New Cabinet Build - CandyCab FOBT conversion

[CandyCabs]

Hi, I'm going to document the building of my latest CandyCab FOBT conversion here. For those that don't know, FOBT stands for Fixed Odds Betting Terminal and there are loads of these doing the rounds in UK. I think they make fantastic MAME cabs and are relatively easy to convert.

I've been doing this for some years now, but people keep asking me to show them how it's done - so i thought I'd post some pictures and build steps here.

I'm more than happy to answer any questions as we go, so please fire away

Cheers,

Mike.

[HaRuMaN]

Nice candy!  I like that blue color.  Veddy Nice!

[Franco B]

Welcome to the forum Mike.

Waveryder on here did an awesome conversion of one of those cabs.

Is that cab one for a customer? What controls are in it? Did they choose the layout etc?

[CandyCabs]

I love the colour - it's actually called "Candy Blue" which i thought was appropriate. Difficult to spray though because getting a consistent colour depth all over was a pain.

This cab is a demo unit - not for a specific customer. I wanted to show the new control panel with the trackball in action.

[Franco B]

Oh I see.

Whats with the button layout? That angle doesn't look too comfortable to play. Its a shame the trackball is so far forward too but I suppose you have limited width.

[CandyCabs]

Well that is the issue with CandyCabs - you don't have the depth of control panel to play with. I wanted to get two joysticks, 6 buttons per player plus the trackball and P1 & P2 start all on the same panel. The end result does work actually, and the trackball works fine where it is. The main limiting factor with regards to the position of the trackball was clearance under the panel. I only have 3mm to play with due to the locking mechanism on the CandyCab.

[CandyCabs]

I wanted to give people an idea of what I started with - so here's a picture of the FOBT cabs before I've done any work on them. I'm lucky that the plastic bodywork was pretty good on most of them - nothing that a little car body filler and a lot of sanding can't fix.

[Yvan256]

I wanted to give people an idea of what I started with - so here's a picture of the FOBT cabs before I've done any work on them. I'm lucky that the plastic bodywork was pretty good on most of them - nothing that a little car body filler and a lot of sanding can't fix.

Wow that's a lot of cabs! Are those made with the same molds as the arcade candy cabs?

[slasherman]

Please make a vertical also. They looks perfect for Mame. Are you gonna use LCD or CRT ?

[Franco B]

Well that is the issue with CandyCabs - you don't have the depth of control panel to play with.

Well, that is the issue with those betting machines. Some Candy's have plenty of room for a trackball

The end result does work actually, and the trackball works fine where it is.

Unless you are playing Golden Tee   

I still don't understand the angle of the button layout.

Wow that's a lot of cabs! Are those made with the same molds as the arcade candy cabs?

Nope, they are betting machines converted into Mame cabs.

Please make a vertical also. They looks perfect for Mame. Are you gonna use LCD or CRT ?

It won't be able to rotate the monitor in those due to the angle of the screen in relation to the bezel. If you rotated it the screen would be pointing to the left or the right.

[CandyCabs]

Most Candys tend to have slimmer control panels than the larger wooden JAMMA cabs. Personally, I like this as it makes the cabinets smaller and easier to fit into a domestic environment. I've done conversions on Golden Tee JAMMA cabs too - and they have loads of room for joysticks, spinners & trackballs - but you pay the price of having a much larger machine taking up space in your games room.

I'm not sure I understand the question on the angle of the button layout. If you mean the curve on the layout of the six buttons - I simply placed my hand on the blank for the control panel (having already mounted the joysticks) and marked the positions where my fingers were most comfortable. This formed a shalow arc for the top row of buttons and I mirrored this for the bottom row. It feels comfortable to me, and I used the same layout on the 60+ other CandyCabs we've made without complaints so I guess it must work.

The difference with this machine is that I had to squeeze in a trackball too. The positions of the P1 & P2 buttons were moved by 2mm (away from the center) to make room underneath for the mounting points - but I kept the arc the same.

