The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: bigpete405 on January 23, 2010, 06:12:05 pm
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Whats up everyone? Started this new project today... I'm building two of these since I'm working with a friend on this. Im not sure about :dizzy: the computer specs yet since my friend is doing computer aspects and the artwork design and printing. Any questions reguarding the cp, woodworking, or demensions I can answer.
This will have a removable control panel just like a original midway cabinet, it will use a 17" lcd monitor, 1 power switch to turn everything on and off. Im excited with the way its turning out so far. I plan on laminating the cabinet in smooth black instead of having to worry about painting and sanding... I did that enought times already. It is going to get t-molding as well red or black I have both left over so not sure yet. Ill post pics tomorrow hopefully all the panels will be installed.
On pictures #8 and #9 I wanted to show how I cut straight lines when I don't use the table saw... I'm sure some of you guys use similar techniques but I'm sure people newer to woodworking will find this to save them alot of problems when it comes to their panels having straight lines.I clamp the square exactly 15/16 of an inch to the left of the line I want to cut.. this allows the base of the circular saw to have a nice guide to slide along and the cuts come out perfect. I use the craftsman 19.2volt cordless cirular saw all the time it has plenty of power to cut through 3/4 Mdf without slowing down. I have a plug in circular saw, and a table saw.. but the 19.2 volt craftsman cordless cirular is the best thing because its light and very easy to control. Highly recommended :notworthy:. :cheers: :cheers: :notworthy:
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bartop arcade part 1.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zZAj3Tq-9Y#)
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Impressive, can't wait to see these suckers up and running. The guts will be a Pentium 4, 2.8 processor, 2 gigs of ram and so far I am working with a 20 gig hard drive but want to see if I can get bigger ones.
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That's tidy looking work.
I really like the video clip of what you are doing. People often use youtube clips on here to show off their finished cab or latest intro movie, but following the build on video adds an extra dimensions to the build.
Keep the clips coming.
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Thanks for the compliment Silas. I like the video clips as well because when your all done you can look back and watch them to see all the hard work turn into something amazing. Javier this is going to be a great project glad we are working together on this.
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Great job so far :cheers: I cracked up when I clicked on that pic of you with that MDF dust all over your face. I've always hated that stuff but I'm finding myself using it more and more lately. Thats got to be the worst part about it.
How much trouble did you have getting the t-molding slot centered on the sides? I got me a cheap router from Harbor Freight a while back and I'm finding I should've spent another $30 -$40 on a better model. It's a big pain in the arse making fine adjustments to get it centered on the piece.
What games are you guys planning on running on them?
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I'm :laugh2: also about the dust all over me I looked double my age.
As far as the router goes set your depth to 3/8" if your routing 3/4" mdf and go nice and easy. My router has a twist lock to make sure the depth doesn't change unexpectedly. Try it on scrap before you do it on your cabinet until its perfect. I made a video for you IG-88 I will upload it after with todays update. Gotta get back to building.
As far as games and emulators go I'm going to try and have as much as possible. Maximus will be the frontend.
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Some progress I made today.
router movie t-molding arcade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Kgd5k_nNU#)
for IG-88 hope it helps you out.
The cabinet and control panel arent attached so its a little crooked I know, but this control panel came out terrible :angry:... so its only purpose is to give us an idea of what it will look like at this point. :banghead: This took 5hours today and I only aggrevated myself with the control panel not coming out perfect.
By the way this is my going to be my 5th arcade related project but the first where I screwed the nailing strips down instead of using the brad nail gun and 1 1/4 brads which my uncle has at the time but I will have it back on tuesday :applaud: and let me tell you its a huge mistake and waste of time to screw instead of nailing with a small air gun. If you have a aircompressor and a brad nail gun use it. Its literally like 1,2,3. Instead of drilling a pilot hole, then a countersink hole, and then screwing the screw :blah: wow that takes a long time just writing it. Needless to say I still split a nailing strip today when I was tightening it.
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These are some of the accessories and components being used. I really like the lighted coin push button. I got the idea to get those coin buttons from mwong168's bartop build on this site. If you read this thanks for the good idea. :cheers: Work is super busy this week so I probably won't have anything good to update until Saturday night. BTW groovygamegear.com for the coin buttons.
????QUESTION????
