My cabinet project

[BrianP]

I have started building my cabinet!  Actually, my buddy Joe and I am building 2 at the same time, one for each of us.  We are trying to follow Saint's book the best we can.  We aren't done yet, but probably about 75% complete.

I have a website up with pictures and my comments on the build process.
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

Feel free to take a look and let me know everything we did wrong (which is plenty, actually).  I will update this thread as I update the website.

Brian

[Axe]

Huhn...
works fine for me!  looking good!  bad cuts and the correction of said cuts doesn't help this project, but it will certainly help your NEXT one!

[BrianP]

Your page is really acting messed up for me. About 75% of your thumbnails don't load and show a broken link.

<sigh>  My server is a bit flakey.  If you try again, it might work.

I will post some pics along with the updating the site from now on.

Brian

[paulscade]

The site worked fine for me.
Man... you guys are quick... 2 cabs in 6 days.
They look good.

[BrianP]

I went back again and the thumbs loaded OK, so maybe it was a fluke.

The server is flakey.  I keep meaning to update it, but never seem to find the time.  Sorry about that.

[BrianP]

Man... you guys are quick... 2 cabs in 6 days.
They look good.

Huh, and I thought we were moving slow.

The second cabinet isn't that much of a burden.  After doing something on the first, you quickly learn what not to do on the second, so it goes much faster.

I think they will look much better with paint and T-Molding to hide our mistakes.

[BrianP]

I have updated the web page with this weekend's work.  The weather was pretty bad so we didn't do much, just assembled the control panel boxes and did a test to see if the hinges would work.  All that is left is the cabinet front, paint, and T-molding.  And of course, the control panel itself.

Hint for anyone about to start.  Make sure you have a second set of hands for the control panel box.  I didn't when I did the first one and it was a pain!

Below is a picture of what the two cabinets look like right now.  The control panel boxes are not attached yet.  Also is a picture of my hinge test for those that haven't attempted hinging the front door and are interested (yes, the routing wasn't great, it was a test).

Figures when we get close I will be out of town the next two weekends and won't be able to much work

[BrianP]

So I took the rest Sept and the beginning of Oct off due to vacations and weather (hard to do work when it rains all weekend).

So, the web site has been updated again with this weekend's work.
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

This was router day.  We did all the routing for the T-Modling and for the door hinges.

We obviously were doing something wrong with the router, as it spent most of the time burning the MDF (notice all the smoke and the burn marks?)  oh well, we were outside, so it didn't matter too much.  Just needed to stop every now and then to breath.

So, the first picutre is routing the T-Molding.  The second is the finished routing for the T-Modling and the third is routing the door hinges.

[javeryh]

We obviously were doing something wrong with the router, as it spent most of the time burning the MDF (notice all the smoke and the burn marks?)  oh well, we were outside, so it didn't matter too much.  Just needed to stop every now and then to breath.

You had the slot cutter disc installed upside down!  It should cut through the MDF like butter and definitely not smoke.  The cabinet is looking good though!

[BrianP]

You had the slot cutter disc installed upside down!  It should cut through the MDF like butter and definitely not smoke.  The cabinet is looking good though!

That is what I thought.  And I tried reversing it, but it didn't seem to matter.

<shrug>

The only thing left to slot cut is the final control panel top.  When I get around to it (will be quite a while, I am building a test panel first), I will try reversing the bit.  Maybe I flipped it twice in the process of switching it.

[javeryh]

It should be easy to tell which way the blades are cutting once you install the bit.  The sharp edges should rotate into the edge (not away from it).  I had the same problem once and I thought my slot cutter was shot (because it worked fine int he past).  Once I figured it out I was back to smooth cutting.

[gothroughthegate]

It reminds me of building my first cab earlier this year.  I had problems cutting the slot for the t-molding too.  I kept leaning the router forward and leaving it flush like I should have.    

[BrianP]

So, another couple of days of work have passed and I have more updates.  We finished construction, got a coat of primer on everything and the first coat of paint on one of the cabinets.

As always, the web site has been updated with more pictures.
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

I did have my biggest screw up of the project (and there have been plenty already).  I measured once and cut once.  And cut the front door a inch shorter than it should be.    Since I am out of 3/4" MDF and wasn't about to buy a sheet, I had to recut my front door from 5.8" MDF instead.  