In everyday use the trackball is fine - even with its close proximity to the P1 buttons and the P2 joystick. I agree that compared with a dedicated machine the position is quite cramped. You are right that with Golden Tee in particular the payer can end up whacking the P2 joystick on agressive shots. IMO Golden Tee is best played with the larger 3.5" trackball anyway.

I tend to use the trackball to play Centipede and Missile Command most of the time

I've attached a couple of control panel photos to give a better view of the button layout.

[CandyCabs]

Back to the main thread on the build-up of this machine.

I wanted to achieve a special finish to the bodywork on this project, and I chose to use Candy paint. This type of finish requires multiple layers to achieve the desired effect. The end result is amazing though – a kind of semi-transparent blue with a real depth to it.

The basic steps are as follows:-

1st prep the plastic bodywork. This involves stripping everything down. Removing the locks and any other metalwork. Thorough cleaning (these machines have been in bookies for years and they smell of cigarette smoke before they are cleaned). I have tried everything from washing up liquid through to commercial plastic cleaner but I find the best results come from using plain old “Cillit Bang” http://www.cillitbang.co.uk/ to get the dirt off.

Once the bodywork is clean I use car body filler and sandpaper to remove any deep scratches or dinks. When that is done I go over everything with 600 grit wet and dry to provide a key for the paint.

When spraying plastic it’s very important to use a good quality plastic primer or adhesion promoter. This will key into the plastic and allow the paint to stick. Without it the whole paintjob could peel off! To make spraying these machines easier I made a CandyCab spraying rig. This is simply a heavy duty engine stand with a custom made plate – onto which the CandyCab chassis is screwed using the existing holes provided for the castors and levelling legs. It works really well and allows me to rotate the chassis while I spray without touching the bodywork.
 
Once the primer is dry, a quick rub down with 1500 grit wet and dry and you’re ready for the silver basecoat. I usually spray 3 layers of silver to get a good depth of coverage. Any silver will do – but try to get the most “sparkly” for best results.
 
After the silver comes another rubdown with 1500 grit wet and dry, and then it’s on to the complicated bit . Now I’ve been spraying paint for 20 years, starting on cars and motorbikes and moving onto arcade machines in recent years. I thought I was pretty good at it until I came across Candy paint! This stuff is a nightmare to get right on a 3D object. Doing a single flat panel would be easy, but with the multiple curved surfaces on a CandyCab getting equal coverage on all surfaces is not easy.

The blue candy concentrate is mixed with 2K lacquer then sprayed in very light coats to build up the desired colour. I estimate it took around 15 coats to get the right depth of blue and still have the silver showing through.

Once I was happy(ish) with the blue the whole job was sealed with 5 coats of high quality clear lacquer to provide a hardwearing finish. A lot of work – but a great result.

[Franco B]

Thanks for the painting info.

I need to get one of my Naomi Net Citys painted soon. I was thinking either satin black or candy black with metal flake to complement my artwork. I was contemplating doing it myself with pre-mixed rattle cans but I wasn't sure how well I would be able to do it, I'm even less confident now after reading your post.

I was also thinking about getting it professionally painted. Is this something you would be able/willing to do? The Naomis are mainly flat angles apart form the CP housing.

[CandyCabs]

I think satin black could look a little strange. I did a JAMMA cab satin black for a customer a few years ago - didn't turn out as good as we'd all expected. Somehow it didn't look finished...

Candy black with metal flake is serious bling! I love to use metal flake on my control panels to make them that little but special. I did a black Candy quite recently for a customer - and he wanted red illuminated buttons too, but I talked him out of it!

Happy to help with the painting - are you in the UK?

Mike.

[saleem]

sorry but,i just dont like it,all plastic moulded.trying to be modern and stylish while being (well) just plastic.they aint nearly as good looking as most standup wooden or mdf cabinets.and i seriusly doubt they are as robust as wooden or mdf one.

when i look at it,i am trying to like it and there is something saying i just dont like it cos its all moulded,theres no craftmanship in it away from a spray job and a cp,all the works done with machines,and its just pressed plastic.
 

