Playing the (re)name game

I've been sleeping like crap all week, so I decided to be somewhat lazy today. [Translation: No progress was made today on the Dragon's Lair cabinet.] I did, however, make some progress with the existing arcade cabinet. While surfing around the net, I found the marquee and instruction card art for Marvel Super Heroes. The really cool (geeky) thing about the instruction cards is that they're in Japanese. Since Becca and I have had an anime theme throughout the house for some time now, it seems almost appropriate. I also found an instruction card for X-men vs. Street Fighter. While not necessarily part of the Marvel Super Heroes motif, it sports a diamond plate background that matches the control panel. It also doesn't say X-men vs. Street Fighter on the card, so it looks like a nice generic addition.

Since I wasn't able find a Marvel vs Capcom marquee, this seems to be an acceptable compromise. I'll get all three instruction cards printed, along with the marquee art, and decide on the final layout once everything is in hand. Since the existing arcade cabinet project is nearly complete, I went ahead and ordered one Capcom side decal. Providing I don't have a lazy relapse, the Marvel Super Heroes cabinet should be totally complete by the end of this week.

Pictures and diagrams coming soon ...

It begins! No, really! (warning: long-ass post ahead!)

A lot has happened in the last couple days! Here's a rundown of each project:

Existing cab: I measured the existing control panel and cut a 1/2" piece of laminated particle board for the replacement panel. Once cut, I arranged the Capcom overlay decals in place and affixed them temporarily with painters tape. Once I had them placed in the appropriate positions, I traced the circle cutouts for joystick and button placement. I removed the decals from the panel and then used a 1-1/8" paddle bit to drill out the holes.

Since the Capcom overlay (underlayment) was much larger than my control panel, I decided to cut a piece of the diamond plate pattern for the top. I left about a half inch overage on each side to make my destined-to-be-sloppy placement a little more forgiving. As with the decals, I held the overlay in place with painters tape. I picked up half of the overlay and removed the backing from the adhesive. I cut off the backing with scissors and slowly smoothed down the overlay to the control panel. Once I worked all the bubbles out from underneath, I repeated the process with the other half. Using a small x-acto blade, I trimmed out all of the hole openings.

Placing the decals on top of the overlay, I screwed all the buttons in the holes to hold the decals in place. As with the overlay adhesion, I removed the top row of buttons, removed and trimmed the exposed backing, and slowly pressed the decal into place. The bottom row of buttons was then removed and the process was repeated. I also used a single button in place of the joystick to place their respective decals.

With the control panel near completion, I turned my attention to the cabinet itself. I trimmed a section of the control panel overlay with the large Capcom logo to the size of the cabinet's front (just below the control panel) and pressed it into place. I then cut a second strip for the bottom of the control panel housing, creating the illusion of one large wrapped control panel. Once I get some pictures up, you'll see what I mean. I still need to rewire everything, but that's a task for another day.

I also still need to swap out the 27" TV in the cab for a 20" flat screen PC monitor sitting in the middle of the living room floor. New PC parts are on the way to speed up MAME a bit (for games like MK3). Once that's done, I'll mask the bezel to accommodate the new size and affix the Marvel vs Capcom instruction cards. Still looking for a Marvel vs Capcom marquee ... sigh ...

Dragon's Lair cabinet: I got wood! WOOHOO! Finally! As I stated in my last post, my bro-in-law got his hands on a truck to fulfill my lumber lacking needs. We picked up three 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" finish grade plywood and one 4'x8' sheet of what I call 'shit grade' plywood. We brought the haul back to my house, only to have it spend the night on my deck. You'd think with all my whining over not having wood, I'd had actually done some fabrication. It's all good, as I think I more than made up for that today.

I awoke at the crack of dawn (ok, more like 8am) and guilted Becca into giving me a hand making some rough cuts. We began by cutting some scrap 2x4s we had to build a sturdy base for the cabinet. This foundation is the width and depth of the overall cabinet dimensions, allowing for the recessed front and rear panels. A piece of 3/4" plywood was then screwed to the top of the frame. This will later serve as the platform for the PC and speaker amplifier.

We then cut 2' off the bottom of two sheets of finished plywood, creating two 2' x 4' and 4' x 6' pieces. We then cut 30" off each 4' x 6' piece, giving us two 6' x 2 1/2' pieces. The 1 1/2' pieces remaining from this cut are basically scrap, so we set them aside. Next we removed 1/2" from the 2' x 4' pieces, resulting in two 23 1/2" x 4' pieces. These pieces will be used to make the marquee top and bottom. I apologize if this all sounds confusing. Rest assured, diagrams are coming! The rear access panel was cut from the 'shit' plywood (since no one will ever see it) and set aside. Ironic to cut this piece on day one, considering it'll be the last piece used in the cabinet's assembly.

