Cost Breakdown to Date #4

Yikes. I ordered the monitor today from Dell. I decided to buy a refurbished one because they no longer sell (relatively) cheap LCD monitors with black trim. They come in silver now and I don't want the trim to be noticeable at all so that just wouldn't work. I'm a little nervous ordering a refurbished monitor because it only comes with a 90-day warranty instead of the 3 year warranty on new ones.

I do save $30 though and from what I've heard if a refurbished monitor lasts a week with no problems it will probably last just as long as a new one. It is pictured to the right.

Anyway, here's the updated breakdown so far:

Bought:
MDF: $35.00/4'x8' sheet x 2 sheets = $70
Screws: $5.98/box x 1 box = $5.98
18" flourescent light (for behind marquee): $8.97
Wood support strips: $0.97/foot x 12 feet = $11.64
3 buttons, balltop joystick, t-molding from Dream Arcades = $32.75
Smart Strip power supply = $37.31
Hinges and magnetic clasp = $8.43
Ultimarc 360 Joystick = $59.00 (+$14.00 shipping)
Ultimarc Encoder Harness (for button wiring) = $8.00
Ultimarc Restrictor Plate (to shorten joystick throw) = $14.00
Ultimarc Hard Spring (to tighten joystick movement) = $5.00
Computer Speakers (2.1) = $21.39
Happ Small Single Coin Door = $59.95 (+$17.00 shipping)
Happ six (6) black buttons with microswitch @1.35ea. = $8.10
Happ 60" Marquee Retainer @$5.00 per 30" = $10.00
Four (4) Speaker Grills from Chokes Unlimited = $10.84
Dell 19" LCD Monitor E197FP (refurb) = $189.00 (+13.23 tax)

TOTAL so far: $604.59

To buy:
Marquee
Primer/Paint/rubbing compound (for finish)
1/4" Glass (to cover monitor)
Black Posterboard (for bezel)

I'm getting close to acquiring everything I need! Too bad I completely blew my $500 budget but I'm very pleased with the way things are coming along so far.

Thanks for looking!!

Control Panel Vinyl Decals: Design

When the time comes to "finish" the control panel I want everything to be labeled and as self-explanatory as possible so my daughter (or anyone) can operate it easily. I am ordering several vinyl decals from MikeDeuce over at BYOAC to label everything. He makes these in his spare time and does a fantastic job. He will customize your order to pretty much anything and he is very responsive to emails (and multiple design changes!).

Here is the final control panel design:

The entire surface of the control panel is going to be black vinyl as well as all of the admin buttons. The only color will be the pink action buttons, the pink balltop joystick and the vinyl decals. The button to the far left (currently red) is the "exit" button, and on the far right (from top to bottom) is the player 1 start, player 2 start and "pause" (currently orange).

The decals can be ordered in a bunch of colors (as shown to the left) but of course I'm going to go with the pink - The more pink the better! I want to apply the decals to each of the "admin" buttons as well as one around the joystick for decorative purposes.

The decals I ordered for the admin buttons are as follows:

1. A player 1 start button with the female figure (as shown to the right)
2. A player 2 start button with two female figures next to each other
3. "pause" (all lowercase)
4. "exit" (all lowercase)

In addition to the admin button decals I also ordered a "select game" decal (all lowercase) in an "overwrap" style to go above the player 1 start button. This decal will be in a 1/2 circle and "wrap" around the top of the button. The player 1 start button serves two purposes - to start each game once a quarter is inserted (duh) but also to select the highlighted game you want to play from the master list. I think this is a good solution and people should be able to figure it out. [I also ordered a "$" decal even though I'm not putting a coin button on the control panel just in case I decide to add it at a later date.]

Finally, I decided to add some decorative arrows/triangles to go around the joystick dust washer on the control panel (shown at the base of the joystick to the left). The washer will rest on top of the vinyl covered control panel and hide the hole that the shaft goes through.

