RAM Controls Reproduction Star Wars Yoke Controller

[Daviea]

I decided to start a new thread about my reproduction yoke controller.  I've copied/pasted my original thread reply about the yoke handles to get this new thread kick-started.

The handles....

I think only three people have really talked about this subject since the release of the reproduction yoke.  I had two choices - go with the OEM production handles or the OEM prototype handles.  I made both and tested them thoroughly over and over again, taking input from two dozen people during the process.  I decided to reproduce the OEM prototype handles.  They look a little different, but they feel SO much better.  The only real difference, aside from being machined rather than cast, is the radius on the edges.  These are a bit more shallow than the OEM production version, but match the OEM prototype version perfectly -- and I mean exactly!

I started with some ugly prototype handles that I ended up with when Midway Games West was shutting down their facility (which was formerly Atari Games up until 2000).  At the time, they had all of their tooling up for grabs, along with artwork, miscellaneous components and many other items.  The stash we picked up included pallets loaded full of plastic injection molds, vacuum forming molds, plastic extrusion molds, aluminum extrusion molds, jigs, rigs and various plates.  The tooling alone was enough to fill a 26ft stake-bed truck.  There were boxes and boxes full of prototype and production controller parts, too.  So, I grabbed all the tooling, components, controller parts and piles of reel to reel tapes.  BTW, Scott Evans ended up with the artwork during the same "raid". :-)

Anyhow, I used those handles as the basis for my reproduction handles.  I know why Atari didn't go with them, too.  It was too difficult to cast them like that, so they trimmed the edges and made a skimpy version of the handles they could easily cast.  They weren't about to machine handles for thousands of arcade games.  I can personally afford to do it, so I didn't consider it any sort of issue.

Ok, so I took some pictures of the OEM prototype handles with a fresh powdercoat and the reproduction handles with a fresh powdercoat.  You compare and tell me if you can see a difference. :-)



These are the Atari prototype handles right after powdercoating them with a smooth satin black finish.



These are the RAM Controls reproduction handles right after powdercoating them with a smooth satin black finish.



And here they are "side by side".  Can you see ANY difference?

Personally, I can almost NOT tell the difference between them with the powdercoat on them.  The cut lines are the only thing that really look different IMO, but they're covered up with the powdercoat, so I rely on the fact that I have the original prototypes in a baggie labeled as such.  LOL

Now, here's the OEM production handles:


These have the original PAINT on them and have not been finished with a new powdercoat.

I'm sure you can see the difference.  The OEM production handles are much more "rounded" on the edges as opposed to the sharper corners of the prototype version. 

To those of you who've obtained one of my reproduction yoke and have had the opportunity of using an OEM yoke with production handles, do you have any comments about my choice to copy the OEM prototype for my reproduction yokes?  I'd like to hear some real opinions on the subject.

Thanks

Dave