The Legend of Zelda. Calling it finished.

[Wyo]

P.S. Yotsuya, that would be cool.  We take the 80 across Wyoming and through Utah into Idaho.  Avoid Wyoming if you can. (and before anybody from Wyoming says anything, Im UW alumni and lived through the frigid 10 month long winters....so I think Ive earned the right to talk trash) Haha.

UW alumni.. Pfft... Don't make me change your username to "Greenie".

 

For those who don't know what a greenie is... http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/moving-to-wyoming/

HAHA!  Well, I dont know if Id qualify.  I graduated five years ago and Ive only been back to the state 3-4 times since. 6 years was enough time for me. Haha.   Actually, with the 2-4 inches of snow coming this weekend I feeling like Im back in Wyoming.....I remember sitting in the school library during summer school watching a mid june blizzard. 

Anyway, its gonna be another one of those weekends this weekend....hopefully when the sun comes out on monday I can get some work done.

[yotsuya]

Mapping it out, it looks like Phoenix to Las Vegas, then all the way north through Nevada up to Idaho and then Boise.

That sounds like our routes would cross around Salt Lake on I-15.

The route I looked at wouldn't take us through Utah at all.

[34k]

Mapping it out, it looks like Phoenix to Las Vegas, then all the way north through Nevada up to Idaho and then Boise.

That sounds like our routes would cross around Salt Lake on I-15.

The route I looked at wouldn't take us through Utah at all.

Ahh right. I was assuming interstates, but looking at the map that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

[yotsuya]

Mapping it out, it looks like Phoenix to Las Vegas, then all the way north through Nevada up to Idaho and then Boise.

That sounds like our routes would cross around Salt Lake on I-15.

The route I looked at wouldn't take us through Utah at all.

Ahh right. I was assuming interstates, but looking at the map that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Yeah, the only thing is that the drive from Vegas to Idaho is filled with a whole lotta nuthin'.

[34k]

Mapping it out, it looks like Phoenix to Las Vegas, then all the way north through Nevada up to Idaho and then Boise.

That sounds like our routes would cross around Salt Lake on I-15.

The route I looked at wouldn't take us through Utah at all.

Ahh right. I was assuming interstates, but looking at the map that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Yeah, the only thing is that the drive from Vegas to Idaho is filled with a whole lotta nuthin'.

It may be long and boring, but at least it isn't wyoming.

Well, our routes will cross at the bar at Grinkers then! Unless you don't drink, in which case, ---fudgesicle--- it, I give up.

[yotsuya]

Oh, you don't have to worry about the drinking,  bro.

[Wyo]

Im gonna start drinking if it doesnt get sunny soon.  Haha    I know, I know.  Anyway, Grinkers is going to be B.A. I cant wait for that and meeting up with you guys. 

I knew that 34K would chime in as soon as the topic of Wyoming came up....that was the most depressing part of our road trip.  Both ways, as soon as we hit the Wyoming border on the 80, the conversation in the car immediately turned depressing....like seriously depressing.......how are we going to avoid that this year? 

WORK WILL COMMENCE TOMORROW!   

[yotsuya]

Sorry you're having crummy weather. I guess I won't tell you I'm going out right now to grill some steaks for Mother's Day.

[Wyo]

Sorry you're having crummy weather. I guess I won't tell you I'm going out right now to grill some steaks for Mother's Day.

Yeah, thats a pretty ---smurfy--- thing to say to me right now. Haha.  Truth is, I was born and raised in San Diego....which is why Im such a whiny beeeotch.  But really, its really because I have to work outdoors.  If I had a shop, ID BE IN HEAVEN! But then, wouldnt we all? Haha

[Wyo]

FINALLY!!! SOME SUNSHINE!!!!  My eyes hurt so bad, it was so bright out today!  After three weeks of miserable weather, the sun finally came out so I could get some work done! 



The first thing I did was cut the perforated metal to make my speaker panel, and also the vent for the back door.  I made extra vents because I needed to install those onto my FIFJ cab and my DK:Pauline from last summer.  I saved an extra one for my next, and last Nintendo build coming this summer.



Test fitting the speaker vent before paint...



I painted them all satin black....

