First cab - Space City Arcade - almost finished

[Kiatuthlanna]

Hi folks.  I've been reading this forum for the last 3 months and dreaming of my first build. I've finally got a bit of time off coming up and am ready to get started.

Space and weight are both a bit of a concern for me, so I want to make something relatively slim, but I'm also worried about stability. I've created a basic sketch-up plan with a 20" x 24" interior base. I'll be using 3/4" MDF with laminate. One thing I've considered is making the back panel (or perhaps just a portion of it) out of peg board to save on weight and for easy access to the interior of the cabinet.  I'm not sure if this is a good idea since my CP will extend several inches out from the base. 

My basic plan is to have a two player 6 button CP with a 3" trackball. I've already got a spare 19" 4:3 LCD monitor but after making the sketch-up drawing I'm considering looking for a 21" LCD instead.

If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it.

[Kiatuthlanna]

By the way, I'm not making a "Journey" cabinet. I just like the color scheme.

[PL1]

Looks like a great start.

I like that you have dual pinball flippers on the side.  Great for Visual Pinball and Future Pinball.

You may want to add a pinball plunger/launcher (Enter) button on the front as well.

Recommended button placement and related VP/FP tips here.

Also the eternal question of admin buttons comes up. 

If you have kids or friends that might mess up your settings, your current admin buttons are enough -- assuming you add an instruction card on how to navigate the FE/launch games/exit games.

Personally, I prefer having four additional buttons like this:
(you probably won't want/need the mouse buttons)


If you plan on playing Golden Tee type trackball games, swap the mouse buttons to the right of the center admins so you don't accidently hit exit. (Esc)

Also, have you decided on which type joysticks, trackball, and encoder you want to use?

Do you plan on using LED admin buttons? (Printable inserts?)

Do you want to add a spinner or dedicated 4-way stick?


Scott

[ccmathome]

you might want to use 5/8 wood and laminate the out side and part of the inside so you end up with a 3/4 edge so your tmolding will set flush

[Kiatuthlanna]

Scott,

Thanks so much for the advice. I've been going back and forth on the best placement for the pinball flippers (and all of the buttons in general), so that previous post was useful as well.

As for the admin buttons, I limited the number of buttons I included mostly to save clutter.  My plan was to have as many buttons as possible do double duty (e.g., pinball flippers are mouse buttons when mouse is enabled, 1 or 2 player top row of buttons for Missle Command, etc.) using software settings. Before I totally commit to a button setup, I'm going to set up the buttons on a plastic bin to test the placement and ease of use. I think you're right that I might want the four admin buttons on the top of the CP though.

As for equipment, here is what I've been thinking:
buttons: standard Happ buttons with horizontal microswitches

joysticks: I've been looking at 4/8 switchable joysticks including the Mag-Stik plus, but I'm not sure I'd be happy with that. I'm currently playing with 8-way only sticks and not having too much trouble, but I could see that getting old. The dedicated 4-way may be a good option.

Trackball: I drew a 3" trackball (based on the Imperial) in the current CP plan, but I've also been looking at the U-TRAK FlushMount. I like the U-TRAK because I wouldn't have the huge mounting plate covering the artwork on the CP. I'm leaning towards this option now but want to read up on how those do under heavy use.

Encoder: IPAC2 seems like the best choice for me.

I'm not sure about the spinner yet. Definitely something to consider.

I don't really want the LED buttons as I find them kind of distracting.

One thing I've been toying with is actually including a real pinball plunger on the front of the cab to act as the software button. That would be all kinds of fun I think.

Thanks again for the input,

Matt

[Kiatuthlanna]

ccmathome,

I was thinking of using 3/4" MDF mostly because I already have some 2' x 4' pieces. I was thinking I could use 13/16" T-molding with that, but as of yet, I haven't been able to find the color I want in that size. Would it be reasonable to use 5/8" MDF with the 3/4" T-molding for the sides and control panel top and 3/4" MDF elsewhere? With my current plan and the materials I already have, I would only need to buy 1 4x8 sheet of MDF. 