[Franco B]

Its funny that you think they look plastic considering they are   

And as for being robust, metal + plastic vs MDF/wood, which one do you think is more likely to be in one piece in 50+ years.

I'm not really sure I get your last comment. Its obviously a conversion so there won't be any 'major' changes.

Take a look at [Waveryders]. That really is a work of art.

[Franco B]

I think satin black could look a little strange. I did a JAMMA cab satin black for a customer a few years ago - didn't turn out as good as we'd all expected. Somehow it didn't look finished...

Candy black with metal flake is serious bling! I love to use metal flake on my control panels to make them that little but special. I did a black Candy quite recently for a customer - and he wanted red illuminated buttons too, but I talked him out of it!

Happy to help with the painting - are you in the UK?

Mike.

Thanks for the advice. I think Candy black metal flake would be pretty  .

I've had a look and I'm only about an hour from you. I'll shoot you a PM 

[saleem]

Its funny that you think they look plastic considering they are   

And as for being robust, metal + plastic vs MDF/wood, which one do you think is more likely to be in one piece in 50+ years.

I'm not really sure I get your last comment. Its obviously a conversion so there won't be any 'major' changes.

Take a look at [Waveryders]. That really is a work of art.

i know they are plastic,thats just it,thats all they look like,plastic,the bezel has all moulded plastic,its not like a man took a router and used any skill to make the shapes,it was pressed in a machine.

a wheely bin with a cp and monitor comes to mind?
 

[HaRuMaN]

Its funny that you think they look plastic considering they are   

And as for being robust, metal + plastic vs MDF/wood, which one do you think is more likely to be in one piece in 50+ years.

I'm not really sure I get your last comment. Its obviously a conversion so there won't be any 'major' changes.

Take a look at [Waveryders]. That really is a work of art.

i know they are plastic,thats just it,thats all they look like,plastic,the bezel has all moulded plastic,its not like a man took a router and used any skill to make the shapes,it was pressed in a machine.

a wheely bin with a cp and monitor comes to mind?
 

It's a candy cab.  They're all plastic.

[javeryh]

Its funny that you think they look plastic considering they are   

And as for being robust, metal + plastic vs MDF/wood, which one do you think is more likely to be in one piece in 50+ years.

I'm not really sure I get your last comment. Its obviously a conversion so there won't be any 'major' changes.

Take a look at [Waveryders]. That really is a work of art.

i know they are plastic,thats just it,thats all they look like,plastic,the bezel has all moulded plastic,its not like a man took a router and used any skill to make the shapes,it was pressed in a machine.

a wheely bin with a cp and monitor comes to mind?
 

There is more skill in that paint job then in 99% of all of the projects I've seen around here over the years.  How is this any different than restoring a plywood cabinet?

[saleem]

i am sorry if i sound arrogant and i apologise if this seems to be the case.

but,there is a saying PVC Plastic Very Cheap.


 

[CandyCabs]

I'm not going to dignify that with a response.....

[HaRuMaN]

I'm not going to dignify that with a response.....

Yeah, best not to.

[saleem]

why cos it looks like a cheap toy from toysrus.

you want a doll thats handcrafted from wood or one thats plastic moulded from china?

thats the difference between quality and cheap.

a monitor bezel with speaker grills stamped into it while it was manufactured with a volume knob?

thats the difference between someone getting a router,marking out and producing their own with holes for knobs as well.

whatever floats your boat.

i mean,if you got flooded out you could canoe out in your candycab.

squares galore with big letters and numbers for the part inside it?if they were not there the structure is weak and it will be a big bass drum if you hit it.

dont show if you aint willing to read all the posts or put up with other peoples views,thats what forums are for.

your show cab (whatever it is) has light blotchs all over it,so much for cosmetics.
 

[javeryh]

dont show if you aint willing to read all the posts or put up with other peoples views,thats what forums are for.

