Finally found a cab to convert!

[drpcken]

So I have planned on building a cabinet for a year or so now but my lack of free time has kept me from starting.  Last week a buddy of mine calls me and says he found a cabinet in a convenient store for 30 bucks, the only thing wrong with it is the screen doesn't work.  For 30 bucks I thought it must be in horrible shape so he snapped a pic and sent it to me.  Once I saw it I knew I had to have it. 



I'm guessing its in great shape for 30 bucks.  I haven't gotten my hands on it yet but I'm going tonight to pick it up.

I want to replace the bad screen with an LCD, strip the old art, repaint, put custom art on it and build a custom control panel with at least 2players (8way joystick, 7 buttons) and a trackball.  I'm looking at the I-Pac control interface, and a couple Ultra 360 joysticks.  I'm not sure which buttons are the best though.  I'm looking to get everything from Ultimarc.  Is this a good idea?  How does the U360 compare to say the Mag stick?

My favorite arcade game of all time is Killer Instinct.  So if I can get similar control feeling to that I would be very happy.

I've never done this before.  I understand how the control panel will work, but I'm not sure about quality of parts.  Any personal experience advice would be great.

I'm stoked

[whynotpizza]

Nice score.

It is always a good idea to start with a decent "shell" of a cabinet and build onto from there.

Good luck with the project....

  David

[garnerb350]

Awesome!....I didnt do so well...had a guy Tues post a listing on craiglist for the following wednesday...saying he had a Raiden and Side Arms cabs he needed to get rid of...and he was selling them $25 a piece...( both working) I didnt see it untill when i came in to work that day....

best of luck!

[mwong168]

That's an awesome score for $30.  I had to send this link to my good buddy because we always rip on this P.O.W. game and if you play it you will understand    Good luck on your restore and post up pics or start a build thread in the projects section.

[drpcken]

Thanks!  I'm going to document and photograph the entire restoration and put a blog up about it.  I'm so excited!!

[severdhed]

those dynamo cabinets are great candidates for a mame cabinet....i love how the control panel is attached to a pull out shelf for mounting the boards.

good find, keep us posted

[mwong168]

Just to further illustrate how good of a deal you got, I paid $40 for the exact same coin door on your cabinet    I totally agree with the Dynamo cabinet design because my friend has one and very easy to work with and well designed.

[mvsfan]

So I have planned on building a cabinet for a year or so now but my lack of free time has kept me from starting.  Last week a buddy of mine calls me and says he found a cabinet in a convenient store for 30 bucks, the only thing wrong with it is the screen doesn't work.  For 30 bucks I thought it must be in horrible shape so he snapped a pic and sent it to me.  Once I saw it I knew I had to have it. 



I'm guessing its in great shape for 30 bucks.  I haven't gotten my hands on it yet but I'm going tonight to pick it up.


you stole this thing. Thats the same cabinet ive got for my vertical games. its in about as good of shape as mine from the pics, and i paid 300 for mine.

And yes, it does have the very cool pull out control panel with a nice shelf to mount everything to.

make sure you leave a nice big loop for whatever you wire up though so the shelf will pull out as intended.

the only thing i dont like about this cabinet wich is soon to be fixed, im gonna put a door on the back. that thing is that their isnt any access to the bottom part except through the

coin door. I want to drop a ups in there soon.


also, if its the same as mine it should have a WGU2000 monitor in it.

why dont you fix that one? theirs places you can send the chassis to and they will fix it. i know one guy who charges a flat fee of $100 and doesnt charge you for parts or by the hour.

thats a good deal, believe me.

I want to replace the bad screen with an LCD, strip the old art, repaint, put custom art on it and build a custom control panel with at least 2players (8way joystick, 7 buttons) and a trackball.  I'm looking at the I-Pac control interface, and a couple Ultra 360 joysticks.  I'm not sure which buttons are the best though.  I'm looking to get everything from Ultimarc.  Is this a good idea?  How does the U360 compare to say the Mag stick?

My favorite arcade game of all time is Killer Instinct.  So if I can get similar control feeling to that I would be very happy.

I've never done this before.  I understand how the control panel will work, but I'm not sure about quality of parts.  Any personal experience advice would be great.

I'm stoked

[Beretta]

congrats it looks like it's in pretty good shape too.

[mvsfan]

oh and if you do send off the chassis, dont play around with 30,000 volts.

i see a lot of suggestions to use a screwdriver with a wire attached.

best bet is to look for some electronic surplus on ebay and get a lovingly used 40,000 volt probe.

my favorite thing about a probe is that it sucks all the juice out of the tube and chassis without the scary cracks and pops of a screwdriver that ive heard about.

ive never used the screwdriver cause many years ago i had to buy a probe for electronics class.

connect the ground clamp to the mental frame of the monitor and make sure its a good connection, plug the banana into your multimeter, set it to 20v dc

and stick that probe under the anode cap making sure you touch the prong, your meter should read 1, 2, etc for a second or two. dont be fooled. 1,2,3, etc is ten thousand not 1 volt. wait 5 minutes, do it again, wait 5, do it again.