[ccmathome]

yes that would work any parts without tmolding can be the 3/4 mdf

[PL1]

My plan was to have as many buttons as possible do double duty (e.g., pinball flippers are mouse buttons when mouse is enabled,

I'd recommend against using the flipper buttons as mouse buttons.  Remapping keys for VP/FP tables can be a lot more tricky than MAME. You might even have to edit table scripts.

The good news is that you shouldn't need mouse buttons.  Mine has them because it is a portable modular system instead of a cab.

Just stash a small bluetooth keyboard with a touchpad or mini-trackball inside your coin door and you're all set.

As for equipment, here is what I've been thinking:
buttons: standard Happ buttons with horizontal microswitches

joysticks: I've been looking at 4/8 switchable joysticks including the Mag-Stik plus, but I'm not sure I'd be happy with that. I'm currently playing with 8-way only sticks and not having too much trouble, but I could see that getting old. The dedicated 4-way may be a good option.

Trackball: I drew a 3" trackball (based on the Imperial) in the current CP plan, but I've also been looking at the U-TRAK FlushMount. I like the U-TRAK because I wouldn't have the huge mounting plate covering the artwork on the CP. I'm leaning towards this option now but want to read up on how those do under heavy use.

Encoder: IPAC2 seems like the best choice for me.

I'm not sure about the spinner yet. Definitely something to consider.

Buttons - If you buy Happs from GGG, the Standard Soft Touch switches are great option.
Trackball - +1 on the UTrak and optional bezel
Encoder - IPAC2 looks good.  See this post for two remapping suggestions for pinball.
If you decide to include a spinner, the TT2 is an excellent choice.

I don't really want the LED buttons as I find them kind of distracting.

Even if you don't want to light them, you can still use printed inserts that go inside the buttons.  If you prefer solid color buttons to match the rest of your buttons, check out Pongo's vinyl in Buy/Sell/Trade.

One thing I've been toying with is actually including a real pinball plunger on the front of the cab to act as the software button. That would be all kinds of fun I think.

My first build has a laser mouse pinball shooter that I designed.  Works great IF the table is designed for a variable plunger.  Most VP tables are not, many FP tables are.  If not, you have to press the ball launch (Enter) button instead. 

My plunger design requires about 15" straight shot clearance from the shooter bracket across the upturned mouse "belly" to the tip of the shaft.  Let me know if you're interested in details -- I never bothered to post a build/project thread, but this is the second time today that this shooter has come up.


Scott

[Kiatuthlanna]

Scott,

I'd be interested in what you did for the plunger if you feel like writing a post about it.  I'm sure others would as well. Thanks for the tips on the equipment and the mouse.  I was already planning on stashing two game pads for players 3-4 in the coin door, so I think I'll stick the keyboard/mouse combo in there as well. I actually think I've got something lying around that would work for that.

After reading the comments here and looking through many more forums, I'm not leaning towards adding a dedicated 4-way and sticking the admin buttons on the control panel top. I think I'll have better options for dedicated 8 ways then.  The buttons with the labels are cool, but I'm currently hoping to convince my wife to hand paint some buttons. We'll see what she thinks.

I'm attaching an updated potential layout here.  I think there would be room for a spinner as well.  Now to start designing the CP artwork.  We've got out of town guests next week, so the woodwork will have to wait. I've already convinced myself that I need a new router anyway (didn't take much convincing).

[PL1]

I'd be interested in what you did for the plunger if you feel like writing a post about it.  I'm sure others would as well.

Thanks for the interest.  I'll work on a writeup, parts list and pics.

I was already planning on stashing two game pads for players 3-4 in the coin door

Neutrik makes these USB A-to-B feed-thrus so you don't have to leave your coin door open and accidently pinch the gamepad wire when the door gets bumped during 4P play.

I'm attaching an updated potential layout here.  I think there would be room for a spinner as well.

The TT2 mounts in a standard size button hole, so yes plenty of room for a spinner.

My only concern looking at your layout is that your flippers appear to be only a few inches from the front edge of the CP.  If you do this, there are 3 possibilities:

1. The corner digs into the center of your palm.

2. You stand at a normal distance, but bend your wrists sharply toward your pinkies.

3. You move your shoulders forward so your fingers point down and you get nose-prints up on the monitor.   

I think what happened is that I wasn't clear when I explained the placement.