So here are a couple of pictures.  The first is a picture with construction finished.  We have the coin doors (fake, no mechs) in place to see what it looks like.

The second is everything with a coat of gray primer.

The third is the first cabinet with its first coat of black paint.

[BrianP]

Well, I ran out of money last year and had to put my project on hold 

But, I have started it back up.  I finished painting (4 coats of black) and have added 2 coats of flat poly to the cabinet.  It is a little shinny-er than I wanted, but the flat black paint kept marring every time I touched it.

I have bought the parts for the control panel.  I got almost everything from Ultimarc:
1 x I-PAC 2 Interface (USB)
1 x PCB Mounting Feet
2 x UltraStik 360 Oval Top (USB) red
1 x Joystick Mounting Kits (yes, I screwed up and only ordered 1)
1 x SpinTrak Rotary Control (USB with mouse button harness)
1 x Knobs for SpinTrak (Red/Silver Large)
1 x Flyweight for SpinTrak (Large)
1 x U-TRAK Revolutionary new arcade trackball. (USB) (FireBall red)
1 x Optional Trim Bezel for U-Trak

I got my buttons from GroovyGameGear:
1 x Player 1 Pushbutton
1 x Player 2 Pushbutton
7 x Purple Horizontal Pushbutton - HAPP™ (Player 1 buttons)
7 x Blue Horizontal Pushbutton - HAPP™ (Player 2 buttons)
3 x Green Horizontal Pushbutton - HAPP™ (Mouse buttons)
4 x Yellow Horizontal Pushbutton - HAPP™ (2 for coin up, 2 for flipper)
4 x Orange Horizontal Pushbutton - HAPP™ (Admin buttons)

I think I might order the LED harness from Ultimarc for caps/num/scroll lock when I order the second joystick mounting kit.

Pictures next week when I go on vacation and can start laying out the control panel!

- Brian

[BrianP]

Haven't had a chance to update my website, but I have laid out the panel in cadrboard.  I had to change the layout a bit to handle the different mounting plates, but on the 4th try it seems to work.

Hopefully I will start cutting the wood panel tomorrow, but I doubt it. 

- Brian

[drventure]

Nice. But what's with the 3 green buttons over the mouse? Are they dedicated for Mouse buttons?

It just looks like a tough position to get your other hand you if you're really using the trackball.

I mapped the top three buttons of p1 (or maybe p2 if you're lefthanded) to the left-middle-right mouse buttons and then just remapped then in MAME. That seemed easier to get to, but then maybe that would be a problem in fighting games other than mame where you can't map mouse buttons as inputs as easily? Dunno...

[BrianP]

Nice. But what's with the 3 green buttons over the mouse? Are they dedicated for Mouse buttons?

It just looks like a tough position to get your other hand you if you're really using the trackball.

They are dedicated mouse buttons.  I mostly put them there because Saint's book said to put them there.  I don't really intend on playing PC games, just emulated games, so I didn't think I would really need the mouse buttons for much...

- Brian

[Epyx]

so I didn't think I would really need the mouse buttons for much...

For me personally they come in handy if you don't have a keyboard/mouse tray or use Front Ends exclusively.  I tend to just run my games/emulators from desktop shortcuts which is far from authentic but I also tend to tweak a lot (mame settings etc) so it definitely helps having the mouse at hand.

I have a USB extender for when I want to hook up a keyboard and that way have a built in mouse handy.

My main issue was getting used to the mouse button placements from having used the X Arcade controller so long...I would forever go for the left/right flippers instead of the 3 buttons above the mouse.

[BrianP]

Well, I spent a couple hours transferring the layout to the panel for final drilling.  Nothing to fancy to see.  I did transfer some of the measurements to the back of the panel to help me layout the blind mounting holes.

