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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: slbailey on February 19, 2014, 09:19:47 pm

Title: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: slbailey on February 19, 2014, 09:19:47 pm
I'm using sketchup to design my new project and it's going to be a custom cabaret cabinet in the pac man/ms pac man/galaga style.  To that end, I'm trying to find out if there's a place to get a custom cut metal control panel that's in the namco/midway style.  I want a simple player one, player two, 4 way joystick and single fire button configuration... The challenge is the width of the control panel is going to be unique.  Ideally I'd like to get a black powder coated metal panel that I can just apply an overlay graphic to.

Does such a service exist?

Steve
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: mgb on February 19, 2014, 11:42:43 pm
One possible solution may be going to a local metal shop with the measurements and seeing if they can fabricate it.
The Midway style metal control panel is a fairly simple design.
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: knave on February 20, 2014, 12:03:54 am
It's been a long time since I looked...but I remember their being a vendor selling pac-galaga CPs either drilled or undrilled...
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: eds1275 on February 20, 2014, 06:29:20 am
What is the advantage to using metal as opposed to just machining something out of wood for this?

In just about any town there is a metal fabricator, usually not cheap but not outrageous either. Just look up your local yellow pages once you have your plans down.
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: slbailey on February 20, 2014, 09:02:07 pm
What is the advantage to using metal as opposed to just machining something out of wood for this?

I could go wood but I'm trying to go authentic... Weight is the main reason... I'm trying to make it as light as possible.  If metal doesn't pan out then I will go wood.
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: Well Fed Games on February 20, 2014, 09:43:49 pm
https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl (https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl) has upright and cocktail blanks, but nothing cabaret sized.
Title: Re: Custom metal control panel (i.e. Midway/Namco style)
Post by: Malenko on February 20, 2014, 09:57:28 pm
What is the advantage to using metal as opposed to just machining something out of wood for this?

For me it'd be that the original 4ways were made for metal and if you put one of those on a wood CP, no enough shaft would stick out (thats what she said?)