Author Topic: Mini Pinball project (Read 49759 times)

melon · « **Reply #40 on:** May 23, 2010, 10:15:37 am »

Well, I've begun to put things into the cabinet:

The Motherboard is a P5KPL-AM, micro ATX format, it had to be small as you can see, put all the electronics inside is almost like playing tetris

there is also a 2.5" 160GB HDD (a 3,5" doesn't fit inside)

The graphic card is a 9500GT, low profile and I had to cut it so it doesn't hit the monitor:

Another shot of the motherboard, GFX and PSU:

Here installing the OS (a windows XP UE7):

And finally, I CAN PLAY!!!

I can't tell you how excited I'm right now!
Ehm, and here a shot of my Addams family table:

I must say I love playing tables this way, it's awesome.
Next I have to connect all the buttons, the audio, the second monitor, install the frontend...

rablack97 · « **Reply #41 on:** May 23, 2010, 10:52:51 am »

- outstanding

Pinball Wizard · « **Reply #42 on:** May 23, 2010, 11:13:45 am »

Very nice work! Once you get the frontend installed can you tell me if you have any performance issues? I currently his a slowdown but I think it has to do with my hard drive being 5400 rpm.

emphatic · « **Reply #43 on:** May 23, 2010, 12:51:46 pm »

Thanks for making me drool like some idiot.

njay · « **Reply #44 on:** May 24, 2010, 02:51:25 am »

Good work melon !

Ond · « **Reply #45 on:** May 24, 2010, 03:03:21 am »

melon is the maestro of the miniature arcade!

shrunkenmaster · « **Reply #46 on:** May 24, 2010, 09:13:24 am »

Top stuff Melon. Is this gonna be a bar top or have you got some crazy plan for mini legs up your sleeve???

Silas (son of Silas) · « **Reply #47 on:** May 24, 2010, 01:42:36 pm »

Quote from: emphatic on May 23, 2010, 12:51:46 pm

Thanks for making me drool like some idiot.

+1

melon · « **Reply #48 on:** May 24, 2010, 06:18:50 pm »

Thanks for your comments

I must say that I enjoy a lot making these mini cabinets, though sometimes it's difficult to put all stuff into a mini cabinet, it's worth the effort.

Quote from: Pinball Wizard on May 23, 2010, 11:13:45 am

Very nice work! Once you get the frontend installed can you tell me if you have any performance issues? I currently his a slowdown but I think it has to do with my hard drive being 5400 rpm.

I just installed hyperpin today and haven't noticed any issue, everything has been ok in the test I made.

Quote from: shrunkenmaster on May 24, 2010, 09:13:24 am

Top stuff Melon. Is this gonna be a bar top or have you got some crazy plan for mini legs up your sleeve???

I still don't know. The first idea was to make a bartop. But now I'm thinking if I should use some kind of legs...

Well I've made some updates:

The plunger, part 2

For the plunger mechanism I'm using some screw, nut, washer, spring, microswitch...

Here I attach the washers to the screw so it can pull the spring:

I'm also using a metal bracket so that when I release the plunger it doesn't hurt the DM support that I made:

Another shot from outside of the cab:

One from above:

And here the mechanism in action. I'm using the NC contact of the microswitch, so that when it's in it's normal position the switch is pulsed, and the contact is open:

When I pull the plunger, the switch opens and the contact is closed, so it works like a normal button.

Ehm, and it works! here testing it with my Addams table:

And that's all for now. Hope you like it.

emphatic · « **Reply #49 on:** May 25, 2010, 02:01:51 pm »

Quote from: melon on May 24, 2010, 06:18:50 pm

Hope you like it.

Rest assured.

chris77 · « **Reply #50 on:** May 25, 2010, 02:21:19 pm »

I don't like it - I love it!

javeryh · « **Reply #51 on:** May 25, 2010, 04:18:34 pm »

This thing is wicked pissah.

swaffar · « **Reply #52 on:** June 23, 2010, 04:56:34 am »

almost a month with no update... how's the build coming along? love the project so far.

More Cowbell · « **Reply #53 on:** June 29, 2010, 03:36:59 pm »

Another week gone by. We're dying to know where this stands.

Mr.Ian · « **Reply #54 on:** June 30, 2010, 08:19:08 am »

Hell yeah, im hanging on this beautiful project

Need........more......photos !!!!

Jouster · « **Reply #55 on:** July 02, 2010, 06:42:30 pm »

I had a thought on the plunger.

It looks now, at least from what I can see, that as soon as you pull the plunger out far enough, it will trigger the switch and launch the ball.

Why not try to extend the shaft through the stopper...move the washer up toward the front of the machine and maybe put another spring behind it. Then put the switch or some sort of lever behind the stopper to trigger the switch when the plunger is let go and snaps back into the machine.