[Wyo]

I installed the back door vent and also the lock for the back door.





After that was taken care, I turned my attention towards the control panel.  I still dont have a layout for controls yet because I am waiting until I design my artwork....so I did everything else.  I routed the groove in the bottom of the control panel for the cp retainer plate....



And then also attached the control panel retaining hardware as well.

[Wyo]

I also installed brand new working coin mechs.  Although the arcade wont be able to coin up at this point with a PC, you never know what the future may bring!!! Ha 



I also mounted the monitor brackets and then the monitor.  I dont recommend mounting your LCD the way I do it.....its risky and could damage the monitor.  Fortunately my educated guess with screw placement has worked out with all three cabs Ive built now....but, you never know.



I still need to cut a black foam monitor bezel.  The monitor works!  This will also have a Craftymech scanline generator installed.



Okay, so I ended up ripping the vinyl off the speaker panel and on the one side of the cabinet.  I found two low spots under the vinyl that were driving me crazy, it wasnt that noticeable but I have the extra vinyl so I decided to redo it.  Here you can see the low spot I missed while sanding circled in pencil.  It was just low enough to make a small concave area that caught the sunlight.  So I will need to lightly glaze it with some filler and reprime, then reinstall the vinyl.

[Wyo]

I mounted the bezel retaining bracket to the roof of the monitor enclosure....



And then I cut two pieces of plexi which will be the marquee.  The artwork will be sandwiched in between, as usual.  Here it is mounted.



So below is where I currently stand.   Construction is done.    All that is left is to make the repairs and finish the vinyl wrap, design and install the artwork, and wire up the electronics. 



And just for fun, a little sneak peak....

[ChanceKJ]

  I look at these pictures and sometimes forget i'm looking at a reproduction and not an original cab.

do you have a little more information on the bezel retaining bracket? Mine in my DK was a little bent. I'm curious about how the mechanics of it work. I can't quite figure it out.

[cmoses]

Coming late to this thread but will be following from here on out. Amazing looking build you have and such a unique design concept. That giant glowing gold cab looks amazing.

I might have missed it but did you mention what plans you used for the cab? I would like to have a Nintendo can some day and have considered building it from scratch.

Thanks

[Malenko]

since you are redoing the CP front, why not do it black like the top. Then paint the speaker grill metallic gold and back light it with yellow lights?  The triforce WAS golden colored after all

[Locke141]

I love that your taking the time to do it right. Keep them coming.

[yotsuya]

Yep. Nothing wrong with taking your time, doing it right. Baby.

[Wyo]

I look at these pictures and sometimes forget i'm looking at a reproduction and not an original cab.

do you have a little more information on the bezel retaining bracket? Mine in my DK was a little bent. I'm curious about how the mechanics of it work. I can't quite figure it out.

Haha, I cant figure it out either.  I put them in all my Nintendo builds just because Im supposed too.  I just bolted it to top and use a wing nut at the back  like an original Nintendo cab would have.  It slides forward and back so that it puts pressure on the bezel.  But I cant figure out how the front of the thing works.  I has like a prong with a bolt going through it.....for what reason I dont know.  Like I said, I just pust the whole assembly forward so that the prongs hit the back of the bezel and then tighten it down with the wing nut. 

My reference cab, the red DK I sold before I really ever bothered to look.   So if anybody has any insight thatd be rad.

[Wyo]

I might have missed it but did you mention what plans you used for the cab? I would like to have a Nintendo can some day and have considered building it from scratch.

Thanks

Check Chances sticky on building a Nintendo cab, if you havent already.  Hes got some pretty impressive links to plans with exact dimensions. 

When I built my first Nintendo cabinets, I really only had two options after I did all my research.  One, was to use the jackobud plans....which I heard werent that accurate.  I know a lot of people have had success with them but Im a bit OCD so I opted to buy a Nintendo cabinet and use that as a reference.  Once I got my first one built, I just copying my copies. Haha.  I think I found every single Nintendo cabinet build that has been posted online and studied them for about a year before I actually started making my own.  I was glue to jbaileys FIFJ build, got a lot of inspiration from that.

I actually made a wooden pattern of the profile that I have in the garage traced from my red DK....so that has been really helpful in expediting the new cabs as I start to build them.   Hope that helped! 

[34k]

do you have a little more information on the bezel retaining bracket? Mine in my DK was a little bent. I'm curious about how the mechanics of it work. I can't quite figure it out.

The function is pretty simple, so maybe I don't understand the question. The retainer prevents the bezel from being lifted up which is how you remove the bezel from the cabinet. The retainer sits on the top lip of the bezel when the retainer is slid forward into the lock position.

[Wyo]

Oooooooooooooohhhhhhh......I always thought it was supposed to just slide forward and butt up against the back of the bezel....but its supposed to slide forward and be wedged between the top of the plexi bezel and the cab.  Ahhhhhhh......34K you know everything. 

[ChanceKJ]

OOOHHHH, yeah, i think i know why mine threw me off, it's damaged. Here i thought a small wing nut was missing.

So, whats the little bolt in the end of it for? I was thinking it was to hold a little rubber bit or something that ket the bezel from moving. Had no idea it wedges itself between the edge and the roof of the cab.

[Wyo]

I have no idea what that bolt is for either. Haha.  Maybe 34K will check his fancy, low number, 5 slot, white coin boxed, original finished, red Donkey Kong and chime in again. 

[ChanceKJ]

And maybe if we're lucky grace us with clear, high res pictures or a stable HD Video explanation.

[Wyo]

Just an update.  You know....its been almost 2 months of solid rain here coming out of a looooooooong winter.     Pretty much everybody in the city is over it at this point just because were stuck indoors.  Im not going to lie, its been irritating.  But then I see this.....



So yeah, at the end of the day....its just a dumb arcade cabinet.  As annoying as it is that I cant get work done, first world problems. Ha.  I actually have some pics to post tomorrow.  Pretty much everything is done, time to start getting serious about the artwork.

[Wyo]

double post

[Wyo]

triple post

[Slippyblade]

First off, good to see you have a good attitude about the delays.  Secondly...  why you quote yerself?  That's just silly.

[Wyo]

First off, good to see you have a good attitude about the delays.  Secondly...  why you quote yerself?  That's just silly.

You mean you dont do that? haha

It was an accident....I meant to edit my post, I kept hitting qoute instead.

[Locke141]

Have you considered parking your car out side for a few HR and working in the garage? I'm want more Zelda porn!

[Wyo]

Have you considered parking your car out side for a few HR and working in the garage? I'm want more Zelda porn!

Hahaha.    The sun came out today.  I finished the wrap last night so the cabinet is pretty much complete, minus the artwork.  Ill post some pictures later today.

[yotsuya]

I'm want more Zelda porn!

This sounds like a cry for help...

[Wyo]

Well, the sun came out for a few hours today before it started to rain again so I was able to snap some pics of the finished cabinet.  I still need to add a coin box shelf inside and make a monitor bezel out of black foam core....but then that should be about it.  Now its time to start getting serious about the artwork.  Once I get the artwork designed I can drill out the control panel for buttons, joysticks, etc.   Here are some pics of shiny golden cabinet as of today.....

[Wyo]

[Wyo]

Ive been thinking a lot about the artwork.  Ive considered all the opinions that you all have been gracious enough to offer me.  In the end, I think the direction that I want to take the artwork is still along the lines of the classic Nintendo arcade style, however I want to mix in some of the new school graphics and imagery to make the artwork a bit more modern (such as many of you have suggested).  Ive drawn a lot of inspiration from this image I found....



So, I am aiming to use artwork similar to this....mixed in with illustrations and artwork from the first two Zelda NES games, all in a standard set of Nintendo arcade artwork package (if that makes sense).  I also want to incorporate little bits of gold chrome within the artwork on the sideart, control panel, and side art, similar to the image I just posted above.  Anyway, it sounds good in my head....lets see if I can translate it all to real life.  I think Im going to draw a few illustrations myself to throw in the mix as well.  Well see.   

[DeLuSioNal29]

Gorgeous!

[ChanceKJ]

[conker]

Really awesome project. Posting to follow easier haha

[34k]

Are you going to finish this up in the next week for the Showdown?