as a last precaution, put on a rubber glove before you pull the anode. rock it back and forth till it pops out, and then touch the anode to the metal frame of the monitor just to be sure.

okay, your there. disassemble the boards very carefully, make sure you are ultra careful when you pull the neck board. do not pull it at an angle of any sort. Its extremely easy to break a pin, or worse, crack the glass on the neck. if it happens you might as well throw the whole thing in the trash.

anyways, this is if you decide to repair the monitor thats there.
you never want to send a whole monitor out for repair. that tube is damn fragile, and heavy. they will charge you a fortune for shipping, and theirs no guarantee at all that it will arrive unbroken. shipping is just like any other business. even if you stick fragile all over the box,

if your package happens to arrive at a terminal 10 minutes before that worker goes home and the boss says youve got to process 5 more packages, all of them will get tossed around as fast as possible so the guy can go home, trust me.

[Nipedley]

Looks like you got a nice deal there though I'm not sure the word 'restore' is appropriate if you're intending to convert it? For the record my cabinet came converted with a P.O.W pcb and I didn't like the game very much at all so maybe it's not such a bad thing

As for the above post.. monitor discharging is a well covered topic in the monitor section of the forum I urge you to read and read about it until you fully understand everything that's going on, dangerous stuff. Several guides wouldnt go amiss it helped me out first time around.

Look forward to seeing your progress with it

[Turnarcades]

That's an awesome score for $30.  I had to send this link to my good buddy because we always rip on this P.O.W. game and if you play it you will understand    Good luck on your restore and post up pics or start a build thread in the projects section.

Sorry gotta jump to it's defence here; I'm a massive co-op brawler fan. Turtles, Simpsons, Vendetta, Final Fight, Golden Axe, Alien Storm, POW, love 'em all. 

[mvsfan]

as far as the above post i just told you everything ive experienced first hand with a WG U2000 monitor.

bottom line is, make sure you discharge it completely before ever grabbing ahold of that anode wire.

my dad remembers very fondly when his dad was messing around inside of a tv back in the early 60s.

his dad got sent into the twilight zone and its one of my dads fondest memories cause his dad was an abusive sonofabitch.

[mvsfan]

you know, the truth of it is that whoever says that today kids are out of control cause they call hrs on their parents, and yes, today they do do that,

never went through anything like my dad did.

In those days the parents were always right no matter how drunk or high they were, and as long as they donated something to the local police force.

anyway, im finished with that subject.

[drpcken]

Well I got the cab late last night.  We turned it on before loading it into my truck and everything seems to work but the screen.  Classic and nostalgic arcade game sounds bellowed from the beast  .  Too bad we couldn't see anything.  The screen has some pretty heavy burn-in.  I'm just going to replace it with an LCD since I'm not looking for a totally authentic experience.

I put a quarter in to see if the coin slot indeed worked, the quarter dropped into the catch bucket as expected but we didn't get any type of audible feedback so I'm not sure if it works or not.  If not, it will still look good on the cabinet.  The PCB is in really good shape.  I'd be willing to part with it if anyone wants to pay to ship it.  After removing the back (I even got all of the keys to the cab) I realized I had never really seen the inside of a (semi) working arcade before and was really intrigued. 

The artwork looks like a sticker or laminate, I'm not sure how to get it off easily (any tips?).  I plan to sand, prime, and repaint the whole thing black.  I also want to remove the black t-molding and put on blue t-molding.  I'm going for a blue and black theme, similar to the popular mame artwork on mamemarquees website.  I have a couple of theme ideas I'm romancing that will probably require me to create it myself in illustrator and have it professionally printed.

I was a bit surprised by the control panel.  For some reason I was expecting a wooden-type panel, but it is made out of a thin sheet of painted metal that was rounded at the top to meet the bezel.  There is no drawer (that I've seen yet) like mentioned in the earlier posts.  My plans are to build a custom control panel but I have to get the metal off and decide how to mount it (at the moment I have no idea how to approach it).  The Player 1 buttons are extremely worn out and you can feel a difference between them and player 2.  Not a problem though as I'm going to order all new buttons and some U360s. 

Once I get it in my garage and make some work space I'll take tons of pictures for you guys.   

[bkenobi]

Man, that artwork looks pretty good to me.  I'd personally have a tough time removing it if it were truly that nice.  However, if it's actually faded or torn anywhere, that's a different story.  I know a lot of people like creating their own theme for their cab and they usually look great (based on the pics here).  But, I personally find complete art (even when the art happens to be for a sucky game) alluring.  Ehhh, maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't do anything to the outside other than touching up any nicks in the paint.   

[wweumina]

Well I would recommend preserving as much of the artwork as possible.  You never know, P.O.W could be someones favourite game and they are just missing that last piece...  This comes from a Champion Wrestler fan who has spent years collecting whatever original pieces as are available...

[SirPeale]

That's a dedicated POW cab.  It's probably got a K7000 in it.  Easy to repair, usually.

Don't go with the IPAC, that cab already has a JAMMA harness; use a JPAC instead.