Here's my ugly mock-up (in paint) of what I'm trying to accomplish - the arrows have to be spaced far enough so the circular "void" in the center clears the dust washer.

That's about it! I'm hoping the decals arrive sometime next week so I can finish the control panel.

Next up - painting and finishing the cabinet!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Day 8: Crazy Bezel Panel

The bezel panel has finally been cut to size and it fits in place rather nicely (I still have to glue everything though). So far this has been the craziest piece I've cut due to the fact that I had to make 3 rabbet cuts in addition to cutting a notch in the rear for the speaker and marquee light wires to pass through. Also, this is a great excuse to show how the control panel will look once it is installed and explain how I made room for the black cardboard bezel which will eventually surround the monitor and the glass that goes on top. I think it came out pretty good!

The following is a shot of the rear of the bezel panel showing the notch I cut for the wires. I just used my jigsaw to cut the notch freehand. I am going to be installing an additional panel between the marquee bottom panel and the bezel panel that will go in front of the wires and cover the notch.

A while back I installed strips of pine on the interior of the cabinet so I would have a place to rest the bezel panel (which is also on the same plane as the control panel). However, after assembling the cabinet and placing a sheet of MDF in place where the bezel panel and control panel would go I realized that I hadn't allowed space for the black cardboard bezel and glass that would eventually cover the monitor.

My solution for this was to cut a 3/8" rabbet on the sides on the bottom of the panel. This would allow the bezel panel to sit 3/8" lower than I had originally anticipated. However, since I didn't want the control panel to sit lower as well I created a 3/8" rabbet on the top of the bezel panel that the control panel could rest on. This would also create a lip between the control panel and the bezel panel so the black cardboard bezel and glass had a place to sit and the entire thing would be flush when finished. The picture below is a mock-up of what I am trying to accomplish.

As you can see, I am going to use the control panel as a lip for the glass and cardboard bezel to rest on. Once they are installed the entire surface should be uniform.

The next pictures show how I cut the bezel panel. The close-ups are of the side showing the rabbet cut which allows the panel to sit 3/8" lower than I had originally planned (creating the space for the cardboard bezel and glass).

The next picture is a close-up of the front of the bezel panel with the rabbit I made in the front which the control panel will sit on. It is also 3/8" deep and as you can see removing 3/8" from the top and bottom of a 3/4" sheet of MDF completely removes the corners. This gap will be covered though so it's not a problem or anything.

The next picture shows the front rabbet across the width of the cabinet.

Finally, these last shots show what the final installed control panel will look like as well as the lip that will support the cardboard bezel and glass that covers the monitor.

Thanks for looking!!

Cost Breakdown to Date #3

I finally ordered the coin door, additional black horizontal pushbuttons (for the admin buttons on the control panel) and the marquee retainer. I ordered all Happ parts from a BYOAC member who sells to the arcade building community cheaper than Happ does (and doesn't kill you on shipping). These parts should be here early next week!

Here's the breakdown so far:

Bought:
MDF: $35.00/4'x8' sheet x 2 sheets = $70
Screws: $5.98/box x 1 box = $5.98
18" flourescent light (for behind marquee): $8.97
Wood support strips: $0.97/foot x 12 feet = $11.64
3 buttons, balltop joystick, t-molding from Dream Arcades = $32.75
Smart Strip power supply = $37.31
Hinges and magnetic clasp = $8.43
Ultimarc 360 Joystick = $59.00 (+$14.00 shipping)
Ultimarc Encoder Harness (for button wiring) = $8.00
Ultimarc Restrictor Plate (to shorten joystick throw) = $14.00
Ultimarc Hard Spring (to tighten joystick movement) = $5.00
Computer Speakers (2.1) = $21.39
Happ Small Single Coin Door = $59.95 (+$17.00 shipping)
Happ Six (6) black buttons with microswitch @1.35ea. = $8.10
Happ 60" Marquee Retainer @$5.00 per 30" = $10.00
Four (4) Speaker Grills from Chokes Unlimited = $10.84

TOTAL so far: $402.36

To buy:
Marquee
Dell 17" LCD Monitor
Primer/Paint/rubbing compound (for finish)
1/4" Glass (to cover monitor)
Black Posterboard (for bezel)

There's not much left to purchase! I was hoping to keep this project under $500 but it looks like I will be over $600 once I order the monitor. Bummer.