If the problem is not enough room for the flipper buttons without running into P1 joystick or P2 buttons, try moving the flippers back until they are past them.


Scott

P.S. What does your "Home" admin button do and what is it mapped to?

[Kiatuthlanna]

I made a little cardboard mock-up today and you're right about the side button placement. The good news is, I can position them better and still not fundamentally change the rest of the layout. The home button is just what I call the menu button because I use it to back out of the current menu to the main system select.

Worked on the art a bit today as well.  I went through 3-4 drafts before I came up with what I have here.  I'm actually pretty happy with it. I replaced the artwork in the Google sketch-up plan as well. I'm still not sure what I want to do for side/front art. Simple may be better. I like the Robotron bezel pretty much as is.

[Kiatuthlanna]

So I haven't been able to post for a while. We've had guest so I couldn't work on this, and then the Arizona monsoon kicked into full force. It's rained every afternoon when I've had time to work. 

I finally got a chance to get something done today. I went to the local lumber supplier and picked up one sheet of 5/8" MDF and a couple of additional small pieces. They were actually willing to sell me scraps and small parts of other sheets for cheap. The nice girl working there even made some of the initial cuts on their large table saw so that it would be easier to transport home in my vehicle. I got it all home, drew out the design for one side and made the cuts using a circular saw and a jigsaw/razor saw for a couple of the tight angles. I brought it in, traced the second side and started making the rough cuts for side 2 when it started raining. Luckily, that didn't last too long so I was able to go back out, finish the rough cuts, clamp the sides together and use the flush-trim router bit to finish the second side. As soon as that was finished, it really started raining. I got everything inside just in time.

A couple of thoughts:
Although I've built a lot of cabinets and shelves with cabinet grade plywood, I'd never used MDF before. I absolutely love it. It's so easy to work and the smooth surface would be perfect for either laminating or painting with considerably less prep than many kinds of plywood. I'll definitely be using this again in the future on other projects. Second, I bought a new Bosch router before starting this project. It's pretty amazing and well worth the money (http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-1617EVSPK-4-Horsepower-Variable-Collets/dp/B00005RHPD). It's way better than the old router I've had for years and easier to use.

Since I've not been able to work outside, I've also been messing with the artwork and order parts. I scrapped the control panel and marquee I posted here before. I created a new CP based on the Centipede panel which was always one of my favorites. I found some assets on the arcade art library and drew some new elements. I finally settled on a 6 button layout with 8-way joysticks, a dedicated 4-way, spinner, and flush-mount trackball. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I also redesigned the marquee and came up with a name for my machine (Space City Arcade - after the arcade I went to growing up). I drew the "ARCADE" label to match the basic design of the old Centipede lettering and the rest of the logo is meant to be Robotron-like. I drew the planet based on an old Moon Patrol ad, added the little moon rover thingy, the stars, and the shuttle (loosely based on the X-33 design). I may add a little moon base if I can draw one I like. Overall, I'm pretty happy with how it all turned out. After messing with some printouts on my cardboard mockup, I don't think I'm going to have anything but a basic instruction sheet on the bezel. I'm still trying to decide what to do for side-art.

Anyway, that's it for now.  Thanks for all the help BYOAC folks.

[Kiatuthlanna]

Opps, I posted the Marquee with the old font. Here's the updated one.

[Kiatuthlanna]

I've made quite a bit of progress on the build, but I haven't been able to post photos in a while. I finished framing up most of the cabinet and put it all together last week. Things went relatively smoothly though I made a few modifications to the design as I went. I.

One thing I learned in the process of laminating and fitting the front panels is that it is really hard to get a good fit for outside corners. I made several attempts and though a few were serviceable, I ended up going with another solution. I cut the MDF panels for the area under the control panel using the angles measured from my original drawing and then used a straight cut bit and a simple router jig to cut a small amount of material off the angled end of the cut. I then applied the laminate on those pieces and trimmed the edges, using the same jig for the angled edge. This left a very small gap between the two pieces which I plan on filling with 5/8ths black t-molding. I've got a small sample piece in the picture below as an example. It actually holds tight entirely by friction and I think it looks pretty nice. I'm happier with this than any of the angled joints I tested.

