Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: striyka on October 07, 2013, 11:31:35 am
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Gday guys
Well after 2 years on the go I have just about completed my first scratch built cab.
Ive played with MAME for many years and after hoarding old TV's and computers I decided to take the plunge and do it.
I bought "DIY Arcade by C. Conway" (thanks for the inspiration mate :applaud: ) and Saints book and with the 3 trillion websites I sorted through I finally picked and designed the cab.
I dont really know what you would call it but I found some plans named "Knievelklone" and with some modifications that is where I started.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/854/ydi5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/ydi5.jpg/)
First night in the shed and I finished with this.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/560/ccjb.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/ccjb.jpg/)
Test fitted the TV and modified its mountings to fit in perfect.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/62/g0g7.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/g0g7.jpg/)
Ordered the hardware for the CP from In2Amusements (http://www.In2amusements.com.au) (here in West Aussie) Ipac, buttons, 3"trackball, Sanwa Joysticks and found some T-moulding from ArcadeWorx (http://www.arcadeworx.com.au)
I then realized that the T-Moulding was to suit 19mm and I was using 16mm MDF :tool:
If your wondering about the paint job on the CP, I did a test flight of my $40 - 300W electric spray gun that I purchased from Bunnings (http://www.bunnings.com.au) (large Australian hardware chain) and I had the paint feed way to high. That is why i tested it on the back of the CP. I simply sanded it back and ended up with that finish. I wasn't going to muck around fixing it and it actually doesn't look that bad.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/560/u21i.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/u21i.jpg/)
I bought a slot cutter for my router and some 16mm (5/8') T-Moulding from T-Moulding.Com (http://www.t-moulding.com) in the US ($63 landed in Australia - Slot cutter alone in Australia was over $60 ) and added the front and back doors.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/200/zoh.JPG) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/200/zoh.JPG/)
I wired up the CP using cat6 and quick connects. Joysticks and trackball were mounted and held in place by metal strips and 12mm wood screws. I definitely did not want bolt heads on top of the CP.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/19/w0rd.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/w0rd.jpg/)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/24/1swr.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/24/1swr.jpg/)
Finished product. ;D
I was very happy with the final outcome. I found the artwork on google after seeing it on a CP somewhere in the millions I looked at. I had a mate print it on a sticker and it came out awesome.
I have since covered it with a piece of Perspex.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/820/m3kn.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/820/m3kn.jpg/)
I couldn't help myself and had a few nights test running the CP.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/801/c3xn.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/c3xn.jpg/)
Last few coats on the bezel and drawer. That spray gun was the best thing I have ever bought.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/547/cruo.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/547/cruo.jpg/)
I did 3 coats of primer and sanded between each coat. I mainly used 150-240 grit and it gave a brilliant smooth finish. I used "builders bog" to hide all screw holes and any major gouges.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/707/n2dk.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/n2dk.jpg/)
The kick panel was made from mdf as well and simply hides the castors on the bottom. I used a spray can called "Hammered Silver" that gave it a metallic hammered finish. Bloody awesome stuff.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/29/8zk2.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/29/8zk2.jpg/)
Added all the electronics, all computer junk I had laying around. Pentium G850 with 2 GB ram.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/689/6ytr.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/6ytr.jpg/)
I bought the coin mech and PC to TV Converter off of E-bay.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/593/vggl.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/593/vggl.jpg/)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/405/sgu1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/405/sgu1.jpg/)
I used Black high gloss enamel. I did 2 coats with a light sand in between and wasn't quite satisfied with a few imperfections so I sanded again and applied a 3rd coat and it came out perfect.
Added the CP, T-moulding and my Pac-Man artwork that my son and I modified in Adobe CS6. (added Pokey and Wakka Wakka)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/600/x3jw.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/600/x3jw.jpg/)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/855/svlt.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/svlt.jpg/)
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/801/tsz1.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/801/tsz1.jpg/)
A few pics showing a $20 fluro, the keyboard and mouse drawer and running Hyperspin with around 10 game systems all with 480p vids from EmuMovies.
I'm not too good when it comes to compiling Mame but I did find a no-nag 0.146u5 set and got it to work so Im happy.
It has around 3000 games all up, maybe more. I haven't quite nutted out all the controls for some systems but will just keep tinkering along. Mame and Dragons Lair were top on my list so when I get bored of them Ill go down the list :)
Marquee is being printed as we speak and should have that in tomorrow night. I have a few cam locks on the way and need to bend a Perspex cover to shield the Yoke and TV board in the back but still allow access to the computer. I figured if it was see through, people wont go touching any of the nasty stuff inside.
Anyway folks that is my first attempt at a cab. I have started on sketches of the cocktail cab I want to build next (much to my wife's disgust).
Id love to tackle a restoration one day. Galaga or Space Invaders etc so im keeping a look out..
A huge thanks to all the members on this forum. I have spent countless nights reading through posts in search of answers to all my silly questions and managed to find all them. :cheers:
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Bloddy awesome! :notworthy: :notworthy:
Did you spray-paint the whole thing? - Please post a pic of your spray-gun!
How is the picture quality using this PC to TV converter thingy?, and what resolution have you set the PC to?
I see your picture, which looks great, but what's it like in real-life?
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Thanks Skjerk
I sprayed all the black enamel with the spray gun. I used roughly 50mls of thinners per 4litres of paint (as per manufacturers recommendations). The spray gun asks for a certain viscosity to work well and the tin of paint had instructions on it to obtain this.
I used a simple paint brush and roller to do all the undercoating.
(http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/703/bitb.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/703/bitb.jpg/)
The PC to TV converter is brilliant. I set the PC to 800x600. I do have an issue at the moment that when the TV first powers up I need to adjust the Horizontal and Vertical size slightly but a tech head mate of mine says he can fix this. Ill post when he finds the solution.
The picture I think your referring too is the Pac-Man pic ??? It looks great. The image i found was quite large in both pixels and res. When blown up to full size (700x700mm) it looks awesome.
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Great pics, thank you for sharing! It's amazing how much I've been learning but just following the various progress threads. I'm awaiting permission from the wife to get started...in time!
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Hi - Thanks!
Well, actually the picture I was referring to was the screenshot of the Hyperspin-screen.... Just to get an idea of the real-life quality of the converted TV-signal....
But the Pac-man artwork is also pretty baws :applaud:
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Picture quality is awesome in Hyperspin and all games.
A bit of a headache in Windows.
I have adjusted the TV's contrast, color, sharpness etc etc and the PC to TV Converter also has those adjustments and its like its out of focus.
I can still use windows fine but for example a wordpad or notepad doc was hard to read when I was testing the I-Pac.
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Looking good buddy!
Do you have any pics showing in more detail how you mounted the decased TV? It looks like you have a method with corner brackets that I have not seen before.
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Looking good buddy!
Do you have any pics showing in more detail how you mounted the decased TV? It looks like you have a method with corner brackets that I have not seen before.
Sorry Agarv, been away for a bit.
When I dismantled the TV it had the 4 brackets on it. They held the tube in a metal bracket inside the TV.
I simply measured the tube height and mounted 2 lenghts of 4x2 for the top and bottom mount. I have attached these to the cabinet sides using a few pieces of sturdy angle iron (3mm if i remember correctly).
I then used wood screws to attach the TV (2 on each bracket).
(http://imageshack.us/a/img854/3226/ydi5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/ydi5.jpg/)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img560/5007/ccjb.jpg) (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/560/ccjb.jpg/)
It was a bit of trial and error to get the right height for the tube but I did most of the cab planning specifically for this TV.