That's the monitor I will be using in both cab's.. 17" dell LCD. Does anyone know if it is a difficult process to wire the LCD monitor to a main power switch so everything turns on together? I don't want to remove the bezel in order to turn it on and off each time. If you know of a link that explains this already feel free to post it or give your input to help out. Thanks in advance.
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you need something like a power terminal block.
i think you need a specific type,as you want to join a pc and a monitor to one power source.so you need to get one that has power distributed through the different terminal connections.ie,they all share the same gnd but,each thing you want to power has a live and a neutral which is live from the input power line that comes from the socket.just getting a power strip wont work as it might be one where you just put a wire in one side and screw it in and then another in the other side,so it wont get power.you need one that has power line in on one side then the power flows through the terminal giving you live connections.
if you understand what i mean?
what type of things can a switching power supply power?like what you get in a jamma cabinet.i got one here and if its anything like a pc power supply you can power a pc monitor from a pc power supply so why not a switching power supply to supply the pc and monitor?
:)
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I got the idea to get those coin buttons from mwong168's bartop build on this site. If you read this thanks for the good idea. :cheers:
I can't take all the credit, I think RandyT deserves a big round of :applaud: for providing us all great and innovative products that help us make our arcade dreams a reality.
Regarding your monitor, I have my monitor switch on all the time and when I shut the computer down the monitor goes into power saving mode so no need to remove the bezel to shut off. After I shut off my computer I open the back door of my cabinet and switch off the power bar I have mounted inside which turns off the monitor and marquee LED x-mas lights I got on sale after the holidays at my local store.
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Thanks for your advice on the monitor situtaion guys. If the monitor goes into power sleeping mode when I shut everything down ill be happy since thats the easier route. I have a power strip, and I will wire it a on off toggle or light swith on the back corner of the cab. Lets see how that goes. Maybe ill go with your idea saleem. not sure actually.
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Here is another alternative that my friend uses to save money when not watching his plasma. It's a smart strip power strip.
(http://www.smarthomeusa.com/Products/LCG5/images/largeLCG5.jpg)
http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/Bits-Ltd./Item/LCG5/ (http://www.smarthomeusa.com/ShopByManufacturer/Bits-Ltd./Item/LCG5/)
Basically you would hook up your main device, in my friend's case it was his plasma tv. Then when you power off the tv the power strip can somehow tell and all other devices such as VCR, cable box, etc get cut off from the power. Then when you turn the tv on the other devices power on. He was reading somewhere when your plasma is off it is really not and in standby mode drawing 75w still or something like that. He actually went out and bought a power consumption meter. I think just let your monitor go into sleep mode is the best, cheapest and easiest solution.
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Thanks for the help mwong168... I appreciate it very much :cheers:
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Some new pics with a speaker panel and cp mock up just testing out to see what it will look like. The speaker panel is not square I had a piece of would cut to the correct width and just stuck it to the nailing strips. If work is slow thursday I will hopefully be home working on this all day.
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OK today was a good day. I got my thin black laminate I went to two different cabinet shops... The first guy said $68.22 for a 4x8 sheet of thin black laminate... I thought to myself it seems a little expensive but it wasnt terrible yet. I explained to him that I needed it cut into four 2x4 sheets so I can fit it in my car he wanted to charge me another $20 to cut it which was :angry: ridiculous so now it was going to cost $88.22 needless to say he was an arogant :tool: jerkoff and didnt get my money. I went home and called another place in the yellow pages I got the 4x8 sheet cut the way I wanted for $50 and it was very close to my house. :lol
After I got home I started on the real control panel which took about four hours to complete but it was well worth it, it looks very legit. I based it upon the design of my real Mk1 and the mk3 mame I made. I havent seen any bartops with a removable mk type control panel so I was excited to possibly be the first to do it successfully.
The only thing thats not to my liking is the marquee area... Its a little small mainly because of the width of the mdf taking up space. If you have any suggestions feel free to give your advice. Thanks in advance.
The monitor in the pics is just balancing on its stand to get a feel. I will have it floating on a piece of Mdf with out the stand, and the buttons and joystick holes will be move downward about a 1/2 inch to and inch but will remain in the same arrangment.
bartop update #2.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaMa2beCmJI#)
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1 more pic
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Looking good. I agree, I would use 1/2 on that speaker board too. Marquee is a little narrow. Maybe even the top....?
