Adventures in DIY arcade building

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Good legs are hard to find...

Specifically T-legs, in the style of the older cocktail cabs.

I ended up buying the Bekant underframe, as it's seriously one of the few that I could find with a T-shaped base.

Now, it is a bit long at 120cm, so with a bit of help from my dad (he is the one with all the more expensive and useful tools), I hope to reduce that length to around 76cm. And the reason: including the thickness of the MDF at 16mm, that will make the overall length around 79.2cm:



If all works out, I'll have a solid, stable frame in which I can essentially build a "box" around it. That's the theory anyway.

Plus it's an opportunity to include my dad in my own nerdiness.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

So the frame has been successfully reduced from 120cm down to 71.4cm (or 47.2" down to 28.1" in Dad language):



Basically a simple matter of hacksaw to cut things down, a slightly smaller square tube to help connect the ends, and some rivets. And my Dad's advice, of course.

Next was mapping out things very roughly:



Space inside the cab won't be and issue, so I'm relieved by that. Also, if you are looking to make a vertical-orientated cab, the 19" monitor I'm using measures at 40cm horizontally, and fits perfectly into the frame of an Ikea Bekant frame, which has that 40cm gap to.

However, the monitor does have to sit higher in my build, and I need to be able to access the back of the monitor for any future maintenance reasons. So I've built a frame with square aluminium tubing and joints from the hardware store, and on one edge I've fashioned a hinge with an axle from a trolley:



Obviously it's not completely finished yet, but it does what I want it to do so far. And that's where I'm up to so far... waiting for the next pay-day...

[Joshihatsumitsu]

It's a rainy day, so can't do building today. So I'll share the progress so far...

For the sake of space and future maintenance, I've decided to create a little "junction" box to run the volume, test and service button through:



I've attached some simple RCA plugs to the JAMMA wires, which makes attaching and/or removing things a bit easier. Any little things you can do to make organising the tentacles of the JAMMA harness more manageable I would highly recommend. So that small part is tested, done and dusted.

Also managed to cut some MDF panels, some by myself (with a jigsaw of all things) and some with my Dad. I am patient and precise, where my Dad is impulsive and inpatient, so working with him leads to both of us having to rely on each others strengths, and being mindful of our weaknesses. Projects aren't just about the end result: the journey there builds character too.

There is still speaker holes to drill/jigsaw, and a control panel to design, but the top part is starting to take shape:



But of course, it's the weekend, and it's raining, so I might just game on instead.

Still, slow and steady progress.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Little more progress...

After a primer/undercoat to the top portion, I bolted down the frame with 10 screw-in bolts. It's pretty damn solid, and I have faith it'll be fine, but I'll add a little extra reinforcement just in case:





I also got the basic's of the lid cut, this cut a hole so you can see the monitor. A little bit of jigsawing, and a lot of sanding:



Also arranged most of the bottom portion, so things are lining up pretty well:



CPS2 boards are pretty damn big, so if that fits then there is enough room.

That is the bulk of wood cutting, and I'm so glad because it is jamming in as much as possible while the weather is fine, and it looks set to rain all week now.

To be continued...

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Still a ways to go... but at least it's standing on it's own two feet:



Getting closer...

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Update #389.092:

All painted... just need some drying time. Going down to Melbourne over the New Year period, so that will give it a few days to set properly.

[ratsoalbion]

Looking fabulous!

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Looking fabulous!

Thanks!

Is it bad that the games I'm looking most forward to in 2018 are early-mid-90's vertical shooters?

[Sinclair Gregstrum]

Absolutely not!

It’s looking really fantastic mate - sterling no work indeed. Really enjoying the updates so keep them coming!

[Alex79uk]

Haven't kept up with this thread but just read the last few pages now. Really interesting to see it come together. I am, of course, exceptionally jealous! You've done a great job there, a real labour of love.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Thanks everyone! It makes sharing the experience worthwhile!

