Cab Testing Phase

A thing of beauty!  Over the weekend I finished the remaining bits necessary to get the cabinet in working/testing condition.  It now sits in what will likely be its final location.  Here's the list of what is left to do:
- Replace the blue control panel overlays with finished design
- Install the t-molding using hot glue
- Fresh coat of flat black paint
- Re-wire the Power On button for better accessibility

Also on the list should be "find better chairs for playing in", because the height of the chairs to the control panels is not optimal.  We already -plan to get different chairs in here for this purpose, but I might need to raise the overall height of the cabinet to ensure it's comfortable.

I'm really getting the games list dialed in, as there are certain games it doesn't make sense to add on to the list.  Some just don't have the ability to "flip" screens when player 2 is up.  Others, like Joust, have the player 1 & 2 on the same screen.  No flipping there either.  So, the games list is important here.

For the MAME front end, I'm using Atomic FE.  It's an amazing & completely customizable interface.  Sounds, loading screens, menus, backgrounds, etc.  You don't need to install any .NET, Java, or anything else which will bog down the system.  Highly recommended.

Cutting and Wiring

One joystick and 3 buttons on each side was to be the plan. I cut the holes in the MDF first, and then clamped the acrylic on to make the other holes. Simple, really... since they all use a 1 1/8-inch hole. Pre-drill a pilot hole, and then do the real thing. I was a little worried about how difficult cutting in to the acrylic would be, but it ended up being very easy material to work with. I used some custom finishing bolts from the hardware store, so the top of the panel would keep looking very professional.

I don't have the finished artwork to be printed (which is being custom designed by my lovely wife), so I am leaving the blue protective sheeting on the back side of the acrylic sheets for now. Finally, I made the wiring connections from the controls to the keyboard encoder, and that was it. I cut holes and wired the additional buttons for players, coin, game selection, exit, and admin functions at various locations on the cabinet. Nearly finished!

And yes, as far as I know the best cutting table to use for your control panel is a priority USPS box which had previously contained your shipped controls.

Arrival!

The package of controls from Groovy Game Gear arrived (unboxing of parts shown in photo). Also, I stopped by TAP Plastics on my way home today (on the bike), to pick up the custom pieces of cut acrylic for the control panels and the bezel. I have Friday off work, so I'm going to take the 3-day weekend to finish this project. Well, that's the plan, anyway.

Controls and Plastics

My Valentine's Day present was to order all my controls for the cocktail cabinet.  So, I went to Groovy Game Gear and did so immediately.  No date set for actual delivery, but I should see them arrive some time around 2/22 (next Friday).  My arcade-building buddy, Alan, is putting on another event at his house this weekend, which I hope to attend. 

Recently, I found a place which is only blocks away from my house, called TAP Plastics.  They are a plastics retail store carrying resins, fiberglass, adhesives, acrylic, and an assortment of plastic sheeting products.  Their target is for the do-it-yourself person to come in and pick out supplies needed to complete any related project.  This is exactly what I need for custom cut acrylic pieces to fit on the control panels, screen overlays, and other fun items related to arcade machine / MAME cabinet building.  I plan to utilize them for many other (currently unknown) projects in the future.

Control Panels Replaced

Spent a majority of the weekend getting the control panels rebuilt on the cabinet. The original control panels were made from 3/4-inch particle board. It has been through some rough times, where both control panel sides were basically destroyed. So, I cut things down to a workable state, re-cut the new parts out of 3/4-inch MDF, glued/bolted the new pieces on, then began the process of filling, sanding, priming and painting. Final tally for the weekend is 2 finished control panels, ready to be cut with pushbutton and joystick holes. Next step is ordering the necessary HAPP arcade controls and a keyboard encoder from Groovy Game Gear.

PC Install, Yo!

Spent most of the weekend taking apart the PC and installing the entire thing inside the cabinet. I found a nifty way to completely dissect a metal PC case by cracking the metal rivets. It can be done by delicately holding a flat screwdriver against the rivet nub at an angle, and then smacking the handle with a hammer. I highly suggest removing all computer bits you plan to use later before applying this method. It sounds severe, but it was a precision way to get the parts out you might need. Great stress reliever too.

