistakes in mind. Good work documenting it thus far. Now finish it already so we can see some $$$ shots...
WOW! Very cool. That's a lot like what I've been planning on for the instructional marquee on my cab. Here is a sketch of how I'm approaching it to hide the bolt heads.
That's a sweet idea.
*noted in mame arcade cabinet journal*
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All 'Bones really cared about was hitting the "20k views" mark...
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Love that orange color on the sides. It makes me rethink the whole 'basic black' cab look that so many people are using. The nice thing is that it's a more neutral color for inside the house.
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Thanks for the interest guys.
This year has been pretty crazy for me and cabinet construction has been put on the back-burner with other things taking priority.
However, just 2 days ago I got the urge to get my cab finished and re-visited Illustrator with the intention of finishing my marquee and dashboard graphics.
I am painfully slow in the graphics department so it is difficult to estimate when I will be complete but things are happening again now.
Hopefully in a couple more weeks I can make an update of significance.
Cheers,
Bones
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ah finally an update (somewhat) i was following this a while ago glad to see it built ^_^
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He's actually done. We just haven't caught up to his "present" yet. He's from the future, ya know
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He's actually done. We just haven't caught up to his "present" yet. He's from the future, ya know
(http://www.lionking.org/~simba007/BACK_TO_THE_FUTURE-0.jpg)
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I have now completed my final marquee design.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=40840.0;attach=46150;image)
Also completed my dashboard design. This is the section that will cover the access panel. The crosses indicate where the six acorn nuts will hold the two pieces of Lexan together (with the print sandwiched in between).
All I have to do before sending the files off for printing is confirm the exact size of the acorn nuts. I want something small and subtle but haven't checked on available sizes as yet......
I had played with the idea of back-lighting the dashboard graphics but my testing shows that the monitor glass will bounce the reflection so I have decided against it.
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I like it. :cheers:
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Dude, that's great. My only nay is the stars on the right. You have all this great debris flying away on the left and even on the right and then you have 6 little stars. the whole thing works except for the stars. Really nice job.
Is that illustrator or PS?
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Looks good to me, I can see your point about the stars, but to me that's a nit that I doubt many would pick up on.
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Hey bones-man. Something I've been kind-of hoping you'd put up is a list of parts that you acquired for the control panel or, even better, a complete parts list. I'm sure it would probably take you a while to do a complete parts-list so obviously that would be just an optional thing. But, I have often wondered what [specific] controls you selected and why. Why the joystick you installed over others that are available, etc.
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Little known trivia.. The Edge revealed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien that that song was written after searching supermarkets for Boo-Berry cereal.
http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=ConanOBrien
Sorry to go off topic here...but
I just checked out the above link.
The background is orange and the text is blue.
After carefully reading all the stuff about U2, I came back to this site.
All of the black text is brown! That totally screwed up my eyes. WTF. ::)
It reminds me of the REM CD cover that was called GREEN but was actually ORANGE in color. You were supposed to stare at it for a minute and then look at a white wall, you would then see the image in GREEN.
Weird stuff...
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cool, me too, but only the line I am reading. very odd.
I never knew that about the Green Album cover, I need to go look at that.
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Bones,
She looks great, and the stars on the right look good, they are not overpowering and if someone that knows what they represent is looking at them they can easily tell what they are.
Good Job, you must be pleased that you have finally settled on a design after what seems like forever now...
go aussie.
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Is that illustrator or PS?
All my artwork is done with Illustrator CS.
Hey bones-man. Something I've been kind-of hoping you'd put up is a list of parts that you acquired for the control panel or, even better, a complete parts list. I'm sure it would probably take you a while to do a complete parts-list so obviously that would be just an optional thing. But, I have often wondered what [specific] controls you selected and why. Why the joystick you installed over others that are available, etc.
Hmmm.... I started designing this CP well over a year ago so the thought process behind most of the decisions is no longer fresh in my mind. I wanted a four player CP with a trackball but also wanted dedicated controls I could use for Karate Champ. My design evolved pretty much around this criteria.
As for the joystick preferences etc..... I read Project Arcade then did some research in the forums. When equipped with knowledge I went shopping for CP parts but realized there really wasn't much choice if I wanted to buy locally so ultimately what decided my choice of joysticks was what was readily available.
I ended up with Sanwa 4/8 ways and if I ever build another cab I would be happy to use these again. I really dig the way they feel.
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nice work on the cab so far Bones. Inspired myself to make my own now heh.
In fact according to my email my arcade book just arrived downstairs :)
Side: note, was over in Aussie in the weekend, in Vic. and went to find Ozstick, but it appears the address on there website is wrong , and they dont return calls :/ when was the last time you delt with them? I like you would like to order all things locally for some reason, and with myself in NZ I consider Aussie just another state lol
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I haven't dealt with Ozstick in over 12 months so sorry dude, can't help you here.