Your shop looks just like mine. Stuff everywhere. All within hands reach! ;D
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Thanks IG-88. Ha ha between my fathers tools and mine its a complete usable disaster area. You couldn't have said it any better everything is within arms reach and I know where it all is :dizzy: sometimes lol. I'm going to try out the 1/2 inch for the top and speaker panel tomorrow. Ill post the pics then.
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Wow this project is turning out better than I ever imagined! VERY impressive! 1/2 on the top and speaker shelf should look much better.
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Last night I bought my computer for my cab. It's Pentium 4 3.0ghz, 3gigs of ram, and 750gig hard drive. I plan on putting as much on this as possible.
I already have Maximus arcade frontend but hyperspin has really caught my eye do you guys have anything to say about hyperspin... Pros and cons.
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Whats up everyone? Today I started putting the other bartop together. I used 1/2" mdf on the top and speaker panels instead of 3/4" to free up a little space for the marquee, and I think it helped out a bit.. what do you think? The control panel is giving me a little bit of problems because I was off with my cut by about 1/8" and it ruined everything.. so tomorrow I have to redo the cp on #2 again. Ill post more pics tomorrow, maybe ill have the monitor mounts done. This week :dunno hopefully I will be able to laminate the sides then they will start to look real good. almost 50% done. I gotta say building two at once is a pain in the ass. :dizzy: but I know it will be well worth it when they are complete. Stay tuned. :cheers:
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Whats up everyone? This weekend was a very productive one in the arcade building sense. Saturday I worked on them from about 1:30pm to 8:30pm not including the trips to 3 different home depots to find a propane heater for my garage.. it's way to cold out to work without one. Today sunday I worked from 9:30am to about 3:30pm so about 13hours total this weekend.
I successfully built the control panel for the #2 bartop... :dizzy: thank god. I wasted about 4hours on that :censored: cp. I built two, the first one was 1/8" to narrow and needless to say it didnt work. This morning after much needed rest I built a new one with less pieces that looks just as good. I also got to the monitor mounts so that is all complete.
Now I need to cut the 1/2" mdf for Javier's bartop top panel, and speaker panel so his marquee will have some more room. Hopefully by this weekend the laminte, painting, speakers, joys and button holes will be done. Almost time for the computers and artwork. Keep checking in on this im working really hard to make these really amazing bartops, and with the help of Javiers computer skills and artwork design I think we will accomplish that. :cheers:
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bartop update 3.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd2_hCfVH2w#)
almost forgot the video :banghead:
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This is the final control panel layout I will use.
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Just got the other monitor today and some ps/2 extension cables, I will get a usb hub tomorrow and we will have everything we need. Can't wait to see he cabs!
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I already have Maximus arcade frontend but hyperspin has really caught my eye do you guys have anything to say about hyperspin... Pros and cons.
I am a long time (1.5 year) user of Maximus Arcade and found the ease of setup to be very simple and got this up and running very quickly. I tried Hyperspin a few months ago and couldn't quite figure it out or give it the time it deserves to setup properly. I spent some time (at work hehehe) playing around with it and finally got it figured out a few weeks ago. At first glace Maximus looks great but when put side by side with Hyperspin I think most will prefer the look and feel of it or at least I do. But in terms of ease of setup I would give it to Maximus Arcade. Hyperspin does seem a bit more resource intensive and requires a bit more processing power to run. I know this because I couldn't get Hyperspin to even start up on my bartop ITX 1.6Ghz single core atom processor where as Maximus runs pretty good on it. Another con for me for Hyperspin is there are some themes not available for some roms I have :( Next thing I have to learn I guess is how to make my own themes otherwise my $10 donation was money well spent just like the $25 I spent on Maximus Arcade last year. You really don't need to donate for Hyperspin to download but you it will take you forever waiting 3 minutes between each theme download for each ROM.
If you need some help setting it up let me know ;)
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Yeah Mwong168 we are just going to stick with maximus since we both know it already, and it will be easy to setup. We downloaded all the preview movies from emumovies, and mysteriozone is going to have the computer boot right into mame with the intro video playing. I want to get the screensaver on maximus to play different game preview clips.
