Finished (finally): Small metal control panel, Cyber pop style

[krutknut]

Although my shoe box panel is good to use, it's not too durable.

I plan to use the same design, but on a metal panel.
I will build it from two 400*25*1mm metal sheets.
To get a sturdy panel, I will fold one sheet into a box without a bottom. The top will be 26*14cm, and the front will be 5 cm, and the back will be 6cm. I will make a small 1 cm fold under the box, to fasten a bottom plate. The sides willl be folded, and I believe that this will result in a quite sturdy box. I will cut out a bottom plate from the second sheet.

I'll cut holes for buttons and the stick using a 28,3cm hole punch.
The panel will have an U360, with IL buttons.

What do you people think about this?

[Zeno]

Small.

Can you hook it up to your Palm?

What was the total cost for this mini?

[krutknut]

It's an U360, so it connects to anything with USB.

The cost for this is:
U360: $59
Harness: $8
Extra groud cable: $3
Crimp disconnects: $9
10 IL buttons w cherry microswitches: $22
Sheet metal: $10
(I also have some extra buttons if I suddenly get some new idea)
(One cherry micro switch went dead almost immediately, is that normal?)

Then add tax, shipping, and the cost for tools.
Tax was 20% i think, and shipping was $12 for me as I ordered together with a friend.
Then add the hole punch to get nice holes in the metal, for about $13.
I am not yet sure exactly what tool I will use to bend the metal, there are many alternatives.

I belive that he U360 is an excellent choice for a small 1p panel, since it takes care of 8 buttons and has an USB interface. I haven't tested any other arcade sticks, so I can't compare.

I was considering an x-arcade, but I figured the cost would be about the same, and this is a much better deal.

[stuckpixel]

This'll beat the pants off of an X-Arcade any day, if for no other reason, the ability to go 4-way or 2-way.

The U360s are a great deal, especially for these small controller projects. Most other small setups I've seen done are by hacking a game pad.

I guess the only thing I'd suggest is make sure the mockup is comfortable however you anticipate playing your games. If it is, go for it. Make sure to post some pics while building and the final shots!

[krutknut]

Exactly. A gamepad hack wouldn't have given me the 4-way option that I want to play Pacman.

Metalworking was a both harder and easier than I thought. These 1 mm steel sheets are though.

Folding the box was ok, but cutting it with the wrong kind of metal cutter might have ruined the edges of the box, since I had to bend the metal to be able to cut properly. Maybe I'll have to invest in a table top cutter (quite expensive) and a new metal sheet (very cheap). It's a bit hard to see what the result will be like with the protective plastic still on.

I will also have to invest in a new drill for metal sheets. The normal metal drills works eventually, but it takes ages to get through.

My hole punch did a fantastic job in creating a perfect hole for an IL size button. The joystick fits in the hole as well.

Anyway, if I fail, I can always use wood like everyone else...

[Timoe]

This is gonna be cool,

[krutknut]

So far, I've ruined some weak metal cutters. The stainless steel metal sheets are apparently much tougher than normal steel sheets. This means that the tools will break unless they are made for 1.4 to 1.6 mm steel, even though the stainless steel sheet is only 1 mm.

To make the holes, I needed a powered screw driver, since a normal drill is too weak when its run slowly. I also needed to put a lot of weight down on the drill. The holes were expanded using the hole cutter, which cuts through the steel like butter.

These are some shots of the almost finished panel, as you see I've fixed the sides of the panel.

I made one mistake in the construction, by placing the hole for a start-button  on the front of the panel so that it collides with one of the normal buttons from the top of the panel. the IL buttons are very deep, several centimeters. Are there other, more shallow buttons that I could use? The panel hole is 28,3 cm, so the button cannot be smaller than that. I could make the hole bigger, of course.

[krutknut]

I've installed the buttons, wires, and joystick. It looks great, and it is heavy enough.
Now, all I have to do is to play test it.
The final design lacks the start button, but has
* a six-button street fighter layout
* a four button neo-geo layout
* two pinball buttons
In total nine buttons.

[Aurich]

Nice. Reminds me of a stick I built for my brother.

[sosuke]

Aurich, you just gave me a great idea

[krutknut]

Aurich, that looks good too. I thought about using a box off the shelf, and there are a few nice ones. But I thought that I'd make something more personal this time. If I make one more, I might  buy a box to modify because it is a lot easier. But then again, creating the box was fun and it looks different from the boxes that I found in the stores.

[Xiaou2]

(sorry, a little late)

 To drill thru metal more effectively:

 Start using a very small bit first.  They will break thru fastest because
there is less metal surface to cut.   Then, use a bit that is the next size
up or close to it.   The next bit will then only have to cut a small amount
of metal on the side of the hole.  This will keep your bits from dulling
quickly, as well as speeding up the whole process.  Use each bit
progressively until you have the correct diameter.   

