The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: Seith on March 13, 2012, 11:31:45 pm
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So in early 2009 I got a new job in a new town away from friends, family, and loved ones. At the time I had no idea how long I would be away from them, and wanted to take on a hobby to keep my mind off of things. I became interested in building my own arcade machine from scratch, and here I am now, three years later, back in my home town with an even better job, my own place, and the drive is greater than ever. So great that i've set the woodcut date for the end of April (weather pending, i'm in Northern Ontario so you never know). I've spent the little spare time I have had tweaking the frontend and fine-tuning the lists. One thing I wanted to do with this project to set it apart from others is to have a well-curated list of PC games. I have found it quite surprising how many arcade-ready PC games there are out there nowadays, what with the indie game scene doing what it is doing. That arcade feel seems to have come back to PC video games in a large way, with keen-minded developers keeping an eye on the past for their inspiration.
I have also been toying around with ideas for the graphic design portion of the project. I'm no digital picasso, so I have been studying the designs for marquees and CPOs that "work" on these forums and culling elements from their design for use in my own. I have created a logo which I will be getting done in vinyl adhesive for the sides. Here it is on a blank Marquee template:
http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9531/rect3229.png (http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9531/rect3229.png)
As you can see, the marquee needs a lot more than just a plain logo smack-dab in the middle. I have been toying with the idea of a blue burst on black background, but don't know how that will translate visually when backlit. Suggestions would be much appreciated!
Cost sheet so far:
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3987/costsheet120313.png)
Pics!
(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3249/jakobudmk21.png)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=183184;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=183186;image)
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=183959;image)
(http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3olj762wo1qd1mkvo1_500.jpg)
(http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m0n5Kyw61qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo7_r1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zod7b0W41qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zpopMPul1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g86xHYye1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4xwHcsn1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181857_4089795371501_1560080924_n.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z7hhMh8d1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gtls2m51qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8029svDdk1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
:angry:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
Looking for input on the best way to install angle clips in the cab without having boltheads poking out of the sides. I have already applied laminate and can't recess the heads into the cab walls from the outside and cover them. Suggestions? Or am I just going to have to suck it up and add boltheads to the outside?
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m80525eYoX1qd1mkvo2_1280.png)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kkipl82a1qd1mkvo1_1280.png)
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As far as CPO inspirations, I really like jimmy2x2x's:
(http://i55.tinypic.com/121r3ok.jpg)
as well as the simple lines of Ryglore's Shmup! CPO:
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/LOPWyrm/FinalCPLayout-1.jpg)
Something simple that took both of these designs into consideration would be my ideal CPO. I've been puttering about in Inkscape trying to come up with something. Will post it once it's a bit more final.
EDIT: I also like the simple look of the Terminus CPO:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=92156.0;attach=123484;image)
As far as buttons and joys go, mine will basically be the same as the Terminus (red on left, blue on right, black bat-tops) but minus the spinner.
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Here is the final layout of the Control Panel:
http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7716/controlpanelholes2measu.jpg (http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7716/controlpanelholes2measu.jpg)
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Looking good, I would consider lowering the trackball down a couple of inches to give you a little more operating room when you are slapping the trackball - nothing worse than slamming your hand into a joystick!
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Great idea. I would have to do some modifications to the measurement of the box. Something like this?
(http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/7034/trackball.png)
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+1 to moving the trackball down. Also, that panel is a monster, 32+ inches? Is that your cabinet width or are you going to be overhanging the sides?
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+1 to moving the trackball down. Also, that panel is a monster, 32+ inches? Is that your cabinet width or are you going to be overhanging the sides?
I have a 27" television screen I am putting into the cab, which I have planned around leaving in it's case. As a result, my cab is pretty wide. The control panel will not have any overhang.
I don't mind the width, although bringing it in on the sides would make it easier to fit down the stairs (as it is I have measured and I have about 2 inches clearance total on the sides).
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Not sure if the last pic is to scale, if it is the angle may be a little steep although this is very much personal preference.
Reducing the angle of the sloped top will allow more freedom in placing the trackball.
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Great idea. I would have to do some modifications to the measurement of the box. Something like this?
Yes, that is what you want to do. Notice how the Terminus panel you linked has the TB lower than everything else. This is primarily incase you do any type of goldentee game where heavy spins happen. Since you won't be angling the monitor like golden tee dedicateds, you will want to give as much follow through space as possible.
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I would like to just add that I put a 27" tube tv in mine and the extra weight and width made it fit through only one doorway (which was all i needed).
But dealing with stairs would have been all but impossible.
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I would like to just add that I put a 27" tube tv in mine and the extra weight and width made it fit through only one doorway (which was all i needed).
But dealing with stairs would have been all but impossible.
How much extra space are you guys leaving in your cabs?
I have a 27" in my cab and it fits through everything. I think my cab is right at 27.5" wide. I basically designed the width of the cab to barely.....just barely fit the tv. I think standard door width is 30". Also my tv is still in it's original case. I see no reason why a cab can't hold a 27" tv with speakers on the bottom and still fit just fine. It is a pet peeve of mine to have cabinets with monitors that are too small. I think a cab should be designed to hold a monitor instead of finding a monitor to fit in a cab.
After thinking about it I would say make that control panel overhang the sides a bit. Also make it removable.
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This is how it looks currently in Google Sketchup:
(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/3249/jakobudmk21.png)
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I could build the box out so that the bottom lip of the box matches the angles of the control panel itself which would allow for me to put the trackball VERY low, but I don't think I have the tools to be able to do angled joints like that. What kind of tool does cuts like that?
EDIT: was able to bring down the trackball some without having to mod the box at all. There is currently a 9" clearance between the top of the ball and the runner.
(http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2195/trackball02.png)
Also, I was mistaken - there is a bit of overhang on the left and right sides. I hope to make the box in such a way that it can be removed for transportation.
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Looks comfortable to me
I have 8 3/4" clearance between the top of the ball and runner, 6" from edge of ball to right hand stick.
Plenty comfortable for me, my hand is 8 1/2" from finger tip to base of palm.
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I could build the box out so that the bottom lip of the box matches the angles of the control panel itself which would allow for me to put the trackball VERY low, but I don't think I have the tools to be able to do angled joints like that. What kind of tool does cuts like that?
EDIT: was able to bring down the trackball some without having to mod the box at all. There is currently a 9" clearance between the top of the ball and the runner.
Also, I was mistaken - there is a bit of overhang on the left and right sides. I hope to make the box in such a way that it can be removed for transportation.
If you have a circular saw you can create the box like you are talking about. I did that when I built my control panel, and all my dad had was a regular circular saw. So long as the outside edges fit it doesn't matter if the panels meet 100% perfect. Noone will see it and it will still be insanely sturdy.
As for attaching the CP to the arcade, I did a very simple fix. Drilled 2 holes into the bottom of the CP through the piece of MDF in the picture. I have some tee nuts on the underside of the board permanently holding the really big bolts. Then I just hand tighten the wingnuts to hold down the CP.
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I could build the box out so that the bottom lip of the box matches the angles of the control panel itself which would allow for me to put the trackball VERY low, but I don't think I have the tools to be able to do angled joints like that. What kind of tool does cuts like that?
It's probably easiest to do with a miter saw.
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So for now I think I am going to leave the box under the CP as-is.
Here is the updated measurements of the control panel (click for large):
(http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4838/controlpanelholes3.jpg) (http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4838/controlpanelholes3.jpg)
I also had my first order come in a few weeks ago. Here it is (with some buttons mounted into a cardboard box to get a feel for the button angling):
(http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg12/scaled.php?server=12&filename=img00015201203132319.jpg&res=medium)
You'll have to excuse the crappy cellphone pics, I hope to have access to a better camera later on in the build.
(http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/8551/43123432106677938611481.jpg)
The measurements on these aren't perfect, I did it more just to get a feel for the button layout. Not sure i'm entirely happy with this, although it may feel different on the actual CP as opposed to this small box.
I have another order coming from divemaster127's online store which includes the joysticks, coin door, and other assorted things.
Here is the running total so far (I am canadian, so the order cost after conversion from USD is on the far right of the total)
(http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3987/costsheet120313.png) (http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/3987/costsheet120313.png)
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I have 2 machines that I'm building, and neither of them have a bottom on the control panel [both of mine panels fit between the sides of the machines]. I see yours sits on top, but that doesn't mean it can't just have a lip for support and be open in the middle of the bottom.
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So here is the .svg file (done in inkscape) of the marquee as it stands so far... thinking I may just leave it white with the logo in the middle, not sure what to do with all the white space :dunno
http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/34337642/file.html (http://www1.zippyshare.com/v/34337642/file.html)
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Got another order in on Monday - U360s arrived, i'm so excited to start this project now! :applaud:
I got the optional hard springs and long shafts, as well as octagonal restrictors, and yet I still seem to have a little bit of wiggle in the centre position. Sometimes when I leave the stick alone in analog mode, it is centred perfectly, other times it's off almost to the point of entering another hitbox. I put it in 8-way mode and played with the wiggle and at one point I had the joystick sending a down-right signal... any way to remedy this?
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So I just realized now that I totally ordered the wrong joystick mounting kits from divemaster - I specified two sets of the 6mm mag-stik mounting kits instead of the 5mm - which clearly says "FOR ALL OTHER JOYSTICKS" :banghead:
Good thing I still have t-molding to order down the line, I guess i'll just have to bite the bullet on that one...
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So I just realized now that I totally ordered the wrong joystick mounting kits from divemaster - I specified two sets of the 6mm mag-stik mounting kits instead of the 5mm - which clearly says "FOR ALL OTHER JOYSTICKS" :banghead:
Good thing I still have t-molding to order down the line, I guess i'll just have to bite the bullet on that one...
You can get all those parts at a Home Depot or Lowes, they are commonly used for furniture construction... if you don't want to do an additional order just for the kit.
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I see you have the u360's with button harness and an ipac2. Just curious why you are doing that
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I see you have the u360's with button harness and an ipac2. Just curious why you are doing that
I read that you could have the U360 hooked up via USB as an analog stick that is programmable on the fly as well as have it work as an input on the IPAC2
I am planning on running some PC games on my cab that are keyboard-only, hence the need for both
Of course now that the parts are in, I have some more setup on the software side to do to see if I actually need both means of control. If it ends up that I stick with just the U360s, I may use the IPAC2 for a future project.
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So I just realized now that I totally ordered the wrong joystick mounting kits from divemaster - I specified two sets of the 6mm mag-stik mounting kits instead of the 5mm - which clearly says "FOR ALL OTHER JOYSTICKS" :banghead:
Good thing I still have t-molding to order down the line, I guess i'll just have to bite the bullet on that one...
You can get all those parts at a Home Depot or Lowes, they are commonly used for furniture construction... if you don't want to do an additional order just for the kit.
Nice, thanks for the tip! I was hoping that would be the case.
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So I just realized now that I totally ordered the wrong joystick mounting kits from divemaster - I specified two sets of the 6mm mag-stik mounting kits instead of the 5mm - which clearly says "FOR ALL OTHER JOYSTICKS" :banghead:
Good thing I still have t-molding to order down the line, I guess i'll just have to bite the bullet on that one...
You can get all those parts at a Home Depot or Lowes, they are commonly used for furniture construction... if you don't want to do an additional order just for the kit.
Nice, thanks for the tip! I was hoping that would be the case.
So I managed to make it out to Home Depot yesterday after work. Asked one of the guys there about the mounting kit I was looking for, even brought the 6mm one in, asked if they had any in 5mm, they pointed me to the local Fastenal store. "If anyone has it, it'll be them"
Dropped into Fastenal today over lunch and they said they don't carry metric parts, and don't even have the bits that screw into the wood in any size! They also said they usually only carry specialty parts in big orders (100 is the minimum of something they will sell) and pointed me to Canadian Tire. The journey continues...