This coming from the guy who destroyed a perfectly good Space Invaders II cabinet and then deleted all the pics in his Project Announcement thread and started a new one because of other people's feedback?  Hmmm....

[saleem]

yes,thats right.but,did i actualy cry about their comments.i stopped them by deleting my pics.

but,am i telling him what to do with what he owns.you tell a story yet you tell it in less than halfs.so go get the facts then post again.

whats right is right,if they didnt like it then thats up to them,i didnt complain,i condoned what i did even though they didnt accept so i didnt complain,i deleted.

its not that guys fault i think his cabs look cheap,if he dont like it then he will have to deal with that,i aint telling him what to do,so theres a big difference.

i dont want to keep posting here so he can get back on track.

thats what happens when you say it looks like plastic moulded and someone gos and tells you what you already know and already posted about.
 

[severdhed]

very cool.  living in america, i had never seen a candy cabinet until i found this forum...they are pretty cool looking.  They don't have that classic arcade feel to them for me anyway, since we just don't have them here, but they are definitely cool.   good job.  i love the blue paintjob

and to saleem:

i understand that you are bitter because people came down on you harshly for raping that space invaders cabinet...(and rightfully so).  but still, bashing someone's plastic candy cabinet because it  looks like plastic is pretty ridiculous.

[Yvan256]

Indeed it all depends on what you personally think as an "arcade cabinet". I had never heard of candy cabs either, so to me it doesn't look "authentic" even though such things do exist.

I could say the same thing about the non-american Neo-Geo MVS cabinets. If it's not tall with red sides and a red control panel with white stripes, it doesn't look legit to me. That doesn't mean the other MVS cabinets never existed, but to me they don't seem like real cabs.

So for someone who has always only seen candy cabs in arcades, such a FOBT conversion cabinet would not only look "real" and legit but would be a really tempting item to purchase.

You can't debate such things, that's like arguing about wether a truck is better than a car. It depends on who you ask.

[CandyCabs]

OK, I don't really want to get into a debate about whether or not CandyCabs are "real" arcade machines or not! I'm sure that's been covered 100 times already on this forum. At the end of the day it all comes down to personal taste. I have converted a large number of FOBTs for very happy customers over the years - but i've also done a lot of wooden cabs too.

The original purpose of this thread was to show people how the conversion is done - as I get so many questions on that subject. I chose a generic demo cabinet (not one ordered by a customer) to do that. If you don't want to know about it - simple - just click away and move on. There really is no need to get nasty. 

Just for Saleem though - as he seems to have some kind of wood fetish - here's a picture (work in progress) of a recent Golden Tee conversion I did in the style of NeonCade.

If I don't get too many "Golf haters" I'll post up the build process on that one too.

 

[TOK]

There is more skill in that paint job then in 99% of all of the projects I've seen around here over the years.  How is this any different than restoring a plywood cabinet?

I'm hesitant to post this because I don't want to insult someones work, but I can see the spray lines and spots of white that weren't covered in both the front and the side pics.

To say you like the color is one thing, but to say its better than 99% of the paint jobs you've seen on the forum? Are we looking at the same pics?

[Ond]

There is more skill in that paint job then in 99% of all of the projects I've seen around here over the years.  How is this any different than restoring a plywood cabinet?

I'm hesitant to post this because I don't want to insult someones work, but I can see the spray lines and spots of white that weren't covered in both the front and the side pics.

To say you like the color is one thing, but to say its better than 99% of the paint jobs you've seen on the forum? Are we looking at the same pics?

I could be wrong but looking closely at the pics I think that what appears as spots of white are actually reflections from the surrounding floor, objects etc.  Mottled  patterns from the flooring and edging can clearly be seen reflected in the cab.  I’d suggest taking new shots in natural outdoor light if possible to show off the finish better.

[Yvan256]

I could be wrong but looking closely at the pics I think that what appears as spots of white are actually reflections from the surrounding floor, objects etc.  Mottled  patterns from the flooring and edging can clearly be seen reflected in the cab.  I’d suggest taking new shots in natural outdoor light if possible to show off the finish better.