One thing I learned quickly when constructing the first arcade cabinet was cutting once beats cutting twice. Basically, the sides of an arcade cabinet mirror each other (left and right), so you need to be extra careful to totally ensure everything will line up level in the end. The best away around this potential hazard is to screw the two side panels together and make both cuts simultaneously! We took the two 6' x 2 1/2' pieces (smoothest side facing in) and screwed them together. Once secure, I measured the two points for the angled slope and connected the dots. I used a circular saw to make the cut and was quite impressed with the results. Now I can be secure in the fact that the side panels are identical and everything should fit together snugly.

Unfortunately it started to rain, so everything was quickly hurried inside the basement. Since cutting was no longer an option, I decided to map out tomorrow's plan of attack. I began by tracing out a guideline for the arc in the uppermost portion of the side panels. I tried using a poor man's compass (a tack in the center of the arc with a string tied to a pencil), but wasn't satisfied with the result. In the end, I ended up stenciling the cover of a Folger’s coffee can to achieve an acceptable arc. Tomorrow I will cut the arc (roughly) with a jigsaw and sand until smooth. As a precaution, I'll also sand smooth all exposed sides of the panels to ensure perfect final alignment.

While I still have the panels screwed together and lying on my cellar floor, I went as far as mapping out the baton placement for final assembly. I won't go into a lengthy explanation now, as I know none of it will make a bit of sense. When I post the diagrams (and hopefully some pictures), it'll all come together. Once I plotted everything out, I became quite concerned about the size of the monitor destined for this cabinet. I measured the monitor a couple times and compared it to the cabinet markings. I'm still unsure if it'll fit in there. If it actually does fit, I'm afraid there won't be an inch to spare for the cables.

I'm more than satisfied with what I accomplished today, considering my sore shoulder and inclement weather. Once the marquee brackets and control panel arrive, things will really kick into high gear! I hate to jinx myself, but I'm almost convinced this thing could be up and running (functionally, not 100% complete) by next weekend.

Catch-up doesn't cut the mustard

The events of the last few days are a bit fuzzy, but here's what I know to be true: I received the 20 feet of leather textured t-molding from t-molding.com. It came in one big coiled piece, so I'm already nervous about trimming it nice and neat. I also ordered and received the official NOS Capcom control panel overlay and overlay decals from QuarterArcade for my existing cab. Nice stuff! Like the Dragon's Lair control panel overlay, the Capcom overlay is heavy gauge stuff and should be durable enough to accept the abuse of everyday use. In theory, I should have the new control panel assembled within the next couple days. Its just a matter of motivation.

I arranged transportation for the wood necessary to being the Dragon's Lair fabrication, but then karma dealt a crushing blow: I tore my shoulder muscle (trying to get comfortable sleeping) and ended up in the ER until 3am Thursday morning. Fortunately I was able to make alternate arrangements and should be able to pick up the wood today. I'm still a but sore and my mobility is somewhat limited, but I think I can muster the strength to make some basic cuts before calling it a day. We shall see.

Repro marquee brackets and control panel are on the way. I really need the brackets to ensure my measurements are correct. I don't want to cut the wood for the marquee until I have them in hand. I should have cut the wood for the base with the scrap I've had all along, but that would have been too smart for me. Ah well...

Now I really need a digital camera to snap pictures of the assembly process. There's a chance I'll move forward without taking pictures, as much as that defeats the purpose of this blog. Maybe I'll just snap some pix with the trusty 35mm camera and post them later.

I just got a call from my bro-in-law saying he's on his way with a truck to pick up the wood. W00t! More updates in a bit...

Like sands through the hourglass ...

...so are the dollars from my bank account. Plunked down some cash for some items on my need list tonight. I ordered the official NOS Capcom control panel overlay and overlay decals from QuarterArcade for my existing cab ($62). Luckily this conversion shouldn't take much time, effort, or cash to complete. All that's left now is to find the marquee art (NOS or repro), order the side decals (NOS), print bezel cards (repro), and fabricate a new control panel. Once everything is in hand, it should only take a couple hours to put together. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the Dragon's Lair cabinet. I did, however, order the repro maquee brackets tonight as well. They're being shipped raw (need to be painted), because I really need to curb my spending at this point. Nothing a $9 can of spraypaint can't fix.

Of course I still need wood. I'm pretty sold on the idea of using 3/4" plywood for this project, as opposed to 3/4" MDF like my first cab. While MDF is super structurally sound, smooth as a baby's ass, almost impervious to warping, and easy to cut, it's just too damn heavy to work with. When I constructed the first cab, I screwed both side panels together before cutting to ensure uniformity. My bro-in-law and I struggled to move the piece outside to cut and back into the basement for assembly. I think plywood is a relatively safe substitution and should be a lot easier to manipulate.

I'm really trying to hold out for a friend with a truck to transport the materials I so desperately need. I've tried other methods in the past, such as home delivery and truck rentals. Home delivery is a screw job because you don't get to select your materials in advance. I think they purposely throw on the truck the most warped wood in stock, knowing you're going to sign off on and unload your material before noticing exactly how ripped off you just got. After this experience, I'd much rather prefer hand selecting my materials and transporting them myself. For big jobs, I have no issue with renting a truck form the supplier. (I've done this a couple times with Lowes.) Unfortunately I can't justify renting a truck this time around for only a few sheets of plywood. As anxious as I am on starting the Dragon's Lair cab, I really do believe I'm better off not pissing away money that might come in handy later in the process.