Also, looking to fasten some .187" female quick disconnects to the ends of the wire harness I ordered with my U360s... can't seem to find any info on what gauge wiring it is though, any help?
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Ace hardware stores have the fastener's you need... at least mine did
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I'm really sorry if I sent you on a wild goose chase man. I do remember that I switched my mounting hardware over to 1/4 inch because it was easier to come by. I find that half the time the HD employees have no idea what is on their shelves anyway. I hope you come up with your parts.
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I'm really sorry if I sent you on a wild goose chase man. I do remember that I switched my mounting hardware over to 1/4 inch because it was easier to come by. I find that half the time the HD employees have no idea what is on their shelves anyway. I hope you come up with your parts.
Would 1/4-inch work for the mounting plates on the U360's?
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So you're in Canada and your parts place doesn't carry metric? Canadian tire has a decent selection usually of metric bits.
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So you're in Canada and your parts place doesn't carry metric? Canadian tire has a decent selection usually of metric bits.
Go figure, eh?
I went to canadian tire and they had the bolt I needed, but not the bit that goes in the wood that the bolt screws into. Today's journey: Ace Hardware, Rona, and some larger locals.
Also still wondering what gauge wire comes on the wiring harness for the U360s and if it's possible to get a .187" female quick disconnect that will fit wire that thin.
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So you're in Canada and your parts place doesn't carry metric? Canadian tire has a decent selection usually of metric bits.
Go figure, eh?
I went to canadian tire and they had the bolt I needed, but not the bit that goes in the wood that the bolt screws into. Today's journey: Ace Hardware, Rona, and some larger locals.
Also still wondering what gauge wire comes on the wiring harness for the U360s and if it's possible to get a .187" female quick disconnect that will fit wire that thin.
I dunno what wire guage it is, but you can always fold it back over itself to bulk it up in the crimp area.
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So you're in Canada and your parts place doesn't carry metric? Canadian tire has a decent selection usually of metric bits.
Go figure, eh?
I went to canadian tire and they had the bolt I needed, but not the bit that goes in the wood that the bolt screws into. Today's journey: Ace Hardware, Rona, and some larger locals.
Also still wondering what gauge wire comes on the wiring harness for the U360s and if it's possible to get a .187" female quick disconnect that will fit wire that thin.
I dunno what wire guage it is, but you can always fold it back over itself to bulk it up in the crimp area.
Yeah, either that or I could always solder the ends to them.
So yesterday I decided to "play dumb" and walked back into Home Depot with a U360 in hand and said "fit something to this" and the guys there ended up hooking me up with what I needed.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=181790;image)
Also picked up a crimper, some wire, and the female quick disconnects.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=181792;image)
The plan is to route the wood down from the top and drill a 6mm hole for the bolt to go through from the bottom. Then I will have it thread through the large washer and the nut will fasten it to the board from the top. The whole business will be covered by the artwork, and then protected by the plexiglass. Boom, under-mounted joystick without any unsightly bolt heads showing.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=181828;image)
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Just updated the control panel layout, using the slagcoin astro city button layout.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=183184;image)
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Also finalized the marquee. Settling on this took a lot longer than I had hoped it would take. Overall I am happy with it though.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=183186;image)
Next steps are to purchase the wood and get it to my dad's place for cutting, and finish the CPO art.
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Couldn't wait, wired up the trackball to
play with it check to make sure it works:
(http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2mi9hyWx01qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Cut off the Molex end and stripped the wires
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2mi9hyWx01qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Screw terminals = so easy, a caveman could do it...
(http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2mi9hyWx01qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
The finished wire-job. Put both +5s and GNDs in the same terminal. Wired it up and i'm happy to say it works like a charm!
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I like the set-up you chose, it looks really neat. I know this varies on skill, but did you experience any lag with the push buttons at all? I was just wondering, because for me and my father's MAME cabinet, I would like to consider using that style for push buttons.
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The pushbuttons have no lag, no. Unless you are talking about the lag experienced by rapid-fire pressing, in which case if that is your cup of gaming tea leaf-switches would be better-suited. But no, when a button is pressed, it registers immediately.
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The pushbuttons have no lag, no. Unless you are talking about the lag experienced by rapid-fire pressing, in which case if that is your cup of gaming tea leaf-switches would be better-suited. But no, when a button is pressed, it registers immediately.
Okay, thank you for the information. I was wondering about leaf-switches for my control panel, so thank you for the advice.
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Will be decasing my television tonight to allow for the cab to be brought in some on the sides. Pics to follow.
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Some pics of the television I will be using before it gets decased.
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Process pics of the TV getting decased. I should note that we did not have to discharge the television to do this, simply just took the casing off so that we could measure the internal tube width. Kept the control buttons, got rid of the speakers. Two happy bonuses with this TV: I can unplug it and leave it unplugged for a while and when I come back and plug it back in, it remembers the channel it was on when it was unplugged. Also, I can navigate to the s-video input using the control buttons on the TV, no need for a remote. As you can see it's pretty dirty inside the TV lol, par for the course for CRTs nowadays I suppose.
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(http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3olj762wo1qd1mkvo1_500.jpg)
Also got the cuts done this past Saturday with my dad.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m0n5Kyw61qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
My dad measuring the guide for the skill saw.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m0n5Kyw61qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
A nice cut, everytime. What a pro.
(http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m0n5Kyw61qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
I learn best by studying others. His hand is steady as ever with that jigsaw, what can I say.
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Looking good! The times and the projects you share with your dad will be cherished by you for a long time. Listen to what he says, because some day you will be on the teaching side, and you will be passing it on to yours.
(Sorry DaOld Man is in dad mode right now.) :'(
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More pics!
some pictures of the television, with accompanying LCD pictures for comparison:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
here it is booting up. got the splash screen changed, not sure i will be sticking with this, will have to look into making a custom one.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg) x (http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo7_r1_1280.jpg)
Samurai Shodown 1 CRT intro vs. LCD intro... look at Haohmaru's hair! It looks so much better on the CRT, I couldn't be happier.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg) x (http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo9_r1_1280.jpg)
SFII intro fighter. the shading around his head and cheekbones looks much better on a CRT than it does on an LCD screen.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg) x (http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3m18hBSXc1qd1mkvo10_r1_1280.jpg)
Galaga ship. Sure you can see more colours on the LCD screen, but the ship looks more like I remember it on the CRT.
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(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zod7b0W41qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zod7b0W41qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
The sides clamped up after being attached to the bottom. We are using dowels and glue to assemble the body, this is just a test fit with the CP box to feel for height.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zod7b0W41qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
We will be using a rotating window latch to secure the CP lid to the box from behind. If I need to get in, I can just turn the latch and swing it open.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zod7b0W41qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Here's where we're having some trouble... we don't want to permanently screw the CP box to the body here, rather we want a way to unlatch it from the body to bring down the width of the cab in case it ever needs to be moved. We cannot seem to find a good solution for how to do this at a hardware store. One store suggested an eye and hook, but that would definitely not be secure enough. Someone else suggested a doorhinge and whenever we want to detach the box from the cab, we just pull the pin on the hinge and transport it that way, but that seems like a lot of work just to detach a box. Any suggestions?
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(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zphlZScT1qd1mkvo2_250.jpg)
The man's been hard at work again... here we are marking the 1/4" recess for the kickplate.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zphlZScT1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
We have dowel holes drilled into the bottom of the kickplate, currently filled with metal dowel hole plugs (the kind that have a pointy end on one side). After this picture was taken we took a scrap piece of wood and tapped on the top to create imprints on the bottom board:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zphlZScT1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
The imprints left by the dowel hole plugs. Perfect as guides for the drill.
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On my Mortal Kombat machine the control panel is hinged at the front and inside has two bolts with large washer rings that fix it to a wood bar the runs the width of the cabinet under the panel. I can unscrew them with just my fingers so not massively tight but it doesn't move. It did have two clasps inside that stopped you opening the panel up (customers tampering), I removed them and by its own weight never lifts up. Maybe that could solve you problem
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Thanks Equinox, that may be doable... I am going to have a look at this other solution my father was talking about and see if it's feasible or not but in the meantime, if anyone else has suggestions please let me know!
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I have nearly the same tv sitting in my garage ready to be transplanted. Mine is the home theater version though, its got a built in audio amp. 27" RCA though... I'm gonna buy one of them universal arcade chassis from 8liners for the tube, since I can't bear to go from component (what I use now) to s-video (the best this tv has available).
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I have nearly the same tv sitting in my garage ready to be transplanted. Mine is the home theater version though, its got a built in audio amp. 27" RCA though... I'm gonna buy one of them universal arcade chassis from 8liners for the tube, since I can't bear to go from component (what I use now) to s-video (the best this tv has available).
Yeah, s-video is what i'm running on for those screenshots.
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I use S-Video also with a Sony TV and the picture looks great. To me it looks authentic. Can't remember what graphics card it is but, it's a few years old. Do people say s-video isn't very good then?
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Thanks Equinox, that may be doable... I am going to have a look at this other solution my father was talking about and see if it's feasible or not but in the meantime, if anyone else has suggestions please let me know!
No problem. I reckon it'll be easy enough to do, yours looks very similar to a MKII cab. Even if you had a wood bar running the width and then put two screws through the base of the CP. Take a few seconds to unscrew any time you needed it removed.
It's quite interesting these little details you have to think about when building these cabs. On the face of it when you start it's like yeah its a box, easy :lol
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More pics!
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zpopMPul1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zpopMPul1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Sanding the CP box smooth.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zpopMPul1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zpopMPul1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
The lid actually lines up with the box lip once the box is clamped together. When it is glued-and-doweled that extra lip overhang will be gone.
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Put my order in at t-molding.com for 40' of Bright Red 3/4" t-molding. Threw in the bit I needed as well. The next step now is to go shopping for laminate.
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Looking good. Did you install the hinge on CP? Just asking cause the front of the control panel doesn't look flush to the base in the front ???
Also if you're installing T-molding on the top of the CP you might want to curve the corners.
(Of course if you're moving the CP a bit forward you'll have room to curve the corners)
:dizzy:
Hopefully I didn't confuse you.
:cheers:
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Looking good. Did you install the hinge on CP? Just asking cause the front of the control panel doesn't look flush to the base in the front ???
Also if you're installing T-molding on the top of the CP you might want to curve the corners.
(Of course if you're moving the CP a bit forward you'll have room to curve the corners)
:dizzy:
Hopefully I didn't confuse you.
:cheers:
Those pics are from the rear of the CP. The hinge is connected to the front lip of the CP, so that the top swings up toward the player. The reason there looks to be a lip is because the box has not been glued. When clamped it sits flush with the edge, and that will be how it will be when glued.
The CP top will be somewhat rounded when it is done, I am doing an angled cut on each front edge.
As for the t-molding, I will be cutting off some of the under-running to allow for it to bend around the corners.
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Got the sides flush trimmed to be identical:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zrmbIhZe1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3zrmbIhZe1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Me straightening the piece of the wood that will be going above the monitor glass:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g86xHYye1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Drilling dowel holes in center boards (i believe this one was the board that will be housing the speakers and the bottom of the marquee)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g8aoXl0X1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
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Bought a 1-player coindoor from divemaster127 (no coin mech yet, looking for a site online that sells .25$CDN mechs cheap), got to cutting out the hole for that on the kickplate.
First, we took some rough measurements and jotted them down:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g8fweXVF1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
We used the cap from a can of spraypaint to rough out the edges:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g8fweXVF1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Then we drilled a pilot hole for the jigsaw to go into:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4g8fweXVF1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
After using the jigsaw around the edges (and having to bring them out some), we got the hole to the size we needed for the coindoor to fit snugly:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4xwHcsn1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4xwHcsn1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
We also got the casters on the bottom piece:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4xwHcsn1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
And then, just to get a feel for the height difference 2.5" makes, we clamped it up real quick to see:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181857_4089795371501_1560080924_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/401686_4089795731510_1481233995_3409460_1606152662_n.jpg)
So... anyone know of somewhere I can get canadian quarter coinmechs online for cheap?
