Gameday

[Todd H]

I FINALLY found a cabinet to MAME near me. I managed to snag a Mortal Kombat II cabinet for $100 via eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290262927128

I'm planning on calling it The Dawgcade after my Georgia Bulldogs. First I've got to get this bad boy home. Hopefully I can pick it up this weekend.

Some of the things planned include:

New control panel
2 Ultimarc U360 joysticks
1 Happs trackball
1 spinner
various pushbuttons
27" multisync monitor

This might take a while as I'll be buying a little bit at a time. But I can't wait to get started after planning this for around eight years.

[erictrumpet]

Nice find on the MK cab.
Good luck on your project!
I'm a Tide fan but since we are both here at BYOAC, I am your friend in MAME!
Sorry we rolled over your Dawgs so badly last week. I like Georgia and have many friends who went there.
Please post pics of your project as is progresses...

Eric.

[Todd H]

No problem. I had a feeling we were going to lose one with as many injuries as we've had.We lost our best offensive lineman and defensive lineman before the season even started. We're hurting as far as injuries go.

I've got to design a marquee sometime. I'm not sure about sideart yet though. Depends on what the wife will let me get away with.

[shmokes]

May I suggest choosing a new name?  DawgCade is actually really really awful.  Seriously . . . say it out loud a couple times.  It's not good. 

At one point a disturbing trend developed where everybody inexplicably decided to think of a word and add "Cade" to the end of it as the title for their arcade cabinets.  I don't know if it was a lack of creativity, laziness or what.  It doesn't really make much sense, but more importantly it rarely makes for a name that doesn't sound forced and awkward.  In my opinion calling your cabinet The Bulldog or The Bulldogs Arcade is better than DawgCade.  It will also make for a more sensible themed cabinet since you can borrow actual team logos, etc. 

Anyway, I appear to be in the minority on this who _____Cade business . . . but there you have it. 

[erictrumpet]

I agree with Shmokes on the Dawgcade name being less than great.
Here's an idea: "GAMEDAY" with the "G" being the UGA logo G?

Eric.

[Todd H]

Messaged received on the name. I'll do a few mockups of Gameday and see what it looks like. Thanks.

Edit: I've changed it to Gameday. Thanks Eric for the name and shmokes for the brutally honest feedback.

[Todd H]

I picked up the cabinet today. Looks to be a Dynamo cabinet that was used as a Mortal Kombat II. It looks like it's been painted a number of times as well.

The cabinet is in decent shape with the exception of a couple of spots, as seen below.

http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003639kg5.jpg

http://img376.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003640mt5.jpg

Here's some more shots. I just linked to them as I didn't feel like resizing them.

http://img204.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003635os0.jpg

http://img518.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003638lb7.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003636kf5.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003637se5.jpg

This picture shows that the front panel (where the coin door is mounted) has some pretty serious cracks. I'm thinking it's probably going to need replacing.

http://img519.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1003642xi9.jpg

So the question is should I fix all of the imperfections and paint or just use laminate? I have a sprayer to paint the cabinet with. If I paint, how do I prepare the surface? Any input is welcome.

[ChadTower]

May I suggest choosing a new name?  DawgCade is actually really really awful.  Seriously . . . say it out loud a couple times.  It's not good. 

May I present Mister shmokes after 4 mojitos.   

[shmokes]

 

[Todd H]

I'm going to have to go with a smaller monitor after doing some measurements. The opening is only 24" wide and the cabinet itself is not very deep. I couldn't find a 27" multisync that would fit. That limits me to a 25" CGA monitor, a 25" tri-sync analog monitor (which won't remember setting when switching resolutions), or a PC monitor.

Edit: Made my decision. Going with a 25" CGA arcade monitor. All the games I want to play are old school classics so it just made sense.

[shmokes]

What about a TV?  That'll do 640x480 and look pretty much the same as an arcade monitor.

[Todd H]

I've hooked my PC up to a television via s-video before and wasn't impressed with how MAME looked.

[Knievel]

I was running Mame on a 36" CRT TV for a while here, using a ATI card and the HDTV component adapter.
Really nice picture compared to S-vid, sharper mainly. You'll find a thread(not mine) about that setup if you do a search.

You should be able to find a nice 25" TV for free if you do go that route. I've got one here if you're up for a road trip.

Regarding your question about my dynamo redux cabinet:
I made my 'CP shelf' 30" from the bottom of the side and 21" from the back.
So if you mark those coordinates on the side of your cabinet and place the tip of a 90° square there you can trace your shelf.

