New Upright Project

[MNW]

My wife told me I needed a hobby.  I think she was expecting me to say I wanted to train for a marathon or a triathlon...  Anyway, my co-worker built a cabinet a few years back and it has been in the back of my mind ever since, so this is my new hobby.

This is an Evolution-inspired build.  I drew up the plans as best I could from looking at the pics in the various threads.  I only get about 2-3 hours per weekend to work on it, but am making pretty good progress.  I should also add that is has been about 20 years since I did any wood working, so I am learning a lot as I go.

Pic 1 (2 weeks ago) - I cut out the sides.  I measured the first side and did most of the cuts with a circular saw.  I did the rounded edges and some of the tight spaces with my jig saw.

Pic 2 (last week) - I cut the slots for the t-molding, built the base, installed the internal supports, and attached the back

Pic 3 (yesterday) - I attached the top and a few of the pieces in front.  I found the angled cuts to be challenging, with lots of mistakes and re-tries.

[firedance]

Looking good so far 

what hardware you got for the cab ? ??

[Green Giant]

My wife told me I needed a hobby.  I think she was expecting me to say I wanted to train for a marathon or a triathlon...

Congrats on having a foolish wife.  When will they learn they can't give us that kind of freedom.

I only get about 2-3 hours per weekend to work on it, but am making pretty good progress.  I should also add that is has been about 20 years since I did any wood working, so I am learning a lot as I go.

The build is looking really good.  Very impressive work for such a limited build schedule.  I think this weekend you need to tell her you have to spend more time on your hobby.

[TopJimmyCooks]

Welcome to the small but growing slim cab crowd. 

[MNW]

The build is looking really good.  Very impressive work for such a limited build schedule.  I think this weekend you need to tell her you have to spend more time on your hobby.

Well, I spent a lot of time over the previous couple of months putting my plans together, buying materials, trolling the forums, and buying all the tools I need.  All the prep-work has made the progress pretty good.

My wife is gone this weekend and I have the kids.  That means I have all the time I want between 8pm and midnight (or later) to continue the build.

[Rando]

My wife is gone this weekend and I have the kids.  That means I have all the time I want between 8pm and midnight (or later) to continue the build.

Lol,
I love how OUR time is when everyone else is asleep.  I finished my basement while my family slept, except for one section by the furnace room would echo up the duct work so I had to complete that while they were awake/out of the house.

But luck in your twilight workshop!

[05SRT4]

Looking real good so far. What Kind of hardware do you plan on using

[MNW]

firedance and 05SRT4 - not sure about the hardware just yet.  I keep looking at my options and haven't made a decision yet.

Right now I am thinking 2 joysticks with 6 buttons each and a Trackball.  I was tossing around the idea of getting light-up buttons tied to each game, but it adds cost and may be too ambitious.  Once I get the cab to 80% completion I will start thinking about the CP and how I want to tackle it.

[Green Giant]

Once I get the cab to 80% completion I will start thinking about the CP and how I want to tackle it.

Good idea.

Completed control panels are the killers of progression.

[05SRT4]

I really wish i stuck with my original plan of building a CP instead i gave in and got a Tank Stick. I haven't had any problems with it yet.

[firedance]

firedance and 05SRT4 - not sure about the hardware just yet.  I keep looking at my options and haven't made a decision yet.

Right now I am thinking 2 joysticks with 6 buttons each and a Trackball.  I was tossing around the idea of getting light-up buttons tied to each game, but it adds cost and may be too ambitious.  Once I get the cab to 80% completion I will start thinking about the CP and how I want to tackle it.

sorry, i mean what PC hardware you using  ?

[MNW]

Hey Firedance - sorry, misunderstood the question.

I am planning on running a Dell Dimension 3000.  It is running Windows XP with a 2.4GHz processor and 512MB of RAM.  It is about 7 or 8 years old, and I have no idea if it is up to the task.

Part of what sold this project to my wife was that I had an old computer, monitor & speakers sitting in the house that I was planning to use.  I have since bought a new monitor (old one was too small) and new speakers (I wanted a 2.1 system).  I am hoping the computer holds up, as I have quickly run out of money and haven't even started on Art or the CP!

[MNW]

OK - I actually made a bit of progress today.