I actually brought a dumpster home from work today (I drive a roll off truck) so I just worked on cleaning my garage a bit no arcade progress to share :-\. Hopefully tomorrow ill get the laminate done. I appreciate you lending a hand mwong168.
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Today, I got to laminate the side panels, and control panels on each cabinet. Laminating was a blessing in disguise. The finish is superb compared to painting, and I couldn't be more happy... it definitely added a professional aspect to the build. I would highly recommend laminating over painting when possible. This was my first time laminating and it came out perfect it wasn't hard to do. Tomorrow, hopefully I will get lexan cut for the marquee's, cp overlays, bezel, and drill the holes for the buttons. :cheers:
Bartop Update #4.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YC39fYXfRso#)
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you got small areas to laminate,the area you did was like quarter of a cab,it might be an whole different ball game if you had to do a whole cab side.i am stuck in the middle of making descisions and was thinking about going for laminate but,3 sheets are £95 and thats cheap,unfortunately i live in united kingdom and we can expect to pay an hefty premium for laminate.we cant just pop out to home bargains and buy it.it is like rocking horse s**t here and only specialists stock it and they are hard enough to find.
:)
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I here you Saleem on it being hard to find no home depot or lowes sold plain black laminate on Long Island where I live, I had to go to custom cabinet makers to get it. One guy wanted to charge me $88 a sheet, I got lucky and found a cool guy to charge me $50 and he cut it to the size I wanted.
The only difference I see between laminating the bartops or a large cabinet like my Mortal Kombats would be the money factor since I would need 3 sheets at $50 a pop, and the adhesive I would need probably 2 maybe 3 cans and that's $12 a can, that right there is $124 more,I spent $64 on the bartops. But as far as it being more difficult I don't see any problems although I would need help from someone else to carry the sheet. When I applied full side art to my Mk3 Mame I did it with the cab standing up and didn't get any bubbles in it, and that stuff you is very thin and easy to catch bubbles with, the laminate on the other hand is almost impossible to get bubbles unless you tried to twist and move it once its down.
I hope you can find the laminate in the UK, it really gives the arcades a professional feel. If you can't get the laminate bring the arcade to a paint shop and have it professionally painted the finish will be just as good... thats if you have a way to transport the cab, but thats always an option if its cheap enough. :cheers:
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Quick update.Today I cut the half 1/2" mdf for Javier's top panel, and speaker panel, laminated top panel's instead of painting, cut 3/4x3/4 angle aluminum for marquee hold down, painted front of control panels, painted speaker panels, painted aluminum marquee hold downs, and primed front bottom panel of cabinets ready for black paint. Next up is to drill speaker holes, cut lexan for cp's and marquee's, then I can work inside my house on the clean part of the build wiring. :blah: lol I'm rambling because :dizzy: I'm shot.. Next update this weekend. Here are some pics from today :cheers:
Picture 55, and 59 are of the speaker panels, and marquee hold downs drying over the heater.. it works great.
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Whats going on in Byoac? What do you think about the name "Bartopia" for the bartop's I'm building. :cheers:
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How about BARcade 8) Mine will be nicknamed MKII Jr or Mini Mame.
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Quick update, drilled out holes in cp and plexi, and finished marquee groove, plexi, and hold down. I need different hardware, those screws were all I had.
I receive a broken computer today that I ordered on eBay :timebomb: :applaud:... so lets see if the seller does the right thing by me :dunno. Listen to how loud the cooling fan is in the video :laugh2: I never heard anything remotely close to that loud on a computer before.
bartop update 5.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48MSsCizz-w#)
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That fricken fan sounds like a shop vac! :laugh2: I thought it was going to take off flying or something. That was f-ing hilarious!
I am sorry your computer didn't work tho. Did it give any beeps or anything when it boots? If not you may be in trouble.
If you don't want to post it send me a PM on who sold that to you.....
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No beeps, noises, or lights just a super loud fan .
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If you have time bring it by this weekend and I will take a look at it. Maybe it's something that I can fix easily, just send me a text. It didn't snow at all over here.
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Returning the computer Monday, I'm not exactly sure what I'm getting next though.. Replacement from the same company, or tigerdirect.