Day 8: Coin Door Cutout

This isn't glamorous but it sure was more time-consuming than I thought it would be. Last night I cut out the hole for the coin door on the front panel of the cabinet. This is the same panel that is hinged and can open up to reveal the computer for easy maintenance.

The coin door that I ordered is pictured (Part No. 40-0055-00). It's a little pricey but I think it adds a real nice finishing touch and an "authentic" look to the cabinet. Plus, since I decided to remove the "coin" button from the control panel it will be the only way to start up the games!

The first thing I did was remove the coin door panel from the hinges (and remove the hinges too) so I could layout the mounting template in the center. This was pretty easy to do with just my t-square and pencil.

As you can see from the template, the corners of the hole are rounded and have a 1" radius. I had to drill a 2" diameter hole in each corner in order to get the proper cut. Here are some shots showing the layout and some of the holes drilled:





Once all 4 holes were cut in the corners I used my jigsaw to connect the holes and remove the interior material. I made sure to stay 1/8" inside the line for the rough cut so I can clean it up with the router and a flush trimming bit.



The final thing I did was use the router to make everything nice and even. Here are the results:





Unfortunately, the coin door hasn't arrived yet so I can't get a finished picture but it is supposed to come this week and I will post a few pictures when it gets here.

Tips:
1. Be patient. It takes a while to make each of the 4 holes in the corner with a forstner bit or hole saw because MDF is so dense.
2. Make sure you have a piece of scrap MDF underneath the workpiece at all times. You don't want to cut a hole in your workbench.
3. Make sure everything is clamped tight to the workbench before you start cutting.
4. Plan on spending an hour and a half or more to cut the coin door hole. I know it sounds crazy but that's how long it takes if you follow my method.

Thanks for looking!!

Status, Problems and To Do List

Status: I got a little bit of free time over the weekend to continue working on my arcade cabinet. I spent about an hour and a half making some cuts to the control panel and cutting the bezel panel and fitting it into place. I will post photos and describe the process in a later post.

Problems: I did figure something out though - I am having a very hard time finishing the cabinet portion and getting everything ready for paint. The main problem is the control panel - I can't seem to figure out how the front piece of the control panel should connect with the rest of the cabinet. I also have to make sure it is removeable in case I need to do any maintenance in the future and I'm not quite sure how to accomplish this. The only thing I can think of is to cut the panels on an angle and I don't know how to do this accurately with my tools. Every thing except for these last two panels is cut and ready for paint so I'm almost there... I'll also post pictures of the trouble area in a little while so you can see what I'm talking about and hopefully avoid the issue if you try to build something similer.

To Do This Week:
1. Cut hole in coin door panel for the coin door (Monday)
2. Remove material on back edge of coin door panel sides so door closes easier (Monday)
3. Cut hole in bezel panel for the monitor (waiting for monitor to arrive)
4. Cut CP front panel with an angled edge (hopefully before Saturday)
5. Cut CP bottom panel with another angled edge (hopefully before Saturday)

It's not that much and #1, #2 and #3 will probably only take an hour or so each but #4 and #5 are going to be a huge pain. I really want to get the thing completely finished so I can get it out of the garage and inside the basement fot painting - it's starting to get cold out there!!

Thanks for looking!!

Day 7: The Real Final Control Panel*

OK, I didn't have much time over the weekend to work (stupid trees dropping leaves all over the place) but I did get a chance to make my final* control panel. I went with a similar layout as the test one I made previously but I ended up removing one of the buttons on the right to shrink the overall height. The control panel looks way more proportioned now and it's just an all around better design.

