Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: ForZe on July 31, 2007, 04:13:04 pm
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Hello everyone,
I have been reading this forum for quiete some time now, and i tought it would be time to put up my cabinet project.
Ill try and update this topic during the build, anyway here's my story.
As most of the people here i grew up and loved playing arcade games, mostly whenever i was on vacation in spain or france.
Being my age i missed the whole pacman, galaga, centepide area. This is why i want to create a fighting cabinet.
Because i like playing fighting, beat'em up and the occasional sport game.
One day i was browsing a dutch forum (gathering.tweakers.net) that has a casemodding area, and there i found somebody converting a cabinet to a mame cabinet.
I decided there and then that i wanted on too, so the search for a cabinet started.
I ended up buying a complete Arcade Cabinet, as i myself would never get such a result when starting from sratch.
The cabinet i bougth included a good working monitor and marquee, it had been converted to a Neo Geo cab.
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-UJYFEKCR.jpg)
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-E7YWZCPK.jpg)
This is how it kinda looked when i picked it up, only with four buttons then tree. Never took pics of that.
A year past and over the time i started getting stuff, joysticks, buttons a j-pac and a arcadevga.
Played a couple of games and it was time to really get started.
The first thing that needs to be done is modifying the Control Panel so it would have 6 buttons as fighting games usually need.
The control panel is made out of steel with a plexiglass that has the art printed on it. So that renderd the plexiglass useless.
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-7JBVAPXS.jpg)
Took out the control panel
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-HKRVQPJB.jpg)
PLexiglass with art.
First i made a piece of carton to the CP size and did all the measurements.
Then i welded a piece sheet of steel to the bottom of the cp to full up the holes, as the old holes are useless.
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-F7SVYZXW.jpg)
Put some bondo to fill the old holes ,a fter that i drew out all the dimensions and started drilling.
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-AYULA4B7.jpg)
(http://www.mijnalbum.nl/Foto-48ENPCPM.jpg)
Drilling 14 holes into a almost half centimeter thick steel wasnt fun at all, and almost took the whole day. (stupid rain!)
Boy was i glad we had e descent drill and bit to make the holes with.
I dont have any pics of the CP with the holes in it.
It currently is at a guy who is going to weld the bolt into the holes i made. Those will be used to screw the joysticks on.
The advantage of that is i dont have any nuts on the top side of the CP wich gives it a nice and clean look.
The plan is to make my own artwork for the CPO and create a new plexiglass part with the curve.
CPo should be done this week so i can finish it off so it can be painted.
I still dont know what to do with the whole theme, i kinda like the time of the cabinet and i kinda dont.
Perhaps its just to boring for what a real arcade cabinet is to me.
TODO LIST:
- Finish CP
- Wire the CP
- Create CPO artwork
- Rereate the plexiglass part
- Modify the frontend
- Fix the glas bezel
So what do ya guys think of the project so far, and tips and tricks are appreciated.
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looks like a good project...keep us updated
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very cool. will keep checking on this one!
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Half a centimetre thick? That must have weighed a TON.
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Half a centimetre thick? That must have weighed a TON.
It will be the first bullet proof control panel. A new first for arcade cabs everywhere.
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lol, ya dont want to know what my friends could do to the cab ;)
Naa its about half a centimeter thick in places where you have the metal sheet thats added.
hmm.. ya made me wonder, ill have to weigh it now :P