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Last weekend we got to put a few more hours of work in on the project...
I had received my t-molding in the mail from http://www.t-molding.com/ (http://www.t-molding.com/) :
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4h5Qdz51qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4u4h5Qdz51qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
So it was time to cut slots with my handy-dandy 1/16" slot cutter from the same website I got the t-molding from:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50fhfRLb41qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50fhfRLb41qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
My first thought was just to run the router along the sides of the wood with the slot cutter (after adjusting it to where we wanted it to be and testing it on some scrap pieces of course) but my dad suggested we should run the wood along the router instead. He then proceeded to rig the router up sitting upside down on two planks clamped to an endtable like so:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
More pics to follow...
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Anybody know of a place I can get canadian quarter coinmechs for cheap? I am also still looking for a good and sturdy way to fasten the control panel to the main body while still being able to unlatch and remove it if need be.
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Here's what I did. First, I got the CP box put on the cabinet exactly where I wanted it...
Then, I scribed on the bottom where the CP bottom rested on the sides of the cabinet. I flipped it over and drilled a 1/4" hole on each side.
I then flipped it over and put it back EXACTLY where I had it on the cabinet sides and, using the holes I just drilled, I drilled about 1" into the sides of the cabinet on both sides. Next, using a quality hardwood dowel and some GOOD, non expanding wood glue (I used Gorilla glue), I glue a dowel into the hole on the cabinet side and leave about 5/8" above the edge so that the CP box will slide onto the pins.:
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_8711.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_4701.jpg)
I use a small latch under the CP box. It is behind the front crossbrace, visible just under the CP bottom (only one latch is needed):
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_8711.jpg)
I also attached my CP top this way. Basically, I drilled out the CP top:
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_2566.jpg)
I use 1/4" hardwood dowels to use as the locating pins. I profiled them just a little so that when the top comes down with the hinges, it slides right onto the pins:
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_1831.jpg)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_6798.jpg)
Once painted, it's hardly noticeable inside the CP box, but its' clear to see when you're putting it back together after a move, etc...
The art will cover the holes on the top of the CP and on the bottom, you can see that the hinges just lower the top back down onto the dowels. Since they're hardwood, the MDF will break before they do...:
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_0748.jpg)
Now...how sturdy is it? Well, a dude came over to the house a week ago and my wife showed him the cabinet. He's not my favorite dude, so I really just wanted him to go. So, he starts telling us how bada$$ he is with Galaga, etc etc. Asking me if I built this from a kit, etc..even after my wife telling him I cut every piece of wood and built every thing on it, he still seem skeptical. He didn't understand that MAME runs the ACTUAL game, yada yada yada. So, she boots it up and lets him try. He proceeds to get a whopping 23000 on Galaga excusing himself because it's been a couple of months since he's played (He plays in a band at a bar with a bunch of arcade games). All the while he was NOTICABLY trying to manhandle the machine. Its on wheels and he was moving it all over the place....fat bastard...
Anyway, nothing moved, it's solid and you can't believe how sturdy it is...
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/mcseforsale/MAME_CAB/IMG_8640.jpg)
And, if it can take the abuse that this MANIMAL can dish out, it's gotta be strong: :applaud: :laugh2:
AJ
Anybody know of a place I can get canadian quarter coinmechs for cheap? I am also still looking for a good and sturdy way to fasten the control panel to the main body while still being able to unlatch and remove it if need be.
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Nice! I'm just checking out your build thread... some great ideas in there! I really like how you've managed to mount your monitor/TV. I think I may use that method.
I didn't see the type of latch you used on the underside of the CP. Got a link?
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Yeah, it's not easy to get pics. The strike plate is on the underside of the CP box and the actual latch is attached to the back of that front brace. These latches can go 90 degrees or flat.
http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm (http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm)
These things are pretty big, so have it in hand before you plan on where it goes. :D
Thanks for looking at the build. I had to do everything on the cheap or free, so I hope I can save you some scratch.
AJ
Nice! I'm just checking out your build thread... some great ideas in there! I really like how you've managed to mount your monitor/TV. I think I may use that method.
I didn't see the type of latch you used on the underside of the CP. Got a link?
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Yeah, it's not easy to get pics. The strike plate is on the underside of the CP box and the actual latch is attached to the back of that front brace. These latches can go 90 degrees or flat.
http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm (http://na.suzohapp.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm)
These things are pretty big, so have it in hand before you plan on where it goes. :D
Thanks for looking at the build. I had to do everything on the cheap or free, so I hope I can save you some scratch.
AJ
Nice! I'm just checking out your build thread... some great ideas in there! I really like how you've managed to mount your monitor/TV. I think I may use that method.
I didn't see the type of latch you used on the underside of the CP. Got a link?
Perfect! I need to make one more purchase on the Suzo-Happ site anyway, for the Coin Mech, so I can toss one of those onto the list for my next order. Thanks again :)
More pics to follow soon...
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So when we last left off, our intrepid heroes had acquired the T-Molding and were about to begin cutting slots. Their initial rig-up for the router looked like this:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
A few problems with this:
1. Very little flat surface space
2. Clamps in the way of routing along the edges of larger pieces (like the sides)
3. Router literally not secured to anything and will probably go flying once wood is put to it
This simply would not do. So we got to work building a makeshift router table:
First we marked the center of an old piece of chipboard.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Then we drilled the screw holes as well as a pilot hole for the bit to stick up through.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
We counter-sunk the screws by taking the drill to the edges of the hole on the other side of the chipboard at a diagonal until they fit flush. Then we screwed those badboys in. It didn't have to look pretty, only functional.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
The bit would not come up high enough to make it to 3/8" from the surface, so we had to router out 1/4" from the underside of the 3/4" thick chipboard.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
Much better.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m50g9g8pI11qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
After fine-tuning the router depth and cutting scrap pieces to test fit the t-molding sample I had, we finally got it to where we wanted it:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m51uv7SDuy1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m51uv7SDuy1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Our next step was to cut the edges off of the CP top, a simple jigsaw + orbital sander job:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m51uv7SDuy1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Then it was time to make the first actual project slot. My dad left it up to me. Of course, I didn't watch the back-end of the board hanging off of our small router table and ended up with this:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m51uv7SDuy1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
Oh well, the t-molding should cover this up. May need to use some woodglue to hold it in. Just glad I didn't pierce a surface (actually the wayward cut headed towards the underside of the CP top, which is fortunate.)
A shot of the cut with the 3/4" t-molding sample in it (the top will be covered with 1/8" plexiglass)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m51uv7SDuy1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
More pics to come, tomorrow's work will be continuing our slot-cutting.
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Got the rest of my slot-cutting done today (well, almost... still have to do the edges above/below the marquee area).
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fip3FVuz1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fip3FVuz1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fip3FVuz1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fip3FVuz1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Also got the last of the dowelling done:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fisaruz71qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
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Created monitor brackets for the inside of the cab as well. Took cues from mcseforsale's "The Blue Pill... Morpheus Lied" cab and adapted them to our project.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
It became quite clear we weren't going to have the internal clearance necessary to do our monitor mounting solution the same way he did, so we came up with an alternate solution.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
The plan was to route a channel in the bracket surface for the metal clips on the sides of the monitor to travel down, and slotting into grooves at the end of the channel. We marked our lines on the wood and adjusted the router so that the slot cutting bit reached up high enough, then made two passes per slot ending up with roughly 1/8" slot width for the clips:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Then we test-fitted it... and found it wasn't taking in enough of the clips:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
After removing some plastic wire-holding clips from the side, we got it somewhat closer, but now the wood was butting up against the raised metal that the plastic clips were clipped into:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo12_r1_1280.jpg)
My dad and I discussed what to do to get the wood as close to the television edge as possible. My first thought was to extend the metal clips out so that they went deeper into the grooves, but there was no really sturdy way of doing that that we could come up with. My dad suggested we grind the metal bumps off of the side of the television. I was apprehensive about doing that at first, as it was awfully close to the tube and the slightest mess-up could wind us up with a dead TV at best, and a huge discharge of electricity at worst. I threw out the alternative: why not just route channels into the wood for the bumps to go into? They wouldn't have to be load-bearing, just enough to have the surface of the wood be clear of them so that it could butt up closer to the television. He thought about it, and said it would be easier if we just took the grinder to the metal edges and sheared them off. My dad is a metal worker by trade, so it was at that point that I decided to follow his suggestion. He has been doing this his whole life, so he wouldn't suggest an option like that unless he was sure it was the best one.
With that out of the way, I went back outside to finish the routing of the clip channels in the bracket:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo10_1280.jpg)
The finished products:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo13_r1_1280.jpg)
I need to go a little faster with my straight bit so I don't end up burning wood :laugh2: :
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fm42jdto1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
A sneak peek of next week's work...
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fm42jdto1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
And bonus pics of our resident expert lending her helping hands (paws?)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fisaruz71qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fisaruz71qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
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Hey man,
I'm going to put up my completed build video sometime tomorrow. It's long though, so I'm thinking I may break it up into sections. But, I highlight the way that I attach the CP top to the CP box and the entire CP to the cabinet.
Keep an eye out..
AJ
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Thanks!
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Fiancee offered to work on some sketches for potential artwork for the control panel, as well as a rework of the marquee. Can't wait to see her work!
Also, going to be taking exacto knife to laminate (hopefully) tonight.
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Nice! I'm just checking out your build thread... some great ideas in there! I really like how you've managed to mount your monitor/TV. I think I may use that method.
I used a similar method to get a 27" CRT squeezed into a Dynamo cabinet. To put the crt in, I angle the bottom into a slot that it rests on then tilt it back. The top of the plywood has two bolts that hold it in.
It is sturdy as hell.
more pics in this gallery: http://imgur.com/a/ps64D#32 (http://imgur.com/a/ps64D#32)
(http://i.imgur.com/leWLX.jpg)
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Thanks sharpfork! I was thinking about an all-around solution like what you came up with... we will have to try the one we're doing now and if it doesn't look like it's going to work, that may be plan b...
(http://i.imgur.com/XtXkL.jpg)
I noticed you discharged your television screen... we still have not done this. I pitched it to my dad but he said it would be fine because we are not pulling on the suction cup at all, but I still remain cautious... just curious (and I know this is probably different across different picture tubes) but how "on there" is that cup when you go to take it off? And what is involved in putting it back on once you're done? Any chance the TV will not work once the cup is back on?
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In my TV servicing days of yore, you only really discharged the tube to avoid shock from the components. CRTs have extremely high voltages, that while mostly harmless can give you a nasty jolt.
If you plan to be lugging the decased CRT around or mounting it in a tight space it might be advisable.
If you trust yourself to not touch any exposed components meanwhile. there should be no need to.
Removing and replacing the suction cup should pose no problem, it's basically a prong that goes into the anode of the tube.
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Seith,
Here's a better explanation of my CP install and box interfaces. Enjoy!
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=117977.msg1265003#msg1265003 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=117977.msg1265003#msg1265003)
AJ
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Started work laminating over the course of this past weekend and the weekend before, getting closer to completion as the weeks go by, which feels good! :afro:
Laid out the two side pieces on a sheet of 5'x12' Formica in Matte Black:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo1_400.jpg)
Used the edge of a bubble leveller to trace out the overhang for the pieces:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Rough cut the pieces, planning on routering the excess off from the inner edges for later use instead of trying to get all fancy with the exacto knife. This stuff is very brittle and can be hard to work with, don't want to take any chances:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Also dismantled the CP box to laminate, found a scrap piece from the side cuts that fit all four pieces perfectly:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Cut the piece of Formica that was to go onto the back wall of the CP box, brought it outside and set up shop with the contact cement:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5snt0oANV1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
It was only AFTER I finished coating both surfaces with the contact cement that I realized that it would be pointless to fit the laminate on now, as the box would need to be glued together before laminating could occur! :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: Stupid mistake #1...