I will say this though.... If I could do it all again I would have purchased all CP parts directly from one of the overseas distributors.
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Yeah, as it is now, im planning on getting all the parts shipped to a mate in the states and then sent over here all at once... one draw back to living in these 3rd world countries is the distributors I guess.....ohh well at least there are strip clubs to keep me entertained until it all arrives...(*looks over shoulder for the wife)
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I bought my controls from OZ Stick about 1 year ago, I live in Melbourne so I actually went out to their office and purchased my controls in person.
I still have the owners contact number and email address if you want me to try and get in contact with him for you.
I concluded as well it would probably be cheaper to purchase the controls from overseas but I like trying to support local businesses.
Let me know if you want me to try and help out waldo
Cheers.
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Did bones ever finish his cabinet?
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Did bones ever finish his cabinet?
There was a rocket mishap. It only plays Moon Patrol now. The base also had to be removed once the Tall Visitors moved on, to accomodate midgets, pygmy's and the like
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Good to know that I'm not the only one watching a thread for a cab that never finished. :downer
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well, it might not be 100% finished, but i can atest to the fact that it plays well. and that 27" arcade monitor is the bomb. bones even chucked on a dvd to show what it could do. lovely resolution all round (",).
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Only have the T-molding to install and marquee to print and attach.
Should be finished in a day or two.
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(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=35285.0;attach=29918;image)
I would have sworn that was bones playing the cab if it wasn't for the skirt........ Then again, thinking about it.
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Only have the T-molding to install and marquee to print and attach.
Should be finished in a day or two.
Be sure to have someone hold the ladder so you can get to the marquee area.
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well, it might not be 100% finished, but i can atest to the fact that it plays well. and that 27" arcade monitor is the bomb. bones even chucked on a dvd to show what it could do. lovely resolution all round (",).
That 27" must look like a friggen big-screen TV in there to Bones :duckhunt
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---smurfs---
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---smurfs---
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
All in good fun, right mate? I'm sure this'll die down in a little bit, when we're on to the next thing. Mebbe it'll be Danny's freaky extra appendage :o
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---smurfs---
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
All in good fun, right mate? I'm sure this'll die down in a little bit, when we're on to the next thing. Mebbe it'll be Danny's freaky extra appendage :o
teh wimmins dont seem to mind >:D oh, wait. not THAT appendage...
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---smurfs---
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
All in good fun, right mate? I'm sure this'll die down in a little bit, when we're on to the next thing. Mebbe it'll be Danny's freaky extra appendage :o
teh wimmins dont seem to mind >:D oh, wait. not THAT appendage...
De wimmins like a man with a tail in tails
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I took a day off from work to read this thread. You'd think Bones was from Texas because everything's bigger in Texas. Love the artwork and colors. I can't wait to see the marquee and T-molding installed... I hope ordered two lengths of 20' right? ;D
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I took a day off from work to read this thread. You'd think Bones was from Texas because everything's bigger in Texas. Love the artwork and colors. I can't wait to see the marquee and T-molding installed... I hope ordered two lengths of 20' right? ;D
See, Bonsey. Now yer gonna hafta go back through your memory of what you did a year and a half ago and start answering questions. Should'a finished it... :duckhunt
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Worst thing is most of the threads posts have disappeared. All the great lengths I went to in order to accurately document the build and its all gone.... :banghead:
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I took a day off from work to read this thread. You'd think Bones was from Texas because everything's bigger in Texas
Bones is from Australia I think, and we Aussies are "big down-under" :laugh2:
Edit: Being from Australia also explains the 'stars' that an earlier post was complaining about in Bones' artwork... it is the southern cross, a star constellation visible from the Southern Hemisphere... its a patriotic kind of thing, kind of like superimposing the American flag ;)
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Worst thing is most of the threads posts have disappeared. All the great lengths I went to in order to accurately document the build and its all gone.... :banghead:
You didn't mention SlikStick did you? Whoops. Now I've done it. Better print this one out before it gone too. ;D
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Worst thing is most of the threads posts have disappeared. All the great lengths I went to in order to accurately document the build and its all gone.... :banghead:
I noticed that. It certainly decreased the time it took to read the whole thread. Each post was only a couple of sentences long, then they cut off abruptly. Strange stuff. I wonder what happened. Did you go back and make edits or change pictures at one point?
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It's an old thread. I don't know why, but this happens with old threads.....
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The wayback machine got it:
http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0 (http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0)
October 18th 2006 looks good, 17 pages are there:
http://web.archive.org/web/20061018110817/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0 (http://web.archive.org/web/20061018110817/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0)
As is April 26th 2007
http://web.archive.org/web/20070426033917/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0 (http://web.archive.org/web/20070426033917/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0)
The June 15th 2007 one is where it all goes to hell: >:D
http://web.archive.org/web/20070615072311/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0 (http://web.archive.org/web/20070615072311/http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=35285.0)