nonner242 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Looks SWEET so far....Altho I would have a 100" LCD in it if I made one.. Keep up the great work! I feel inspired! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 That is a nice mount you made! I might have to do that eventually. The supports I put underneath the monitor actually hold it really tight. It doesn't tip or tilt... of course there is no control panel yet, so I can't test it under real playing conditions. Yeah, I wanted to use the same mounting mechanism as the original and though it was a pain, it saved me from having a shelf, wobbles, etc. I think you have a good start there with the supports, and you definitely made the right choice by angling the unit. There is nothing worse than a completely vertical screen in a look down cabinet posture. Okay maybe having a really tiny monitor mounted that way in a giant bezel is worse. You still might find you need to strap the monitor in a bit, the joystick joltin' when everything is up and running can be a true force to be reckoned with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SpiceWare Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Pretty cool! I'd like to build is a laser mame system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Looks SWEET so far....Altho I would have a 100" LCD in it if I made one.. Keep up the great work! I feel inspired! Actually, I do have a 20" LCD, but that's in use at my desk and actually replaced the monitor I'm using in the cabinet. Besides, an LCD just doesn't feel old-school enough! Glad you feel inspired... you should build one, it's a fun project! That is a nice mount you made! I might have to do that eventually. The supports I put underneath the monitor actually hold it really tight. It doesn't tip or tilt... of course there is no control panel yet, so I can't test it under real playing conditions. Yeah, I wanted to use the same mounting mechanism as the original and though it was a pain, it saved me from having a shelf, wobbles, etc. I think you have a good start there with the supports, and you definitely made the right choice by angling the unit. There is nothing worse than a completely vertical screen in a look down cabinet posture. Okay maybe having a really tiny monitor mounted that way in a giant bezel is worse. You still might find you need to strap the monitor in a bit, the joystick joltin' when everything is up and running can be a true force to be reckoned with! At least I can take pride in knowing that my cabinet, in its unfinished state, looks far better than that. I've put a lot of research into cabinet designs and Centipede IMHO is just about the perfect design. The bezel and monitor are not only angled for posture (as you stated) but, also recessed from the sides 3 inches and the marquee sticks out almost as far as the control panel to block most of the ambient light from the screen. However, the screen isn't tilted so far back that someone can't watch over your shoulder. Also, the general shape of the cabinet isn't overly boxy... there's some style to it. In the past year that I've been planning this project, I couldn't find one cabinet design I liked better. I've got some ratcheting straps laying around somewhere that should keep the monitor from moving, if I have a problem! Pretty cool! I'd like to build is a laser mame system. Thanks! Wow! That laser MAME system is pretty slick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catsmasher Posted March 28, 2009 Share Posted March 28, 2009 ... with my wife in the background scraping decades of hardened sludge and rust from my tractor... You are in the garage building a MAME cabinet and your wife is in the driveway scraping sludge off of your tractor! Holy Cow! You are the man! My new hero! I really am enjoing this thread. Keep it coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted March 28, 2009 Author Share Posted March 28, 2009 ... with my wife in the background scraping decades of hardened sludge and rust from my tractor... You are in the garage building a MAME cabinet and your wife is in the driveway scraping sludge off of your tractor! Holy Cow! You are the man! My new hero! I really am enjoing this thread. Keep it coming. LOL! That's how I multi-task! Seriously, most women wouldn't touch that sludge... my wife see's it as a challenge! The tractor is the next project after I'm done with the MAME cab. Thanks for reading the thread! (that goes for everyone!) I've taken a few days off... had some other stuff to do, but I should be resuming work tomorrow. Stay tuned... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Are you doing the paint job right now, aftermac??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted March 31, 2009 Author Share Posted March 31, 2009 Are you doing the paint job right now, aftermac??? Actually, I just bought the paint yesterday. The past week I've been working on selling a computer to pay for joysticks, buttons, and a trackball, so I can finish the control pad area. Selling the computer isn't going as well as I had hoped. However, there will be progress this week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Are you doing the paint job right now, aftermac??? However, there will be progress this week! I am waiting for the results........