I grabbed a sponge and wet the surface of the base of the box and the edge of the back wall as was instructed on the back of the bottle of Gorilla Glue:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5sp593dEy1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Dropped small dabs of glue along the edge and into the dowel holes:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5sp593dEy1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
...then realized the walls would have to be assembled first and THEN placed onto the base of the box, otherwise there would be no way to fit them onto the dowels. It should be noted that I did not realize this until I had the back wall clamped up onto the base for about 1 1/2 minutes! :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: Stupid mistake #2...
So I unclamped the back wall and applied wetness to all joint locations on all walls, glued them up, and got the base ready for further gluing:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5sp593dEy1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
The result after 2 1/2 hours and a dinner:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5sp593dEy1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
The good news? That contact cement that I had put on earlier dries in 15 minutes but any drying time longer than an hour just requires a fresh coat on both surfaces to "refresh" the product and allow for proper hold.
Re-coated the surfaces:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5spzyU7Yl1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
After waiting for 20 minutes for the product to dry, it should be non-gummy or sticky to the touch. So, to test, took a clean piece of paper and dabbed it:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5spzyU7Yl1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5spzyU7Yl1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Looks good! Onto application, I draped an extension cable over the surface to lay the Formica on:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5spzyU7Yl1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Pulled out the cable while applying pressure from one end to the other, then gave it a good solid rollering using a rolling pin:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5spzyU7Yl1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Applying the side laminate:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
After routering using the flush trim bit:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Cleaned up the inner edges that the router could not reach using a box cutter:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
And also did the other side:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5tbdhudTJ1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
While laminating the rest of the CP box, I ran into an issue where I was going too slow with the router taking the excess Formica off:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63hlnwxDg1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63hlnwxDg1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Some of the black of the laminate got scraped off by the flush trim bit, either due to overheating or the box tipping in the wind... not too worried as this will not be noticeable as it is on the underside of the box. Need to be more careful in the future. Also had another issue with my own impatience being my undoing... while laminating the sides, I had them up on old sawhorses. I suppose there were some nails sticking up somewhere on them, as when I went to go remove the side panels by myself without going to get help, I scraped the inner walls of one of them:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63hlnwxDg1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63hlnwxDg1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Sanded these down some, and much like bottom of the CP box, the mistakes will be hidden.
-
Brought out my Logitech Z3000 speakers for measuring:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
The plan is to mount the volume controls on the kickplate right under where the CP overhang is, hidden from view yet easily accessible.
First, remove the knobs:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
Sanded them to allow for better spraypainting:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
An hour and a half later:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idiuvGr1qd1mkvo8_1280.jpg)
Not sure if I am happy with this... may do a second coat.
Also brought the side panels back out for some inner-wall priming. Using a water-based enamel primer:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idzm5GK1qd1mkvo1_400.jpg)
Two coats (with sanding in-between) later:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63idzm5GK1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
While doing that, my dad got to work on cutting the holes for the speaker panel:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63iosODPf1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63iosODPf1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63iosODPf1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Right now the speakers sit in the holes as a friction fit. They are really tight in there, but my plan is to cover the holes with metal speaker grill as mountain did with his Fantasy cab and Martijn did with his two cabs in the past. More on that once the grill arrives.
Some more pics of the finished laminate work... sides:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
CP Box:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Kickplate (with coindoor fitted from happ controls):
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m63itjMJmw1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
Looking for a good source for a different 25-cent graphic to replace the default one with in the coin slot... I remember there being a website someone posted that had these to print out.
-
Anybody have a place I could go online to find the "25¢" graphic insert printable?
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Several possibilities:
http://arcadeartlibrary.com/arcade_art/details.php?image_id=1039&mode=search (http://arcadeartlibrary.com/arcade_art/details.php?image_id=1039&mode=search)
http://vectorlib2.free.fr/stickers/ (http://vectorlib2.free.fr/stickers/)
Scott
-
So I covered the speaker panel with Formica, and even covered right over the holes. Why? Well, I wanted to add a speaker grille to the holes instead of just having the speakers poke out bare like they were in the previous pics. My thought was that we already had a hole cut that friction-fitted the speakers, so instead of routing the Formica to the edges of the existing holes, then routing out a lip on the underside for the grill to attach to, why not leave the hole as it is and route out a lip in the Formica over the hole?
First we butted up a scrap piece of wood for the drill to create a pilot hole into:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m5jflcy91qd1mkvo2_500.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m5jflcy91qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m5jflcy91qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Making the pilot holes big enough for the flush trim bit to fit through by using the thinner straight bit:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m5jflcy91qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
It seemed like an easy enough thing to do when talking about it, but when it came time to formulate a plan of action, we were stuck. Our first thought was to extend the flush trim bit up high enough to reach a guide piece we could clamp to the top of the panel:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
But then we'd have a clamp on the bottom of the panel, which made it next to impossible to move around on the router table.
Our next thought was to leave the flush trim bit plunged enough to touch the edge of the speaker hole, but to make the bearing 1/8" thicker so that it would run along the edge, creating the perfect cut for us. To do this, we used the one thing you'll find in every Canadian home... Hockey Tape:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
..........
....
..
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
This didn't work to our expectations. Luckily my dad's steady hands made sure not to cut into the laminate we wanted to use for our lip.
Finally, we figured "we can't make a guide along the top, why not make a guide outside the hole entirely?" This worked far better than our first two attempts:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
We did this for all four lengthwise cuts into the laminate, and hand-guided the panel through the vertical cuts as steadily as we could, as we couldn't create an edge butt for the sides of the panel due to the size of our makeshift router table. We ended up cleaning up those cuts with some sandpaper, and the result was actually pretty good:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6soCKPK1qd1mkvo8_1280.jpg)
Maybe a little more sanding before applying the grill.
Also painted the inner edges with Spray On Rust-Oleum Matte Black:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6u2ZsF31qd1mkvo1_500.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6u2ZsF31qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6u2ZsF31qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6u2ZsF31qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6u2ZsF31qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Not the prettiest paintjob these boards have seen, but i'm happy with it, as it's only going to be a 1/4" overhang against any boards. I am sure nobody will bat an eye at it (nobody i'm concerned with anyway!)
And, while waiting for the paint to dry, re-coated the volume knobs after being unhappy with the first coat:
After a light sanding:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6j78a3h1qd1mkvo1_500.jpg)
And the result:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6j78a3h1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6m6j78a3h1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Much better... :)
-
I realize I *may* be overdoing it with the pics per post... I promise I will split it up into more posts from here on in... next week I have off, so I hope to make some major advancements in the project.
-
It's been a while since i've posted updates, and I have a lot to post... let's see, we've gone some weekends now, as well as an entire 10 consecutive days off where i made tons of progress...
Ordered some speaker grill from amazon:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z3jiTpXs1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Created a wider recess to fit the cut grill for the speakers:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z3jiTpXs1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
The finished speaker panel:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z3jiTpXs1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
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(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z4v82Xtv1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z4v82Xtv1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z4v82Xtv1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
Created a lip for the speaker grill on the back of the cab. Later I will be cutting an access door where that grill is.
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Printed out a 1:1 layout of the control panel holes with centering guides, taped it to the control panel:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z58aIskH1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Thinking ahead, I created a sandwich. from top to bottom, you have the production CP, the plexiglass, another piece of 5/8" MDF to act as a template in case I need it in the future, and a piece of scrap to blowout into when drilling:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z58aIskH1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
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Began drilling... i was really nervous about this step but truth be told, it has been the most fun of the project so far.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z6xfI0mR1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Bought a cheap 3" hole saw at Canadian Tire for 10 bucks, began cutting through:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z6xfI0mR1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Partway through, the hole saw started smoking :o
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z6xfI0mR1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
I had to pop out the biscuit once i was about halfway through to make room for the rest of the wood I was taking out. Man, that wood really gets lodged in there:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z6xfI0mR1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Hey, glad to see there were no cracks in the plexi from drilling! :applaud:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z6xfI0mR1qd1mkvo8_1280.jpg)
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And now, the part of the project that every person who goes through this is most proud of... you could say this is the turning point... the picture that waters the seed that won't stop growing.... i give you the control panel!
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z7hhMh8d1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Of course, there is still more work to be done before declaring it finished, but still... this picture is very exciting.
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Here is a shot of the CP with template copy and plexi, all drilled:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z7hhMh8d1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Went ahead and gave a 45 degree bevel to the edge of the plexiglass around the trackball lip:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6z7hhMh8d1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
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Moved on to extending the pots from the logitech z2300 speaker remote for mounting in the kickplate right under the control panel box:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m76fn6e1Jp1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Video of the whole kit and kaboodle in action (mind the skipping, my phone was streaming wefunk internet radio)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FlF46qcSWoU
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More holes, more holes..
Drilled five holes into the top of the kickplate/coindoor panel:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
3x 1", 2x 7/8", all with the forstner bits.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Mounted Neutrik USB jacks as well as a Neutrik NJ3 audio jack I got for cheap using http://www.froogle.com/ (http://www.froogle.com/)
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I was initially going to fasten in the volume and bass pots using ebony wood putty:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
But after 48 hours the putty hadn't hardened in the holes and was still soft and malleable, despite saying "quick-dry" on the container... :badmood:
So I had to pull the pots out and clean them up some...
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
And went out and got some Automotive goop to fill the holes with. This stuff is thick like molasses and very viscous, but I didn't want it to drip too much, so I masked the pots using some cardboard and tape:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
Then applied some Goop into the holes from the back:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77kvfVCJk1qd1mkvo10_r1_1280.jpg)
Came back the next morning and it had hardened up real nice. It hardens to a solid rubber state, and bonds excellently with the MDF. Definitely recommended for this particular application.
I removed the masking and noticed there was still some run-down on the bass pot:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78h9wgd451qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
A little exacto knife work cleaned it up nicely:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78h9wgd451qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78h9wgd451qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
That's one panel down... onto the trackball.
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Measured and cut the trackball hole:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gjwyb2q1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Also recessed the plate by 1/8":
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gtls2m51qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gtls2m51qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Mounted the trackball with plexi on top:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gtls2m51qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Also got another order in the mail, my coin mech from Happ arrived. Calibrated for 25 cents Canadian:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gjwyb2q1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
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Cut the back piece into three to make an access door:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gqmH8tJ1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Took the lowest of the three pieces and mounted a power port with switch in there:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gqmH8tJ1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gqmH8tJ1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
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So the next step in this project is to get this bad-boy upright and standing and glued together, so I can finally move on to wiring.
However, there are a few things to consider before I whip out my bottle of carpenter's glue and go to town on it:
1. How are the marquee lights going to be mounted?
2. Will the bracket solution work for my monitor and be fallproof?
3. Where will the sub box sit? Ideally, it should be raised so that the sound travels out of the back access door which will have a grate on it to allow for venting as well.
Question 2 is the one that is burning on my mind the most right now. I am using a CRT television, and we plan to have it sit on it's corner clips, recessed into planks of wood and suspended in the air on such a short point of load-bearing. My fear is that after a month and a half I am going to have a TV-sized mess to clean up inside the cab. I guess my biggest concern is that I haven't seen anyone else mounting their monitors like I have. At any rate, onto the pics (I am almost caught up to where I am in the project right now, pic-wise.)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gyzfBAt1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Used "No More Nails" to secure the TV brackets:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gyzfBAt1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78gyzfBAt1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Also glued the speaker grills into their recesses (still have to do the rear access door):
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m78h9wgd451qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
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Here's how I plan to mount the monitor.