I attached the Admin Panel (this was a challenge as I had to get a new router bit to round the edge, and then figure out how to use it to the the right level of rounding.  I only ruined 1 piece of wood (not to mention the pile of scrap that I tested on).

I also completed the speaker panel.  This was also a bit of a challenge.  Saint's book recommends an expense speaker (out of my price range), with a screw-off screen.  I found a much cheaper 2.1 system on Amazon (Cyber Acoustics Subwoofer Satellite System (CA-3602)) for $37 plus free shipping.  I liked this set up for a few reasons, it has a very low profile speaker inside the cabinet and an external volume control.  I have no idea how it sounds as I haven't plugged it in yet.  Anyway, the speakers didn't have screw holes for attaching to the speaker panel, so I instead cut holes large enough for the speaker parts & then routed an indentation to fit the actual housing.  Once I put them it I will probably use a few brackets to hold them in place.

I have attached a picture of this, and what the cabinet looks like at the end of the day.

[firedance]

Hey Firedance - sorry, misunderstood the question.

I am planning on running a Dell Dimension 3000.  It is running Windows XP with a 2.4GHz processor and 512MB of RAM.  It is about 7 or 8 years old, and I have no idea if it is up to the task.

Part of what sold this project to my wife was that I had an old computer, monitor & speakers sitting in the house that I was planning to use.  I have since bought a new monitor (old one was too small) and new speakers (I wanted a 2.1 system).  I am hoping the computer holds up, as I have quickly run out of money and haven't even started on Art or the CP!

sounds similar to my pc spec, although you may struggle with 512mb ram, best bet is to install some emulators and see how it performs, that's my plan this weekend 

what frontend you planning on running, i'm going for hyperspin ?

[MNW]

Why does everything take longer than I think it will?  

Today I built and installed my monitor support and also moved the speaker panel up 1/4" on the right side so it is now even.  I attempted to finish the front door on the panel, but something isn't square, so it doesn't fit (that's an hour of my life I will never get back).  So, to help me feel like I am making progress, I filled in all the holes and sanded them down.  I pulled out my primer only to find out that it needs to be at least 50 degrees to apply it.  That isn't going to happen tonight, maybe tomorrow with some luck.

Here's a quick photo of today's progress.

[05SRT4]

I hear you about the time, but i have so many projects i wish i took more time on.

[monkey puzzle]

Why does everything take longer than I think it will?  

Are you kidding? I think you are making excellent progress in a short time. I have been working on my cab for 3 years and still havent finished!!

I attempted to finish the front door on the panel, but something isn't square, so it doesn't fit (that's an hour of my life I will never get back).

I wouldnt worry about that. It doesn't seem to matter how much effort you take in measuring and checking for squareness, when you put everything together it always seems to be unsquare. You always have to make adjustments as you go along.

[monkey puzzle]

By the way, have you thought of a theme yet?

[MNW]

Final progress for the week end:  I got 2 coats of primer on before my wife came home.  With luck I will be able to sand and apply 3 coats of glossy black by the end of next weekend.  This means I can move the cabinet from the garage into my basement and see what it looks like.

A couple of questions:
1. I decided to take a breather on the front door and come back to it fresh.  The inside of my cabinet is 22.5", how much do I need to take off to get the door in there so it swings open.  I was thinking maybe 1/8".  Any thoughts?

2. Regarding the front end - I haven't decided which way I am going on that.  Any suggestions?

3. Theme:  Joust (I probably spent the equivalent in quarters on Joust as a kid as I am on this cabinet, so it seems appropriate).  I ordered the Marquee from Game on Grafix and some bright red T-Molding from t-molding.com.  I also ordered an 18" florescent light from Amazon.  All of these should come in this week.  Any suggestions on how to attach the Marquee to the cabinet?  I see Happ has 10' marquee holder, but I am a bit tired of paying the crazy shipping charges ($10 if I don't have a minimum $25 order +$15 to ship).

Thanks!

[opt2not]

Why does everything take longer than I think it will?  

My wife calls me out on this all the time:

Me: "I'm doing some wiring tonight, should only take me a couple hours"
Wife: "yeah right, I'll see you tomorrow morning then"
 

Great progress so far. Interested in seeing how big of a CP you throw on there. I'm hoping it's not too big, 'cause I really like the slim shape of the cab already and something too mammoth will ruin the design IMO.