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 (edited) Back due to poplar demand (that's a wood joke )... more pics!!! Might not look like much progress today for 4 hours of work, but I didn't plan out the drawer slides very well. I mistakenly assumed that this random mishmash of parts laying around wanted to be assembled into something useful. Attached the door hiding the keyboard tray: Ooo... Hinges... Test fitting the front of the control panel: Control panel test fit: Here's my control panel. The red dots mark the center points of the various controls. It has undergone a few redesigns, which is why the 6 button outlines are not centered on my red dots. Also, the 4 "buttons" along the top that don't have dots are not going to be drilled. They were just test locations. Ah... the drawer rails... this one needs an attitude adjustment... That should do it! Installed. I have since removed it (and it's opposite counterpart) and inserted a 3/4" spacer between it and the wall allowing the drawer slides to retract an extra 3 inches. Drawer slides extended. This picture is also without the previously mentioned spacers. The drawer will extend 3 inches beyond the drawer slides, allowing the drawer to extend 5 3/4" past the front of the control panel. This will give me just enough space to fully access the keyboard I'm going to use. Edited April 1, 2009 by aftermac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 2, 2009 Author Share Posted April 2, 2009 Two updates, in two days! This one even has a special video surprise!! Keyboard tray assembled: KB tray closed: KB tray open: Clamped on the front of the control panel to make sure the keyboard extends far enough: Keyboard on the closed tray... plenty of clearance: Top of the marquee area is attached... that should pretty much take care of the carpentry: And for those that want to see a video demonstration of a "special feature" of the keyboard tray: Ok... the video was kinda crappy, but pictures just wouldn't do it justice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I haven't made much progress the last few days, but here are a few new pics. I did sell that computer yesterday and I ordered my arcade controls about 5 minutes later, so I'm pretty excited about that. They should arrive sometime this week. Marquee brackets that I fabricated out of... ...this piece of aluminum left over from when I did the siding on my house a couple years ago. I also added a lock on the keyboard drawer: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 9, 2009 Author Share Posted April 9, 2009 Slight progress... The controls have arrived! The holes are cut in the control panel and test fitting a joystick and button: Here the bottom of the control panel. Not too bad for free-handing with the router: More to come soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 Attaching the front of the control panel: Marquee brackets & plexiglass, and screen/bezel plexi in place. The protective plastic is still on the plexi and it is very dusty: Attaching panels to mount the USB gamepad PCB's to: Control panel: Attached brackets to mount the control panel: Control panel attached: Getting closer!: My wife priming the cabinet: Control panel primed: I attached some strategically placed wall anchors to mount the controller PCB's to: Hopefully, by tomorrow night I can start wiring the control panel... more pictures soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 It's coming along very nicely! Thank you for sharing the progress with us. It's gonna be great when you have it all set up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 11, 2009 Author Share Posted April 11, 2009 It's coming along very nicely! Thank you for sharing the progress with us. It's gonna be great when you have it all set up! Thank you very much! Likewise, I appreciate all the comments and views from everyone! I'm pleased with how things have turned out so far... I hope the end result turns out well! Since, I'm staining the sides black to keep a bit of the wood grain, it's hard to visualize what it will look like. I still have all of the electrical to do, too... But, mostly I want to get to the gaming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectorGamer Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 Attaching the front of the control panel: Marquee brackets & plexiglass, and screen/bezel plexi in place. The protective plastic is still on the plexi and it is very dusty: Attaching panels to mount the USB gamepad PCB's to: Control panel: Attached brackets to mount the control panel: Control panel attached: Getting closer!: My wife priming the cabinet: Control panel primed: I attached some strategically placed wall anchors to mount the controller PCB's to: Hopefully, by tomorrow night I can start wiring the control panel... more pictures soon! I'm working on an arcade cabinet right now as well, although mine is a Satan's Hollow cabinet that I am renovating. I'm really impressed with how "clean" your cabinet looks, especially the control panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm working on an arcade cabinet right now as well, although mine is a Satan's Hollow cabinet that I am renovating. I'm really impressed with how "clean" your cabinet looks, especially the control panel. Thanks! I really appreciate that! I put a lot of thought into keeping the cabinet clean and classic looking, but still having a lot of functionality. I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures of your cabinet as you progress. I'm sure