my latest arcade related (DK) project (not a cabinet, but arcade related)

[severdhed]

i picked up a 2pack for $1 at the dollar tree, i wasnt sure how many i would need.  so since randyt pointed out that i wouldn't be out too much to try them, i wired 1 up directly to the 5v line on my pc power supply, it works fine, and still flickers.(there is clearly no separate circuit).  so i then proceeded to pull the led and silicone flame cover and mounted both LEDs inside one tea light unit.  i spliced the wires together and ran hooked them up to the pc again, they both light up and flicker quite nicely. 

so here is my latest project.... I am a big donkey kong fan, and when i found some mario and DK figures at walmart, i just had to do something with them.  my new showcase cabinet doesn't have a marquee area, just a big flat top just asking to have something cool sitting on it.  so, i decided i wanted to setup a little DK scene on top of the cabinet.

 i needed some barrels, and while i couldn't find anything that looked like wooden barrels, i found some that look like oil drums, and they were just the right size.


i found these in the toy section of a local Dollar General store.  they only had 3, which was not enough for what i wanted to do..so over the course of a  few days and trips to 5 different Dollar General stores, i found enough of them for my project.  they are full of a gooey black slime like substance.

the goal was to have Donkey Kong next to a stack of barrels, getting ready to throw one at Mario.  since in the game mario starts out next to a burning oil barrel, i figured i'd need one of those too.  i picked up a pair of flickering LED tea lights at the Dollar Tree.  after determining that they are nothing more than an LED, switch and battery, i took them apart and installed the LED and silicone flame from the second unit into the first.



i removed the battery and switch and attached a long piece of wire.  i dumped the slime out of one of the barrels and put a small hole in the bottom to run the wire through.



i then hot glued the tea light assembly to the inside of the barrel (no pic).  i then proceeded to make my own flames using some clear silicone caulk i had in the basement, i just covered the top of the tea light with silicone and then used the tip of the caulk tube to make little pointy flames.



there are 4 small holes in the top of my cabinet where the marquee box used to bolt on, i ran the wire down through this hole, and routed it through the cabinet so i could connect it to the 5v line on my pc power supply.  that way when i turn on the cabinet, the fire is lit in the barrel.





and here is the whole set from a distance.  i took 4 barrels and stacked them up behind DK, and put one in his hands above his head. (i was really surprised how well he stands up like that).







i tried to take a video so you could see the flickering flames, but the lighting is so poor in this room, the video looks like crap.  i'll keep trying to see if i can capture this properly. 

well, that's pretty much it, nothing too fancy, but it just adds a nice little touch.

i am considering getting some 1x4 pine boards and making a set of black and red crooked shelves to hang on the wall and move this stuff to them to recreate the first stage of the game, but that may come later (after i finish my 2 cabinet projects)

[EvilNuff]

That's pretty awesome...love it.

[JustMichael]

Looks great!! but once you put up the custom "shelving" how are you going to get Mario to run up?

[Shortbus]

Now that is just frickin awesome, how creative!

[severdhed]

thanks guys..i know it is just kinda stupid, but the cabinet looked so empty without something on top.  my wife really didn't like they way it looked with the marquee box on top. (it did look more like an afterthought than an original piece of the cabinet)

[severdhed]

thank you....it's the simple things that bring me joy