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=118844.0;attach=187608;image)
Left side of picture is the front view of where the monitor will sit and on the right is a cross-section of the side of the cab. That diagonal box is a piece of wood that has a groove cut into it that reaches back to a slot pointing downward (where the black is). So the monitor will slide in with it's four corner clips following the valley cut into the wood until it reaches the back of the bracket, at which point it will slide down into the slots that were cut for it and rest it's weight on those. My worry here is that 1, the monitor isn't bolted to anything, and 2, the clips don't really go that deep into the slot, so i'm afraid the monitor will slide out one way or another.
Here's a better pic of the brackets I have glued to the cab already:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5fksyW4Dn1qd1mkvo13_r1_1280.jpg)
Does this seem feasible? Or would it be a better idea to do up a frame that can be bolted to the clips and do away with the bracket idea altogether?
-
Cut some interior shelving and positioned it in the cab, one shelf for the sub and one shelf to hold the guts of the TV:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ju89Txrw1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7ju89Txrw1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Dry-fit some of the cross panels to get a feel for where everything will rest:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7jubsdWFi1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Also came up with a solution for the marquee light panel; I wanted it removable so that I could access the speakers and the exhaust fan on top. Used liquid nail to fasten a butt-piece to the side, and installed some sliding cellar locks on both sides of the panel:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7jusvbF6w1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
And created a recess in the cross pieces that will hold the glass, 1/8" deep, 1/2" long:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7juwvaaJx1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
-
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
:angry:
So I go to glue the cabinet up this weekend, and lo and behold, we had a bit of a mismeasurement when drilling dowel holes on the left side piece. Apparently my dad thought the roof of the cab was supposed to butt up with the back spine of the side piece, not the front. And we went a whole month and a half without dry-fitting both the top and back boards to the left wall somehow.
The trouble is, at this point I had already glued up the back pieces as well as one of the shelves.
We had also already glued the dowels into the holes for the top piece, and those things were NOT budging once they were hammered in.
So we had to act fast. We put the top piece up where it was supposed to be and rough-traced around the ends of the dowels, then measured the center of the incorrect dowel holes to get centered for our new holes. The first pic is the result of that.
Unfortunately our measurement was a little off, which became apparent once we glued the piece on:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
:banghead: D'OH!
Luckily this little blemish on the project is located where nobody will ever see it, but I will have to live with that little bit of knowledge banging around in my noggin forevermore...
Lesson learned, measure x 1 million, cut once.
Anyway... onto the cab, all glued up:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
-
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kkipl82a1qd1mkvo1_1280.png)
Modified the marquee slightly... still tossing ideas around for the control panel... i hate staring at a blank screen and not being able to get momentum when it comes to artwork! :hissy:
-
Black caulk?
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/07/24/mystery-surrounds-wireless-car-key-blackout-in-new-york-city/?intcmp=features (http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/07/24/mystery-surrounds-wireless-car-key-blackout-in-new-york-city/?intcmp=features)
AJ
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
:angry:
So I go to glue the cabinet up this weekend, and lo and behold, we had a bit of a mismeasurement when drilling dowel holes on the left side piece. Apparently my dad thought the roof of the cab was supposed to butt up with the back spine of the side piece, not the front. And we went a whole month and a half without dry-fitting both the top and back boards to the left wall somehow.
The trouble is, at this point I had already glued up the back pieces as well as one of the shelves.
We had also already glued the dowels into the holes for the top piece, and those things were NOT budging once they were hammered in.
So we had to act fast. We put the top piece up where it was supposed to be and rough-traced around the ends of the dowels, then measured the center of the incorrect dowel holes to get centered for our new holes. The first pic is the result of that.
Unfortunately our measurement was a little off, which became apparent once we glued the piece on:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
:banghead: D'OH!
Luckily this little blemish on the project is located where nobody will ever see it, but I will have to live with that little bit of knowledge banging around in my noggin forevermore...
Lesson learned, measure x 1 million, cut once.
Anyway... onto the cab, all glued up:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kg8tEhNF1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
-
Black caulk?
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/07/24/mystery-surrounds-wireless-car-key-blackout-in-new-york-city/?intcmp=features (http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/07/24/mystery-surrounds-wireless-car-key-blackout-in-new-york-city/?intcmp=features)
AJ
Not sure what you're saying here.... ? ???
-
Applied T-Molding:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zyp0zODJ1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Notched the underside to allow for proper wrap-around the outside edges:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zyp0zODJ1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Had to cut the T-Molding to properly reach into the inside edges:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zyp0zODJ1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
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Got some time to drill a cable hole in the back of the CP box:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zyp0zODJ1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Also got to mount the joysticks:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m800h9JXe41qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
And began the wiring process:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m801stOLjC1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m801stOLjC1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Had to apply some Liquid Nail and Gorilla Glue to the grill on the top of the cab in one of the corners that didn't take strong enough with the carpenter's glue, so that the 120mm chassis fan didn't weigh it down:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m801stOLjC1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
Also extended the wire out of the fan to about 7-8' length:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m801stOLjC1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
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Attached the NovaMatrix Linx to the board I had set up:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7zyp0zODJ1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Wired and plugged in... testing:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m801x06Fa81qd1mkvo2_500.jpg)
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Got the caster panel on the bottom, here it is drying (used Gorilla Glue this time instead of carpenter's glue):
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8029svDdk1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Also drilled a hole in the back next to the power for PC on button (which will power the rest of the cab on):
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8029svDdk1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
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So here I am at about 80% done the cab, and now I turn to the community for creative input. I am no graphic design wizard, by any stretch of the imagination, and for the entire run of the project, the graphics side of things seem to be the spot where I wrestle with my own brain the most. However, I have come out at least with a logo that I can honestly say I am happy with:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=53Ra0KM6QLk#t=418s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=53Ra0KM6QLk#t=418s)
That was done way back at the end of 2010. Fast forward to this year when I come to revisit the logo and see what I could do to make a marquee out of it, and I came up with this initially:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m30kjllkCP1qd1mkvo1_1280.png)
Just a few weeks ago, I looked at that marquee and thought it was too "plain". I decided to add some beams:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7kkipl82a1qd1mkvo1_1280.png)
Then I took the inspiration for that and applied it to the CP overlay yesterday:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m80525eYoX1qd1mkvo1_1280.png)
I tried with a slightly lessened gradient to the beams, to closer match the marquee:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m80525eYoX1qd1mkvo2_1280.png)
So here I am today, looking for creative input and criticism.
- Color: Not sure if this will pop properly with red t-molding. Buttons on surface will be red for P1 and blue for P2, although I am not averse to purchasing more of one color or the other to make everything the same, or an entirely different color altogether that may look better. Input?
- Design: I was going for a simple line type of thing, very minimal and basic, but I worry that in 2-3 years it will look blah. I like the lines leading from all directions toward the logo, it brings the eyes to it. The lines also work to frame the trackball. Any suggestions as to things I could do to maybe punch it up some? I don't want to make it TOO overpowering, but a little more excitement would be ideal. Or is it fine?
Fire away with thoughts, opinions, suggestions, what is right about it, what is wrong about it?
Also feel free to drop any suggestions you have on the marquee if you have any, i'm open to ideas.
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Also drilled a hole in the back next to the power for PC on button (which will power the rest of the cab on):
Probably too late now, but why didn't you put the button on top on the right side in the back like a factory cabinet?
I picked up a push button switch from radio shack (see below) and mounted it in the spot where my cabinet originally had a toggle switch. The button is mounted to a metal plate that's screwed to the inside of the cabinet. The button pokes out through a hole that's roughly twice the diameter of the button. That way, it is completely recessed so nobody can accidentally bump it.
RadioShack Momentary Switch
Normally open. Includes one red and one black. Pkg. of 2
Catalog #: 275-609
$3.69
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062496 (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062496)
(http://rsk.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pRS1C-2160405w345.jpg)
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That's a good suggestion, but the rationale I had was that it was so close to the modular plug port on the back that someone would have to jam really hard on the cab from the front with something at a strange angle behind the cab to actually hit that button, as the modular cable will be coming out of the rear of the cab at a perpendicular angle to the panel surface.
I suppose if I wanted to, I could always recess the button hole like you suggest if it becomes too much of an issue.
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More pics, this time of control panel wiring:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dxoz5eSX1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dxoz5eSX1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Also put an Exit button on the side of the box:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dxoz5eSX1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
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If you are still taking input on your design I would suggest making your font heavier in you logo, it's struggling to hold up against the colors you are using. Also you may want to keep the black outline strictly to the outside of the letters and not have it intersect on the M and the H.
Just advice for taking or leaving ;D
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(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dxoz5eSX1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
What happened with the t-molding slot? Look like it walked a little.
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If you are still taking input on your design I would suggest making your font heavier in you logo, it's struggling to hold up against the colors you are using. Also you may want to keep the black outline strictly to the outside of the letters and not have it intersect on the M and the H.
Just advice for taking or leaving ;D
All good points! I will take some time this weekend and try those changes, and see how it looks. Thanks!
-
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8dxoz5eSX1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
What happened with the t-molding slot? Look like it walked a little.
lol yeah, that was the first thing I ran the slot cutter on and let's just say it could have gone better :banghead: but thankfully it didn't blow out the back edge so the proper slot will line the t-molding up well.
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Installed the CP on it's box:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Installed clasps for the lid and to fasten to the body:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Unfortunately I didn't think about mounting an identical lid clasp on the other side, and ran into clearance issues when trying to fully engage the clasp:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
As you can see, if I were to screw the clasp in there, the outer screw would be jutting out of the edge of the box. I decided to meet halfway:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
I was afraid that there would not be enough hold with the clasp half-engaged, but such was not the case. Also, the bottom hook can still be rotated enough to allow for the lid to open without having to remove the whole box from the body. I'm happy with it.
EDIT: I also installed a lid arm, so that I could have the CP open at different angles without having gravity take over:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyyhOVi1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
It works pretty well, and saves me the worry of having the CP slam down on me while I have it open for maintenance.
More pics to come...
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This is really coming along nicely.
On the artwork, that blue is going to go great with the red, especially if you have red in the logo, which you do.
I like how you have handled the speaker grill and other holes in the cab. It looks a lot like how I did mine. Have you thought about painting those grills red to match the theme? I did mine green and they look really cool.
On your control panel. I only see one admin button. Is that going to be enough for you? You might want to add a couple more in anticipation of pausing, exiting, tabing, etc.
Great work dude, this looks really sharp.
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This is really coming along nicely.
On the artwork, that blue is going to go great with the red, especially if you have red in the logo, which you do.
I like how you have handled the speaker grill and other holes in the cab. It looks a lot like how I did mine. Have you thought about painting those grills red to match the theme? I did mine green and they look really cool.
On your control panel. I only see one admin button. Is that going to be enough for you? You might want to add a couple more in anticipation of pausing, exiting, tabing, etc.
Great work dude, this looks really sharp.
Thanks!
I didn't want to over-do it with the admin buttons, but at the same time I did want a dedicated button for exiting games, hence the one on the side of the control panel. I had purchased an IPAC2 thinking I'd need some extra buttons for the other functions, but then decided against using it. I will probably go the "shifted button" route with the extra admin functions (i.e. hold P1Start and press Button 2 for mame pause, etc. etc.)
My dad had some mirror holding plastic kicking around in the basement that he didn't need:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo1_500.jpg)
It had an extra piece to it that I didn't need on it, so I proceeded to sand/carve it off:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
After bringing that edge down, I sanded the surface to ready it for spraying, then blasted it with a can of black matte rustoleum:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Then attached the runners with gorilla glue:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8hnufvpqR1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
Voila! Cheap-as-free marquee holder complete!
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Attached some speaker fabric in behind the grills to help hide the speaker fronts.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8imb2uEDa1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8imb2uEDa1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
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Got the monitor into the cab a few weeks ago, with the help of a friend and my two brothers:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Unfortunately some depth measurements were off... :banghead: :cry: and we had to take it out for bracket modifications.