Anyway, I was able to get all the necessary parts out of the case: motherboard, power supply, hard drive, optical drive, and a couple other bits like a front-mounted USB input and mounting plates. This has all been assembled inside the cabinet now. It is amazing how small of a footprint the entire PC innards can take up when pulled apart. I was even able to mount the case fan to the bottom of the cabinet, forcing hot air down and out.

As you can see in the photos, I have the hard drive mounted to the side, the motherboard is mounted so all the inputs can be easily reached with the top lifted up, the extra USB ports are up towards the top (why not?), and you can spot the antenna for the PCI wireless card sticking up. Currently, I'm playing with the idea of not adding the optical drive back in, as I can transfer files over wireless or USB thumb drive.

I've also hacked up my PC speakers to mount in the proper locations. I would like to place the speaker knobs on the outside of the cabinet, as well as figure out how to get an outer-mounted headphone plug to function properly. For now, the knobs are accessible inside. There's also a shot of the only way to currently turn the computer on, using the switch I removed from the case. Still looking in to a better solution for that.

Not Getting Dead By Electro-shock

More cabinet photos, as the work continues. I found an acceptable sized PC monitor to use, but there were a few things which needed to be done before mounting it inside the cabinet. First, I had to discharge the stored electric charge inside. It was a little scary, I'll admit, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. I also made sure to tell the wife to call for an ambulance if I didn't return from my work area in the next 20 minutes. Anyway, after performing that task, it was a matter of puzzling out how all the parts would fit inside. Once seated, the formerly cavernous cabinet is now looking jam-packed. It is also is looking much more like the finished product. I now have the mounted monitor hooked up to a PC with the emulator showing off Ms. Pac Man. Good stuff.

Centipede & Cocktails

2008 began with promise and a new project. Vi was trolling Craigslist and came across a find. A fellow arcade builder was getting rid of his cocktail arcade cabinet, and wanted someone to come get it pronto. I called to let him know I was coming, and headed out first thing this morning. Within 45 minutes, I returned with an original Centipede table-top, or "cocktail" cabinet. The cab is missing all the internal electronics, coin box, and control panels. It is, however, a fantastic project I can not wait to take on. I pulled out an old laptop which I promptly disassembled to use the LCD screen. After poking around the interwebs, I found no cheap and/or easy way to connect an old laptop LCD to a desktop computer. So, my screen choices are going to be limited to custom-fitting an old CRT or find some really cheap serial-connected LCD screen. I also need to dig up a faster spare computer to run the emulators. Since the control panels are already missing, I'm considering moving the control panel locations to a far-end configuration, instead of the closer mid-table configuration of the original Centipede cab.

Arcade Project : Wiring Finished

I finished up the wiring for the control panel. When I finished, it was far too late (3am) to do any testing, but I plan to knock it out this weekend. It needs some cleanup in the wiring with some tie-downs, but otherwise my wiring is dialed. It's time to rock this monkey.


Here is a close-up of the KeyWiz Max 1.5 keyboard encoder. How does it hook up to your computer? There are 2 PS2 slots. One uses a PS2-out to PS2-in on your mobo. The other PS2 slot is for an external keyboard to attach to. The little switch is used to switch between the two (if needed during testing).

Arcade Project : First Wiring

I spent some time making my first wirings for the Player 1 joystick and buttons. Then, I took it over to a computer and plugged it in to the control panel. Donkey Kong was the very first test. I had wired up the Left & Right microswitches for the joystick backwards, but overall it was a successful test. All props to Groovy Game Gear and the KeyWiz Max 1.5. This keyboard encoder rules.

Arcade Project : Controls

My controls arrived today safely from SlikStik. I didn't waste any time getting them hooked in to the control panel.
The photos show the scrap piece of wood I used to test my drilling diameters for the joysticks and pushbuttons.
Next, I drew out the location of every control I was going to mount.
Then, the holes get drilled.

Next, the pushbuttons installed.
And finally, all of the controls are mounted.

The wiring comes next. However, I'm already very happy with my control panel layout. w00t!

