Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Dervacumen on May 25, 2007, 12:30:36 pm
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I'm contemplating a bartop with sides shaped like Spongebob Squarepants. I'd like to make short legs with shoes to complete the look. These legs will lift the cabinet off the ground (or table, if you will). My plan is to use some 1 inch pipe for the legs and attach them to the bottom of the cabinet. I'll have to make some custom metal feet that attach to the pipes securely and then build up and shape the legs and shoes using various compounds like plaster, chicken wire and firberglass. The legs will probably be about 7-8 inches tall and the shoes will stick out about 4 inches or so.
I will end up with a total of 4 legs, two on each side. Think this will be strudy enough?
Or better ideas how to pull off this look?
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Depending on the footprint of your bartop base and the stilt height it may end up being wobbly. Slightly angling you legs outward a bit may help.
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lag bolt it to the floor
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Bolt the legs to a square base and paint the base black or something so it does not stick out. This will ensure the thing does not tip over. The legs will bolt to this wooden square base and it will give the illusion that the feet are holding up the control panel. The player could actually place their feet on this wooden base while playing which would give it even more stability. (see attached pic).
Without doing something like this, I would not feel comfortable watching someone jerk the joystick back and forth while playing a Mame game. I would be to worried that the whole control panel would tip over.
You do know that SpongeBob does not have 4 legs right? Perhaps build a control panel where SpongeBob and Squidward are standing together. Have two legs from SpongeBob and two legs from Squidward holding the control panel up. Or perhaps have SpongeBob holding a cane or something to give is three supports (2 legs and one cane). How good of an artist/sculptor are you?
Now, if I was going to make a "bartop" for SpongeBob, I would place the cabinet on the bar and have SpongeBob's legs/feet hang over the bar.
Ok, I will shut up now ...... :P
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Depending on the footprint of your bartop base and the stilt height it may end up being wobbly. Slightly angling you legs outward a bit may help.
I agree. Somehow I've got to find a way to tilt the legs slightly outward for stability.
That's where the custom "feet" come in to play.
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I like UncleT's suggestion of letting the feet dangle over the bar. Whatever you do, it sounds pretty interesting.
:cheers:
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The idea of "stilts" makes me nervous. It's definitely possible, but you're going to have to find a decent diameter metal pipe to make it rigid enough. If it's mainly for kids to play with I'd go more for stability than looks. I'm guessing the design of this would make it top-heavy. You definitely don't want even a mini-cabinet tipping over on your kids.
Idea 1: Do the 4-pipe thing. Paint the back two black and the front two yellow with socks.
Idea 2: use a more traditional pedestal-like base and just paint on the legs.
Idea 3: make a cabaret-style cab and just use Spongebob artwork. An alternative to this would be to build a scaled-down standard cabinet.
Here's some bases that Merit has used for the Megatouches (http://www.arcadeflyers.com/flyers_video/merit/75002605.jpg).
Here's also a pic I took at an auction of a simpler base. That's the first one I'd seen.:
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I like unclet's ides of having the legs hang over the table too, so I might look into this style. Easy to make with PVC and detachable as well.
I think I was unclear about the orientation of my proposal however. I drew a fantastic picture illustrating my idea. You see the spongebob shape is really the sideart. So from each side you sould see spongebob. From the front, the bexel, CP, marquee, etc. would be assorted songebob themed artwork.
The arrow points to the shoe you see from the spongebob figure as the right hand sideart.
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That IS an excellent picture. ;D
Because S-Bob's legs can't be at the front corners I think that you will be better off with the legs hanging down next to the table, any downward pressure on the CP and the cabinet would probably tip over easily. The idea of securing the legs to the cabinet and then to a base of some kind below the feet would also work as long as the legs were sturdy and well attached and the base came out as far as the front edge of the CP.
It sounds like a cute project, be sure to keep us posted.
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I wouldn't even make feet. in fact, I would make it look like those yellow t-shirts you see.
(http://www.choiceshirts.com/images/PL/-0/PL-00165A-lg.jpg)
MarkVP hacked his cabinet to play this:
(http://www.areyougame.com/images/items/KT58015.jpg)
Worth checking out.
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I reckon leapinlew is onto something here. No need to get hung up about legs? It would be more stable without legs, possibly built onto a slightly raised box/platform (for height/raising to eye level).
You could just make the sides a bit taller, and put in a shelf near the bottom to raise the monitor. If you really want legs, you could just cut arches into the bottom of the side panels, and paint as necessary to complete the look.
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What about Garry?
maybe have Garry underneath Spongebob, that way garry could be a rather stable base and spongebob's legs would be additional support or balance. maybe a jellyfishing net in one hand for more support.
if you put spongebobs face on the front where the screen is you could make a windows startup screen of his face that would be shown while the machine boots up, and maybe a screensaver with different facial expressions.
its a good thing my 4 yr old cant read yet or he would want me to build him one.