Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: ArcadeKO on April 22, 2010, 10:25:07 pm

Title: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: ArcadeKO on April 22, 2010, 10:25:07 pm
So DIY control panel or buy one from Mameroom or some other manufacturer?
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Ginsu Victim on April 22, 2010, 10:45:53 pm
The first answer will be the winner.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: BadMouth on April 22, 2010, 10:46:30 pm
Bought an X-Arcade...training wheels.  It's a nice point of reference to start from while I learn what I do and do not want in a cp.
I plan to build one someday, but the ideas in my head just keep swirling and I keep picking up other projects.

All I want is a simple, uncluttered, intuitive control panel that can control every game ever made perfectly.  :-\



Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Herk on April 23, 2010, 09:06:44 am
Poll Questioneer,

     You have to add one more.  "Bought a pre-made and then customized it."  I think this scenario may make a run for 1st if people are honest.

Herk
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Hoopz on April 23, 2010, 09:18:17 am
Poll Questioneer,

     You have to add one more.  "Bought a pre-made and then customized it."  I think this scenario may make a run for 1st if people are honest.

Herk
Another option could be that you bought a cabinet and converted it to either Mame or a different game.  Where does that user put his/her answer? 
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: javeryh on April 23, 2010, 09:22:29 am
I built all of mine from scratch - including my Donkey Kong cabinet which was a total refabrication.  In fact, I'm planning to build a CP this weekend too!   :cheers:
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: RandomCitizenX on April 23, 2010, 09:32:56 am
I'm about to start on my first CP this upcoming week. Just waiting on my order to ship from Arcadeemulator.net
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Ginsu Victim on April 23, 2010, 09:35:42 am
Another option could be that you bought a cabinet and converted it to either Mame or a different game.  Where does that user put his/her answer? 

I chose "I built my own" because I made a new one that I attached to a Track and Field cabinet.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Hoopz on April 23, 2010, 09:47:41 am
Another option could be that you bought a cabinet and converted it to either Mame or a different game.  Where does that user put his/her answer? 

I chose "I built my own" because I made a new one that I attached to a Track and Field cabinet.
I think that's an easier situation than someone who gets a CP and converts it to hold different controls than what was on it originally.  Is it bought? Yep.  Is it made/customized?  Yep.  Where should that answer go?

I'm probably arguing semantics though.   :dunno
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: DashRendar on April 23, 2010, 09:56:19 am
I bought a North Coast Customs control panel kit, but I installed all my own controls and did my own wiring.

Not sure if you're asking about the control panel BOX, or the complete (wired, etc) control panel.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Chunce DeLeone on April 23, 2010, 10:05:39 am
Built my own,  and now trying to modify existing arcade cabs to fit with universal modular CP's,  more and more cp's, i have like 10 so far and more coming,  the idea is you can take any cp and play is on a 19 inch vert, or a 19inch horiz, or a 25 inch horizontal cab
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: tjterrill on April 23, 2010, 12:37:44 pm
Im in the planning stages of mine, laying it out in Photoshop.

Then I need to figure out how im gonna make this CP box, with ZERO woodworking skills. I would buy a prefab'd CP, but they are just way too expensive, or predetermined layout is just too much for me.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Benevolance on April 23, 2010, 12:50:41 pm
I built my own. I spent days looking through the sexy, sexy control panel thread for ideas. I think the control panel was my favorite part of the cabinet to design and build. It was also the most intimidating as a newb when I was planning my cabinet. In retrospect, it wasn't really hard at all; it just required learning some new skills.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: DJ_Izumi on April 23, 2010, 01:00:48 pm
I think the real issue is that this isn't the place where you'd want to market pre-made CPs since that's not what this place is about.  Not that you couldn't market them elsewhere.  This is like going to Home Depot to advertise your contractor services, when really most there either are a contractor or a do-it-yourselfer.

You wanna market to the people with money to blow on nostalgia but no skills to satisfy that nostalgia themselves.
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: Malenko on April 23, 2010, 01:17:04 pm
I used the existing KI2 CP on the current mame cab, built my own on Mortal Kabinet so I didnt answer the poll
Title: Re: Did you build or buy your control panel?
Post by: ArcadeKO on April 23, 2010, 03:31:45 pm
I think the real issue is that this isn't the place where you'd want to market pre-made CPs since that's not what this place is about.  Not that you couldn't market them elsewhere.  This is like going to Home Depot to advertise your contractor services, when really most there either are a contractor or a do-it-yourselfer.

You wanna market to the people with money to blow on nostalgia but no skills to satisfy that nostalgia themselves.

Definitley - I don't even know how deep I want to get into this - as it is its just a hobby that is super expensive. Now if I could make a little money off it also I could justify spending 20 or 30 hours a week in the workshop building arcade stuff - as it is I don't have the luxury of time and money to do it - it would be cool if I could but if I am spending most of my time trying to make sales, etc. then it just becomes work - at which I could apply my time elsewhere and make much more money (doing something I have worked in for 15 years already) -

anyway...