Arcade Project : Control Panel Assembly

Realizing that the controls are going to show up the next day, I decided to put some time in to assembling the control panel. But first, I had to move the cabinet in to the new spot assigned to it in the basement. In order to get the cabinet to squeeze through the door from the garage in to the basement area, I had to take the trim off the door frame. No big deal. A few minutes later and I am sliding the cabinet in to the basement. It barely fits, but once it's on the casters, it rolls really well.

Here is where it goes bad. The end plan is to put it in to the "games" room, in the far back corner of the basement. However, this is the first time I have considered measuring the doorway between the basement and the games room. Way too small to get this cabinet through it. Not even close. So, after discussing our options with the wife, we decide to place it right next to the beer fridge, just inside the garage/basement door. It's actually a great location for it, so it all worked out in the end.

After I got the cabinet in it's semi-permanent home, I began attaching the control panel. It is really beautiful. I have a general idea on where the controls will all be placed, but I don't have exact drawings yet. I'm going to wait until I get the package of controls from SlikStik before doing any more work on it. The photos show the new location for the cabinet, with the control panel top on and another with the top on.

Oh, and I received the keyboard encoder from Groovy Game Gear only 3 days after I ordered it. I can not wait to hook the controls up to it, and run my first test.

Arcade Project : Wheels & Base

After making another trip to the hardware store, I now have the additional supplies I needed to attach the wheels and the complete base for the cabinet. I didn't realize how many different types & sizes of caster wheels were available until I was standing in the aisle browsing for them. In the end I estimated that the total weight of the cab should probably come in around 500 pounds. That includes all that heavy MDF board, computer hardware, and a big TV/CRT. I picked out four 3-inch casters (2 swivel/lockable & 2 static), each of which is rated to support 225 pounds. I mounted the 2 static casters in the back, and the 2 swivel/lockable ones in the front. I have about 2 inches of clearance from the ground to the bottom of the cabinet kick plate. This is just enough room to reach underneath and lock those caster brakes when I have it in a semi-permanent place.

I also finally got to cut out the pieces to my control panel from the 1/2" MDF board. The photo shows the bottom of the control panel just perched in the place where it will go. I can't screw any parts to the control panel down yet, because I need to move this beast out of the garage first. If I wait until the control panel is attached, then the cabinet will never fit through the door in to the basement area. You can also see one of the speakers I'm planning to mount below the marquee. That will happen much later though. I just wanted to make sure some old speakers I had laying around would fit correctly.

We have our Holiday & Housewarming party tomorrow and I'm wishing this thing was finished.

Arcade Project : Controls & Encoders

My original plan was to have a 2-player control panel, but after doing some research on what other people have done I have changed my mind. Violet is giving me crap about all the time I'm spending on just deciding on the panel layout. The thing is, it is very important to account for player spacing, controller configuration for multiple games, keyboard encoder limitations, and budget. If budget wasn't an issue, I could run out and buy up all the controls I thought I would ever need.

Anyway, I've decided to build a 3-player control panel with an additional 4-way dedicated joystick, and a 3-inch trackball for games like Missile Command. The dedicated 4-way is for Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, where the movement can get confused if using a standard 8-way controller. At first I thought I would give each player 6 buttons each, thinking this would give them plenty of buttons for all games. However, when I began looking at game controls, I found that only the fighting games like Mortal Kombat used that many buttons. 98% of the games out there which use pushbuttons have 3 or less for each player. So, 3 buttons per player it is. Of course, I am going to make it expandable for more buttons in the future. I would also like to get a spinner knob for games like Tempest, but that is low-priority.

I priced out controls and keyboard encoders, doing research on reviews for both. I also checked out pre-built control panels (X-Arcade and SlikStik ), but didn't find anything that fit me just right. Happ Controls makes what is generally considered the best arcade controls in the business. I actually found it cheaper to purchase the same Happ Controls from the SlikStik web site. They also had a better color selection available for online ordering, since it looks like Happ doesn't update their online catalog as much as SlikStik does. At this moment, joysticks are $11.50 each, and pushbuttons are $1.45 each.