[Todd H]

Thanks Knieval. I'll trace it out this afternoon so that I can get the cuts done. Me, my brother, and my uncle are going to start work on it this weekend.

I did briefly consider a television, but I want to go for authenticity. That's why I'm just going to get a CGA monitor and an ArcadeVGA. Got to have those lovely scanlines.

[Todd H]

I've decided to go LCD.

I'm going with this monitor:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3574524&CatId=3774

At 16:10 aspect ratio and 25.5" it should be a decent enough size. Since it's 16:10, regular 4:3 aspect ratio games would be equivalent to viewing them on a 23" monitor. Put it behind some tinted glass and I think it's going to look amazing. I've got to give up some authenticity but for me gameplay is more important.

I start work this weekend modifying the cabinet for the new control panel. I may even get some sanding and priming done too.

[Todd H]

OK, cutting is done. Now I need to get it ready to paint. What grit sandpaper should I use? There's a good couple of layers of old paint on the thing. I know you start off with something course and then use something fine between each coat of primer. Would 100 grit be course enough for the first sanding?

[Todd H]

After seeing how nice laminate looks with other people's projects, I've decided to go that route. The local building supply place can order it for me so I'm going to measure and see how much I need and place an order. I'm probably going to have to buy a router as well unless I can find someone nearby that has one. The journey continues...

[Todd H]

Got my control panel kit today from Mameroom. Unfortunately, one of the corners was damaged in shipping. Other than that it looks pretty good. Hopefully Scott can send me another top panel.

Edit: Props to Scott over at mameroom.com. He's shipping me out another panel ASAP. Customer service like this will make me a return customer.

[Todd H]

I managed to get one side sanded and, man, what a job! It took 65 grit sandpaper to get off the couple of layers of paint. I'm going to be feeling this tomorrow. I got it sanded down to the original primer coat. I'm pleased with how well it went. After getting off all the paint the surface is in excellent shape. I've still got to bondo a few rough spots, but when it's done it's going to look pretty darn good.

[Todd H]

After a few hiccups (thanks Scott for the excellent customer service), my control panel is here.



I've also finished sanding and fixing the various nicks and holes with bondo. All I need to do now is cut the t-molding slot on the spots that I had to modify and it will be primer time.

[cmoses]

I've decided to go LCD.

I'm going with this monitor:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3574524&CatId=3774

At 16:10 aspect ratio and 25.5" it should be a decent enough size. Since it's 16:10, regular 4:3 aspect ratio games would be equivalent to viewing them on a 23" monitor. Put it behind some tinted glass and I think it's going to look amazing. I've got to give up some authenticity but for me gameplay is more important.

I start work this weekend modifying the cabinet for the new control panel. I may even get some sanding and priming done too.

Let us know about that monitor.  It shows that it is 23.5" wide, which would just fit in my cabinet without any modifications.  I am currently using a 20" 4:3 LCD which is nice, but could always go a little bigger.

[SNAAKE]

is that a multi sync monitor or 1080p native?

[Todd H]

It's a 1920 x 1200 16:10 LCD computer monitor.

[Todd H]

Today was a big day for me, as my Ryobi router, slot cutter, arbor, and t-molding arrived. The cabinet is pretty much sanded and patched. I just need to build a mount so that the mameroom control panel can be attached to the cabinet and cut a new t-molding slot. This is all getting done Saturday. After that, it's primer and paint time.

I've also got pixelhugger designing me a marquee. Can't believe things are moving along.

[opt2not]

Right before the holidays too!  Lucky Dawg! (hehe ) 
Hopefully you've got some time off to enjoy your machine!  Post some pics when you're ready!

[Todd H]

I think the next picture I"m going to post is after it's been painted with the new t-molding attached. I've got to admit, I have really enjoyed working on this thing.

As for enjoying it, if there's one thing I've learned from this place is install the PC last or else it will never get finished.  So it will be a while before it is playable.

[Namco]

Nice find!. One of the hardest parts of a project is stripping the adhesive from the CP. Looks like he did that already for you. Plus a free TV already installed? You can't beat that!

[Todd H]

The television was damaged beyond repair when I moved the cabinet (it was a two hour drive to get it back home). I ended up modifying the cabinet to fit a mameroom control panel, so the Dynamo panel was throw away. I tried giving away the old panel but nobody ever showed any interest.