 Also, they make a special metal cutting bit that looks like a cone.  It
does a similar thing, though, the front blade isnt always as small as
needed to get a good start.  Also, they have limitations on angles,
depth, steps, and as I recall... do not work too good on very thick
work. 
 

 Saturate the bits, and even the spot you will  drill,  in cutting fluids,
or some sort of oil.  The bits need to be cool as possible, and have a
nice smooth ride... else they will dull much faster.   Clean out
scrap particles every few seconds from the pit (when drilling deep),
so as not to have to grind your bit against metal that is already cut.

 If cutting very thick metals,  your bits may get too hot.  You should
douse them in a bucket of cold water every so often.  This should
reduce the dulling as well.   Some industrial cutters spray water
or some other coolent/lubricant while the machines are cutting.

 NEVER use too much pressure.  This will dull the bits VERY QUICKLY.
Use high speed, and med to light pressure.   It takes time to carve
away at the metals..  but if you rush it,  the cuttiing blade will
die. 

 If you notice that there has been no progress for a long time, that
means your bits front cutting surface is too dull and needs to be
sharpened or replaced (Drill Doctor works great!).    Or, you have been
trying to cut with a bit that is too fat without using the
 'progressive-size'  drilling as I mentioned earlier.

[krutknut]

Thank's anyway.

I ended up doing the opposite, using a powered screw driver to drill slowly, but I put a lot of pressure down on the drill. The metal is very tough, so it is no problem to press down hard on the box even when it is folded. I broke one drill, but it was very cheap, so I have no problem with it.

I did start out with a smaller 3mm drill, and they I used a 10mm drill, and i finally cut the holes using a hole punch. I have cutting fluid, but I only used it for the hole punch.

[Stobe]

Just in case you missed it, Andy put out a revision for the U360 to allow more button inputs using a "shift" function.  This will help you with your coin-up and start inputs.

(Disclaimer, I've never used a U360, and I'm too lazy to look up the thread for you. )

(Its the thought that counts, right?)

-Stobe

[krutknut]

Good idea! I have modified a Happ button to fit in the last hole, on the front, to be used as the shift button. It isn't the best mod that the world has seen, but it works for a shift / player 1 button. I simply cut the button in half, so that it got the right depth, and then I mounted the switch a bit to the side.

[krutknut]

After modification, it looks like this.

The button mod is crude, but works

[Crowquill]

Looks good. It makes me wish I'd have finished my Desktop CP.

I was making it to hold me over until I moved my cabinet, but after I moved it the CP project fell by the wayside.

The button mod is crude, but works

You do know that there are shorter buttons out there, right? Good work on making the button "fit".

[krutknut]

"You do know that there are shorter buttons out there, right?"

I only found shorter 30mm (hole diameter) and 24mm buttons, and my holes are 28 mm.
So, to add one 30mm button I would have to pay for the button, for shipping (expensive, usually) and for a 30mm hole punch. That would be a bit expensive for just one start button.

Are there short 28mm start buttons?

[Crowquill]

I only found shorter 30mm (hole diameter) and 24mm buttons, and my holes are 28 mm.
So, to add one 30mm button I would have to pay for the button, for shipping (expensive, usually) and for a 30mm hole punch. That would be a bit expensive for just one start button.

Are there short 28mm start buttons?

Good point. I guess one other option would be to move the start button and then print a small graphic to cover the hole. From the looks of it your modified button should work fine anyway.

[krutknut]

My button mod works very well, so there is no need to move the hole.

But I should either have put the hole a bit to the side, or ordered a shorter button and wider hole punch to begin with. Just because it would have been easier.

[superbigjay]

To make the holes, I needed a powered screw driver, since a normal drill is too weak when its run slowly. I also needed to put a lot of weight down on the drill. The holes were expanded using the hole cutter, which cuts through the steel like butter.

Hello krutknut,

could you post a picture of you're hole cutter?

I'm using SS for mu uroMAMEstyx project.  I can easily drill a pilot hole using my drill press, but I have no idea what to use to cut a larger hole in it.  That was the main reason why I dropped the idea of having a SS cp overlay...

Jay

[krutknut]

Sure,
you need one of these for a Happ/IL button. You also need a normal wrench to use it.
(I posted two pictures of it in use earlier, one from the top, and one from the bottom.)

[superbigjay]

thanks!!!
If I ever need to do a big hole in a metal sheet, I'll know what to use 
Jay

[krutknut]

As it turned out, it wasn't finished because a bottom of cardboard was not sturdy enough for rough handling with kids. Also, the tape dried up, so I had to replace it with steel wire.

I'll have to finish it again. This time with a metal bottom plate.

[krutknut]

Now the small metal control panel is really really finished. I've bent and cut a new steel sheet to use as a lid on the bottom side.

I can stand on this small control panel without any risk of damage. It's ready for some rough play!

 

[krutknut]

And two final! (?) Images.

There are some extra cables (in case you wonder about the mess) in case I want to install someting more inside.


But the cables are well-protected...

Some rough edges remain to be finally bent / polished in shape.