1. I decided to take a breather on the front door and come back to it fresh.  The inside of my cabinet is 22.5", how much do I need to take off to get the door in there so it swings open.  I was thinking maybe 1/8".  Any thoughts?

Are you using a piano hinge for the door? And are you installing a coin door? (not that it relates to the doors size...just curious).

2. Regarding the front end - I haven't decided which way I am going on that.  Any suggestions?

Mala is simple to setup, and uses low amounts of CPU resources, but it takes a bit of time to get it looking pretty.
Hyperspin is probably the prettiest, with video previews, scrolling game lists, but it's more CPU intensive. If you're going with a beefy computer, then I would recommend Hyperspin. It's nice.

3. Theme:  Joust (I probably spent the equivalent in quarters on Joust as a kid as I am on this cabinet, so it seems appropriate).  I ordered the Marquee from Game on Grafix and some bright red T-Molding from t-molding.com.  I also ordered an 18" florescent light from Amazon.  All of these should come in this week.  Any suggestions on how to attach the Marquee to the cabinet?  I see Happ has 10' marquee holder, but I am a bit tired of paying the crazy shipping charges ($10 if I don't have a minimum $25 order +$15 to ship).

People tend to get long Aluminum brackets from Home Depot (or whatever home improvement stores you have around), cut them to size and paint 'em black. It's cheap and the results are fine. You then need to put a small, unobstructed-to-light brace or lip behind your marquee plexi's  so it can rest against or be sandwiched between.

[MNW]

Opt2Not - I have attached what I am thinking.  Any and all feedback on the CP would be appreciated.

The cabinet is 24" wide and the CP is 28" wide.

[opt2not]

Size-wise, it looks good. But the button hole for Fierce Punch/Button 3 on the right-side (P2) is too close to the edge. Are those holes accounting for the button nut? 'Cause you'll have a hellava time fitting the button w/ nut into that small space beside the CP base-wall.

Is that big red circle at the top row for a Spinner?

[05SRT4]

The CP layout look great, but like said before the Button on the right end wont fit easily.

[gbeef]

Looking great so far keep us posted.

[MNW]

Yes, that big circle on top is a spinner.  I moved it off-center so I wouldn't bang into it when I went crazy with the track ball.

The buttons in the diagram are 1.3", so they should represent the actual width on the CP.

How far away from the edge does the button need to be?  I could make the CP just a bit larger or move the support out a bit to provide the extra room.

[PIZZ]

Wow thats a long screen area! Looks like you can stick a 42" LCD vertically in that bad boy and have yourself a serious shmup cab!

[MNW]

Wow thats a long screen area! Looks like you can stick a 42" LCD vertically in that bad boy and have yourself a serious shmup cab!

Nope, the screen area is 22.5" wide by 21" high.  Just looks funny in the picture.

[MNW]

This weeks progress:

1 - Got the first coat of paint done.  We have lots of snow on the ground and my garage fell below the required 50 degrees for painting.  I borrowed my neighbor's space heaters and heated my garage up so I could put the coat on. 
2 - got my Marquee in the mail it looks great, but is a little bit small as I measured wrong
3 - To ovaoid the size issue I had with the Marquee, I built a prototype Bezel to make sure I got the measurements right
4 - spent lots of money - I ordered all the gear for the CP from Ultimarc.  I have read all the stuff on their website and I realize that I am going to be way over my head on putting this together.  Just getting the panel built correctly with the correct holes and indentations will be a challenge.  Wiring it up will be even more ridiculous.

- The pictures show my bezel prototype with monitor inserted before painting and what it looks like after the first coat of paint.

[Rando]

4 - spent lots of money - I ordered all the gear for the CP from Ultimarc.  I have read all the stuff on their website and I realize that I am going to be way over my head on putting this together.  Just getting the panel built correctly with the correct holes and indentations will be a challenge.  Wiring it up will be even more ridiculous.

You can do it!  I was exactly in the same place as you, spent more than expected, and received lots of buttons and cables and balls and such and had almost no idea where to start.  Ultimarc's site has some good info, but this site is an excellent resource as you know.  Take it slow, start at the beginning, post about where you're stuck, and we'll/they'll help you through it!  