I did (finally) redo my website.  All the previous pictures (which had problems) are not fixed.  More pictures then what I post are available there:

http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

[severdhed]

looking good.  as for the mouse buttons, they are generally unnecessary.  what i did was wire up a few of my player 1 buttons (buttons 5 and 6) as left and right mouse buttons.  that way i can use them as mouse buttons for windows related stuff, and i can play games with them just like normal. (just make sure mouse input is enabled in mame).  even games that dont use a trackball can use mouse buttons.

that way you have the mouse buttons, but dont have the extra clutter

[BrianP]

looking good.  as for the mouse buttons, they are generally unnecessary.  what i did was wire up a few of my player 1 buttons (buttons 5 and 6) as left and right mouse buttons.  that way i can use them as mouse buttons for windows related stuff, and i can play games with them just like normal. (just make sure mouse input is enabled in mame).  even games that dont use a trackball can use mouse buttons.

that way you have the mouse buttons, but dont have the extra clutter

Since I barely know what I am doing, and Saint's book said to add the buttons, I added the buttons.    I also figured since I am using a I-PAC 2 for the button controller, I didn't think there was a way to make a keyboard encoder act like mouse buttons.

<shrug>  I don't really think it adds too much clutter to the panel.  I think the buttons are high enough that they shouldn't interfere with any games using the mouse, and I don't plan on windows games on this machine.

But if you know how to make an I-PAC 2 handle the mouse buttons, I am all ears.  Andy gave me a special wiring harness to the Spin-Trak to do the mouse buttons and when I talked to him, he didn't provide any other options with the hardware I have (all from Ultimarc BTW).

- B

[severdhed]

you dont connect them to the ipac, you just connect them to your trackball interface, assuming it supports mouse buttons.  for instance, my player 1 buttons 1 through 4 are wired to the regular encoder, buttons 5 and 6 are wired to the mouse interface.  then i just configured mame appropriately

[BrianP]

you dont connect them to the ipac, you just connect them to your trackball interface, assuming it supports mouse buttons.  for instance, my player 1 buttons 1 through 4 are wired to the regular encoder, buttons 5 and 6 are wired to the mouse interface.  then i just configured mame appropriately

Ahh, I see.  (Repeating to make sure I understand) you wired 3 buttons by the joysticks to the trackball (or in my case the SpinTrak since the U-Trak doesn't support mouse buttons).  Then changed mame to say 3 mouse buttons are it.  Got it.

I think I am going to stick with dedicated mouse buttons.  I like them there.  Looking at the picture, I am a little tempted to move them 'higher' on the control panel though....

- brian

[BrianP]

Boy, thing have really slowed down on my project

We cut out the plexi and the holes for the control panel.  29 mm for the joystick buttons amd 20mm for the joystick.  3 1/2" for the trackball.

I wanted to make sure the plexi matched the control panel.  And since none of our cuts were straight, we clamped the control panel to the plexi and cut along the control panel to make sure it matches.

We taped up the plexi to avoid splitting, bolted to the back of the control panel and fires up the drill press and started drilling.  We quickly realized the drill press was too small and we wouldn't be able to drill all the holes.     So, by hand the rest went.  One cordless and 2 corded drills later, and everything was drilled out.

As always, more picutres on my website at
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

but here are a few

[BrianP]

Wow, time slips by so fast.  The last of the control panel construction has been completed. The mounting blocks for the velcro were attached to the back of the control panel with glue and screws. Unlike the plans in the book, we added a block to the top of the panel. There is not a matching block in the control panel box itself, this block was simply to prevent the control panel from sliding up during game play. We also routed out the back of the panel for the U-Track, since it is designed for a 5/8" panel, and with the plexi our panels are 3/4". Couple of days for primer, paint, and poly, and it is all complete.

In my continuing quest to do everything wrong so no one else does, more corrections are visible in the pictures. The 2 side mounting blocks were placed in the wrong places. One interferes with the mounting of the joystick, the other with the mounting of a button. A router easily cut out the excess from the block. Also, we mounted the blocks too low in the control panel box itself. We needed another 1/8" for the velcro. Luckily, that is the width of the plexi, so we glues a couple of pieces to the underside of the blocks on the control panel. With some paint, you can't really notice.

As always, more pictures on my website at
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

[BrianP]

Been a while since I updated, but work has continued.....

Spent a day installing the blind hole mounting kits from Ultimarc for the U-Trak and the 2 U360s.  As always, I made some mistakes.  I didn't drill the holes quite deep enough for the U-Trak and had to pound pretty good to get the nuts installed.  I also didn't drill the holes quite large enough for the 360s.  When I screwed in the nuts, the MDF pushed up a bit so I had to sand that down and re-paint and re-poly.

I then cut out the CPO to match my holes.  The artwork was all purchased from mamemarquees.com. and they look great!  Clamped the CPO between the plexi and the wood and used a hobby knife to cut out the openings.