[Namco]

Ouch, thrown away, eh? I would've loved another CP for my dynamo cab. They bolt on so easily too. Admittedly I haven't looked that hard and they're probably not too hard to find.

Bad news on that TV though. Looks like it was mounted too low anyway.   

[Todd H]

Ouch, thrown away, eh? I would've loved another CP for my dynamo cab. They bolt on so easily too. Admittedly I haven't looked that hard and they're probably not too hard to find.

Bad news on that TV though. Looks like it was mounted too low anyway.   

Yep, I hated throwing it away. I was practically begging someone to give it a good home.

[Todd H]

I just purchased my monitor and am about to leave and pick it up. I went with the Samsung T260.

http://www.samsung.com/us/consumer/detail/detail.do?group=computersperipherals&type=monitors&subtype=lcd&model_cd=LS26TWHSUV/ZA

I haven't primered and painted yet because I need to build a monitor mount, which means drilling and filling a few more holes with bondo. As soon as I do that, I'll get it painted and in the house. I'm getting there slowly.

Edit: Back with the monitor. Looks pretty sweet. No stuck or dead pictures. Hooked up blu-ray player to the HDMI port and picture is outstanding.

[Todd H]

I decided to give painting a try instead of laminate.

I started out with a couple of coats of Kilz latex primer, sanding between each coat with 220 grit sandpaper. When that was dry (I waited at least 24 hours before even touching the thing), I then started with the actual painting. Using a fine nap roller, I rolled a coat of black flat latex on each side and panel. After drying for 24 hours, I sanded it with 800 grit sandpaper and rolled on another coat. I did this three times until the finish looked satisfactory. There's very little orange peel and the color looks uniform. I was shocked that it turned out so well, although it was a bit more time consuming than I thought.

Tomorrow I'm bringing it in the house, putting on the t-molding, and mounting the control panel. I'll take a few pictures when I'm done. I already have all the buttons and one U360.

All that's left is:

Marquee artwork (Pixelhugger is working on that now), marquee light, and marquee plexi
Monitor glass (tinted)
One more U360 w/circular restrictor and longer handle
3" trackball and mounting plate
Turbo Twist 2 spinner
Ipac
Wiring
Over/under coin door
PC

Getting closer...

[ivwshane]

Wheres all the pics? I want to see some progress shots!

[Todd H]

Taking some today. Just got to get it in the house.

[Todd H]

Here's she is repainted and with the control panel mounted. I still need to clean some dust off the sides but I think it turned out pretty nice. The laminate on the control panel looks darker than the paint on the cabinet with the camera flash but in person they look pretty much the same.

[ivwshane]

What type of paint did you use on top of the primer?

[Todd H]

What type of paint did you use on top of the primer?

A flat black Sherman Williams latex over Kilz tinted latex primer. In normal room lighting they look the same so I'm not too worried. Plus, I plan on using sideart anyway.

I was extremely impressed with how well the bondo worked in rebuilding a couple of the corners and filling in the various screw holes. That stuff is a godsend.

[maniac e]

Here's she is repainted and with the control panel mounted. I still need to clean some dust off the sides but I think it turned out pretty nice. The laminate on the control panel looks darker than the paint on the cabinet with the camera flash but in person they look pretty much the same.

Where did you get the red side strips?

[Todd H]

Here's she is repainted and with the control panel mounted. I still need to clean some dust off the sides but I think it turned out pretty nice. The laminate on the control panel looks darker than the paint on the cabinet with the camera flash but in person they look pretty much the same.

Where did you get the red side strips?

It's replacement t-molding that I got at t-molding.com. The cabinet originally came with black t-molding.

[maniac e]

ok thank you for the info

[Todd H]

Here's a couple of pictures of the Samsung 26" T260 LCD monitor. I almost hate putting this thing in my cabinet and hiding it behind tinted glass because it's so gorgeous. My monitor mount is on the way so as soon as it arrives I'll be mounting it in the cabinet. Width wise it is a perfect fit at 24", although the second picture makes it look a bit too wide because it is sitting forward on the control panel mount.

I also ordered the NovaMatrix LED Marquee Light today from Randy at GGG.

[cmoses]

I have been contimplating the NovaMatrix LED light as well.  Please let us know what you think once it has arrived.  Did you go with only one?  How will you be mounting it?

[ivwshane]

I went with two novamatrix for my cab and I'm glad I did, my marquee is pretty evenly lit.