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Almost ready to move the cabinets into the house for the cleaner part of the building process :applaud:,IE monitor mounting, wiring control panel, mounting computers, installing marquee light, installing a arcade button for master power on and off, and anything else that goes along with it.
These two cabs have taken me a really long time time prime, sand, and paint, and clear certain parts.. for a relatively small area compared to my full size cabs I built in the past its taken at lease triple the amount of time, hopefully it pays off in the quality of the paint job when they are finished. I had some set backs along way such as spraying to much clear on one of the control panels and having to go back and completely sand it down and use paint thinner to fix it :angry:. I decided not to paint the entire inside of the cab since all its doing is wasting paint and primer, that otherwise will never be seen once they are complete.
I installed the lighted coin button from groovygamegear.com. If you decide to install one of these use a 1'' drill bit, not your standard 1 1/8'' it will be to big.. I'm glad I tried on some scrap mdf before actually drilling into the cab, also to take the button assembly apart is a little tricky you have to twist the clearish assembly the goes into the actually button housing where the microswitch attaches too and carefully pull apart. BECAREFUL. here are some new pics from today, they don't look that much different because you cant pick up on the clear coating. :cheers:
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i will be doing the same as you with the insides of my cab.if you got a nice clean inside even though it might be smooth wood/mdf why paint it?its clean and at least you save some time for other little jobs.
so looks like you officialy named them.
;)
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Yeah Saleem I only painted the front panels, speaker panels, a little bit on the inside, and the back panels and it took so long.. why waste money on something your never going to see re guarding the inside of the cab.
I still haven't completely commited to a name or artwork for my cab yet, Javier plans on going full mortal kombat 2 which should look real badass. Ill have more pics up shortly, today was very productive. :cheers:
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Still waiting... ;)
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Whats up everyone? Today I can say very happily ;D that 95% of the painting is complete, and so is the three piece back panel which I based off of Pete Diak's mini multi game bartop, it looks very clean. I installed the red t-molding on Mysteriozones cab, and it looks badass. I have to figure out how I'm going to mount the bezels still, and start assembling the actual electronics. Happy to be inside the house working thank god. :cheers:
Pic 74 shows me using the lock keys to space out the perfect amount for the panels to fit together, and open and close without a problem. I didnt realize how short those locks were so in order to use them in 3/4" mdf that had to be countersink them which actually looks better.
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WOW :o That is freaking impressive work! Never did I ever think it was going to look this great. :notworthy:
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:cheers: Thanks Javier. I thought they would look good, but I think there going to be great. I got lots of great ideas from the people on this site. :applaud: :cheers:
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Bartop arcade update #6. Showing groovygamegear.com coin button, and overall progress of cabs so far. I live on Long Island and if you watch the news you know there is a blizzard going on.. so its snow removal first :badmood: unfortunately :hissy:. :cheers:
Bartop Update #6.wmv (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt_rKXOZfGM#)
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bigpete405:
Great job on the bartops so far! VERY impressive work! :applaud:
What plans are you using for your bartop design? If they are original plans, will you be posting them here? :dunno
(Getting ideas for future projects... ;))
- John
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Hey john, thanks for the compliment! :cheers:! Yes the plans are original, I used my mortal kombat arcade's for the basic shape I wanted. I'm bringing it to a CNc woodworking shop soon to get it cut out perfect. It's a good looking bartop, and it's unique. Give me time and I'll make nice blueprints for anyone who wants to build one. If you would want me to send you a bare cabinet after I go to the cnc shop let me know and will figure it out. :cheers:
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What's going on everyone? I got the coin button, and joystick mounted on Mysteriozones Cab it looks sick :applaud:. I was able to route the joystick area so the stick is recessed in the cp, and I must say it looks alot better... not the neatest routing job but it works, also I had to remove the cross support on the underside of the cp due to the joystick not having enough room...its still rock solid so no big deal. I fitted some buttons in the cp to get an idea of how it will look and feel, and I have to say its excellent. I hope you guys are liking these cabs so far. This cab in the pics is going to have a Mortal kombat 2 dedicated look, with all the artwork made to fit it will compliment this cab perfectly since the design idea is based off a midway cab. The button colors on the top aren't definite yet, and I still have not decided on art for my cab yet. :cheers:
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Hey Guys, I just decided to get some new stuff to step it up a notch, 20ft 3/4" light blue t-molding from t-molding.com..