Both the blue and black cabs reflect their surrounding so much you could probably use them as mirrors. 

Nice paint jobs, no doubt about it.

[boxman]

Well I personally think these are brilliant.

How much does one of these FOBTs cost? I would love to have one. Part of me is hoping they are expensive so that I don't regret buying my cabinet.

[javeryh]

There is more skill in that paint job then in 99% of all of the projects I've seen around here over the years.  How is this any different than restoring a plywood cabinet?

I'm hesitant to post this because I don't want to insult someones work, but I can see the spray lines and spots of white that weren't covered in both the front and the side pics.

To say you like the color is one thing, but to say its better than 99% of the paint jobs you've seen on the forum? Are we looking at the same pics?

I could be wrong but looking closely at the pics I think that what appears as spots of white are actually reflections from the surrounding floor, objects etc.  Mottled  patterns from the flooring and edging can clearly be seen reflected in the cab.  I’d suggest taking new shots in natural outdoor light if possible to show off the finish better.

This is exactly what I thought... it looks to me like there is a crazy amount of reflection in these pictures due to the 5 clear coats and sanding with such a high grit.  I could be wrong though. 

I wish these things were available in the US.  I've always wanted to own a candy cab but they are WAY expensive to ship over here and in god knows what condition...

[HaRuMaN]

Sometimes you get lucky.  I foung a Capcom Impress at a Superauctions, picked it up for $275. 

[CandyCabs]

I'll try to get some better pictures next time I'm in the workshop - these were taken with my iPhone which isn't great...

[saleem]

There is more skill in that paint job then in 99% of all of the projects I've seen around here over the years.  How is this any different than restoring a plywood cabinet?

I'm hesitant to post this because I don't want to insult someones work, but I can see the spray lines and spots of white that weren't covered in both the front and the side pics.

To say you like the color is one thing, but to say its better than 99% of the paint jobs you've seen on the forum? Are we looking at the same pics?

I could be wrong but looking closely at the pics I think that what appears as spots of white are actually reflections from the surrounding floor, objects etc.  Mottled  patterns from the flooring and edging can clearly be seen reflected in the cab.  I’d suggest taking new shots in natural outdoor light if possible to show off the finish better.

but,you can see the floor boards but,it is funny how the marks are where the moulding is and the edges and ends on the flat surfaces.

you can see the floor boards so why them white marks,this is why they look like blemishs to me.its cos they dont look consistent to the reflection of the boards,i mean you can see the boards color,light brown,so whats with the rubbed,scuffy white mark on the moulding.

looks like someone tried to clean it and left haze effect there,like something rubbed off or its wax that needs removing.perhaps chemical reaction created haze?

theres haziness then blue then haziness on the side,theres an edge and you can see,that is not a reflection off the floor.theres moulding on the front bottom left,yet its sort of gos a bit on the side and then ends,the flat areas loook like they gone hazy round the panel and in the middle darker,then its like blotchy which aint consistent at all with reflection.

well if he spent all his time on it i hope noone knacked the paint job up on him!

i aint saying i am right,but,something is clearly amiss.


 

[CandyCabs]

Actually – you are all right!

On this machine, which was the first I ever sprayed with Candy paint there are some blemishes. Strangely, these only appeared a few days after I’d finished the paint job and had the cabinet pretty much re-assembled. It looks to me as if there has been a reaction between the silver basecoat and the candy blue tint. Weird how this only happens in some areas though.

On further investigation I think it may be down to the brands of paint I used. I’ve done other Candy paint jobs since and not suffered with this effect at all. Although I was careful to use 2K paint for all of the layers (never mix 2k and cellulose) I did use different brands on this machine. Now that I’ve lived with the machine for a bit I’ve gotten used to the blemishes and don’t really notice them anymore. A friend even asked how I’d achieved the “custom metallic effect” and I had to laugh.