[drpcken]

That's a dedicated POW cab.  It's probably got a K7000 in it.  Easy to repair, usually.

Don't go with the IPAC, that cab already has a JAMMA harness; use a JPAC instead.

Ok now you've thrown me for a loop   I have no experience with JAMMA.  Is that a controller? Will it work with the u360's? 
Let me get inside it and I'll post more about it.

Thanks!

[drpcken]

Ok I just read up on JAMMA and JPAC.  I don't think it's what I'm looking for though.  I'm looking to convert the cab into a custom MAME machine with a new control panel.  From what I've read JPAC is for connecting the current control panel and monitor to a PC right?

I think I'm confusing everyone with my subject by using the word RESTORE instead of CONVERT 

[Malenko]

JPAC takes the place of the game PCB. it has VGA in but you'll still need to feed it a 15KHz to display on the monitor. it also lets the existing wiring work and has connectors for more buttons

all an IPAC does is let you run wires to sticks and buttons for input.


read up some more

[Nemss316]

Depending on if you go JPAC vs. IPAC is going to depend on what you want to do with the monitor. If you use the exising monitor, the JPAC will be necessary. It has the VGA input, and also blocks any signals that can damage your monitor. Use Soft15Khz with your existing video card, or purchase an ArcadeVGA, and you're set! If you decide on using an LCD, or PC monitor, you can still use the JPAC and JAMMA harness, which is what I did, or you can rewire the buttons and use an IPAC. With the JPAC, three of the buttons are wired anyway to the JAMMA harness, and you'll use the JPAC for the extra buttons you add on.

I would recommend laying out your CP designs first.. You are just digging in, and you have a long ways to go, but you are definetely going in the right direction. Take your time, read the WIKI, and plan, plan, plan!

Agreed on the monitor suggestions also. Since the cabinet has the brackets for the monitor anyway, have you thought about using a 19" TV or PC monitor? Just an FYI, I replaced my monitor w/ my old flat panel as well, no complaints here. Plus, you dont have to deal with Soft15K, or an ArcadeVGA, though they are easy to install and use.

Great find on the cabinet! I looked long and hard for a dynamo, they seem to be the easiest to use, as far as conversions are concerned. Keep us posted!

[Beretta]

1. dont toss those old buttons, unless they're cracked you probably revive them.
if the spring feels worn out you can take the button apart and stretch it to make it stiffer.
new buttons are pretty cheap 1.20 with switch over at GGG, seems like a decent deal but those old buttons on the machine are probably still usable.

2. i agree dont destroy the side art, also keep the bezel art.. and i personally liked pow, and it was a pretty good money maker around here, usually there was someone else to play with on it, dunno where all the pow hate comes from.

3. dont use a jpac if you're going with a mame setup.. jpac is only good if you wanna drop a pc into a cabinet and reuse it's jamma wiring.. if you're going for a mame conversion there is very little point in using a jpac, the jpac will also hold you back on number of inputs.. go with a keywiz, an ipac, or if money is a issue and you dont mind some hacking get some cheap usb game pads to hack, i just went this route and they was easy as sin to hack: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370227266989
i think these are similar if not same as the ones on GGG, if you dont mind some soldering work these have got to be one of the cheapest ways of doing it. i just bought 2 a week or so ago and worked quite nicely.

[bkenobi]

No hate for POW here.  I was just saying generically that if the artwork is cool, then I would keep it even for a sucktacular game.  I haven't played POW in a while so I don't know if it's fun or not.   

[drpcken]

I hate to disappoint everyone but I'm not really interested in keeping the art.  I really want a customized cabinet.  Is there any way to keep the art on the side?  I don't see how it could be done without damaging it.   The bezel and marquee won't be a problem to salvage though.

I have some questions in regards to stripping the current wood and sanding, but I'll save that for the woodworking forums unless everyone wants me to keep it here in one thread.

I'll be posting photos of the artwork in a few hours.  I got it in my garage this afternoon and cleaned up but my wife has the good camera in her purse and will be home in a bit.  

[drpcken]

I snapped some pics to share:





Part of bezel is a little warped, not worried about it though:


Side artwork.  I didn't get the other side, it has some scratches and noticeable damage


More coming!

[drpcken]

Coin door needs some work, but the actual mechanism is very clean and works


PCB with JAMMA


Marquee

[drpcken]

Could this be why my crt isn't working?  Notice the green wire not connected?  I know nothing of CRT's except not to touch the anode

[jtslade]

The artwork looks amazing! It would be a shame to lose it.

Wouldn't preserving it be good. Just an opinion but if you walk up to a original arcade game and at first look its playing POW from SNK. then you hit the player one start button and the 1st button on the player one controls and it escapes into the front end, say Hyperspin.
Walk up to the machine, and it looks impresive (guests that come over say, wow you have a real arcade game!)



So from:   

to the Front End:

Use a same diagonal size TV tube with Svideo input, I did it and believe it or not it was not as hard as I thought to do. De cased and discharged.

I started with this:


Now I have this:



Very glad I decided to preserve the look and save all the artwork.

