Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: loraith on August 21, 2009, 10:15:27 pm

Title: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on August 21, 2009, 10:15:27 pm

Ok, here I go. I've been lurking around this site and others for months now. I finally acquired my wood for my first cabinet! I can see this will be a longer term build though due to not having a lot of extra money to throw at this build. But for a first day I did get the sides cut. I'm feeling abit hot, but mostly very excited^^
Anyways....to the PICS!!

MDF is sooo much better when it's free! 3/4" btw
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0081.jpg)
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0083.jpg)
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0088.jpg)
It really looks like the sides of a cab. WOOT!
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0089.jpg)

Inside my house and a bit more vertical.
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0098.jpg)

Side note, how can I round these corners (I know to clamp both cab. sides together) so they look even?
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0100.jpg)

Side note. I bought a cabinet (site unseen >.<) from my local arcade. This poor thing has been AT LEAST an track and field, sunset riders, and Atomic Punk. I think it was originally a Gauntlet. :dizzy:

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/DSCF0075.jpg)

Anyways enough for now. Cheers!  :cheers:

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: saleem on August 22, 2009, 08:25:09 am

how to round the corners?

have you got a router or can you borrow one?

clamp both sides together,mark how round you want it and use a flush trim bit.
:)

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on August 23, 2009, 01:50:33 am

Yeah I have burrowed a router, I was just a little gun-shy on trying it lol. Well time to give it  go!

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: Franco B on August 23, 2009, 04:29:08 am

I would practice on some scrap material before you let loose on your cab. You wouldn't want to mess up your hard work.

In regards to putting the radii on I find its best to make a template and then use a flush trim bit to follow the profile. For a radius you just need something round to follow. You could saw/file a radius on a bit of scrap material and then screw/stick that onto your sides corners and then use your flush trim bit.

For perfect circles/radii, especially larger ones I make templates on a lathe. Obviously you may not have access to one but another thing you can do is to use something like a tin can. They come in many different diameters and you should be able to find something to suit your needs. If you cut the top section of the can away leaving the base and about 1/2" of the side you should be able to screw this to your cab (or to a scrap piece to make a template) and then follow the cans side with the routers bearing.

Also keep in mind when routing you want to remove as much material before hand before using the router, especially on thicker material. 3mm (1/8") is more than enough.

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on August 24, 2009, 03:40:20 am

Wow I had not thought of the template idea. Thanks very much^^

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: battletoads on August 24, 2009, 06:55:03 am

That looks like either a Gauntlet or a Gauntlet II. I have a Gauntlet II. They're terrific cabs to switch the CP out! All you need is to cut a single piece of mdf, no need to make a box at all.

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on August 29, 2009, 10:56:08 pm

I was thinking of maybe restoring it back to a gauntlet, but the screen has a lot of burn in>< So I don't know, for now my kids love to play the bomberman....and besides I'm in the middle of my cab build lol.

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on September 27, 2009, 04:30:46 pm

Ok, sorry for not posting for quite some time, But I have loads of pics. I have been working hard on this project and I think its coming out pretty good so far^^
The same day I cut out the sides I manged to get the supports attached.

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0118.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0119.jpg)

It was a mad dash to get the thing assembled before nightfall
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0121.jpg)

CP time
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0123.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0124.jpg)

ok, now for some explanation and a warning.... First this is not the CP top I'm using. I made a grave error in measuring out where the controls were to be. I did this at around 3am......don't ever make measurements when tired AND then trust those measurements the next day without even double checking them before cutting >.> :banghead:
anyways.....
A week later, some hardware and a bit of wire later

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0125.jpg)

love these joysticks and buttons by the way. Sanwa JLF sticks and Sanwa buttons

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0128.jpg)

Here we go, working fine as long as I manually start an emulator or mame.

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0131.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0135.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0136.jpg)

Here is whats under the CP at the moment. I will tie up, and clean up the wiring mess when I get the rest of my buttons, joysticks, and T-molding. I really like how the blind nuts and plastic tubing made perfect stand-offs for my encoder^^

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0132.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0133.jpg)

(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/Arcade%20cab/arcade2/DSCF0134.jpg)

Anyways thats all for now, next up is finding a speaker system and start buttons........tons to go^^
Oh and by the way I LOVE Hyperspin.....and I HATE it as well.........So hard to get going. I'm playing hell trying to get it going lol. But luckily I have a couple of friends that are trying to help me out with it.
cheers!  :cheers:
Jimmy

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: thrydwolf on September 29, 2009, 04:34:47 am

Great Job Jimmy!
Lets get together next week and work out that Dreamcast emu for Hyperspin. I am pretty sure we can figure it out if we just keep working at it.

Thrydwolf

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on September 30, 2009, 04:24:40 am

Oh lord I hope so. This is beginning to become very frustrating lol.

Title: Re: My first cab^^
Post by: loraith on August 02, 2013, 12:10:43 am

Wow this was a long time coming. I had to put this on hold as my house and life had come down around my ears for a while. But I never really left this forum. I would come here about every other day for the past 2 years just to get my fix. Anyways I've been really busy for around 2 months now and I'm excited to say that my cab is about finished!!
On to the pics!!
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/100_3463.jpg)
and
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/100_3468.jpg)
more
(http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj22/loraith/100_3465.jpg)

more to come, as it's not done as ya can tell^^
I had to get the thing painted and T-molding on it before Friday (Tomorrow) as I am going to have it at a local convention so I can run it through its paces.
and yes.......I hate to have to bring it there without a Marquee....it's killing me, but it's for a good cause lol.  :D