You may not have enough room behind it, hard to tell from the picture exactly where the flipper button will be. But this way the plunger can be pulled out (and can be held without triggering the ball launch) and when released, the two springs will allow it to shoot throught the stopper just far enough to hit the switch (triggering ball launch) and then return to the rest position.

I hope the attached pic helps my explanation...sorry but I don't have Photoshop on this computer or it would look better. Considering your skills, I think you could pull this off to make it even more realistic.

Jouster

Johnny · « **Reply #56 on:** July 27, 2010, 10:41:26 pm »

Hi Melon,
Very nice pinball cab.

Can You give more info on the lock's for the Lock down bar?
the English name for the items would help a lot.

I need something like that for another project (not arcade/pinball related) I have.

Best Regards
Johnny Andersen
Oslo - Norway

yeertha · « **Reply #57 on:** October 13, 2010, 08:50:19 pm »

This is pretty awesome man. I just came across it and am definitely following it now. Keep up the amazing work.

blastAgain · « **Reply #58 on:** October 14, 2010, 11:23:50 am »

Hi Melon,

Your work is terrific!
The detail is awesome and it's fantastic you have a power to become idea to reality!!!

I'm newbie here, and made small Robotron cabinet(50cm high). I didn't know your mini Galaga, I thought it was
fortunate for me not knowing your project before I make mine, otherwise I might not made mine.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=106245.0

Cheers!

geomartin · « **Reply #59 on:** October 15, 2010, 02:27:10 pm »

I love the plunger idea, one recommendation is to shield the PCB on the SATA drive. Eventually you will have metal dust raining down on it as it wears, or possibly a loose metal object falling on it if something comes loose. Fantastic looking project and I can't wait to see more!

LeedsFan · « **Reply #60 on:** October 17, 2010, 12:32:46 pm »

This project looks absolutely stunning!

I'm definitely following this one. I've dabbled a little with PinMame and FuturePinball etc. but I found them difficult to get to grips with, though I never did try Hyperpin as the FE.

In fact I like the look of this one so much that I've ditched putting pinball buttons on my next project. So that I can do one like this next! I do notice that there are no "nudge buttons". Is that a conscious decision? I'd also be interested in how you set up the two monitors. Maybe it's easy but off the top of my head right now I'm not sure how I would do it.

What sort of Gfx card is needed to run this anyway? I have a Radeon 9800 Pro lying around and an Athlon 3200+. Or would I need a dual core?

monkeychunkuk · « **Reply #61 on:** May 12, 2013, 03:24:38 pm »

Just good enough to make me want to build one !

TheShaner · « **Reply #62 on:** May 19, 2013, 10:47:51 pm »

Did you ever finish this Melon? I would really like to see some finished pics of this bad ass minicab!

Mbresnan · « **Reply #63 on:** May 19, 2013, 11:12:56 pm »

Melon, more pictures please! I love the project, it looks great.

Has anyone else built a mini like this?

monkeychunkuk · « **Reply #64 on:** June 21, 2013, 03:59:29 pm »

Hey Melon any updates?

mcseforsale · « **Reply #65 on:** June 21, 2013, 04:53:58 pm »

Wow...a pin that I can get through the executive branch!

sub

scribed!

AJ

Superfrog · « **Reply #66 on:** June 22, 2013, 06:15:56 am »

Quote from: monkeychunkuk on June 21, 2013, 03:59:29 pm

Inspired by this thread im building my own

Don't get me wrong, but I think it's better to start your own tread and leave this one to Melon.

Anyone got news of Melon?

Hope this nice mini pinball got finished one day by Melon.

monkeychunkuk · « **Reply #67 on:** June 22, 2013, 07:22:25 am »

Quote from: Superfrog on June 22, 2013, 06:15:56 am

Quote from: monkeychunkuk on June 21, 2013, 03:59:29 pm
Inspired by this thread im building my own

Don't get me wrong, but I think it's better to start your own tread and leave this one to Melon.

Anyone got news of Melon?

Hope this nice mini pinball got finished one day by Melon.

Will do

swaffar · « **Reply #68 on:** August 01, 2013, 02:50:29 pm »

Don't anybody get their hopes up... Melon is as good as gone. He was a regular at the vpforums, and was even a visual pinball table creator. Sadly, he was last seen 18 May 2012. I too would have loved seeing this project completed. My own pincab was not mini (a medium to 3/4 size build), but inspired by this project nonetheless.

monkeychunkuk · « **Reply #69 on:** August 29, 2013, 06:35:46 am »

Man that's sad I wonder if this machine ever got finished

melon · « **Reply #70 on:** October 29, 2013, 02:10:05 pm »

Hello there.
First of all I would like to apologize for disappearing so suddenly from these forums, especially because I was very well received and I felt at home here.
We could call this machine the damned machine.
The backbox monitor stopped working. Bought another, also broke (both from ebay, second hand). Bought also another one. This time new and a little bigger (15"), and had to make the backbox again because the new monitor didn´t fit into the old one.