2 NovaMatrix LED Marquee Light's, 7blue, 3white, and 2red NovaGem Lightable Horizontal Pushbutton's, and Inserts for four buttons, P1, EXIT, CREDIT, and PAUSE from grooveygamegear.com
Gamester's ARCADE GALAXY Cabinet inspired me to go ahead and light things up, and I feel as though the blue t-molding will look real nice. :cheers:
I need my Computer asap :timebomb:
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Lookin' great man! I love the coin button dead center. Good stuff.
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Thanks elfman12 :cheers:
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wired up cab 1 for mysteriozone... I still need to splice in the led coin button on the front panel. I cant even imagine how much of a rats nest mine will look like with the led wires for the novagems. :cheers:
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Whats up guys? Today I received my light blue t-molding from t-molding.com, and it looks fantasic. :applaud:. Also one of my youtube friends user name Spacegoogie made me some awesome artwork that goes with the overall blue theme of my cabinet. I'm waiting on my computer, and order from groovygamegear.com, and then I should move along pretty fast. :cheers:
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Damn that blue looks great, never seen a cab with blue molding :applaud: Are you getting a matching joystick?
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Thanks Javier :applaud:, I'm just going to use a black happ I have for now, but I have been looking at blue ball top sticks. I knew the blue would look great because when I taped the cabs off for painting I used blue painters tape and it allowed me to get an idea of what it would look like. :cheers:
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Hey everyone, I just wanted to show you some stuff I ordered from groovygamegear.com. Check out the pic. Everything except the older model I-pac. If you order novagem led pushbuttons THEY DON"T COME WITH MICROSWITCHES so remember to order them.. thank god I have some to spare. :cheers:
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i am actualy thinking about novagem led illuminated buttons for my project.
i aint hot on the ultralux as they are convex if i aint mistaken.i bought sanwa for my fixed betting odds terminal mame conversion and i dont like them at all.i am flogging the cabinet in parts now as i decided i would rather build my own mame cabinet rather than convert an existing one.its more interesting.
so yes looks like i will be oredering something similar,let me know what you think about them once you get them fitted.
:)
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They look pretty good Saleem. Don't forgot to order microswitches if you don't have extra, because they aren't included with the nova gems... Also if you don't have a marquee light yet you might want to get the nova matrix light as well. I'll post pics, and a video update soon, but I need to get a multimeter to test the powersupply wires voltage before I hook those buttons up. :cheers:
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Mysteriozone got all the emulators and roms ready to transfer over to my computer check it out. :cheers:
Check out is youtube page http://www.youtube.com/user/Mysteriozone (http://www.youtube.com/user/Mysteriozone)
Cloning my Arcade Cabinet for BigPete405 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttG9GIwOrMg#)
Thank you Javier. :cheers:
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Youtube user Spacegoogie's maximus arcade theme in action. I don't have all the emulators setup on maximus so this is just a few, but it has a hyperspin feel, and is light years better then the standard maximus theme :applaud:. Thanks J. :cheers:
Some Emulator Themes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIsmfNh1_qo#)
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Check out youtube user spacegoogie's page on youtube. If you like these themes send him a message and he will send you the files. They really look great and add a completely different feel to maximus arcade.
Mortal Kombat Maximus Arcade Theme Update #2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY1dLf9WeDY#)
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Whats up everyone? here are a couple of pics to hold you guys over for the time being... The joys/buttons are in the cp, and the plexi bez and marquee are in place. I didn't get the artwork printed yet and I'm still waiting to get a pc :banghead: you have no idea what Ive been going through concerning the computers :cry:. I purchased a computer off ebay and when I received it and it was broken, I sent it back and got a replacement from the same company.. needless to say it was broken as well, now I'm waiting for them to receive the computer from me so I can get a refund and purchase a working computer or build one. What route do you guys think I should take reguarding the pc???? :cheers:
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i would have said build one.your in usa aint you?well if you are prices should be better than here in uk.
if you can find one and if you buy it and its working that would be great but,if its faulty its just even more of a pain and you still got nothing.
:)
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Saleem, I live in New York and I'm about ready to :timebomb: lol. In a way I'm happy it got delayed it makes me have enthusiasm again. Your bartop looks badass by the way. :cheers: I think I'm going build one from scratch I have a microcenter about 10 miles from my house.