[ColinAlonso]

Very nice. How did you paint the Taito lettering? Was it by stenciling?

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Very nice. How did you paint the Taito lettering? Was it by stenciling?

Happy New Year!

That Taito lettering was just a decal. A good quality decal/sticker makes life a lot easier!

[Michiel K]

It's looking great. Long live Taito.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

It's looking great. Long live Taito.

Long live Taito!

And with that, it's pretty much complete:



The glass top is on, and it's ready to go.

As for the post-mortem:

1. The only JAMMA boards I've had any issues with have been my Toaplan boards (V-V and Dogyuun). The issue seems to lie with (I think) the sync/refresh rate with the monitor.

After some testing, I discovered that the reason the boards work with other cabinets and occasionally with the new one has to do with the CGA-VGA converter. Being the occasional dumbass, I didn't realise that there were actually different versions of the converter, so each cabinet has a separate version. Sometimes I learn the hard way! They all have the same model LCD screen, and the converter is the only point of difference.

So, a different version (V.4) should arrive in the post eventually... should correct the issue.

2. This is my third cabinet, and the first time that I realised that I could use the JAMMA harness to power the coin mech! Again, dumbass, but slowly, ever so slowly learning from my mistakes. Fourth times a charm.

Thanks for tolerating this thread. The thing I like about this community is the opportunity to interact and learn things from others, so this is my way of repaying and sharing my knowledge, and missteps.

[Suits]

Great thread man, love the updates.

It’s a window to an unfamiliar but extremely interesting side of gaming for me.

[ratsoalbion]

When I envisaged what I wanted this place to be like back in 2011, it definitely included cab-building enthusiasts.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Thanks guys!

Much, much further down the line, when finances are better, they'll have to be a fourth cab.

And that is because I didn't get to use these clips:



When I bought the glass top, I mentioned the size in terms of width and length, and tapered edges, but failed to mention round corners. So, on this build, I adapted because I couldn't justify buying another glass top at the time.

So, those clips will go into storage for the meantime, waiting for a future chance to be used.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Getting a slow and steady start on Cabinet #4: the great Sega Naomi experiment (name subject to change).

I manage to pick up a Sega Naomi with GD-Rom included (with relevant wiring) for a fairly decent price (it was never going to be cheap). Trizeal, disc and security chip, were also included in the non-disclosed price.

I have tested the main Naomi system in the previous cabinet, so things work as they should:



Here's what I've learned: the main Naomi unit can be powered by an established JAMMA cabinet (via a separate I/O unit, in my case a Capcom I/O unit). However, the GD-Rom attachment requires a separate 3.3 volt power cable. I did get an extra speciality power supply that will solve it, I just haven't had the time to wire it up yet.

Anyhow, super early days, and there's really no rush yet. But it's good having goals in mind, and the patience to get there.

For those interested, I did get some very useful information via this Sega-Naomi website, as well as this very helpful page about the Capcom input/output unit.

And in case I haven't linked to it before, System 16 is a great resource regarding arcade gaming in general. So, for instance, if I wanted to know what games were released for the Sega Naomi, I could easily do just that.

Super early days.

[Joshihatsumitsu]

Finally got around to organising the dedicated power supply for the NAOMI motherboard/GD-Rom:



I've gotten very used to the regular JAMMA setup: 12v, +5v, -5v and Ground. The voltages for the Sega NAOMI board however are a little bit different: 12v, +5v, 3.3v and Ground.



The above picture is from an old, busted-up NAOMI power supply. as you can see, after opening it up, is that it is pretty clearly labelled and colour coded, which simplifies things considerably.

The reason I picked up this old, broken power supply is because the connectors that the NAOMI board uses are kind tough to come by; not impossible, just tough. They aren't Molex, but, from what I could research, Tyco (formerly AMP):



And, as you can see, this makes connecting things up much neater:



Still a bit of work to do, but I like to share this information, because geez... you got to do quite a bit of digging and cross-referencing. And I'm sure there's some curious minds here!