Then, someday the graphic card also stopped working. Four capacitors exploded. Then, at that point I gave up.
Also lots of personal stuff (new job, new house...), almost no time to spend in arcade things.

Good things are that now I'm in the mood of finishing this mini pinball. And I'm also making a mame cabinet (a lowboy)
So, let me organize everything and I'll post lots of new pics of this machine.
Regards.

Superfrog · « **Reply #71 on:** October 29, 2013, 02:43:27 pm »

Welcome back Melon

That's a good timing, I'm right now in planning stage of a pinball machine by my own.
Can't wait to see more.

At last our prayers where heard

Yvan256 · « **Reply #72 on:** October 29, 2013, 03:28:57 pm »

I'm glad to hear this project is not dead, I'll be looking forward to updates!

LeedsFan · « **Reply #73 on:** October 29, 2013, 03:59:35 pm »

I remember posting in some really cool pinball project thread on here.... and this is it! really nice looking and I'm planning my own right now. Will be stealing some ideas from this one already. The lockdown bar looks really inventive. Dunno if I could make one the same way. Like the simple way of attaching it. Glad to hear it isn't an abandoned project. Too much work invested for it to be left.

Richie_jones · « **Reply #74 on:** October 29, 2013, 05:03:17 pm »

Wow...I have read this thread a few times over the years and thought it was a shame youd disappeared but now your back and im looking forward to it finished. I'll to be making a mini pin soon inspired by this thread. ..

swaffar · « **Reply #75 on:** October 29, 2013, 05:57:42 pm »

I've been following this thread here and at vpforums since you made your first post. I especially like your custom lockdown bar. This build inspired me to make my own small cabinet.

I remember you releasing your Adams Family table a few years ago and then starting this project. Then you just disappeared. I was worried something bad might have happened. Good to have you back.

BobA · « **Reply #76 on:** October 29, 2013, 06:00:24 pm »

Nice to see you back Melon. Keep on trucking. errr cabing

a1pharm · « **Reply #77 on:** October 29, 2013, 06:57:00 pm »

Hooray! I was worried that you were dead melon, I'm glad to see that you are still with us. I have been kicking around an idea almost identical to what you are making, and I will be stealing from you (heavily) when I build a pin.

Cheers!

melon · « **Reply #78 on:** October 30, 2013, 03:26:44 pm »

Thanks everybody for your comments.
I have some pics to show you. Exactly from where I left the project.

Lets do something with the electronics:

First I bought a very simple USB controller. Open it and solder some wires to a DB25 connector, like I did on my mini galaga, to conect the electronics with the auxiliar panel, which will have 8 auxiliar buttons, an USB port and the volume control:

Here are some cheap spekers I bought:

Now lets open so we can see what is inside:

We can see the speakers,the transformer and some electronics (amplifier and power source).
I remove the stereo potentiometer from the board, as I will attach it to the auxiliar panel and solder its 6 wires to the DB25:

So everything related with the auxiliar control panel will go to the male connector, some kind of plug and play.
And here is the board finally inside the cab:

You can also see where the little buttons will be.
Here is also the front of the "coin door" in the mechanism, with an iluminated button to give credits.

Here is another board, with the transformer and a 12V relay:

When I turn on the computer, the power source will give 12V to the relay so I power on the monitors and the audio amplifier.
Here inside the cab:

With 3 faston connectors direcly to the AC current.

Here another shot of the inside:

And finally, lets see if it works...

yessss

Well, and thats it for now. I have more pics, so stay tuned as there will be more updates soon whenever I organize everything I have.
Cheers.

Sarver Systems · « **Reply #79 on:** October 30, 2013, 03:47:43 pm »

Can you fit a Kinect in there too? So you can make it 3D?

This thing is awesome. You have some mad woodworking skills, thats fo-sho!


Main	Restorations	Software	Audio/Jukebox/MP3	Everything Else	Buy/Sell/Trade
Project Announcements	Monitor/Video	GroovyMAME	Merit/JVL Touchscreen	Meet Up	Retail Vendors
Driving & Racing	Woodworking	Software Support Forums	Consoles	Project Arcade	Reviews
Automated Projects	Artwork	Frontend Support Forums	Pinball	Forum Discussion	Old Boards
Raspberry Pi & Dev Board	controls.dat	Linux	Miscellaneous Arcade	Wiki Discussion	Old Archives
Lightguns	Arcade1Up	Try the site in https mode		Site News


Unread posts \| New Replies \| Recent posts \| Rules \| Chatroom \| Wiki \| File Repository \| RSS \| Submit news