Another pic of my Control Panel: Btw the Mag Sticks are great (shown in picture), downside to the U360's is that it can be tough to get them to work with all front ends if they don't have joystick support.

Started as this:


Cleaned and polished to this:


Then ended up like this:

[smalltownguy]

I completely agree. If you've got a cabinet in halfway decent shape, in my opinion it's better to try and complete the conversion while trying to preserve the integrity of the cab. Ultimately it's your choice, your project, but that's a nice looking piece -- I'd try to incorporate a 'mixed bag' approach like jtslade suggests.

I have a Rolling Thunder cab that was gutted when I got it, but the Marquee is in great shape, and my repro control panel will be in the same color scheme as the original cabinet.

I'll be taking the same approach -- boot to Rolling Thunder, with the option to exit to my Front End.

[drpcken]

jt thats incredible what you did with the CP.  How did you polish it?  And what did you use to stick the graphics on?

[Beretta]

once again i cry, save the artwork, it may have a few scratches but it has no major rips i seen and looks great.

as for the monitor never mind that green wire, fllow it to see where it goes.. looks like it goes north towards the marquee and speakers..

but more importantly look at that black wire coming from the monitor.. it's been snipped..

find out where it leads to

you should be safe touching the frame as long as you dont fondle the anode cap or lick the circuit board should be ok, should try it when the power is off, if you're scared then leave the thing off for 24 hours before looking.. it may still hold a charge but at least if you do get zapped by mistake it should'nt be serious.

[drpcken]

I found the green wire, it was a ground to the chassis.  I just noticed the black wire as well.  I'll see if I can find where it goes.

The monitor is getting no power at all, no humming or nothing.  THe game works.  I put a quarter in, and hit player one, and I get audible feed back from the controls so the PCB and CP is fine.   Figures it would be the monitor   I know very little about monitors

[drpcken]

You were right, the black wire had been cut.  It goes from the neckboard to the the largest part of the monitor, around the actual screen (sorry I can't be more specific).   If you look at the picture, there are two black wires coming from the neckboard, the one that WASN'T cut was grounded to the chassis, the one you see cut is the one I'm referring to that goes to the front of the monitor.


I stripped it and reconnected it, but still it doesn't seem to be getting juice.  Here's some more photos, maybe it will help:

[SirPeale]

3. dont use a jpac if you're going with a mame setup.. jpac is only good if you wanna drop a pc into a cabinet and reuse it's jamma wiring.. if you're going for a mame conversion there is very little point in using a jpac, the jpac will also hold you back on number of inputs.. go with a keywiz, an ipac, or if money is a issue and you dont mind some hacking get some cheap usb game pads to hack, i just went this route and they was easy as sin to hack: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370227266989
i think these are similar if not same as the ones on GGG, if you dont mind some soldering work these have got to be one of the cheapest ways of doing it. i just bought 2 a week or so ago and worked quite nicely.

The wiring is already there and set up, it might as well get used.  IPAC and JPAC either have the same number of inputs, or the JPAC has a couple more, I forget.  If you're talking about the lack of buttons 5,6, 7, 8 the JPAC supports them, but like a Kick Harness would have to be wired separately anyway.

[Beretta]

hmm did you check the fuse? should be near where the power cable attaches to the board..

do a visual check of the fuse usually you can tell when they've blown.. if it looks ok then you'll have to check it with a multimeter.. you'll have to remove it though for a clear reading.

you might wanna post in the monitor section.. im afraid my experience with monitors is rather limited so i can't advise you on specifics.

about the jpac i was'nt aware, but you're right, i dunno how many inputs it supports but i see now the screws your'e talking about for more then regular jamma.. i thought it only supported 3 buttons and 2 players.

[drpcken]

Thanks for the advice.  I already gutted it anyway and removed the monitor.   Fuses tested fine, and that's about as far as my knowledge with CRT's go   

I didn't discharge the monitor though, so I think I need to take it somewhere where it can be recycled or properly disposed of.

 

[Beretta]

dont toss the whole thing, my guess is someone will buy the chasis (circuit board) and  maybe the frame..

the tube is probably the only thing you can't sell because of shipping cost.

you either 1. make a few bucks, or 2. at the very least offer it to someone for cost of shipping and make someone happy.

[SirPeale]

Heck yes; post your location, someone will haul it away. 

Of course, in a perfect world you'd fix it and use it. 

[drpcken]

Yea I had a feeling someone might want it.  I'm in Jackson TN, about an hour east of Memphis.

I could post in the BST thread huh?

[bkenobi]

You can always make your own CP and keep the feel of the original if you don't like the layout of the buttons.  I was given a stripped Area 51 cab that was in pretty decent shape (only problem was a decent sized hole where a hasp bar tore some particle board out of the front.  I fixed that and made the CP with similar artwork to try to keep the feeling of the original.  I think I did an ok job and I kept all the artwork intact!

Note that the original had a large metal grate over the hole in the middle where the speaker was which wasn't going to work.  I didn't have any boards, guns, monitor or anything with the cab, so I was literally saving this from the landfill.  My original thought was to save the bits and pieces for a home built cab and toss the box, but the artwork was so nice that I had to keep it.