Keyboard encoders are used to take the signals from your controls (joysticks & pushbuttons), and process them in to keystrokes on your computer. There are other ways to process these signals, including taking apart a keyboard and soldering connections (the keyboard hack). I decided the cost for an encoder is worth it. I was considering purchasing one from Hagstrom Electronics , but the $130 price tag was making me dizzy. I also looked at Ultimarc, but in the end I went with the KeyWiz Max 1.5 from Groovy Game Gear . At $41 (includes shipping), and all of the inputs I need... it's a bargain.

I've ordered controls from SlikStik and the keyboard encoder from Groovy Game Gear today. For now I'm holding off on getting the trackball. I know I'm really going to want one soon, but at $130+ it can wait for now. There's some mouse hacks I'm going to look in to also.

Arcade Project : Frame Assembly

It's time to begin full-frontal frame assembly. After I got enough screwed together, I stood the whole thing up. It ended up being quite a bit more massive than I had anticipated. Now it's about time to head back to the hardware department to pick up some more supplies. I need some big casters to roll it around on, a couple 2x4s to build the base of the frame, and some brackets for general support.

Arcade Project : Cutting

Today I began the first cuts on the sheets of MDF. As was pointed out, this is really it. No turning back now, since after I cut in to the sheets, I can't really return them to the lumber store. I didn't care because this is going to rock, and I couldn't wait to get started. When I cut out the first side of the cabinet, I stood it up and looked it over. Excellent. It looks like the side of an arcade cabinet.

On to the next side, and then I began cutting some of the 2x2 for the support pieces. Every screw I use is being pre-drilled and counter-sunk. Eventually I will fill these holes and give it a light sanding before I paint it, so the surface of the cab is nice and smooth. I have all sorts of ideas for cabinet side & marquee artwork too. These will need to be attached to smooth surfaces.

Planning for the control panel and internal electronic components continues. I only get to spend a couple hours on this project every few days, so it will all be fairly slow going for now.

Arcade Project : First Steps

After spending a couple weeks planning and researching, I have decided to go forward with building my own cabinet from scratch. Originally, I wanted to pick up a used cabinet so I could skip this step. However, I found out that some people spend huge amounts of time & money finding and restoring original arcade cabinets. These people are very passionate about cabinet restoration, and I got the impression it would be a terrible shame to take something that could be restored and gut it. Also, cabinets like that are hard to find and are hard to get a hold of for less than $200. I am confident I can build one for less than that, so there you go.

My lovely wife went out and picked up some of the first supplies I need to start the cabinet. On the list: four 2x2 8-foot pine boards, two 4x8 3/4" MDF sheets, and one 4x8 1/2" MDF sheet. This will create the frame and panels. Here you can see I spent an evening planning and drawing all over these sheets of MDF. I've been asked where I came up with the design. During my research I found many plans on the Internet, but I picked my favorite from Jeff McClain's Ultimate Mame Cabinet page and will make some small adjustments to the plan as I go. Jeff is also a home brewer, so I already like the guy without ever meeting him. I'm going to work on the cabinet building without getting to the control panel until I know more about what controls I am going to use.

Arcade Project Gets The Green Light

I have had an ongoing interest in a new project, which I am officially starting today. I am giving myself a time line on this project to have it completed some time around next Fall (so, about 1 year). The 1 year time line is so that I don't feel pressured to get anything done on it right away, I won't need to slack on any other projects I have going on, and having that determined deadline will help me to keep on track without being disappointed with the slow progress.

I'm going to buy as little equipment as possible to fund it. I will ask for supplies that nobody needs any longer, and reserve the cash for supplies I HAVE to buy. Fortunately, I can use some of the hardware I originally purchased for the HTPC project (which died a while ago), and 60 - 80% of the other stuff I need will be salvaged.

The Project: A MAME Arcade system, including a stand-up cabinet, 2-player controls, and hundreds of original arcade games running on an internal PC system. Hell yeah.

I'm really thinking about custom building the cabinet, since finding a used one in decent condition has been pretty tough. Plus, I would rip out most of the internal components anyway. Time to break out the tools!! I am going to scrounge a monitor off of work or somewhere and the PC will either be something salvaged or some pre-built system from Fry's for under $200.