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ur mk minis are coming out very nice pete. im glad u didnt oversize the control panel like seen on lots of us cab builds. the documentation is very impressive and helpful. keep up the good work.
ps. i m not getting whats the prob with the computer ? a new all in one micro atx with onboard graphics and mainstream cpu wont get u ruined . dont know the situation with used comps in usa , but here in europe is so much second life comp stuff available that the prices are goin down 2 zero. yesterday i bought a full working eizo tft for 9 euro via ebay from a local compstore nearby. he has 2 pay ebay + 19 % tax , hand me over a printed bill and give 1 year warranty . all for the 9 euro . needless 2 say i double checked the screen surface for scratches 2 get some price reduction.
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Thanks apfelanni, the kind words are definitely appreciated :cheers:. I'm glad you like the control panel, I wanted to keep it proportional, and true to the Mortal Kombat/midway design, look, and feel. I'm having minor clearance problems with the 7Th button on my cp it will require a little modification.
Reguarding the computers... I went the refurbished route through a reputable seller on eBay and I had terrible luck receiving two different computers with broken mother boards. My full sized Mk Mame uses a refurb and it works fine, I guess when you are selling such a high volume of computers it's impossible to check each and everyone. I'm a novice at best when it's comes to computers so I feel like putting one together would be a good learning experience. I wish I got it for a price like you did. :applaud:
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if price is an issue ( maming a cab for friends ) i also try to use those dell optiplex p4 with an avga bootleg or soft 15 k . barbones cost about 3o euro here. the cheapest i got was a p4 2,4 for 19 euro pick up on a local store. harddiscs and memory added and its ready 2 roll. i never had something damaged like urs. guess the comp dealer does some testing 2 avoid feedback of pissed customers.
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Hey Apfelanni, the Dell optiplexs are what I was buying, and what I already use in my mk mame 2.8,p4... I got mysteriozones computer last night which is also a optiplex. they are definitely the way to go I'll get a working one soon enough. The main problem with the place I was getting them from is distance I'm in n.y. they are in az which is 1500+ miles away so it takes a week each way to ship. There should be a pretty nice update later today once mysteriozones comp is installed. :cheers:
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i bought a compaq evo,its a turncades pc,fully loaded to the brim with what they give all their customers,also i got a minipac ps2 with the harness and grounding harness for £64 delivered off ebay.thats a bargain!
i always wanted a more professional setup for the frontend,i was always happy with gameex but,i never learned to install the other emus and such.the turnmcades pc should speak for itself.
i will be whopping that into my bartop project.
weighs a bit though.
:)
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Hey saleem, can you send me a link so I can see what that pc looks like please. :cheers:
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http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=99885.0 (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=99885.0)
luckily i updated my project thread with a pic of the pc and the minipac and the wiring.its a pretty hefty pc for its size though.luckily it fits comfortably in the bottom of the bartop.but,my bartop is more like the top of an upright arcade cabinet ::)
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Whats up everyone? I gotta be fast with since I have work early tomorrow. I worked on this basically nonstop from 1:45pm to 10:30pm. I disassembled mysteriozone's PC and mounted it in his bartop, disassembled his speakers, and had to cut and rewire everything, drilled the holes in his speaker panel, wired the novamatrix marquee light from groovygamegear.com, but only 4 leds are working and they are very dim.. if anyone has an idea why this is so let me know???? I wired the led on the coin button from groovy game gear which looks bad ass. I tried to be as neat as possible with the wiring by bundling lots of the wires going in the same direction. Let me know what you think. Both cabinets still need art work and little finishing touches so there will be a bunch more updates. :cheers:
Bartop arcade update #7 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKfTpmWdDfg#)
BTW KEYBOARD WORKS IT WAS A STUPID MISTAKE :dunno
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Here are some more pics :dizzy:
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Wow that looks great! Can't wait to check it out in person tomorrow, thanks for everything! :cheers:
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No problem Javier.. your going to be impressed in person. :cheers:
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New pics, everything except power button on top wired and neat, power strip installed. I wired the novagem coin button 12volt, and novamatrix light 5volt, backwards :dizzy: by accident :dunno thats why only 4 leds were lighting up..they should have been the other way around. Yellow wire from power supply for 12voltmarquee light, and red for the 5volt pushbuttons. It works fine now. The white circles in pic 110 are showing the solder on the wires before I taped them. :cheers:
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What's going on forum ??? Today I installed the second cooling fan up top to blow the hot air out, I also wired the main power button to turn everything on and off with one push of the button. I drilled two holes just behind the control panel for volume up and down, and yes I know they are slightly off and I don't know how I let that slip by me :badmood:.. but it doesn't look bad:dunno, and finally I wired the groovy game gear coin button the the Ipac. WATCH THE VIDEO FOR FURTHER DETAILS. :cheers:
Bartop Update #8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMZwzylBaJw#)
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Great work yet again :applaud: Now hopefully you can get started on your cab soon and we can have booth of them running side by side. For disabling screen rotation try this:
* Control Panels > Display > Settings Tab.