[drpcken]

I really wanted a CP with a trackball, but if I use the original, it probably won't fit.  I think I can live without a trackball for now but I definitely want to build a custom CP for it later down the road.



What I'd like to do is take that and bondo the holes and do a 2 player, 7 button layout, with a couple admin buttons.   I wasn't expecting this CP to be metal though and I dont' know where to start.  Would bondo fill in the holes?  What would I use to drill new holes?

[Beretta]

not sure, i seen a project once someone used WOOD filler.. although bondo will probably work better especially since its NOT wood..

anyway they put a new sheet of metal under it, filled in the holes, sanded it, then drilled the holes and put a overlay on it.

im not sure what they used to drill the holes.. that would have to be a pretty meaty twist bit.

im curious as well i have a centipede i was thinking of using but it also has a metal CP..

i had thought of trying to replace the top with a section of wood.. or recreate the whole pannel in wood, but have'nt looked seriously at it.

ps i dont know if i previously mentioned this i have a pair of those sticks as well and they are the sux, extremely short throw, weak centering, if for some reason you dont like the feel.. dont toss them the shafts also fit a happ/Il competition base and probably others, although not the supers they seem to use a larger shaft.

[drpcken]

I agree about the sticks.  I don't like the way they feel either.  I plan on buying 2 u360's.

[Trebeck]

Great Find!  Glad to see this going to a person who will enjoy it.

[smalltownguy]

  I wasn't expecting this CP to be metal though and I dont' know where to start.  Would bondo fill in the holes?  What would I use to drill new holes?

My Rolling Thunder conversion (currently underway) uses a metal control panel. I have a friend who works in a manufacturing plant, and he had access to a punch press. Once I was able to get him the correct die size, he was able to punch the new holes I needed. Then I took it to a local metal shop and slipped the guy a $20 to clean up all the burrs, rough edges, etc. The guy even sandblasted it for me. 

There were also holes in it that I did not need any more -- that's what I'm working on now. I was going to use the punch blanks to fill them, but instead I'll be using some 2 part Epoxy to bond a small square of plexiglass behind the hole. Then I'll level it off to the panel by filling it with bondo, sanding it smooth, & covering it all with my CP overlay. Why plexiglass? It's strong enough to hold up to random pressure without flexing much, yet it can be removed (or at least drilled through) should I need to make any more changes in the panel layout.

For a DIY approach, your best bet for cutting the new button holes in your panel would be this:


http://www.amazon.com/MK-Morse-AV18-8-Inch-Bi-Metal/dp/B000E8HTWK

You'll need the matching arbor to go with it (link is further down the page), but you can get both for just under $16. Just make sure you use a drill press (a good strong one...) and use cutting oil.

[drpcken]

Good advice smalltown on filling the holes!  I have a friend of mine that knows alot of machinist so I'm going to see if he can drill the new holes for me.

Thanks!

[jtslade]

To answer your question on the CP first after using lots of elbow grease, Goo Gone and a razer blade  to scrap I then used a wire drill bit brush on a high speed drill to get the metal smooth and some shine to it.


I switched sizes and once the metal gets short you have to switch otherwise it gets dull.

end result:




Then to get it to be a mirror finish I used a ton of German Metal Polish compound (any will do) and a polishing bit on the drill.

Then Sprayed it with Auto Paint black


Its dirty here so the mirror finish can't be seen well:


Ordered a custom made and cut overlay from Arcadoverlays.com (mine was a bit taller) They are HIGHLY recommended.

The back has and adhesive and used the soapy water trick to get it positioned just right.


The plexiglass was cut on a laser engraver. I think when it need replacing I'll order some lexan and drill it.

[jtslade]

I really wanted a CP with a trackball, but if I use the original, it probably won't fit.  I think I can live without a trackball for now but I definitely want to build a custom CP for it later down the road.



What I'd like to do is take that and bondo the holes and do a 2 player, 7 button layout, with a couple admin buttons.   I wasn't expecting this CP to be metal though and I dont' know where to start.  Would bondo fill in the holes?  What would I use to drill new holes?

If you get a MiniPAC or IPAC from Andy at Ultimarc then you really dont need any admin buttons, the shift function allows you to do anything you would like...

IE, press an hold player one start and push player one button to enter coin credits. Hit Player one and player two start and the same time to exit.

I map out the Tab button and volume control slider in mame for changing stuff on the fly in MAME.

You could design a reproduction of the CP POW SNK artwork that is laid out for the six button street fighter config and it would still look original.

Just an idea.

[jtslade]

Just to give an idea of a reproduction that is changed to adjust for six buttons. Again with a minipac or using a JPAC for jamma you can have shift functions for the front end (HS or what ever) and still make it look as first sight to be original.

Just need to find a high quality scan of the Original POW CP artwork.


This is just a quick PS for ideas, its by no means a quality Photochop.

Later a glowing trackball recessed and placed where the "O" is in POW on the CP would be interesting.

