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The American Ace Kit on Kickstarter
Woodshop Flunky:
Hello all,
Well I've officially lost my mind, and decided to produce a kit for the American Ace. :dizzy:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1604943853/american-ace-arcade
I played around with the idea last year when I finished my cab, but it was just way to expensive and time consuming to make happen... I really needed a small production run. Making one arcade at a time would be more work than making 30 in a batch. However, there was no way I could absorb the cost of that many machines all at once... so the idea kind of died.
Then several months ago I discovered Kickstarter (as many other have as well). And the idea of producing a small batch of these arcades seemed more feasible. Over the past couple of months I've been researching how to accomplish this in my area, and I'm about ready to launch my Kickstarter project next week.
Things wont' be 100% nailed down until I launch, but I want to give the community here a heads up on a deal that will be available to early backers. I plan to offer a few kits well below the normal price (about $150 dollars below). Also, I'm going to update this thread to make sure everyone here knows exactly when the project goes live.
I know most of us here are the DIY types, but even if you're not interested in the project, I'd love for everyone to take a look at the Kickstarter project when it goes live, and give me any feedback you think would be helpful.
Thanks everyone!
Oh, and I just wanted to post this pic of my son losing at Burgertime! He's really enjoyed this over the past year...
Nephasth:
What's in the kit? Is it just a cabinet kit? Or is it a full kit including art and hardware?
Woodshop Flunky:
--- Quote from: Nephasth on March 26, 2012, 10:44:42 am ---What's in the kit? Is it just a cabinet kit? Or is it a full kit including art and hardware?
--- End quote ---
The way Kickstarter works there are different reward levels. My project will offer several levels as well since I assume MOST folks on Kickstarter might never has seen anything like a homemade arcade machine.
So there will be the following...
1. Cabinet Kit - This will include all the parts CNC cut and predrilled (no power tools needed). The control panel will be provided blank so you can configure the layout however you like. Also, the front of the cabinet will have concealled hinges so you can open the front to get to the gaming system easily. And, there will also be all the misc hardware (screws, VESA mount for LCD monitor, etc...)
2. Accessories Kit - This will include all the misc stuff like marquee glass, monitor glass, aluminum retainers (the same ones I made for the Ace), marquee light with power supply, and t-molding.
3. Control Panel Kit - Joystick, buttons, predrilled panel (same button and joystick layout as my son's arcade), control board, wiring harness, and USB cable.
4. Personalized Artwork - Same artwork as I put on the original Ace, but I'll personalize each of the sides with your choice of Rank, Pilot Name, and Callsign. I had wanted to do this for my son's arcade... and I can't remember why I decided not to. :dunno
There will be other award levels below the kit levels.
The biggest difference between the kit and the original Ace will be the lack of a coin door, and no volcano buttons or spinner. I plan to add two black admin buttons in place of the volcano buttons and spinner. The volcano buttons are just too expensive for most folks, and even I question the value of the spinner. We've played a couple of games with the spinner, but 99% of the fun has been had with the joystick and four buttons.
Woodshop Flunky:
Oh... one other thing that is kind of important...
The kit will be about 2inches wider than the original Ace so that a 19" 4:3 LCD monitor can be mounted either vertical or horizontal (VESA mount will be provided).
:cheers:
Woodshop Flunky:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on March 26, 2012, 11:33:03 am ---$?
--- End quote ---
Yeah... I guess I shouldn't forget to mention prices. :)
Price isn't completely nailed down right now since I'm still getting my final quotes on shipping materials (mainly the custom made boxes) and stuff like that. Also, since Kickstarter works the way it does, shipping can't "easily" be added after the project closes, so all the prices should include shipping.
So...
The cabinet is going to be about $450. For the first few cabs though, I'm going to knock about $150 off... so $300 for the earliest folks. I've about decided to use a cabinet grade plywood rather than black melamine like some other kits use. The stuff I'm looking at has 0.050" black laminate on both sides, looks better (IMHO), and is much more durable. Also, the plywood will hold the cam fasteners better.
The accessories kit and control panel kit will each be ~$140-$150... again depending on final box costs.
The artwork is costing about $225, and shipping will probably add another $20 to that.
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