working on my first arcade stick - Updated

[mako72]

Well this is my first attempt at a building a joystick box. I built a dreamcast arcade cabinet a while back but that was actually easier to do than this. Everything has to be so perfect when working on something small. I am making 4 at the same time just because why build 1 at a time when you can do 4 at a time? Anyway I have time to kill while waiting for my joystick to arrive.

I am having touble with making them flat and level. I glued them together on a flat surface but they wobble. Anyone know how to fix this or to prevent it from happening?

Also im having trouble getting the top and bottom panel to fit nicely. I cut them out and try sanding them down to size but I always end up sanding too much in one spot.
should I cut the top panel out first and then place the wood around it when I glue it together? did I answer my own question?

Lastly... I want to wire up my buttons in a way that I have yet to see done. I want to skip mounting two buttons for start and select. I would rather hit 3 or 4 certain buttons at the same time and that combination would trigger the start or select button. Is this possible?





I know they look a little rough but im not done yet.

[NiteWalker]

Get a 9x12 piece of sandpaper, tape it to a flat surface, sand the bottom of the case until it no longer rocks. 100 grit should work fine.

[mako72]

So I got the buttons and sticks in the mail today. I ordered from LizardLick.com and I must say the shipping was the fastest I have ever seen and top notch packaging. I ordered a set of sanwa and seimitsu parts. I liked the sanwa joystick more than the seimitsu and I liked the seimitsu buttons over the Sanwa buttons. So I combined the best of both worlds. I used some Ikargua artwork I found on deviant art. I still need to do some wiring though. pics..

[Kaytrim]

Nice job on the case mako.  Solid build and the rounded corners are a nice touch.  I wouldn't worry too much about the wobble if you use it in your lap.  If you want to fix it take and get some small rubber feet and a forstner bit the same size.  Drill holes in the bottom for the feet and slowly deepen the ones on the tall corners until you have a stable base.  That's how I do mine.

As to your wiring question I don't know of a way to have several buttons act as a single one when all pressed.  I would suggest you get the 24mm buttons from LizardLick and install them on the sides of the case if you don't want them on the face.  Check out my builds for some ideas.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[Qesmann]

I see that you have the Hori stick for the Xbox 360. Is your new stick going to work on the 360? If so that would be interesting to me since I'm thinking of either doing the same thing, or just getting the Hori stick.

[mako72]

No I dont think I will be making it for the 360. Maybe on another one. I dont like how many buttons it requires when doing a 360 stick. I will most likely use a dualshock ps1 controller. That seems to be what most people use because there are adapters for it so you can use it on other systems. The hori ex2 stick is nice. Its got all the features you could ask for and its put together nicely but the buttons just dont have the pop that I want and the stick is very loose. If you can find an ex2 brand new in the back stock room for $40 then id say its a no brainer to get it.

[massive88]

Looks real nice  Good clean work for your first stick.

Is  that top panel made of MDF?  How thick is it, and how thick of plexi are you using?

[mako72]

Yes it is 1/4 inch MDF. Its actually really sturdy and straight. At fist I used plywood but it splintered, warped and was just hard to work with. MDF is like working with clay but its still very strong. I know the correct way to make one of these is to use a thicker top panel and route out areas for the buttons and mounting plate but how I did it is good enough for me. I used .093 thickness for the plexi which is thin. I hate cutting plexi.

[Ginsu Victim]

I appreciate your comment on Lizardlick's shipping. This was something I've wondered about, but never have asked.

[massive88]

I appreciate your comment on Lizardlick's shipping. This was something I've wondered about, but never have asked.

I too had a great experience with Lizardlicks shipping and packaging.

For mine I used 1/4" Ply, and did have some splintering.  Maybe next time I should seek out some 1/4" MDF.  I was also too worried about my routering skills to use a larger panel with recesses.

I probably went overboard on my precautions for flexing on the top panel, but I used a stiffener bar along the middle, as well as mid point supports in addition to the corners.  The stiffener bar was useful though as it gave me an area with thickness to it that I could screw my PCB down.  Your supports are nice and long though, much more than mine were.

To attach the Joystick, are those countersunk flathead bolts?

Nice design!  Gives me some ideas on how to improve mine!

[mako72]

Thanks for the comments guys. So I put together my second stick tonight. As you can see I'm a Treasure fan. Its a Gunstar Hero stick. This one sits higher than the Ikaruga which I dont like but I didnt feel like sanding it down. I needed some artwork colors that wouldnt wouldnt clash too much with with the stick and buttons and this seemed to fit the bill. I really had no plans on what sticks I wanted to make. They kinda just came to be. I gave them both a clear coat. Now I just have to wire them up. I went looking around for purple wire today for the Ikaruga stick but I couldnt find any. Oh and I fixed the wobbling problem in about 10 seconds on the disk sander.

[Kaytrim]

The XBox 360 and Playstation 3 need 3 extra buttons (start, select, home/guide) besides the 6 main buttons.  You can find out almost everything you need to hack the pads over here...
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=113675

Nice work 
Kaytrim