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zigoOELp1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
What you are seeing there is the monitor glass, sitting where it should be at the bottom but unable to lie flat up top due to the monitor screen hanging out like a beer belly on a hot July.
The brackets that the TV is sitting in have been Liquid Nailed into the cab, so they aren't going anywhere. Our new problem, plain and simple, was how to get this monitor to sit further back in the cab. We took a couple days to think about the best way to do this while still maintaining cab stability (as has been said time and time again, build around the television, right?)
The only solution we could think of was taking a dremel cutting bit and expanding the slots in the brackets back enough to allow the TV to sit further back. My father-in-law had a RotoZip which is basically a dremel that has an optional guide that can be attached to it for precision cuts:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
We needed to create a guidepiece for the dremel to run along, so I did the proper measurements on a scrap piece of wood while it was clamped to the bracket:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
I then chopped up a paint stir stick to make flat-edged guide pieces:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
and attached them to the guide piece, lining the flat edge up with the marks I made earlier. Here's me testing the distance by putting the dremel with the guide attached into the mix... looks good:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
After dremelling the slot back:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Unfortunately, the dremel bit was not "deep" enough to go into the bracket to where it needed to be, so it took two passes (with a pause betwen to remove the bit and re-seat it into the tool so that it sticks out further) to bring it down to where it needed to go. Double-unfortunately, at one point the button that locks the cylinder on the RotoZip would no longer catch to allow for proper loosening of the bit, so now we have a RotoZip with a bit in it that won't come out. :banghead:
This is where the project currently sits. The fiancee and I just bought a house (our first!) and are in the process of renovations before moving in at the end of August, so updates will come at a very slow pace for the next while as we settle in and get our bearings.
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Really enjoyed reading through this - great stuff :applaud: You can never have too many pictures in my opinion.
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Continue ! :applaud:
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This is where the project currently sits. The fiancee and I just bought a house (our first!) and are in the process of renovations before moving in at the end of August, so updates will come at a very slow pace for the next while as we settle in and get our bearings.
Yeah... about that....
Just chiming in to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking, renovations have taken much longer than originally expected. Here we are into November and we're STILL at it (haven't moved in yet, living at the in-laws for the time being).
The Smash Pad has not been touched since mid-August. It is currently sitting in my Dad's basement. I have set a goal for myself to have it done and into my new house before the new year. Come hell or high water, I will try my damnedest to make that happen, although I know that getting it out of my Dad's basement may be the biggest hurdle to overcome, as we would have to go out through the garage which means an old truck need to be removed/winched out first.
I live in Canada, and we're coming into the Winter season. Wish me luck.
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Thank you for taking so many pics of the process. It is looking great!
I hope someone is around to take pics of the move out of the basement.
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That's gonna be fun. And yes, there will be pics of that for anyone interested.
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Went back to the shop last night to pick up where I left off and get those brackets recessed so that we could put the television in and test fit the glass. Borrowed a dremel tool from a friend of mine and finished the slots for the television clips. Called my dad and brother down to help lift the television in, and almost immediately snapped the MDF at the top of the brackets after letting go of the television:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Let me tell you, the months and months of hard work and sweat making this thing up to this point all flashed before my eyes as the television tipped back. It was like time slowed down to a crawl.
Luckily.... luckily... we were able to keep the television from crashing down into the cab and ending the project altogether. We struggled to get it up and over the brackets and out of the cab, and after much wiggling and frantic speech back and forth, we got the poor boy out of there.
Had it not been for the help of my Dad and brother, that would most definitely have been it. Kudos to both of them for stepping up and saving my project. :cheers:
We got the brackets off by taking a hatchet and hammer to them:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
And a final shot of the night:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdyndwOZPT1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
So the plan now is to find some angle clips and bolt them to the inner walls, and then bolt the television to them.
Looking for feedback on that plan; is there a better way than that?
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I should note that although I want to bolt angle clips to the inner walls of the Smash Pad for monitor mounting, I want to avoid visible bolts on the outside walls. Any ideas for how I could achieve that and still maintain enough of a hold to be able to support a CRT screen?
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Someone I was speaking to said that angle clips could be attached with some PL or liquid nail. Would metal bond well enough to MDF to carry the weight of the CRT television? Perhaps if I created more surface area by having the angle clips welded to a sheet of metal that could be Liquid Nailed to the inner wall of the cab. Someone else mentioned I could make a metal frame to have the TV bolted to and Liquid Nail that to the inner wall.
Any suggestions from BYOACers?
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Problem with MDF is that you're not bonding to the entire thickness, more just the top layer. That's why when you hacked off the brackets it looked like it pulled off the top layer with glue (because it did). So if you're doing a small bracket you're not going to want to glue IMO. I'd look at getting the same mounting hardware that's used for undermounting joysticks and hiding the bolt heads. Drill them in and glue the hell out of those and you'll get a stronger platform that way without busting through the far side I'd wager.
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Problem with MDF is that you're not bonding to the entire thickness, more just the top layer. That's why when you hacked off the brackets it looked like it pulled off the top layer with glue (because it did). So if you're doing a small bracket you're not going to want to glue IMO. I'd look at getting the same mounting hardware that's used for undermounting joysticks and hiding the bolt heads. Drill them in and glue the hell out of those and you'll get a stronger platform that way without busting through the far side I'd wager.
Thanks LeChuck, I may try that, it sounds like it'd make more of a bond with the inner wall if I were to go that route. Something like a threaded insert?
(http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/28811-01-200.jpg)
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Problem with MDF is that you're not bonding to the entire thickness, more just the top layer. That's why when you hacked off the brackets it looked like it pulled off the top layer with glue (because it did). So if you're doing a small bracket you're not going to want to glue IMO. I'd look at getting the same mounting hardware that's used for undermounting joysticks and hiding the bolt heads. Drill them in and glue the hell out of those and you'll get a stronger platform that way without busting through the far side I'd wager.
Thanks LeChuck, I may try that, it sounds like it'd make more of a bond with the inner wall if I were to go that route. Something like a threaded insert?
(http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/28811-01-200.jpg)
Egg-xactly
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What if you made this part in plywood? And maybe let it go deeper into the cab, leaving more material.
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91899rtf41qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
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Also a good suggestion. I would have to screw the plywood onto the inner walls from the inside, as at this point PL and clamps would not be a viable option due to the fact that I don't have clamps that would reach in far enough to hold the piece to the wall during drying. And if i'm drilling into the inner walls anyway, maybe threaded inserts are the better choice.
I did get some threaded inserts when I bought the joystick under-mounting kit with my U360s in the wrong size earlier on in the build, maybe those can be put to use after all...
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So I was speaking to my father over the holidays (as a good son does) and he said he had an idea for mounting this monitor - his idea was to mount angle clips on drawer sliders to allow the monitor to slide in and out of the cab for easy mounting/dismounting for transport. I had a look at Home Depot's prices and I could snag the required hardware for about 15$.
My question to the BYOAC massive: Is it worth putting it on sliders? My concern is stability, drawer sliders are weight-rated at up to 100lbs, but that's spread out over the length of the slider, not at a specific point that the angle clip would be connecting on. I really just want this monitor mounted and sturdy is all.
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So I generated a high-quality PNG file from my Inkscape drawing of the control panel artwork and brought that on a stick to Staples after triple-checking the file was the correct size on my computer (width should be 32 1/8", check) and they said it would be a couple days as their color printer has a queue. A few days go by and I get the results rolled up in a long bag. I ask the lady at the desk, "is this the same size as the file as I requested?" and she says "yes, it was printed 1:1." Okay, i figure, I pay my 35 bucks and am out of there.
I get the printout home and first thing I do is unroll it on my bedroom floor and measure. 31 1/4"??? :censored: :timebomb:
I am headed back to Staples today to hopefully get a reprint done, wish for some understanding for me.
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OK, so after getting my artwork misprinted twice, the third time I had to walk them through clicking "print actual size" and I now have properly-sized artwork. :banghead: gotta do some crazy things sometimes to get what you want. Luckily it didn't cost me any more than I initially paid.
Pics to follow after work.
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I had to walk them through clicking "print actual size" and I now have properly-sized artwork. :banghead:
I refer to this type of thing as the "curse of competency". :lol
Scott
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Dammit! Didn't you know you were supposed to go home and rebuild your cab to match the art they printed for you?
I weep for the future..
AK
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I had to walk them through clicking "print actual size" and I now have properly-sized artwork. :banghead:
I refer to this type of thing as the "curse of competency". :lol
Scott
The worst was they said the first misprint was due to my file being mis-sized but they would reprint it free anyway.
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Dammit! Didn't you know you were supposed to go home and rebuild your cab to match the art they printed for you?
I weep for the future..
AK
Old and busted: "build around your monitor"
New hotness: "build around your staples-printout"
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Dammit! Didn't you know you were supposed to go home and rebuild your cab to match the art they printed for you?
Dude!! What is wrong with you??!!??
Sounds like you think the world revolves around them.
Everybody knows it revolves around ME. :laugh2:
Scott
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I had to walk them through clicking "print actual size" and I now have properly-sized artwork. :banghead:
I refer to this type of thing as the "curse of competency". :lol
Scott
Feel your pain. I get ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- printed at kinkos all the time and I've learned never to drop it off. A few of the folks there have gotten to know me and just hand me the mouse when I come in so I can do the print settings myself. I'd say they print correctly the first time about 30% of the time and that's with me standing there saying, "you set it up wrong and we're going to have to redo it."
At least they're really good natured about it and I make sure and be nice to all of them because they could probably just tell me to take a hike.
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Got the monitor mounted the other day, after the MDF bracket fiasco I decided to go with angle clips:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/6b277fa04ae9f8b6dd6098ac6792d740/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo7_1280.jpg)
Put wood spacers up top to help angle it some:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/697b50f48968a6ee80ee5b090aa85e1d/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/3baea37b40ef39f1d8bcb585e25ef2b3/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/cf14e2e1719fbfd535af31bb25dba2e7/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/d3123aa2de5c834affe90013045593fa/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo6_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/8ab0028f802117065b076bc02bbfb37c/tumblr_mi8a3tE0OV1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
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Installed cellar bolts to rear access hatch for easy removal:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/90c64952f108ec12bd3959f5ff75d785/tumblr_midxzdOUW61qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Not pictured: wood butts behind door to hold it in place when latching bolts
Also switched out the yellow coin reject button with a red one from Happ:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/259d95d07138f5942c3a1fb19e03f70e/tumblr_midxzdOUW61qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
Took out my template piece and sandwiched the artwork between it and some yoga mats so as to not have the fiancee yell at me about cutting on the floor:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/a1415fb54dd52111bfd66687bdc38eeb/tumblr_midxzdOUW61qd1mkvo5_1280.jpg)
Dismantled the control panel for artwork application:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/2c8f3583ec810c75eed68c2efaa048e3/tumblr_midxzdOUW61qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
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Teaser pic of the finished CP:
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Remember....nice, neat wiring. Nerd fodder.
AJ
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Oh, it's neat alright. Pics of the inside soon.
Teaser pic #2:
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Man, warm weather can't come fast enough! Idle hands tend to play, and i've been spending the time tweaking and touching up my frontend. Much of that time has been spent getting PC games up and running in a fashion that is transparent to the end-user. This undertaking has relied heavily on a few key programs:
1. Joy2Key - I cannot stress enough how wonderful this program is to anyone setting up an arcade with U360s in it. It just works so seamlessly, and unlike any other solution i've tried.
2. Ultramap - Andy's software really does work a dream; it's exactly as I would have wanted it to work. Commandline into a batch script, have UM point to the cfg file that's needed for the game (I have been doing separate files for each game), and boom, you have a 2-way stick for games like VVVVVV, 4-way for Pac-Man clones like Chompston, and analog for games like SYNSO2.