[Todd H]

I just ordered one. I'm going to paint the area inside my marquee space white and mount the Novamatrix about six inches from the marquee. Hopefully that will be bright enough. If not I'll probably just order another.

[cmoses]

I went with two novamatrix for my cab and I'm glade I did, my marquee is pretty evenly lit.

Are your two mounted next to each other horizontally?  Or some other way?

[ivwshane]

Yes, they are mounted horizontally right next to each other and just in case it matters, my cab is 30" wide.

[Todd H]

I hate you guys with yer fancy control panels with pretty graphics and flush mounted trackballs. Thanks to you, I've started over on my control panel. 

Seriously, I have Jack over at Arcadesrfun.com helping me design another control panel. I thought I could live with the trackball plate showing but after looking at everyone else's panels I just knew after a while it would bother me more and more. Plus I'm going to try and have some nice control panel art as well. So thanks for the inspiration everyone.

So my project is going to be delayed for a bit. I have 80% of my parts already so when the panel is done I should be able to finish.

[thatitalian]

You know flush mounting makes sense!

I hate the plate showing! My first cab has it and it JARS the hell out of me!

[darkofpeace]

Looking good. I used to live in Eastman, worked at the Aviation school. I have to say I love your marque. If you don't mind can I borrow it when I build mine. Go Dawgs!

[Todd H]

Well, I ordered the last piece of the puzzle yesterday...one piece of solar gray tempered glass from onedayglass.com. As soon as I get the glass and monitor installed I'll take a crapload of pictures of the finished product and post them. I'm planning on taping off the monitor area on the glass and painting the rest of the back black. Hopefully it will turn out well.

The software is pretty much set, with the exception of a few missing screenshots that I'm taking care of as we speak. Feels good to finally be close to finishing.

I have been contimplating the NovaMatrix LED light as well.  Please let us know what you think once it has arrived.  Did you go with only one?  How will you be mounting it?

The Novamatrix looks pretty good behind my marquee. I'm very pleased with it.

[Todd H]

Bumping this thread because I finally got the monitor and glass mounted and my cab is finally 100% complete! I'll throw up some pictures later tonight but the LCD monitor behind smoked glass looks pretty darn good. And it only took 1 year and 3 months! 

[Todd H]

Here she is. Excuse the crappy iPhone pics. The NovaMatrix does a good job of lighting the marquee as you can see. The over/under coin door is brand new and functional. I decided to just keep the control panel instead of making a new one as the trackball plate doesn't seem to bother me at a all. It was a lot of work but I'm glad to be done.

[DennisInMN]

That looks very good.  Nice job and enjoy it!   

[Todd H]

Just an update...

A couple of years later and my now four year old son has taken to this thing like a pro. He plays it all the time. At one time I had thought about selling it but there's no way I could now. 

[Todd H]

Well, after a few years the old girl has finally started acting up. My right Ultrastik has got a bad case of the jumps. Tried just about everything but nothing has worked. Sent Andy an e-mail and hopefully we can figure out the problem.

[Todd H]

Andy to the rescue! The new PCB fixed up the broken 360 and I'm back in business. 

[eds1275]

That's awesome. It looks great with the black and red - I've got a few builds on the way and that's the scheme I'm going with as well.

[Todd H]

Greetings all!

It's been a few years but just wanted to give an update. Gameday is still going strong! Only issue I've had is a bad power supply. Replaced it and she's running like new. My son is now nine and still plays it almost every day. In fact, he'd rather play games on the arcade machine than any of the newer game systems. I foresee many more years of enjoyment from this project. Thanks again to everyone that helped. Here's to another ten years! 

[luizw81]

That's awesome to here!  I finished my 1st build in September and my 9 and 4 year old can't get enough.  Only wish I had made a 4 player cab as I have to kick them off so I can play. Lol

Sent from my SM-G530R4 using Tapatalk

[Todd H]

Welp the time has come for a refresh. I’ve stripped her down and am replacing the aging Windows XP PC with something more modern. I’m also swapping out the old monitor for an LG 28” DualUp. I’ve already replaced all the buttons with LED buttons and swapped the oval tops and shafts on the Ultrasticks to ball tops (thanks again Andy!). Also going to put a fresh coat of paint on the old girl. I’ll post up some new pics when I’m done. Still can’t believe how many years enjoyment this machine has given us and I’m looking forward to enjoying it for years to come.