Shell Shocked!!! 4-player panel now with %100 more artwork!

[rgecko]

--timoe  I had everything printed by Scott at www.mamemarquee.com he's a great guy to deal with, and really knows what he's doing, personally having had several years in the graph design business, I can say he won't jerk you around on anything, and he knows how things will look when they get printed out.  On my end I took a poster and had that image photographed in and scanned in through a computer, to get your best print resolution you'll want your artwork at 300 dpi (dots per inch) DON'T upscale something to that as it won't help you, you need to start at that native resolution.  some of the art I only had at 92 DPI but the resolution was much higher so I could scale it back down in size, so it printed out sharply, when the artwork arrived there were no surprises i.e. alterations of the files, or anything else that can happen to it when printed, the art came on vinyl that was easy to apply to treated wood, and then I used a NEW exacto knife to cut it along the edges, once mounted, All I can say is that while artwork, really makes your cab look sharp, it's the little things along the way you need to take care of, when you get frustrated, stop and walk away, the dumbest mistakes I made, were when I was just trying to get things done so they would be done.
The diamond kick plate was done at a local metal shop in Mississauga, I have the general location of it listed in my list of parts, it basically worked out that I stopped in there one day on my way home from work, and they cut it right there and then

[M3talhead]

That cab is really sick!

I didnt know Scott could print sideart that big. What are the dimensions and what did it cost to have it done?

[rgecko]

Measurements:
29 5/16" x 54 3/4"  -- side art
48

[Timstuff]

$200 for the whole set? That's not nearly as bad as I expected with such large side art prints! Sounds like Scott is a really great guy to work with. I'll definately go to him for my art prints.

[dphirschler]

Wow.  That looks great.  Nice work.


Darryl

[MameMaster!]

 ...wow she's a beaut!....enjoy it!

Great job!

[jdjuggler]

rgecko,
I noticed that it looks like the area where the keyboard draw should be is a lot smaller that the UAII plans.
I also want to reduce the front profile (height) of the keyboard draw area.
Do you have a keyboard there?
I was wondering you added additional support under the CP?
Any problems when you actually made the change?
Thanks,
JD

[rgecko]

Hey JD,
I actually dropped the keyboard totally from the design, to do any admin work I use VNC from another computer, and do all the admin work on it remotely, through a wireless network, I may get a wireless keyboard (19.99) at my local computer shop down the road.
There is no additional support under the CP, everything under the CP is as is in the plans, but i did add additional support under the Monitor/TV area, as the TV I'm using is really heavy. I also framed the whole cabinet with 2 x 2 and screwed everything into that, instead of the MDF, the CP box I designed myself, the top of the CP is from a Visio diagram floating around somewhere, I can post specs, and dimensions on it later.

[nipsmg]

rgecko:

Great Great Great UAII job.  I've got to rebuild mine now that it died during moving to my new house, and I had been teetering on whether or not to do full size side art.   Looking at your cabinet made me make up my mind to do it.

Looks amazing.  Have fun with it.   

[rgecko]

OK, the tempered glass came in, and got it installed. I'm using small L-brackets on the front and back of it to keep it in place, 6 on the back of it, and then 2 at the base of it, seems to keep it in place fairly sturdy, plus the glass seems pretty resilient, as it had the door close on it, and luckily nothing broke.

[rgecko]

also here's a close up of the CP art work, to give you an idea of quality, and one of the speakers... like I said in an earlier post, wish I had taken my time, and used a stencil.

[rgecko]

and here's the inside of the cabinet, and a pic of control panle clamps holding down the CP to the cabinet.  The CP isn't moving unless those are unlocked.

[Veinman]

I see what you mean about the stencil. Look on the bright side, people really won't notice since they'll be too blown away by the rest of it.

It would have been cool to rust them up like the "Black Mesa" case mod (just google it if you haven't seen the work of art).

[rgecko]

and one final shot of the total package glass and all installed.

[rgecko]

Veinman, yeah that case mod rocks.  I had done something similar to that back in the day with some spray paints and air brushing for a Star Wars model I made.   By the time I had gotten to the speakers, I was like, man I just want to get playing some games, and have this done, stupid impatient me  let that be a lesson to everyone else, DON'T RUSH it or you'll regret it, little things I tell ya, little things... ugh!

[Veinman]

  Don't let it get you down, trust me, you have done a fabulous job and this is something you should really be proud of. I only hope mine comes out half as good.

[Timstuff]

Excellent job. Don't worry about the speaker grills that much. If they really start bothering you down the road, they shouldn't bee too hard to change anyway. Enjoy your great machine! I'll be lucky if mine comes out anywhere near as good as yours!

[maxxonline]

Marquee and CP

I noticed that you changed the color of the Donatello name on your final print out for the cp, why is that?

[rgecko]

I noticed that you changed the color of the Donatello name on your final print out for the cp, why is that?

[CheffoJeffo]

All I have to say is ... NICE job ... that's a cabinet to be proud of (and which, now that he has seen it, my son envies).