[drpcken]

very nice mock up!!  I'm impressed

This CP is the part I'm worried most about.  I'm going to start polishing it this week and get the art off.  Then I'm going to bondo the holes and mock up a layout.  I have a friend who knows a machinist that owes him some favors and he's going to drill the holes for me.

Thanks for the suggestions!!!

[drpcken]

To answer your question on the CP first after using lots of elbow grease, Goo Gone and a razer blade  to scrap I then used a wire drill bit brush on a high speed drill to get the metal smooth and some shine to it.

Can you elaborate more on the wire drill bit used to polish it?

[Dr Zero]

To answer your question on the CP first after using lots of elbow grease, Goo Gone and a razer blade  to scrap I then used a wire drill bit brush on a high speed drill to get the metal smooth and some shine to it.

Can you elaborate more on the wire drill bit used to polish it?

I think he means one kind of like this


You can use one kinda like the center one in a drill press to jewel a piece of metal kinda like you have seen on the spirit of st Louis or on some pistols



http://www.3me.us/jewelling.htm

[jtslade]

Yes they should be available at Home Depot. the one on the left in the above picture is the type that i used. Just keep it smooth and moving, replace when the bristles get short. Must use a drill that plugs in, it won't work with a cordless.  Borrow one.

Clean all the adhesive off of the panel... Lots of goo gone and a rag with a ton of WD-40 is supposed to work. Goo Gone works well.

Buy a ton of the razor blade scrappers as they break easily.


I don't know where to get things in the US/States since I have not lived there for almost 4 years...  I miss Target/Home Depot/Sonic/Chick Fil-A/Wal-Mart/Blockbuster/Best Buy/7-Eleven/TCBY/Checkers...

Great now I'm starving hungry.

[drpcken]

great advice slade! I actually just removed the graphics off the CP last night.  I bought a cheap heat gun at Lowes and it took me about an hour to get the laminate (was it laminate??) off.  Then I cleaned up with GooGone and a scraper.  Worked really good.  The GooGone with the scraper would pull layers of that adhesive up at a time.  Here's the final result:

Before




After



All the adhesive is off and it is smooth. I'm going to pick up a wire brush drill bit today to polish it up a bit

What no Sonic??!! 
 

[Epyx]

Nice job on the CP so far, curious to see how it turns out with the mods.

Ya those brass drill bit brushes make short work of paint/rust:




Took about 20 mins and barely broke a sweat.

[drpcken]

Wow that looks great!  Do you have a specific brand you recommend?  I'm not too familiar with those tool types   And I should probably get a couple of them huh?

[SirPeale]

Wow that looks great!  Do you have a specific brand you recommend?  I'm not too familiar with those tool types   And I should probably get a couple of them huh?

You should get a couple different types, for sure.  The ones that look like a bowl are good for a lot of area, but the ones that are flat are good for nooks and crannies.

And for those areas you can't reach, rough steel wool FTW.

And don't forget about electrolytic rust removal. See my thread in Arcade Misc.

[Dr Zero]

Wow that looks great!  Do you have a specific brand you recommend?  I'm not too familiar with those tool types   And I should probably get a couple of them huh?

You can get those at most hardware stores and even wal mart has them. They make brass ones and steel ones I like the brass as it doesn't dig into the metal as bad.

On the bench grinder I have one side is a brass wheel the other a fine stone the brass wheel makes short work of rusted bolts and the likes.

Word of caution when working with brushes the wire will come out when you are using them and can stick you so be careful and wear eye protection!

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/categorySearch.do?catPath=All%2BProducts%252F%252F%252F%252FUserSearch%253Dsafety%2Bglasses&currentPage=1&lastPage=1&isNext=false&isPrevious=false&category=Safety+Equipment&attributeValue=&attributeName=&requestedPage=1&resultsPerPage=50&resultsPerPageBottom=50

I have a flip down face shield since I wear glasses and it doesn't fog up.

[Epyx]

Agree with Dr Zero on the brass and the jabbiness of the wires...have the scars to prove it!

[drpcken]

I got it brushed pretty well. Got pics coming.

One question, should I start a thread in the projects forum?  I know I'm going to have tons of questions and I wonder if it would make more sense to put all of this there?

[Beretta]

ya wire wheels work pretty good, i dont have a corded drill but i have a rotary tool.

i bought some stainless wire wheels the other day from harbor freight, they work but man it's a lot of work.

im working on the same type of coin door, the backside was just covered in rust, i mean big flaky rust.

i thought the rotary tool would be good to get in those nooks and cranies and it is but damn it's taking forever, a lot of that is probably beause of the complexity of the mech holders.

anyway whats the recommended way to strip the paint on the front.. i've heard some people have done it with heat guns, others use chemical strippers.. of course there is the wire wheel approach.

thoughts?

[Epyx]

Beretta,

I used the wheel style in the picture above and mine too was coated in rust (worse in the back as well).  The wheel is nice cause you can angle it...only effort was bending (with glove) the bristles forward a bit as after a while they tend to flatten and make grinding more effort.

Took me about 20 mins but was night and day.

[drpcken]

The coin doors on mine are in great shape with the exception of the front, which is either dirty or slightly rusty, I haven't gotten that far yet.