For those of you commenting on the reflectivity of the paint job – yes it is like a mirror when viewed from some angles. Even the blemishes mentioned above are super shiny! I find photographing the cabinets when they are finished very tricky. It’s hard to find an angle that doesn’t have loads of reflection in it somewhere. Anybody got any advice on lighting etc to make photographing highly reflective surfaces easier?

I’ve attached a photo of another Candy-blue cab I made which doesn’t have the blemishes, but still suffers from reflectivity.

Cheers,

[boxman]

How much do these betting terminals cost Mike?

[CandyCabs]

Do you mean how much do the base FOBTs cost me, or how much do I sell them for when they are converted?

[boxman]

Just the FOBT, if you don't mid sharing the info that is.

[CandyCabs]

Sure. The base FOBTs cost me anywhere between £75.00 and £150.00 each depending upon condition and what quantity I buy in. The white ones are the newest and I paid £150 each for them, but they are worth it becuase of the condition and the fact that they have 3M touch-screens not the ELO version.

Supply in the UK seems to be drying up now, but some are still available. They occasionally come up on eBay and infact one went last week for £16.00 (Although it was the metal version which i don't like as much).

Hope that helps.

 

[Ond]

The updated images of the blemish free cab show your true skills (at last  ).  Why didn't you just post pics of that cab to begin with?  .  Well I guess if anything it's served to show how picky some folk here are when it comes to projects submitted (apart from the whole personal taste debate).  For me, the pro spray job is inspiring.  I've been umming and ahh'ring over wheather or not to get my cab painted by a pro like yourself mainly because of the cost.
Tips for photo's - final finishes should always be photographed in natural light - preferably shade, reflections are fine just angle the shots (or the cab) so that the surface itself is picked up.  The best way to achieve this is to take plenty of shots and then examine them closely in photoshop or your fav viewer, that said I think the new images pretty much achieve this anyway.

[Jack Burton]

I'm not sure I understand the question on the angle of the button layout. If you mean the curve on the layout of the six buttons - I simply placed my hand on the blank for the control panel (having already mounted the joysticks) and marked the positions where my fingers were most comfortable. This formed a shalow arc for the top row of buttons and I mirrored this for the bottom row. It feels comfortable to me, and I used the same layout on the 60+ other CandyCabs we've made without complaints so I guess it must work.

Please don't take this the wrong way as I'm just trying to provide some helpful feedback.

That CP layout is horrible.  The buttons are too far apart and the angle would be murder on your wrist.  I know cause I have played on it many times. 

I play fighting games at the competition level and I have never even once seen a player that prefers to use a layout that slopes down from left to right.  Players always use a layout that either rises up from left to right, or one one that is straight across. 

I guarantee you that any serious fighting gamer that bought your cabs would immediately toss the CP and replace it with one of our own.  It's no big deal as we do it very very often with wooden cabinets.   I did it with my cabinet. 

I highly recommend you read the article on slagcoin.com that breaks down the different button layouts, and the rest of the site too.


Find it here: http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

What type of joystick and buttons are you putting into these cabs?  Looks like a Super Joystick and some kind of competition pushbutton.  People who are candy cab connoisseurs HATE these controls.  I can't stress this enough.  Go on arcadeotaku or shmups.org sometime and listen to some of the diatribes people have against them.  The fighting community in the US is fine with a competition joystick and buttons.  A super joystick is unacceptable. 

The mounting of those joysticks look way too tall.  They are designed for mounting in 3/4" or 5/8" mdf.  I'm guessing they are mounted flush with the plastic and that's why they look so tall.

IMO though a true candy cab has either Sanwa or Seimitsu parts.  Accept no substitutes.

I would add some pics of the cabs setup in sit down mode since that is what any candy lover loves about candies.

Also, can those ELO monitors do VGA?

Other than these criticisms these cabs look very very nice.  Great paint job and a slick finished project.  You just need to be more in touch with what your potential buyer is looking for.