Now, you know that you have to build a few more to justify your costs, right ?

 

Cheers.

[Knievel]

Too old to appreciate the show but I love the cab, nice work!

[maxxonline]

Hey rgecko thanks for the information and help on my last post.  I forgot to ask in my first post but I wanted to ask you now if it was ok that I tried to get the same art work printed and make an Arcade Cabinet almost like your's but with a few changes of my own.  I will be getting the same artwork printed from Scott at Mamemarquees and pretty much using the same type of style.  I just wanted to ask you and make sure it was ok with you before I go copying your ideal.  I love the TMNT cab and I cant wait to start re-living some of my fond Turtle memories   and I cant wait to start working on mine.  Even though I hardly know what I am doing (I have no wood working skills).

And thanks again for your help with my questions.

Jesse

[rgecko]

That's no problem at all, go ahead and borrow whatever you want, the more enjoyment you get out of your cabinet the better it is and if I can be of any help that's no problem at all.

[Bones]

Looks really good. Fanastic work.

[Joystick Jerk]

Wouldn't the marquee stand out a bit more if the background was an opaque black, so just the turtles lit up when the marquee is illuminated?

[rgecko]

The turtles are pretty dark, but even a dark background would probably still light up a bit, plus I think the white adds a bit of a contrast to all that dark colour in it.  of course my real answers is I don't know, this is the only version I've seen with it lit up, intersting question though.

[Joystick Jerk]

Yeah, but if you went that route, you could use some sort of dark, opaque material to stop the light from illuminating a black background.

You could get some heavy, black poster paper and cut it so it just covered the black background but not the turtles. Then when you light the marquee up, the turtles light up in all their green glory, while keeping a nice dark black background for contrast.

[rgecko]

all right so what I'm seeing is keep the white background as is, so that in day light it looks "lit", but cut some cardboard/bristolboard, to knock out the white area, so that then lights are out you get a green glow.... hmmm that may work, now I also need to get the track ball to glow green.... yellow + blue = green... time to look at some LEDs...

[Joystick Jerk]

You can take that route, or if you want to spend a bit more cash you could get another marquee printed with a black background, and then add the black poster-paper to further block light transmission through the black areas.

It's just my opininion though. You can go with what you like obviously. It's just that the turtles on a white background make it look the marquee is unfinished somehow.

[rgecko]

so something like the top image?
also not sure if you know, but close up it has a grey turtle pattern running across the Background, as show in the second image... I may try the blocking out first, and then maybe reprinting down the road... right my bigger issue is getting a brighter light up there, as I had to move it back about 6 inches, which with a 15 watt bulb ends up deffusing the light a fair amount...

[Joystick Jerk]

Ooh, I didn't even notice the gray pattern behind the turtles. Still, I do like the mockup you made with the black background. But, always go with your gut. You won't be happy with your cab unless you've got it exactly how you want it and not how a committee thinks it should be.

[teetu]

and here's the inside of the cabinet, and a pic of control panle clamps holding down the CP to the cabinet.  The CP isn't moving unless those are unlocked.

where did u get those clamps from? those look way better than using suitcase latches.  I'm going to have swappable CPs, and the clamps you are using look perfect

[rgecko]

Happ's part is at: http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm

[teetu]

Happ's part is at: http://www.happcontrols.com/amusement/acesor/49005900.htm

thanks so much- it's very nice that they can be mounted flat or at a right angle.

i noticed that you had 2 clamps for each side.  was it not very secure with just one, or you just wanted 2 for each side?

[rgecko]

The controll panel was just so big 2 on each side just seemed more appropriate to me, and would probably give equal pull to the front and back parts of it.  But I'm guessing 1 on each side would have also been fine.

[Silverwind]

I have been a long time TMNT fan.. from the comics.. to the pen & paper RPG.. all the way to the video game..

I must say very nice job on the cab!!!  Compliments to the chef!

[divemaster127]

hey, i have a brand new happ 4 player coin door at my home if you need one, im in the us & its heavy it would need to ship surface
thanks
divemaster

[Hippie459MN]

Now there is a cab to be proud of. That is awsome! 

I love the artwork.

[_) (V) (-)]

Hey Rgecko,
1st awesome job man!
I really like all the little 'extra touches' you put into this project.
The speaker grills are awesome!!!

I haven't finished my first cab yet but already see the need to make a 4 player setup. And as fate would have it I've pretty much tapped out the ol budget on the first (yet to be finished) cab. However, I have a few spare piceces lying around that I hoped to use. 4 green happs joysticks, misc buttons, and get this, a green woodgrain laminated 3 foot wide tabletop.

I figured 4 players and a green theme, Hmmm . . . 
TMNT is a no brainer here. Going to be a challenge to do this on the cheep but I'll see how far I get.

I'd like to ASK YOUR PERMISSION to borrow some ideas, artwork, etc... from your project. Not excatly sure what I am going for yet but I really like what you did with this one. Let me know, doood. Cowabunga!
_)