that will present it's own fun and unique challenges! Well, here's my progress for the last couple days! Control panel painted: Controls mounted.: Bottom of the control panel... wiring is going to be tight! I have mounted one of the gamepad PCB's... the other one has yet to be gutted: This thing was a nightmare to wire... BUT IT WORKS!!! It didn't help that not all of the controls connected to the same ground. I had to ground to 5 different locations... at least that's what the continuity tester on my multi-meter said. After verifying that the controls worked, I used hot glue to help strengthen the solder connections and keep the wires from breaking. Yup... the wiring is pretty tight...: After testing all of the buttons I put in about 30 games of Maze Craze! I haven't even started wiring the player 2 controls yet... I'll save that fun for another day. There are also going to be two pinball buttons on each side, plus player 1 & 2 coin "buttons", that need to be wired in. Right & left mouse click will be the second pinball buttons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I put a lot of thought into keeping the cabinet clean and classic looking, but still having a lot of functionality. And in doing so, you've already succeeded where so many fail terribly. Hacking up gamepads? You must be a glutton for punishment. I always assume people are going to use IPACS and such these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 I put a lot of thought into keeping the cabinet clean and classic looking, but still having a lot of functionality. And in doing so, you've already succeeded where so many fail terribly. Hacking up gamepads? You must be a glutton for punishment. I always assume people are going to use IPACS and such these days. I considered buying an encoder, but then I realized that the one thing the cabinet was missing was a frustrating and tedious soldering project! Actually, since I'm not working right now I'm trying to be as cost effective as possible. I wore out these gamepads years ago and replaced them with Logitech controllers, so they were just sitting on the shelf... might as well recycle them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Primus Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hacking up gamepads? You must be a glutton for punishment. I always assume people are going to use IPACS and such these days. I considered buying an encoder, but then I realized that the one thing the cabinet was missing was a frustrating and tedious soldering project! Gamepads are easy compared to what I did. I built my cabinet in the pre-ipac days. I hacked up a keyboard. A well-travelled, missing many keys, IBM Model M was sacrficed for my cabinet. I traced out the matrix, and wired up all the buttons to the keyboard's encoder board. Of course, this means, there is no common ground, so every button needs two seperate wires. I have not had problems with "ghosting" on the keyboard - but then again, it's a one player cabinet. I kept it simple and clean. One of these days I need to get around to upgrading my MAME cabinet. At the time, I used what was still a fairly expensive computer - a 266mhz Pentium II, with 64 mb of RAM. These days, I have Pentium 4 machines laying around, collecting dust. -Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 Gamepads are easy compared to what I did. I built my cabinet in the pre-ipac days. I hacked up a keyboard. Hah! I was just going to say the same thing. My MK1 MAME cab (built in the dark ages) I had to use a keyboard and reverse engineer the mylar for the controls. Of course I shortly thereafter found out what ghosting meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 13, 2009 Author Share Posted April 13, 2009 Gamepads are easy compared to what I did. I built my cabinet in the pre-ipac days. I hacked up a keyboard. Hah! I was just going to say the same thing. My MK1 MAME cab (built in the dark ages) I had to use a keyboard and reverse engineer the mylar for the controls. Of course I shortly thereafter found out what ghosting meant. I considered going the keyboard route, but I didn't want to take a chance with ghosting... then I remembered I still had my old gamepads and the choice was easy. My cabinet is going to have a 2 GHz Opteron, w/ 1 GB RAM, an 80 GB HD, 128 MB Radeon 9200, and Windows 2000. Should be a solid system for years to come! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aftermac Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Time for an update! I've been doing more planning (for electrical wiring) than work for the past 10 days, so I've finally done enough work to warrant posting. Also, my t-molding arrived today! Finished wiring the control panel: Cabinet painted and stained: Push button for the light, hole for the push button to power on the computer, and gang box for the main power switch: Switch wired in place: Electrical wiring and power strip: Power connector attached and wired: Testing the wiring and 14 gauge power cord I made (PC power cords are only 18 gauge... not heavy enough)... IT WORKS!! Speakers mounted: Light fixture mounted in place... left over from an old fish aquarium: Wired up the coin buttons: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nonner242 Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 Looking GREAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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