Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Heath on August 26, 2009, 03:24:22 pm

Title: Twistygrip??
Post by: Heath on August 26, 2009, 03:24:22 pm: Greetings! This is my first post here and I apologize for it not being a proper introduction. I'll work on that!

I am currently refurbishing an old trashed Tempest cabinet into a Mame machine. I'm thinking it would be easier to just build a cabinet from scratch, so that's what I'm going to do for my next one. One of the games I REALLY want to be able to play on the next cab is Star Wars. I remember reading about the Twistygrip years ago when I was starting to investigate this home built cabinet business. Now, Twistygrip seems to have disappeared. I really want to build one, even if just as an early prototype for a more attractive and accurate yoke. I think it would be a good learning exercise before I tackle something a bit more authentic in appearance. So, what is the status of the Twistygrip plans? Are they freely available now and hosted somewhere on the interwebs like I've been hoping and searching for all day? Are they gone for good? Are they still for sale somewhere?

Please forgive me if this line of questioning has been asked a dozen times before. I have spent a lot of time searching the board and the 'net in general today and haven't found any answers. Maybe my search skills are poor, but I did put in some effort before starting a new thread.
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Billy_Goatfeet on August 26, 2009, 03:41:52 pm: Welcome aboard Heath!!

Last I heard Ram Controls was taking pre-orders for Star Wars Yokes, check this thread...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=93931.0

I think the Twistgrip is dead...I could be wrong though...Hope that helps...
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: saint on August 26, 2009, 04:00:16 pm: TwistyGrip is dead. I may be able to get permission from the owner to host the plans. I will contact him and ask.
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Hoopz on August 26, 2009, 04:03:49 pm: Twisygrip sounds like a good Friday night in Chicago with some professional ladies!

Welcome Heath. Good luck with your project. Hopefully Saint can help you out with the plans. :applaud:
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Heath on August 26, 2009, 04:06:10 pm: Quote from: Billy_Goatfeet on August 26, 2009, 03:41:52 pm

Welcome aboard Heath!!

Last I heard Ram Controls was taking pre-orders for Star Wars Yokes, check this thread...

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=93931.0

I saw that in my searching today and it looks awesome. But, it's a couple hundred bucks more than I want to spend. And I find building stuff more fun than buying stuff (unless that stuff is tools!).

Quote from: saint on August 26, 2009, 04:00:16 pm
TwistyGrip is dead. I may be able to get permission from the owner to host the plans. I will contact him and ask.

That would be great if you could!
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Heath on August 29, 2009, 01:00:02 am: Quote from: saint on August 26, 2009, 04:00:16 pm
TwistyGrip is dead. I may be able to get permission from the owner to host the plans. I will contact him and ask.

Any luck with this yet? :bump
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Xiaou2 on August 29, 2009, 02:16:06 am: It is my opinion... that if you have the skill and tools needed to build a
Twisty Grip... then you have the skills needed to build a yoke that is much
better, for even less money.

The biggest problem with the TG design is that it has no gears. Because of that,
it does not calibrate properly in windows. And I believe you have to tweak a setting
in mame to get it to work decently. And even then... the amount of resolution
will be very low, and so you lose a lot of accuracy.

Other problems:

* Ugly
* Handles are not angled, which puts pressure and stresses the wrists when up/down.
* Buttons are horrible. Stiff/Slow. Sharp Edges. Not made for arcade speed and comfort.
* No spring return centering system (or very poor one... with a mod)
* High Friction. Takes more effort to control, because of the friction in the system.
* Labor intensive build. Lots of parts to cut and assemble.
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: codeena on August 30, 2009, 08:19:22 pm: Hey Heath,

I actually bought one of these awhile ago. I don't have plans, but could provide pics. PM me if this would help you.
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: saint on September 16, 2009, 06:05:47 pm: Quote from: Heath on August 29, 2009, 01:00:02 am
Quote from: saint on August 26, 2009, 04:00:16 pm
TwistyGrip is dead. I may be able to get permission from the owner to host the plans. I will contact him and ask.

Any luck with this yet? :bump

So, I'm feeble minded. Twisty Grip gave me permission to host the plans long long ago, and they've been sitting there in the downloads section all this time :)

http://arcadecontrols.com/files/Miscellaneous/Twisty-Grip_Spinner.pdf
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: dirkomatic on September 17, 2009, 01:40:50 pm: But that's for a spinner, not the yoke...
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: saint on September 17, 2009, 04:20:45 pm: OK, so I'm really feeble minded. :dizzy:

I've emailed him but haven't received a response. Will try again.
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: Swatwolf on September 18, 2009, 09:18:52 pm: The mind is a terrible thing to waste......wait what was I talking about I wasted mine playing video games..... :banghead:
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: saint on October 14, 2009, 05:35:52 pm: Thanks to the kind permission of the owner of Twisty Grip, I have received permission to host the PDF blueprints on the site. I'm uploading them to the files repository now (Build Your Own, Miscellaneous section)

--- saint
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: saint on October 14, 2009, 05:53:28 pm: http://files.arcadecontrols.com/details.php?image_id=3586 (http://files.arcadecontrols.com/details.php?image_id=3586)

(http://files.arcadecontrols.com/data/thumbnails/25/twistygrip_closed.gif)
Title: Re: Twistygrip??
Post by: ark_ader on October 14, 2009, 07:38:50 pm: Thank you Saint!