Making Hex logos for CX-10 controllers

[Lodmot]

I moved a discussion I was having in the Marketplace/Wanted forum to this thread, because I felt it was getting too off-topic from the original post (which had already been resolved, anyway).

 

So, I decided I wanted to make my own hex logos for these two CX-10 controllers that I just ordered. I understand it will probably decrease (or maybe just not change) the controllers' values, because they're not the real labels, but I don't plan on selling the controllers. Lol.

 

Here's the graphics I made for the hex shapes I'm gonna use for the CX-10's. Feel free to use them if you want to try it:

 

 

I was thinking of doing the same thing I did to a Colecovision cartridge that originally had a very trashed label.

I went online, found a high-res version of the label, printed it out to scale with the original as best as I could.

Then I cut it out and trimmed it to make sure it would fit on the cart.

Then I finally laid some double-sided tape on the area where the label would be placed on, and carefully laid iit on

there, making sure I lined it up on the cartridge correctly. Finally, to make the label less prone to damage, I put a layer of

clear packaging tape ontop of the label, and this was the final result. I did this almost a year ago, and it's still nice and

secure onto the cartridge. Here's what came of that:

 

 

I don't have any fancy coating materials or special label-printing equipment. I just used a regular printer and paper.

And I have a very meticulous, steady hand when it comes to arts and crafts, which helped get the label shaped just right.

Edited April 6, 2012 by Lodmot

[Ataritard]

What was the original hex logos made out of? Metal... cardboard... paper?

[Lodmot]

I heard it was made out of a thin aluminium.

I was going to print mine on regular paper and coat the top of it with packaging tape to give it a sheen.

Edited April 7, 2012 by Lodmot

[Lodmot]

Just tried making a "practice" hex logo. The actual controller it's attached to is a spare CX-40 I had hanging on the ceiling, as you can tell.

I think it came out pretty nice, as accurate as I can tell from pictures I've seen of real ones online.

The only thing I'll have to keep in mind when pasting the logos onto the real CX-10 controllers, is I have to be careful when cutting them out, so their shape fits comfortably inside the "ditch" in the top of the joystick

 

Edited April 7, 2012 by Lodmot

[SlowCoder]

The test controller looks good. Will the finals be paper, plastic or metal? If metal, you might be able to get some buyers if you're interested. There are lots of controllers in need of those discs.

[Lodmot]

It's most likely just going to be on paper unfortunately. I do have aluminum foil in the house, but that would probably not go through the printer so well. xDDDD

Even if it did, the Atari logo would come out in a sort of aluminum color, which actually would look kinda cool.

[Lodmot]

Alright. So I finally got my CX-10's in the mail. I tested them out, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they both work nearly flawlessly.

One of them doesn't respond when you push the joystick down, but the other one works perfectly. The orange border has only slightly faded on

one of the controllers, but other than that, they both look very nice. So after testing them and finding out how each of the controllers worked,

I went ahead and put the hex logos on. This is how it came out:

 

 

I'm really pleased with the way these controllers look.

One thing I found kinda funny was, the tops of the joysticks are actually rubbery. I thought it was just solid plastic, but

with the CX-10's (at least certain revisions of them), you can actually push the top of the joystick in and out slightly, and they're rubberized.... Weird...

Edited April 9, 2012 by Lodmot

[SlowCoder]

One thing I found kinda funny was, the tops of the joysticks are actually rubbery. I thought it was just solid plastic, but with the CX-10's (at least certain revisions of them), you can actually push the top of the joystick in and out slightly, and they're rubberized.... Weird...

The fact that they're rubber and can be reshaped is one of the reasons the hard hexes fell off. Even with a great glue, the likelihood of the disc coming loose is high, and is why most of them are missing.

[Lodmot]

I wonder how long mine will stay on for. I just used double-sided scotch tape to paste them on xDD

[sqoon]

I like the results for both the controller and the Zaxxon cart. I have often thought of the need for a database website that has hi-res scans of everything from cartridge labels to manuals to controller overlays. As these get detroyed or lost over the years, I am sure there are many collectors who would like to create their own replacements. I have heard the arguments against this by gaming purists, but see no harm as long as it is not tried to be sold as originals.

 

About those hex controller handle inserts: Were the original Atari controllers inlaid with the word "Atari" as you have done, or the Atari symbol logo? I have a pair of Sears heavy sixer controllers that had "Sears" inlaid on aluminum hex inserts.

[Lodmot]

I like the results for both the controller and the Zaxxon cart. I have often thought of the need for a database website that has hi-res scans of everything from cartridge labels to manuals to controller overlays. As these get detroyed or lost over the years, I am sure there are many collectors who would like to create their own replacements. I have heard the arguments against this by gaming purists, but see no harm as long as it is not tried to be sold as originals.

 

About those hex controller handle inserts: Were the original Atari controllers inlaid with the word "Atari" as you have done, or the Atari symbol logo? I have a pair of Sears heavy sixer controllers that had "Sears" inlaid on aluminum hex inserts.

Well I looked up pictures of the controllers with the hex inserts still attached, and all the photos I found online showed the word "ATARI" on them. I have also seen pictures of the sears ones as well.

[Dino]

There was a seller who was seling 2nd gen versions of the hex discs. Maybe you can buy them from him if he hasn't sold out?

 

I cant remember who the seller was.

[Lodmot]

There was a seller who was seling 2nd gen versions of the hex discs. Maybe you can buy them from him if he hasn't sold out?

 

I cant remember who the seller was.

What would I do with them though, if I already made my own? o3o

[sqoon]

Just me, or does the word "Atari" look off-center vertically in post #1? It looks like it is located below center on your hexagon inlay.

[Lodmot]

Actually it is a little off-center. As I was placing the text in Gimp, I had a picture of the real atari hex logo zoomed in, to help as a reference. I guess it's either like that on the real hex logo's as well, or the angle at which the camera was pointing at them was not perfectly streight.

[Dino]

Actually it is a little off-center. As I was placing the text in Gimp, I had a picture of the real atari hex logo zoomed in, to help as a reference. I guess it's either like that on the real hex logo's as well, or the angle at which the camera was pointing at them was not perfectly streight.

 

that's why you could use a set of orginals

[Lodmot]

Actually it is a little off-center. As I was placing the text in Gimp, I had a picture of the real atari hex logo zoomed in, to help as a reference. I guess it's either like that on the real hex logo's as well, or the angle at which the camera was pointing at them was not perfectly streight.

 

that's why you could use a set of orginals

It doesn't bother me though. Lol.

Edited April 11, 2012 by Lodmot

[darriba]

I'm thinking about printing hex discs for my CX-10 joysticks. Can someone tell me if the original hex discs had the Atari name printed in white or silver (aluminum background)?

Thanks,

[Tombstone]

The ones that I have are silver (aluminum)

[Rob Mitchell]

Mine had SEARS on the discs back in the day ..

[+iesposta]

I laser printed some in reverse in black on paper. Make sure the black is heavy and dark.

Then I ironed on the laser printed reverse on to the interior of a section of aluminium can which I then cut to the hex shape.

Works about 85%

Maybe with special paper another process you could make an iron-on that looks 100%?