Now my next question is the actual body of the cab.  I cannot tell if its a laminate or if it is painted really well.  I want to leave it black and replace the t-molding with a different color (currently it's black).  The paint is actually in pretty good condition but there are a few problem areas.  I hope I can just touch up the problem areas and do something to the good areas to make them look even better.  Any ideas?  I'm not going for the painted look, I want it to look nice and smooth.

[drpcken]

Can you guys help me out?  I'm trying to figure out whether the wood is painted or has vinyl/laminate.  I'm not good at telling these things.    I can't find an edge for any laminate, but if it is painted its painted REALLY good.






The inside is in such good shape it's really hard to tell 




I want it to be black still, but I'm wondering if I should sand, prime, repaint.  I want to go for a 'non-painted' look of course.
Any ideas??

[Beretta]

looks like paint to me of course it could also be covered in thin vinyl i suppose.

hard to tell by pictures, i would'nt worry about painting the inside.

[Silas (son of Silas)]

Well I would recommend preserving as much of the artwork as possible.  You never know, P.O.W could be someones favourite game and they are just missing that last piece...  This comes from a Champion Wrestler fan who has spent years collecting whatever original pieces as are available...

I'd LOVE a POW. I used to drop many a coin into that game. I have a photo of me somewhere 'back in the day' playing one of these. Such a shame to convert it 

[drpcken]

I'm not painting the inside, I was just giving you an idea of what it looked like.

Ok so I'm also guessing its paint.  If I wanted to touch up some areas whats the best way.  I've heard of sanding (what grit?) and priming and then repainting.  And I would want to bondo the really bad areas with holes.  What do you guys use to clean with?  The front is especially dirty of course from being kicked over the years.

Thanks!

[saleem]

just washing up detergent and water.

if you want to be real scientific use isopropyl/alcohol.

just soap and water man,sponge,wipe.clean!

if your thinking about repainting it.you want to consider what you got now,can you live with it?

do you want an arcade cab that looks like its just well,been painted?or do you want it to be smooth and look like something special?

i am like several coats in just on one side after 6 coats of primer and sanding..now i have put the 5th coat of enamel paint on and am wet sanding it with 240 grit and 600 grit wet and dry.you are only gonna get something special if you put work into it other wise it will just look like its painted or sprayed.

some times you might plan on just filling the areas that need it and sanding and touching up,then before you know it your doing the whole cab and its a full cosmetic job.

[drpcken]

good tips!  I 'd like to make it look NOT painted.  I want it nice and smooth

[saleem]

then my suggestion is wet sanding using 240 grit on each coat,after like the third coat of paint use 240 grit then after is smooth,switch to 600 or even higher,just to get the sanding scratchs that bit more less.then its just a case of putting the shine back.

this is how a lot get their cps and such to look like piano smooth.

just be carefull to use a good sanding block and i am personaly using rustoleum enamel paint.its a case of patience,each coat takes one day to dry properly for sanding.i got the cab on its side and i am tackling it one side at a time.when i finish the side i am on i will flip her over to the other side,work that one till i am happy,then on its back and the front  will be done.

then i got to just put the shine back.
 

[Beretta]

jesus christ 6 coats of primer and 5 coats of paint?

and you're gonna give the back the same attention? WOW.. personally id just give the back a quick cleaning, sanding, and a coat or two and call it done.

[drpcken]

I'll start with the back removable panel and see what I can make it do.

[saleem]

jesus christ 6 coats of primer and 5 coats of paint?

and you're gonna give the back the same attention? WOW.. personally id just give the back a quick cleaning, sanding, and a coat or two and call it done.

well i will show you the result i will get but,the back will just get painted as per normal.

if i want a cabinet that looks like its painted i can just slap on any old s**t if that was case.i might as well use an old side board!

i want my cab to look the s**t!

piano orange.
 

[mvsfan]

Agree with Dr Zero on the brass and the jabbiness of the wires...have the scars to prove it!

my granddads friend was using a bench grinder years ago in his shop and it got him one day.

a wire flew out and stuck in his eyeball. he had to go get it removed. he didnt lose his sight though.

i never forgot about that. get a good pair of glasses anytime you do metal work, its worth it.

[mvsfan]

I really wanted a CP with a trackball, but if I use the original, it probably won't fit.  I think I can live without a trackball for now but I definitely want to build a custom CP for it later down the road.



What I'd like to do is take that and bondo the holes and do a 2 player, 7 button layout, with a couple admin buttons.   I wasn't expecting this CP to be metal though and I dont' know where to start.  Would bondo fill in the holes?  What would I use to drill new holes?

my control panel is the same as this one, and it was converted at one point and what they did on mine was they cut out the old button layout and tack welded a new piece of metal on top. then they drilled new holes in the new piece and covered the cp with plexiglass.

ya wire wheels work pretty good, i dont have a corded drill but i have a rotary tool.

i bought some stainless wire wheels the other day from harbor freight, they work but man it's a lot of work.

im working on the same type of coin door, the backside was just covered in rust, i mean big flaky rust.

i thought the rotary tool would be good to get in those nooks and cranies and it is but damn it's taking forever, a lot of that is probably beause of the complexity of the mech holders.

anyway whats the recommended way to strip the paint on the front.. i've heard some people have done it with heat guns, others use chemical strippers.. of course there is the wire wheel approach.

thoughts?