Finally, the T-Molding (from www.t-molding.com) was all installed.  Wow, I can't believe what a difference it makes to the cabinet.  IT looks like a real arcade cabinet!  I had (and still don't) no idea how to actually install T-Molding.  So, I used a screwdriver to clean out the slots and a hammer to pound in the T-Molding.  Finally, I used a rolling pin to smooth it all out.  Continuing with problems, the plexi doesn't quite match the wood (next time a drill press is a MUST), so putting the T-Molding on the control panel was a bit of a pain.  Finally, I put the panel clamps on the control panel box.  I didn't leave enough from between the CP box and the supports for the monitor shelf, so they didn't fit there.  Instead they are mounted under the box.  Oh well.

The only thing left for construction is mounting the back panels, the door, and the marquee and side art.  I have the artwork, but need to cut the plexi and with the cold snap half the country is in, it is too cold to be outside cutting plexi.  So, I will start the wiring and finish the marquee when it warms up a bit.

As always, more pictures are available on my website at:
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

[BrianP]

I really don't like it when work interferes with life.  Stuck working weekends right now, so I haven't been able to work or post

Anyway, I mostly completed the wiring of everything.  I think I did a rather good job routing wires to keep everything neat and compact.  I just need to run the USB lines for the iPac, the 2 U360's, the SpinTrak, and the U-Trak.  I picked up a couple of connectors from Radio Shack to connect the buttons in the box to the control panel so I will still be able to remove the panel.

Any the problems.

1) I didn't read close enough to the SpinTrak notes.  It only supports 2 mouse buttons, not 3.  And I have already drilled out the panel for the 3rd mouse button.  The iPac only supports 4 admin buttons, and I was planning on using the 8th button for each player for the pinball flipper buttons.  So I now have an extra button with no where to go.  In hindsight, I have no idea what I would have used that 3rd mouse button for anyway, but....

2) Something did't get install right with the U-Trak and it is sitting about 1/8 too low, so it isn't flush with the top of the control panel.  So the bezel doesn't fit.  I think I didn't get the blind mounting recpiticals set deep enough into the panel.  And now with everything wired, I am not sure how to fix this without damanging the plexi.  I don't really want to disconnect everything but....

As always, more pictures are available on my website at:
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

[BrianP]

Work continues.  I added the artwork and lighting to the cabinet.  Also added corner protectors as the bottom corners were getting pretty beat up.

I also finished wiring the 4 buttons in the control panel box and the button on the top I am going to hook to the PC to use as a power button.  I picked up a 6 wire Molex connector to connect the panel to the box so I can easily remove the panel from the box.

In the whole process,  I managed to lose 2 of the black nuts for the pushbuttons which is why there is one button not in the control box in the picture.

I am on the home stretch now.  The only thing left in the cabinet is the speakers and the lights for the coin door.  Then I start on the PC.


As always, more pictures are available on my website at:
http://peschel.homeip.net/pics/arcade%20machine/index.html

[PsychoMikey]

Your making nice progress on your cab. Great work on the wiring! looks nice and clean.

What kind of monitor and speakers are you planning on using?
Are you also making a keyboard/mouse drawer?

[BrianP]

Your making nice progress on your cab. Great work on the wiring! looks nice and clean.

Thanks.  I was rather impressed myself :

What kind of monitor and speakers are you planning on using?

I haven't really finaliazed on my monitor.  I have an 17" NEC ViewSonic I am going to use for now.  I have an idea of creating a rotating monitor using a 15" or 17" LCD I have floating around (non-widescreen).  Until I decide that, I can't really put the plexi cover in front of the monitor.

I picked up a set of Logitech Z313 speakers (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/5872) which sound pretty good for the price.  Since I really don't plan on using this for a jukebox, 2.1 should be plenty for my needs.  I am going to use some spare MDF, zip ties, and rubber 'feet' to keep them in place in the MDF above the monitor.  Still need to get the speaker grills though (which are a PAIN to find).

Are you also making a keyboard/mouse drawer?

I hadn't planned on it.  I have the trackball to use as a mouse for windows.  I don't plan on really doing anything outside of emulators on it, so I don't really need the keyboard.  I have one I will leave inside the cab if I even need it (ie emulator upgrade).