And I can vouch that stupid questions get answered too... luck!

{edit} Forgot to say that I now have a working control panel, and I STILL have no idea what I'm doing, so it IS doable!!

[MNW]

Can anyone help with a question?

I am about to order my Bezel from GameOnGrafix.  I am trying to figure out if I should get it with our without adhesive.  I am building with MDO and plan to put glass on top?

Thanks

[MNW]

OK - got a lot done in the last few weeks, just no time to post...
- Finished painting the cab, this may be the hardest part of the project.  Once done with the painting, I moved the cabinet from the garage down to my basement
- I installed the T-molding.  all in all, I am pretty happy with it.
- I installed the light in the speaker area, and also put the speakers in.  I decided to use heavy duty velcro to hold the speakers in the cab.  I followed this by installing the speaker grilles.
- Finally, I installed the marquee.  It looks great, but is a little too small.  I am brainstorming ideas on how to cover the little gaps on each side.

My goal, as you can see from the picture, was to get something that is starting too look real!

[racecar]

Looking great!

[MNW]

Thanks!  I also got my CP drilled and my door cut.  It took a while, but I figured out the correct trapezoid shape to fit in the non-square hole.  I have put 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of paint on both.  I have 1 more coat to do and can start installing the actual controls.

[MNW]

I snuck into my basement for a few hours last night and worked on the cab.  I ordered my art from Game On Grafix, and worked with Vlad to customize the CP and Bezel.  Both turned out awesome (thanks, Vlad)!  So last night I installed both of these and they are looking pretty good.  I should be ready to start adding the controls to the panel this weekend, with luck.

[bigmatty77]

This is coming together nicely, Artwork/theme looks classic, you can't go wrong with a Joust theme

[mgb]

Looking real good!!

I love the fact that your wife pushed you into it by saying you need a hobby. She won't do that again.

[wp34]

I love that artwork.   

[Turambar]

MNW, is there plexi on your CP, or did you go with the adhesive backed art?

[MNW]

I love that artwork.  

Thanks - I am really happy with it.  Vlad was easy to work with and did great work.  I definitely wanted to follow the Joust Theme, but thought the original art was a little too funky, so Vlad did a good job of creating a simple theme.  I may actually go back to him to have the noise level brought down on the Marquee, which currently follows the original art.

Looking real good!!

I love the fact that your wife pushed you into it by saying you need a hobby. She won't do that again.

That's really funny as my wife is still scratching her head trying to figure out what happened.  She is doing her best to support the project, but easily admits she doesn't understand why I would want to do it.  The feedback from our friends is beginning to change her mind.  Everyone thinks it is cool.  My biggest hurdle has really been the complete mess I made of the garage.  I have attached a picture of the end of one day's work.  The saw dust is everywhere and we store a lot of stuff in our garage.  I am pretty sure I will be spending a day giving it a complete hose-down once the weather gets better.

MNW, is there plexi on your CP, or did you go with the adhesive backed art?

I went adhesive backed.  In hind sight I probably would go with plexi as it arrived slightly scratched and think it will get beat up pretty bad very quickly.  I am not sure it will be as tough as advertized, but it is too soon to tell.

[MNW]

After many, many tries.  I have finally gotten the door to my cabinet installed.  The trapezoid shape from the cabinet not being completely square threw me for a loop.     So, I have been spending a little bit of time each weekend trying to get it to the right shape, paint it and then attach it.  Last night I was finally succesful.

I also have all of my controls attached to the control panel.  Attaching the trackball (Ultimarc u-trak) was harder than I thought.  There is almost a zero tolerance on the location of the expanding inserts.  When I drilled my holes, the trackball moved a bit, so the screws wouldn't go into the inserts.  My soluiton was to post this thread (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118628.0), which resulted in:
- pulling out the inserts
- filling holes with Minwax Minwax 21600 Wood Filler based on Vigo's suggestion
- re-drilling the holes
- putting inserts back in (but I broke one of the inserts pulling it out, so I had to glue it back together before re-inserting it)
- attaching the trackball

Now I can finally start wiring this thing up.