Scratch built #2, vertical pac (new pic of 2nd cp)

[bdsjake]

Attached are pics of my second scratch built cab.  I've wanted a vertical cab to play the classics for some time.  Recently, I upgraded computers at my office and came home with 3 400 MHz computers, and I think to myself, what would run on these?    Only one had an AGP slot, I used that one plus an ArcadeVGA and standard resolution arcarde monitor.  The control panel has a NOS Wico 4-way, plus diagnonally mounted Happs Ultimate 4-way.

I started with the Ms. Pac plans from http://www.jakobud.com.  I settled on the color scheme after seeing a similar black cab/yellow tmolding posted by flampoo I believe it was.  The marquee was from http://localarcade.com/4images/details.php?image_id=319&mode=search (Pac alt colors) printed by http://www.mamemarquees.com.  Tmolding and router bit from http://www.tmolding.com.  IPAC and Arcadevga from (of course) http://www.ultimarc.com.  19" monitor, coin door and marquee retainer from http://www.arcadeshop.com.  Pac CPO and bezel from http://www.twobits.com.

More details later, here are a few pics, first of the front.

(The pics are not highest detail b/c I turned down the resolution on the digital camera, not wanting large files.  They didn't come out very well, I will try to take better pics later!)

[bdsjake]

left side:

[bdsjake]

right side:

The dk and qbert sideart I got from ebay, over the past year for this project, before I settled on the pac theme for the rest of the artwork.  But, I am pleased with the way it came out, I think they look good with the black paint, and were a lot cheaper than the $200 pac sideart from twobits!

[bdsjake]

back:

I decided to use "pegboard" (the stuff you hang hooks from and hang your tools from the hooks) at the last minute to save on mdf (only used 2 1/3 sheets for this project) and plus I thought perhaps it would help with cooling.  I had installed a fan at top, but don't think its needed now.  Plus I figure with soon to be little ones in the house, it would be safer to have a hard to remove back panel.  Button on top is spliced into the computer's on/off button.

[bdsjake]

pic from inside the coindoor:

I decided to try a removeable control panel after seeing "docs" wiring using rj45 jacks.  Here you can see coin door and light wiring, plus a board I mounted in side the coindoor to hold the jacks, monitor pcb, volume control, fan on/off switch and a switch to turn on/off the freeplay credit button on the coin door.  I decided to put the button on the coin door as I didn't want anything else on the cpo.  I am building a second panel for an 8-way stick and LS-30, I will post pics when its done.  Coin door lights use 12v from computer, and leds from http://www.superbrightleds.com.  Volume control from http://www.3tronics.com/VC01A_Info.htm.

[bdsjake]

I built an led driver board using plans from http://www.oscarcontrols.com/led/index.shtml.  This pic is at a wierd angle b/c I forgot to take it until it was mounted.  Its *ugly*, but, its the first circuit board I've ever built, and it worked first time I powered up the cab!  So, I'm pretty proud of it!  You can see some of the panel wiring also in this pic.

[bdsjake]

pic is slightly blurry b/c I slowed down the shutter speed, but it caught the two start buttons lighted up by the led driver board.  Leds inside the happs pushbuttons are single super bright white leds from http://www.superbrightleds.com.

[bdsjake]

A few contruction pics follow, I thought these might help others, as I got a lot of good ideas seeing the work of others on this board.  I don't claim my techniques are the best, but they seem to work, my first cab is still standing after a year!

[bdsjake]

side with "ledgers" or "stringers" made of 3/4" molding.

[bdsjake]

front:

[bdsjake]

back:

[Wizard of DelRay]

That is sweet.  I plan on building a vertical cab in a couple of months and hope it turns out half as good.

[pointdablame]

Wow, that looks really great.  I can't wait to have my own place and have room for more than one cab... I'm already amazed I convinced my parents to let me keep one in the house heh.

And I agree about the sideart. It looks really good, and seems to work well with the cab.  Plus, it's always nice to save a bit of cash.

[walls83]

its amazing how good people on this site make cabs. Another A+ job on a cab.  

[patrickl]

Really nicely built cab. Love the reversed color scheme.

Funny that you choose the Ms Pac/Galaga shape for the cab. You like that version better than the Pacman/Galaxian version?

[hunky_artist]

...there's a difference? lol I thought they were the same.. huh. shows how much i dont know

[patrickl]

I made an overlay of both shapes (Pacman yellow, Ms Pacman blue).

There is not much difference. In fact your question made me doubt if it was an MS Pac shape.The picture of the side with "ledgers" or "stringers"is slightly tilted and that also makes it look a bit like  be a Pacman shape (the top at least)

:edit: drawings taken from Jakobuds site of course

[bdsjake]

thanks for all the kind comments!  Yeah, I do like the Ms. P shape better, and I did *start* with the Ms. P plans from jakobud.  Now, the curves were hard for me, as I basically drew those in freehand after marking all the straight edges.  The curve and point near the control panel came out close to the plans, but the curve at top isn't exact.  I think it is supposed to start curving down almost immediately from the front marquee area, but I have a few inches of straight line.  I did use a string and pencil to try to mark out the 5' (6'??) radius of the curve which got it close.

Here's another pic of the side (the sun came out as I took the pic, that caused some streaks so I didn't post it originally):

[bdsjake]

ps, I meant to acknowledge both flampoo and gsxmoviestar for posting pics or drawings of the alternative black/yellow color scheme.  Here are links to their threads:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=19860

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=18046

thanks,

[pocketbikez]

very nice cab. i like the color contrast of the yellow tmolding and the reverse color pacman marquee. its nice to see classic single player (2 player alternating) cabs being built.  

[bdsjake]

Attached is photo of second control panel, with 8-way joy, LS-30/druin interface, and 4 buttons.  the 8-way is a competition I had laying around.  After playing Zaxxon and Scramble (two of my all time favs and why I wanted an 8way panel) on my main cab with P360, there is no comparison, I will be order another 360.

The swappable connection with rj-45 jacks is described in detail on doc's homepage:

http://www.beersmith.com/mame/


I must admit though -- although somewhat satisfying and cool to accomplish the swappable control panel idea, given the time and energy to create it (and frustrating time spent troubleshooting a few wires!) -- I think I would have been better off just buildinjg a second cab.  In fact, when I get the time and energy, and space in my small basement/gameroom, I may just do that....I have this vision in my head of what a Zaxxon/Scramble cabaret would look like...mmmmm, maybe this winter's project.

[hunky_artist]

thanks for the information about the different cab shapes guys.

ooh! swappable control panels... i'm seriously thinking on doing this with my new (first) cab Im starting in a month or two (single player with trackball and spinner, plus 2 player).

how is it attached? does it 'clip' into place somehow?

also... the panel looks likes its printed onto something more 'rough'. what is it? i like how it looks....

thanks

[ras2a]

its amazing how good people on this site make cabs. Another A+ job on a cab.  

I'll second that...looks fantastic.  A sterling job