3. Fraps - Easy-to-use video capture software that I have running on my main desktop. Part of my PC Game list building is making sure it works just like the rest of the frontend, and in 90% of cases, the PC games I am adding to the machine do not have corresponding preview videos on emumovies.com, so i've put it on myself to create the movies for my frontend to give it that cohesive, unified feel I am going for. Fraps is great for most of the games I have been adding, as it hooks in nicely and gives me the F9 on/off functionality I need. Video output is nice and clear and gives me a raw file that I can then shape in my video editing software.
4. Camtasia Studio - This comes with a screencapture program that works for any games that won't allow Fraps to hook into them properly. While I do find it takes up more resources than Fraps, it works just as nicely and the output at the end of it all is just as usable. It also gives me the ability to capture part of the screen instead of the whole thing, which is good for low-resolution games that just provision a percentage of the screen space for their game (an example is the PC Game "Cave Of No Return" which does not have a full-screen mode, and leaves the edges of the screen visible to whatever is behind the game window)
5. Corel VideoStudio Pro - What I use to produce the final product, I can chop out a 30-second bit of the gameplay output and usually 7 seconds of the title screen, arrange them on the timeline how I want, and fade to and from black between transitions. The result is this:
Smashpad\Intro Videos\Streets Of Rage Remake (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baBIjReWvwo#)
Smashpad/Intro Games/Super Crate Box (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPpqyIjioTw#)
Smashpad/Intro Videos/Illuminator (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pixAydgFi0g#)
I hope to be able to upload the created videos (some 60-odd games at this point) to emumovies.com for users to use in their builds in the future. They are not high-quality, but they look fine on low-resolution monitors.
6. AutoIT - I have gotten pretty good at utilizing this free set of scripting tools to automate things that certain PC games require to begin playing; for example, one of the games I have on my cab is called "Focus" and when the executable is run, there is a splash screen that allows you to change the configuration of the game before playing it. This is not desirable for my players to have to go through anytime they run the game, so I created a script that calls the executable, moves the mouse to the "Start Game" button relative to the window, and left-clicks. Boom, user is in the game, they don't have to worry about pesky menus. Another good use for it is to help hide the mouse for games that don't require mouse control, but also that don't manage mouse input in-game (i.e. you are playing, but you can bring your cursor into view, and in some cases, clicking or right-clicking on the screen affects gameplay by bringing up menus that are otherwise unneeded). I just have the script go into a loop that moves the mouse cursor to the 1024x768 co-ordinates anytime it is not there, and include a script that allows for dummying-out mouseclicks, just to be safe. I hope to be able to share some of my scripts with the community when the project is finished.
Just the other day I had my fiancee come in to my home office and I asked her to try navigating the interface with the control panel. I explained the controls as I had coded them to work with MALA and she picked up on it pretty quick. She then proceeded to navigate to the SNES section and browsed through the "All Games" list until settling on the game "ChessMaster", which she then played for about an hour :laugh2: I think I got wife-approval! She played Clue for the SNES after that.
Can't wait to move the cab to our house. Like I said, i'm anticipating the end of april to be good enough weather-wise.
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Looks good, man. I'm now just starting to work seriously on the software for my cab. I "finished" the damn thing 7 months ago. Then, I was building the Fistful of Quarters... Watching your software tweaks with interest.
AJ
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Thanks, dude :cheers:
It's not the flashiest build, but with the amount of time and effort I am putting into the software and frontend, it really feels like something I can call my own and can be satisfied that I have stood apart enough from the rest of the cabs with my PC game collection. In the end, I guess it makes me happy as long as it's fun to play on. :dunno
I have a friend down south who wants me to clone the drive and mail it to him when i'm done so he can build his own cabinet. It feels good to know i'm inspiring more projects like mine.
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Teaser pic #3 of the completed control panel.
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Got back to the shop last night to check some minor things off:
- Got the coin switch mounted on the coindoor properly now
- Brought the control panel and PC to the cab
- Panel mounted and P1Coin wired to coin switch with quick disconnects
- PC installed and power line wired to cab power button
- Monitor glass installed temporarily (plans to make a bezel out of black posterboard once it makes it home)
- Installed sub and hooked up speakers and control to it
- Various cleanup
So that still leaves some things to do before I call it 99.9% done:
- Wire coin return button light
- Make bezel out of posterboard and install
- Get marquee printed at gameongrafix ($$)
- Hook control panel up to PC
I am doing the first full power-on tonight once a couple of those list items are taken care of. Wish me luck.
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this is looking great! can't wait to see more as it unfolds. :applaud:
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this is looking great! can't wait to see more as it unfolds. :applaud:
Thanks dude! Yours is coming along nicely as well, have popped in periodically to see where you are at with it. Gotta say, love the space you are putting it in as well! :o
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appreciate that! :) If you have any suggestions or comments I am open to feedback :)
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Got to my dad's place yesterday to do some more work.
Found out that there is an issue with either the power bar or the IEC320 plug that won't allow for power to pass through to the devices when plugged in... so instead I just plugged my speakers, television and PC into an extension cable just to power everything on and see how it goes. PC plugged in, powered on fine from the arcade buttonpress, no surprises there. Speakers powered on when I plugged them in, didn't have to access the speaker control PCB. Great.
The nervewracking part of the cabinet was putting the television on power. It hadn't been plugged in since being decased and moved multiple times, and this was not only my first time working with televisions, but my dad's also, so novices all around. Plugged it in, and... nothing.
I pulled out the button strip that was still connected to the TV and pressed the "power" button, and heard a snap noise. Still no picture.
:banghead: :angry:
That's when I remembered; when I originally got this television off of my dad back in 2009 the same thing happened, it didn't power on right away. I had to leave it plugged in for a short time for it to gather a charge, and then try to power it on. So we went upstairs and watched some Curling (Northern Ontario vs. Southern Ontario) for about 20 minutes, came back to it and tried again... and it powered on!
I was so happy to see the television working that I had my dad take up the 2-player reins and fired up the inaugural round of Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition. Ken (me) vs. Bison (dad), and he won after three rounds. :angel: I coulda kicked his ass but I went easy on him :lol
Pics to come soon...
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Glad the TV worked for you.
Thanks for sharing this important info. The TV I'm working with was decased about 5 months or so and hasn't been turned on. I'll know what to do if it doesn't turn on right away.
:cheers:
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No problem! Feels so good to be at the home stretch of this project.
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the ol' warm up the monitor routine... YAY, glad it's working man! home stretch! home stretch!
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Last night got back to my father's place to try and sort out why power was not going to the smart strip; when I installed the IEC320 breakout box, it came with a spot to put a 250V fuse. Said fuse blew, so I replaced it, and the smart strip lit up again. However, as soon as I went to go power the cab up again, the fuse blew AGAIN. It was at that point that my critical thinking skills came into play and I surmised that the smart strip would not have needed a fuse between it and the wall power if I hadn't wired it to the IEC320 breakout box, so why am I trying to wedge one in there? So I fashioned together a solution: took two identical short lengths of 16AWG stranded wire, stripped the ends and twisted it all together to make a fuse-sized bar. Tinted the ends with some solder and wedged it in where the fuse went. Fired it up... and SUCCESS!
:burgerking:
Have to pick up another spool of hookup wire to get the light behind the coin return button to light up. That's next week's work.
Oh yeah, here are some more pics:
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/8f501aea05dcaa7f53079ad7a921ad84/tumblr_mjal9nTVWi1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/cebf4302cb2ad3d83e1e533f42f997aa/tumblr_mjal9nTVWi1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/e972825dc6306e5351c7bdd835015759/tumblr_mjal9nTVWi1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/e0390aa5afdeb4ac9efb052ae795c1da/tumblr_mjal9nTVWi1qd1mkvo4_1280.jpg)
Uh oh... games on a screen... fingers crossed i will have the fortitude to be able to finish the project.
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Dude. No. Like any other arcade project, it will never be finished.
AJ
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Dude. No. Like any other arcade project, it will never be finished.
AJ
:banghead: I know. This is the worst-case scenario. This project could have recovered from wet MDF, a slipped router, dropping the monitor glass, or even an electrical fire to some degree of restoration, but the screen coming on? There is no saving it from itself. I played about an hour straight of Super Crate Box. God help us all.
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Dude. No. Like any other arcade project, it will never be finished.
AJ
I always have this in my mind "at what point would I consider my build, done".. seems the answer is never, unless you start a new project to keep your own paws off of it! :)
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I thought it was when I started building the next one. I was wrong.
AJ
Dude. No. Like any other arcade project, it will never be finished.
AJ
I always have this in my mind "at what point would I consider my build, done".. seems the answer is never, unless you start a new project to keep your own paws off of it! :)
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Videos, anyone?
Video 1 is of me and my father playing our first game of SFII together on the (as-yet-unfinished) cab:
first play on smash pad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B4RPmP4I78#ws)
And video 2 is just the machine booting up, me going through MALA and selecting a game:
smash pad power on and demo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNj2wxyLXJk#)
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Great project, man. I'm on the edge of dropping in on my own first build.
Quick questions:
* I don't see any fasteners holding down the plexiglass, is it just the buttons holding it in place? How solid does it feel?
* I hadn't thought to offset the T-molding slot to account for the 1/8" THK plexiglass CP topper, is that piece of MDF thinner than the rest by 1/8"? Is the T-molding a different size?
* Are you still happy with 1x Admin button? I was leaning towards 4x (Pause, Exit, Quicksave, Quickload).
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Great project, man. I'm on the edge of dropping in on my own first build.
Quick questions:
* I don't see any fasteners holding down the plexiglass, is it just the buttons holding it in place? How solid does it feel?
* I hadn't thought to offset the T-molding slot to account for the 1/8" THK plexiglass CP topper, is that piece of MDF thinner than the rest by 1/8"? Is the T-molding a different size?
It's just the buttons holding it in place. The t-molding is 3/4", offset 1/8" from center on the 5/8" underboard, then covered by the 1/8" plexi to make a total of 3/4".
It feels fine, no sense of shifting or lifting at all.
* Are you still happy with 1x Admin button? I was leaning towards 4x (Pause, Exit, Quicksave, Quickload).
Yeah, it's easy enough for me to use because I know the button shifting commands, and it keeps things clean which was the goal. It also gives me the added benefit of running the cab in such a way that when others use it, they get as close to an authentic arcade experience as could be offered. I was most concerned with people just spamming the coin button to coin-up and clear games, which ruins the challenge of it for games like TMNT, Simpsons, etc. etc.
I could have easily dropped four admin buttons in there, but I don't think I would have been as happy with it. It all comes down to personal preference. When it comes to quick-saving and quick-loading, basically what I did when I started out is I made a list of things I could do with the completed unit, and then another list of things that I wanted to do with the unit, drawing from the first list. Emulator-based functions like quick-saving and quick-loading, pausing (in MAME), etc. were left off the list because it didn't seem like an enhancement to the fun-factor of it to be able to do those things.
Pics from instagram last week:
Real Bout Fatal Fury 2:
(http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/34cb224e94e411e292eb22000a1fbd89_7.jpg)
King Of The Dragons:
(http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/71a4917894e411e2b62322000a9f12da_7.jpg)
Goindol:
(http://distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com/a7adbfb094e411e2a74f22000aa801de_7.jpg)
Over Top:
(http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/032768e694e511e2b65722000a1fb376_7.jpg)
Ms. Pac-Man:
(http://distilleryimage9.s3.amazonaws.com/358fc2a694e511e2a2fe22000a1f8ce3_7.jpg)
Penguin-Kun Wars:
(http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/6e19086294e511e28b9422000a1fbe38_7.jpg)
Gunforce 2:
(http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/ca2ac54694e511e2bcc022000a1fcf26_7.jpg)
Metal Black:
(http://distilleryimage1.s3.amazonaws.com/661f783894e711e2a9ce22000a9e02ef_7.jpg)
NBA Jam: Tournament Edition:
(http://distilleryimage8.s3.amazonaws.com/fb1b5faa94e811e28ce622000a9f13a7_7.jpg)
The Main Event:
(http://distilleryimage11.s3.amazonaws.com/5303f84e94e911e2a23c22000a1f9d66_7.jpg)
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Some Non-Arcade games as well...