I built the control panel box and top today. The box was a bit tricky because there were several somewhat complex angles. I actually ended up scrapping a first attempt because the angles on the front piece and the sides didn't match perfectly. For the second attempt, I actually just cut one side and the front and used the router to clone cut the other side and all but one side of the back. That worked way better. I also cut the CP top, drilled all the holes, laminated it, and routed the insets for the two 8way joysticks and the trackball. I got my CP artwork from Game On Grafix a while back and I was really pleased with how it turned out. Applying the artwork was actually the step I was the most nervous about as I thought it would be hard to get everything lined up. It was actually way easier than I expected following tips I found on several posts here. I can't remember where I read this, but someone recommend attaching a couple of buttons before applying the initial edge of the artwork to make sure it was lined up well. That worked well for me.

I attached all of the buttons, joysticks, and track ball and did the t-molding around the edge. I ended up simplifying the controls from what I had originally planned. I scrapped the dedicated 4 way for now and am building a second interchangeable top with two 4-way sticks instead. I also decided to scrap the spinner for now, though I may put that on my second control panel top as well.

Finally, I installed the MAME coin door I got from X-Gaming. It came ready to go and seems sturdy. It was pretty easy to install as well using the template provided online.

All and all I'm pretty happy with how things are going and can't wait to work more next weekend. Thanks to everyone on the boards for all the help and inspiration.

[MacGyver]

That looks great so far.    I was thinking of a dedicated 4-way, then Ultimarc released their ServoStiks, and I hear Paradise Arcade will be releasing one of their own soon.  It looks like we no longer will have to decide. 

[Kiatuthlanna]

Thanks. I just checked out those ServoStiks and they look pretty awesome. I might have gone with those if I'd known about them sooner. I checked out the mounting dimensions and I could possibly do a conversion of my existing sticks with just a bit of routing if i ever decide to. That may actually be a better option than a second panel anyway. Hmmm... another project. Thanks for mentioning those to me. Those must have come out shortly after I ordered all my parts.

[Kiatuthlanna]

I got to work on the cab today for the first time in quite a while. I finally wired the control panel. It took a while but wasn't too hard. The only hiccup was that I wasn't thinking clearly and reversed the horizontal and vertical connections for the joysticks on the first go around. That wasn't too hard to fix. I decided to hinge the panel from the back as it is easy enough to open the box slightly and unclip the latch that releases the box from the cabinet.

I also mounted the speakers on the bottom of the marquee. Nothing fancy here, they're just held in by friction with some small pieces of MDF.

I went back and forth on my plan for the monitor. Originally, I had planned on building a shelf for the monitor to sit on because I was worried about the weight if it were simply mounted through the MDF side walls. In the end, I ended up creating a heavy duty block by combining three pieces of 3/4 MDF using Gorilla Glue and using a VESA mount. I'm not confident that this solution will hold without some additional reinforcement so I'm planning on building a couple of pine ribs to keep it nice and sturdy. Also, after looking at the cab with the monitor mounted, I'm thinking that I may actually remount the monitor about 2 inches higher than I have it here and just filling in the old holes with Bondo.

The last major thing I have left to do is to design the side art. I've gone back and for so many times with a few ideas but haven't yet come up with something I like that fits with my theme.

[Kiatuthlanna]

I finally got to work on the cab again this weekend. 

The first thing I did was laminate the sides. This was a bit harder than laminating the smaller pieces I had done where I essentially just stuck the mdf down on the laminate sitting on a work bench. For the side panels, I followed an example by Epyx, and used scrap wood to keep the sides separate and then slowly applied the two sides together by removing one piece of the scrap wood at a time. That ended up working pretty well, though I had to do this outside and it was a bit windy, so it wasn't ideal.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,96465.msg1026504.html#msg1026504.

Next, I laminated the marquee top panel and installed it. With all of the front and side panels in place, I added the T-molding. Finally, I built a mount for the plexiglass using 90 angle aluminum and some adhesive backed weather stripping for padding. Even though I'm not quite done, I couldn't help but set up everything and play a game or two.

All I've got left now is to install the speaker covers, cover the reveals on the inside of the side panels, install the back panels, create the bezel, and clean up the computer mount in the cabinet. I'm hoping to finish up next weekend and am super excited.