I did have to sacrifice the "coin" button but I am going to be installing a working coin door so my daughter will just have to figure it out. I might wire the player 2 coin return to act as a "coin" button if I find that inserting quarters is too much of a pain. I'll also mount a switch on the inside to toggle this on and off so she isn't "free playing" all the time.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the panel with everything cut:




In the last picture you can see that I routed out a rectangle on the back of the panel - this is to install the joystick. If I were to mount the joystick on the back of the MDF without this routed section, the length of the joystick would be shortened considerably.

There are several steps to routing this rectangular area:

1. Using a pencil, I laid out the area where I wanted to remove the material.
2. Next, I scored the lines with a very sharp utility knife/razor and a straight-edge. I tried to get as deep as I could using just the knife.
3. Then, using a dado cleanout bit and setting the depth of the cut to 1/8" I carefully removed the material inside of the rectangle. When I got close to the edges with the router, the material popped out because of the previously scored edges and made a nice clean edge line.
4. After that was completed I reset the depth of the router bit to 1/4" and ultimately 3/8" and made another two passes. Once the initial cut was made the ball bearing on the bit guided me along the inside edges so there wasn't a need to rescore anything.
5. Finally, I removed the excess material in the corners with a small chisel to square it up.

Here is a close up of the result and a shot with the joystick installed:



Here are some pictures of the control panel with everything installed (the bottom edge of the t-square is the top of the CP). It's not completely finished though. I still have to:

1. Cover the entire surface with black vinyl;
2. Round over the bottom edge to meet the control panel front;
3. Change out all the admin buttons to black; and
4. Install pink vinyl labeling on each button so the users know what does what.





That's about it - I think this new design looks a million times better than the old one. It is designed to play only the vertical classics and I'm not trying to cram a ton of controls into a small space. My hands seemed to be in a comfortable position and all of the buttons are in reach but there's almost no chance of accidentally hitting the wrong one. I'm quite happy with it right now.

Thanks for looking!!

* subject to change.

Day 6: Hanging The Coin Door Panel

I finally hung the coin door panel on the front of the cabinet underneath where the control panel is going to go. From the beginning of this project I knew I wanted the computer to be easily accessible so I could add and remove games and just do general maintenance without having to move the cabinet away from the wall. A hinged door on the front seemed like the perfect solution.

This was kind of a pain to do and I ruined a few pieces of scrap MDF in order to practice drilling out the various holes required for this task. I want the coin door panel to give the illusion that it does not move but if I cut the panel the exact width of the cabinet there wouldn't be any room for it to pivot. I did a little research and found that "European Hinges" allow for a door panel to span the entire length of an opening (minus 1/16" on either side to allow the door to move). They come in various shapes and sizes.

The European Hinge I ended up using is pictured on the left. It came in two separate parts - one part attaches to the door frame and the other part attaches to the door panel itself. It was pretty easy to install and the instructions included a template which showed where to drill and how to line everything up.

After I laid everything out using the templates, I had to drill two large holes in the door panel (one for each hinge) making sure not to come through to the other side. I used a 1-3/8" (35mm) Forstner bit to drill the hole and get the results shown and to get the hinge to fit flush in the hole.

This is what the hinge looks like installed in the panel:


And this is what the hinge looks like ready to be screwed into the frame:


And the final result:


Once the door is hung, all that's left to do is tweak the various screws on the hinge so the door will open and close easily and there is a 1/16" space on either side.

Here are the final pictures of the door on its hinges. The clamps on the left are holding the frame piece in place. In order for the hinges to work I had to install two pieces of MDF on either side flush to the front so the door would have something to close onto and there would be a place to install the hinges themselves.




Whew! That was tough. Note theat I still have to cut out the hole for the coin door but I haven't received it yet and I don't want to cut anything until it gets here.

Thanks for looking!!