Cave Story (PC):
(http://distilleryimage1.s3.amazonaws.com/719d76d894ec11e29bb822000a1f9abd_7.jpg)
Jamestown (PC):
(http://distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com/b1c9123094ec11e2a57122000a1fbe0e_7.jpg)
Mutant Mudds (PC):
(http://distilleryimage5.s3.amazonaws.com/f70c62f294ec11e2bf8b22000a1fb004_7.jpg)
Street Fighter X Megaman (PC):
(http://distilleryimage10.s3.amazonaws.com/6574bae694ed11e2b38022000a9e070a_7.jpg)
Maximum Carnage (SNES):
(http://distilleryimage4.s3.amazonaws.com/81ef506a94f111e29dc922000a1fbb59_7.jpg)
Starfox (SNES):
(http://distilleryimage1.s3.amazonaws.com/d315618c94f111e2ab5722000a1f9684_7.jpg)
Kirby's Avalanche (SNES):
(http://distilleryimage7.s3.amazonaws.com/fef1241c94f111e2be6b22000aa80214_7.jpg)
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Can I just say i'm so excited to be at this stage in the project? I remember first discovering this forum back in 2009 and just pouring over threads like Martijn's SFII upright, just wishing I had a machine like that to call my own and share build pics with the community.
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I have to say I love how fresh that CP looks mate. Really nice.
Also I've read the entire 5 pages, its great to read about how things have gone well and then gone wrong and how you have overcome it. Love the Cab mate some really nice work. And that CP is one of the freshest I've seen for a while. :applaud:
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I have to say I love how fresh that CP looks mate. Really nice.
Also I've read the entire 5 pages, its great to read about how things have gone well and then gone wrong and how you have overcome it. Love the Cab mate some really nice work. And that CP is one of the freshest I've seen for a while. :applaud:
Thanks! I'm not the best when it comes to graphic design but I can bang out something simple that works. I'm very happy with how it turned out :)
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Looking real good sir!! :cheers:
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Trying to decide at this point how I want to do my bezel.
Option 1: A black bezel made out of poster paper like the one that Tailgunner posted:
(http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=17175.0;attach=3204;image)
Option 2: a flat black bezel that will be attached to the underside of the glass that just masks the surrounding area around my screen
Option 3: same as option 2, but with the blue beams generating from the center, like the marquee and CP. My fear in doing this option is that it will draw too much away from the game. Also, not sure how Options 2 and 3 will look with how deep into the cab my monitor is as well as the width of it in conjunction with the cab.
Going to have to try option 2 later this week methinks (the cheapest option) and see if i'm happy with it/go from there.
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Hey Seith,
Another Canadian here (Montréal). I'm wondering where thought your Formica sheets.
Thx
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I got my Formica from a local countertop supplier in town - Sims Custom Countertops. They were great to work with, gave me a decent price on the amount I needed. Also was able to answer any questions I had about working with Formica, as it was my first time - I would definitely recommend shopping local, you can't beat the service and price.
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My local Rona sells 4X8 Formica sheets at 35$+tax. How much did you pay?
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My local Rona sells 4X8 Formica sheets at 35$+tax. How much did you pay?
I went to my local Rona, and they wanted $100/sheet and it wasn't formica brand it was Wilsonart. I am in Ontario.
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My local Rona sells 4X8 Formica sheets at 35$+tax. How much did you pay?
I went to my local Rona, and they wanted $100/sheet and it wasn't formica brand it was Wilsonart. I am in Ontario.
If you can get the Formica at that price, i'd go for it. I shopped around everywhere and ended up paying roughly $200 for two sheets of 4x8 and one sheet of 5x12.
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:badmood:
So we got another 2-3 inches of snow this morning... in the meantime, I did a little more work to the cab.
Turns out, when I ordered my marquee, I specified the vertical dimension to be 7 1/2" in the order, and sent the file. Turns out I needed 7 1/4". Lesson learned: always make sure to double- and triple-measure your stuff before placing an order.
More is better than less, however, so I took my marquee to a local print shop and had them cut it to size. Will be reinstalling the marquee this weekend, pics to follow.
I also painted another piece of the plastic running that I modified for my marquee holder to act as a stop-gap between the control panel and the cross-piece under the monitor. It serves as a dual-purpose too, as it has a little groove in it that will hold quarters nicely ;D
will followup with pics of that this weekend as well.
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My local Rona sells 4X8 Formica sheets at 35$+tax. How much did you pay?
I went to my local Rona, and they wanted $100/sheet and it wasn't formica brand it was Wilsonart. I am in Ontario.
If you can get the Formica at that price, i'd go for it. I shopped around everywhere and ended up paying roughly $200 for two sheets of 4x8 and one sheet of 5x12.
Formica 4X8 1/16 bought today to my Rona = 35$+tax
When I read how much you paid I didn't wait!!
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Took care of the little space between where the head of the control panel and the lower cross-bar meet (pic from earlier on in the build):
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8epyzKVi51qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
Glued and secured an additional piece of mirror-runner spraypainted matte black to the head of the control panel this weekend:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/8abbea27a92d0af04e885d8564076e5c/tumblr_mlav8j48YH1qd1mkvo3_1280.jpg)
This is acting as a stop-gap between the two, as well as an added bonus: a quarter-catcher/holder. Nice.
Shots of the CP opened, and then closed:
(http://25.media.tumblr.com/a08be71b1267247c6a5393d7e91c81c9/tumblr_mlav8j48YH1qd1mkvo1_1280.jpg)
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/d9a0317682d61ca97c7dd06788199c0a/tumblr_mlav8j48YH1qd1mkvo2_1280.jpg)
I couldn't be happier with how conveniently this piece fit in where I put it. This wasn't planned at all; it was just a bit of great fortune that a) my dad had so much of this stuff lying around (it was also used for the marquee holder earlier on in the build), and that b) it was the right angles to fit where I put it without need for modification. Now, if only I could have that kind of luck in Street Fighter II (which I am quickly learning I need to practice at) :cheers:
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Got my marquee sized wrong when I put the order in at gameongrafix so I had it taken to a local printing shop to be cut - now when she is put in the marquee holder she tends to sag back some under her own weight. I have some spare plexiglas that I am going to have cut when we have better weather - i tested to see if it would fit in the holder and it will, should provide proper backing to the marquee to keep her straight and steady.
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Formica 4X8 1/16 bought today to my Rona = 35$+tax
When I read how much you paid I didn't wait!!
That's a good price! Rona in my town didn't have Formica. I should have looked online.
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Went by to work on the arcade machine some more yesterday, a couple things:
1. Picked up a spraycan of silicone-based lubricant to fix a squeak and resistance on the P1 joystick, and did P2 while I was at it. Is the spraycan the way to go, or is there a "tube" of silicon lube I need to get?
2. Noticing problems with the television I installed in my cab. It's a 27" TV, quite old, and after playing for a while, the picture will start to darken, then go completely black over the course of roughly 2 seconds or so. Sometimes it will stay like that for 7-10 seconds, then come back on with the picture from the tower and the words "S-VIDEO" in the top right, as if it was just turned on. Last night, it got even worse however; the picture faded out, and then all the television would do is click on for 2 seconds, click off for 1, ad infinitum, until I switch it off with the television controls and wait for a while with the television plugged into an "always-on" port on the smart switch. Is this one of those scenarios where a cap kit would fix this, or is it further gone than is worth putting time and effort in on?
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1. Picked up a spraycan of silicone-based lubricant to fix a squeak and resistance on the P1 joystick, and did P2 while I was at it. Is the spraycan the way to go, or is there a "tube" of silicon lube I need to get?
Here are a couple of joystick lube options from/based on other threads.
Lubricating pivots
Several manufacturers recommended Molykote44.
Super Lube (http://www.harborfreight.com/85-gram-super-lube-grease-cartridge-93744.html) is the generic version that RandyT (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=119002.msg1260414#msg1260414) recommends and uses.
Apply with a small brush to ensure a thin, even coat.
(http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_8176.jpg)
and
Lubricating springs
Silicone spray (http://www.harborfreight.com/silicone-spray-94529.html) can help if the spring is creaking according to RandyT here (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=83615.msg873591#msg873591).
(http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_8245.jpg)
Scott
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Thanks Scott! So for the pivot/shaft, if I used the spray silicone lube, will I experience issues down the road? Also, is it something I can clean off and apply the paste to down the road without any trouble?
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Thanks Scott! So for the pivot/shaft, if I used the spray silicone lube, will I experience issues down the road? Also, is it something I can clean off and apply the paste to down the road without any trouble?
Depending on the solvents used in the specific brand silicone spray you used, it shouldn't cause any problems on the pivot, other than it's runny and won't last as long.
If you're not certain, check the spray can to verify that it's safe to use on metal, plastic, etc.
When you do get around to re-lubing the stick, just wipe off the pivot and apply a thin coat of the tube-style lube (Molykote44 or Super Lube) with a small brush and it should be good for quite a while.
Scott
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Just called my local TV repair center, they quoted me 35$ to look at it, and an estimated 60-150$ to repair the issue :(
That's an awful lot to spend on a TV that was free... would I be better off just looking for another 27" CRT television to replace this one with? Or would it be worth my while to look into a DIY fix? Anybody know whether or not a cap kit would solve the issue i'm having? It works fine for a while, then after a few days of it being on with no picture on it, once I fire up the cab and game for about 1/2 hour, the picture starts fading, then blinks off, and the power light goes "on-off-on-off-on-off" indefinitely until I press the power button and let it sit and "store up more charge".
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bump for suggestions, direction, input on the above monitor issue?
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2 years ago I found a TV reparator in kijiji. I paid 50$ for a Sony TV reparation. All the soldering on the motherboard was done. So, my advice is to find someone with kijiji.
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Hoping to find a new television for the project this week, wish me luck.
In other news, this past weekend I was hoping to have the cab moved to my house from my dad's. A small setback may be pushing that date back. Make that a series of small miracles.
The old truck in front of my father's garage was recently the scene of a local tabbycat's birthing four little ones. We are monitoring the kittens without getting too involved, as we don't want the mother to abandon her young. Already one of them didn't make it :'(
So, needless to say, we won't be scrapping the truck until the kittens can move on on their own. Updates to follow in the next few weeks.
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While i'm waiting for the kittens to grow up enough that they can stand up to the world on their own, I figured I would pass the time by getting my barstools ready. Here they are as they were given to me.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/940813_10201080058391885_36923693_n.jpg)
Loosened the staples on the bottom with a flathead:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/923394_10201080058231881_1134832585_n.jpg)
Then pulled them out with some pliers:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/255789_10201080058351884_1140058785_n.jpg
The top cover and foam removed:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/315460_10201080058911898_590090202_n.jpg)
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More pics:
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381495_10201080059031901_637878609_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/3540_10201080059111903_1210093638_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/935492_10201080059391910_311068134_n.jpg)
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/947159_10201080059591915_362119279_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/168895_10201080059671917_83043543_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/941660_10201080059751919_2130829627_n.jpg)
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(https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/48056_10201080059951924_1226919188_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/942290_10201080060151929_836512608_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/942565_10201080060271932_1757242386_n.jpg)
My "button" stools are done! So happy with how they turned out!
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Well, good news!
The proud momma cat moved on with her little ones and this week we are slated to tow the truckbody out of the front driveway to be able to open up the garage. If all goes well we may be able to have the cab moved as early as next week.
:applaud: ;D ;D ;D ;D
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I like what you did to the stools O0
Sent from my Atari 2600
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Thanks! Hopefully the next batch of pics will be of the unit completed and in the spot it's going to be staying.