* Click the Advanced button
* Click the Tab for the Video driver you use
* On that tab look for a button for More Options, or Graphic Properties, or
something like that.
* Once in the video software, look for a tab or option to edit the hotkeys.
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its that sound coming from your video cameras mic or does your cab sound worse than my 360? only jk.
i dont know much about front ends but,it would be nice if you had no windows sounds,you know that sound you get when you boot windows and turn it off?dadadaduuun!the turncades unit i got is proper proper quiet and there are no windows sounds,you get the mame load screen where the line moves from left to right then it boots straight into mame emu.i will have to take a crappy vid when i finalize the build,i got my cp to sort now,marquee light and that led has me thinking now,then fit the pc.
thanks for the video share.
;)
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no problem Saleem. There is a slight wine from the speakers I mounted the power box(not sure what it's called) to close the the computer board or the speakers.. on the speaker shelf its a simple fix. :dizzy: the novamatrix led marquee light is a good one for bartops you will be happy with it if you decide to go that route. :cheers:
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Thanks Javier I didn't see the post until now for some reason.. will do.
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Today, I got around to painting the bezel on the mini Mk cab for mysteriozone... Instead of taping and spraypainting, I decided to brush on paint instead, with execellent results none the less. Here is a couple of pics I will have more later when the paint is completely cured.
The way I painted was light coats using a blow dryer to dry off each coat in about 10seconds, and then repeating approx 10times until it was completely black. Mysteriozone's cab is basically complete minus the artwork which he is going to print up at a later date.
I am going to start on my personal cabinet with the blue t-molding hopefully within the next week. :cheers:
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more pics with bezel and cp overlay installed. :cheers:
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Very impressive, at this point I'd say it's what... 95% done? Would be cool to see yours done side by side, one playing MK 1 and the other MKII. Great work! :applaud:
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I want to see it with at least a good marquee, and cpo... Sideart can wait, but try to get some artwork printed before you pick it up so we can take some good pictures. Mine isn't going to be done for at least a month, now that work and training is back to normal. 95% is right on the money. :cheers:
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badass :cheers:
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Thanks SNAAKE, still alot more pics and updates once I start on mine. :cheers:
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any word on the guy?
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Whats up Malenko?, Sorry I've been so busy at my regular job I have zero free time for anything including the cnc shop. When I have that under control and make plans Ill post it up here. :cheers:
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Those Mini MKs are AWESOME! Id love to get my hands on some blue prints. GREAT JOB!
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Thanks :cheers: Eventually I will make plans, but I have no extra time right now.. work is crazy.
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Quick update.. I know its been a while, but to be honest with everyone I burnt myself out doing arcade work non stop when work was slow :dunno. Javier (mysteriozone) picked up his cab today which I finished attaching the removeable control panel to the cabinet itself with some hardware, 7/16 nuts and bolts (2) and some brackets and phillips head screws. Javier will do the finishing touches such as speaker grills, fastening the marquee retainer (using velcro temporarly since I didnt want to drill any holes), and figuring how he wants to fasten the bezel. I hope all is good with everyone. :cheers:
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Here are some more updates:
Mortal Kombat II Mini Keyboard Hack (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbls20JwlEQ#)
Mortal Kombat II Mini BArcade (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl-02wqDXJQ#)
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Glad to see you enjoying/finishing it up :applaud: Once you get side art its going to look amazing. :cheers: