Sophomoric cabinet build (or maybe just build #2)

[bobbyb13]

While waiting for inspiration (and a little of the right kind of spare $$) to finish the cocktail(ish) cab I couldn't resist the temptation to get rolling on the next figment of my imagination.

It is a scratch build mame cabinet so I will apologize to any purists who dared read this (I envy your geographical advantages.)

A dearth of real cabinets in my neighborhood merits drastic measures, so I am working on the (sometimes reviled) best answer to suit my situation-

Upright cab with interchangeable panels.
It is already glaringly obvious to me that the build may never end as I continue to build and tweak panels- until I'm pushing up daisies (or bananas as it were-)

Design elements:
Star Wars theme cabinet (just because)
Medium-large CRT
Roomy panel width for 2 player games
All the brains up high to make room for...
Storage of up to maybe 6 panels under monitor via door on one side.
At least one throttle and brake cluster

Current panel build goals:
Buttons only
Flight yoke with hi/lo shifter for some 270 driving games
2 player joystick panel
DOT
2 player trackball

And so it begins-

I copied a profile of an original cab and got out the protractor.
Altered it a bit to accommodate the Kortek 2914 I got (which lilshawn helped keep me from killing- thank you again!) at the angle I like at my height.
Cabinet width also fits the monitor plus a little width for an even proportion bezel and nice control panel dimensions (28" wide.)

Repurposing an old control panel prototype requires some filler and aluminum for a flight yoke anchor.


I always thought the original Star Wars control panel would be more fun with some real dimension to it (unthinkable with the abusive nature of your average teen in the 80's) so thought some fun with fiberglass might be in order.

Building 3 dimensional bits to add and masking for some tinted resin for radar screens and the like.


I'll try to take plenty of pictures if there is interest (kind of like the slow motion train wreck you can't take your eyes off of?!)

Bobby

[bobbyb13]

More resin tint work and sanding on the Star Wars yoke panel.

Remembered I had a piece of carbon fiber left over from a board I made for somebody so figured I might as well start on panel #2 waiting for resin to kick.



Test fit to see if this is all actually going to work- maybe?

Still lots more to do dialing in the control panel cosmetics but I think this may work largely along the lines of my initial layout.

[bobbyb13]

Sporadic work and nasty weather has been buying me a little fun time in the workshop (while there is power anyway.)

Control panel frenzy.

Got the Alan-1 yoke up and running.  That and the 2 player joystick/button panel makes for two panels configured and swappable.

Proof of concept DOT panel put together but not configured to the PC yet.

Dual trackball panel in the making (even if only because Marble Madness was an old favorite as a two player!) The fiberglass work on this one has been fun to play with.

Oh, and brains up above to make room for panels in the cabinet below.


I'm easily having as much fun building as playing.
Bobby

[J_K_M_A_N]

Very cool! Those panels look great. 

J_K_M_A_N

[bobbyb13]

Thank you!

Totally non traditional/unconventional of course, but I'm having fun and it seems to be working.
It will only get worse 

I decided to start an excel spreadsheet to keep track of the interface wiring to hope to use so many panels.

The only thing that will stop me is Windows crying uncle over so many devices- but I think I may get away with it as planned.

Bobby

[bobbyb13]

Trackball panel routing

[bobbyb13]

Couldn't resist the temptation to use "earth and moon" trackballs for this when I saw the 3" blue marble ball on fleabay.

May still get yellow and orange buttons to see what it would have looked like if we had Tatooine style suns in our system instead of what we got.

And of course this makes for 3 more volcano buttons I need to find for the Missile Command element of it all!

Bobby