If your planning on using it for other things down the road, and you probably will,

get a Blast cabinet from harbor freight. thats the best way to get down to bare metal on any odd shaped piece like a coin door for example.

when i was growing up i used to fix up old cars and ive still got some of the tools.

Ill mention something else here too. when you need new power tools, dont forget to check your local pawn shops. its amazing the stuff things end up there.

[mvsfan]

Could this be why my crt isn't working?  Notice the green wire not connected?  I know nothing of CRT's except not to touch the anode

my monitor is wired the same. it has the red and blue in the connector and then the green wire. you need to hook up that green wire to the monitor frame.

Just take a good look and make sure that green wire is in fact hooked up to ground first. its amazing what people can do over the years to keep a game running.

[mvsfan]

jt thats incredible what you did with the CP.  How did you polish it?  And what did you use to stick the graphics on?

that was a nice shot of the Cp.

what im thinking though for my cabinet that i havent seen done yet is to strip it just as clean as Jts panel and then send it off to a bumper replater and get the whole thing dipped chrome. whaddya think?

[drpcken]

Actually I connected that wire... nothing    I've removed the chassis and neckboard and have someone lined up from here to buy.  Just waiting for his response on some photos I took  

[drpcken]

Can anyone recommend a good bondo to patch up the holes?  I've never had to do it before   

[mvsfan]

Well I would recommend preserving as much of the artwork as possible.  You never know, P.O.W could be someones favourite game and they are just missing that last piece...  This comes from a Champion Wrestler fan who has spent years collecting whatever original pieces as are available...

i also collect the originals, dead or alive. i dont care if the pcb is broke or not. if i really really like the game ill get it fixed.

also, i have one pcb that i am very very proud of in my collection. Its Setas Downtown.

---smurfy--- game, but its the only one that i fixed myself.

it had a smashed chip and it also had several cut traces i pulled out my benchlight with the magnifying glass built in, and just started scraping green and soldering wires to connect the broken traces and i also replaced the smashed chip, and it lit up.
im proud of that cause im not an electronics technician i am slowly learning though.

[drpcken]

i also collect the originals, dead or alive. i dont care if the pcb is broke or not. if i really really like the game ill get it fixed.

Have you booted that POW pcb I sent you yet?

[mvsfan]

i also collect the originals, dead or alive. i dont care if the pcb is broke or not. if i really really like the game ill get it fixed.

Have you booted that POW pcb I sent you yet?

works great.

[Chicken McNobody]

Hey drpcken,

Are the joysticks that you have the original ones or replacements?  The originals are the strange tall balltop all plastic looking.  They only have about 1/8" or movement to trigger a switch, so they feel very odd compared to what most people use in arcades.  I am at owrk right now, and most all the pics are blocked so I can't see what you are showing. 

Anywho, if they are the originals, what condition are they in, and would you be looking for a new home for them?  I have a P.O.W. and my joys are in decent shape, but they have some annoying grooves scratched into them, and I can't seem to find any new replacements since these are an odd and unwanted design.

[Kevin Mullins]

Those K7000 series monitors are probably one of the easiest to fix and most reliable monitors around.

[drpcken]

Hey drpcken,

Are the joysticks that you have the original ones or replacements? 

I think they are originals.  They are in pretty good shape if you ask me. Check the photos when you can and let me know. 

[Beretta]

ya im pretty sure they are original to pow also.. i got a pair that came off a cab that had seem MANY conversions.. one of them was pow.

the shafts however do fit happ/il comp bases if you want to get some more range out of them.

i agree the extremely short throw is the sux.

[Chicken McNobody]

I replaced the originals originally with a pair of Happ Competition joys since I was using this as a full JAMMA cabinet.  Now that I have finished my MAME cabinet, and am in the process of selling off my JAMMA boards, I want to bring it back to original.  The joys I got with it are in decent shape, I would give them a 85-90%.  But I wouldn't mind finding something better if I can, but this cabinet got very little restoration since I like the look of is being used.  It is in really good shape, but not near 100%, overall I would give it a 90%.  My Space Invaders cocktail is 1,000 times better than when I got it, but it still does not look factory.  I don't feel the need to fill in scratches and the coin door is bent, but it looks alright even up close.  I kind of like the idea of these being played and looking that way.

Even my MAME cabinet is very pristine, but not flawless.  Nor do I ever expect it to be, my girls have been playing this as much as I have almost, and I don't want to feel that I can't let them touch it for fear of scratching/scuffing.

I am in the process of working up a bartop design that will become my "mint" toy.  I'll post that info when I am ready to do so.

Drpcken, I am interested in the joysticks if you are looking to move them.  Check your PMs

[jtslade]

Any progress?

[Turnarcades]

Yeah, well done so far but would like to see more pics if you have 'em...