Just waiting for a few more items to arrive before I snap some pics to post. As usual, I picked the perfect time to start another massive undertaking - winter ... and right at the holidays, to boot! Yay me!

Minor update - major cash

Existing cab: The ebay auction for the Capcom control panel overlay has hit roughly the same amount as the one at QuarterArcade, so I think my options are relatively clear. Might as well get the official Capcom control overlay stickers while I'm at it.

Dragon's Lair cab: Today I tore apart some Aiwa speakers I had lying around and found that they'd fit nicely in the Dragon's Lair cabinet. While far from arcade accurate, I feel this is one area where I can afford to take the cheap way out. I mean, who's ever going to see them? Once I find some speaker grills, it'll be my dirty little secret.

Thanks to the Dragon's Lair Project (see links), I found a guy that makes reproduction marquee brackets. Seems that everyone who has bought a set from him raves about them, but I have a hard time justifying the $65.00 expense for two pieces of bent metal. Perhaps I'm just old and don't comprehend modern economics. At any rate, I sent him an email agreeing to sell away my soul for his wares. He also has an original Cinematronics coin door for sale at the low, low price of $167.50. Odds are that this project won't stay arcade accurate for long.

Keeping things flowing

Today I decided to order some leather textured t-molding for the Dragon's Lair cabinet from t-molding.com. I bought 20 feet and sure hope its going to be enough. At some point I'm either going to have to buy or borrow a router and bit to cut the slots for it. Oh wait, that means I really need wood a.s.a.p.! Now I'm debating whether or not to cover the cabinet with leather textured vinyl or just slop on some black paint. As much as I want the cabinet to look arcade accurate, it might come down to cost.

Finding some reproduction marquee brackets are next on the agenda, although the few I've found online are insanely expensive. I hear that original brackets are even more! Further complicating the matter is the funky angles and bends to the marquee plexi. Dragon's Lair marquee plexi is extremely difficult to find, so I'm hoping my local plexi supplier won't mind experimenting.

I haven't forgotten about my existing cabinet. I'm currently watching an ebay auction for an original Capcom diamond plate control panel overlay. Its about 1/3 the cost for the same item I found at QuarterArcade. At least I have a backup plan should I not win the auction. QuarterArcade also has a sheet of official Capcom control overlay stickers for a very reasonable price. I won't know for a couple more days which option I'll be facing. I can't begin constructing the Marvel vs Capcom control panel until I have both items in hand so I can ensure proper hole drilling.

Arcade Shock has some original Capcom metallic reflective stickers commonly used as side art on Capcom cabs. Because one side of the cabinet currently faces a wall, I may just snag one for the time being. I still desperately need a Marvel vs Capcom marquee, or at least a hi-res image to get professionally printed. Its a real good thing I received a (cash) Christmas present from a good friend this week, along with some Paypal cash from my recent ebay sales. Money is going fast and I hope the final results are worth the financial drain.

I did manage to find some scans of the Marvel vs Capcom bezel cards. Being the OCD anal neurotic spaz that I am, I’ve been spending the last few days cleaning them up in Photoshop. These should cost me about $6.00 to have professionally printed, compared to $35.00 for NOS. I think the printed ones will work out just fine, considering I plan to mount them from behind the bezel plexi.

I really can't wait to get hands-on with both projects! Did I mention that I still need wood? Ah, little things...

And so it really begins ...

In preparation to build an arcade-accurate Dragon's Lair cabinet, I started by doing some research. As I've stated before, I made a lot of (costly) mistakes when crafting my first cabinet and wanted to ensure smoother sailing this time around. I did a quick Google image search for 'Dragon's Lair arcade cabinets' to gather some reference pictures. After gathering a handful of images from various angles, I proceeded to pursue the means of putting it all together. Two extremely helpful resources were the Dragon's Lair Project (dragons-lair-project.com) and Jakobud.com. Dragon's Lair Project is THE place to visit online if you're even remotely interested in the history and restoration of laser disc games of yesteryear, while Jakobud.com hosts a slew of accurate arcade cabinet plans. Finding arcade-accurate Dragon's Lair cabinet plans is pretty much what sold me on tackling this project, be it my blessing or curse.

Since I've had this project in mind for a while, I was already aware of QuarterArcade.com and their inventory of Don Bluth licensed Dragon's Lair cabinet items. I ordered the arcade marquee, control panel overlay, side art (just one for now), red ball joystick, and scoreboard overlay. Unfortunately they had just sold their only LED scoreboard in stock. And yes, I'm still crying over that! These items were a bit pricy (over $200.00 total), but you get what you pay for. These are durable, high quality pieces made for arcade abuse. I then placed an order with Ultimarc for four control panel buttons (two red and two white), along with their I-PAC PC interface for buttons and joysticks. This purchase was certainly a steal in comparison. Since discovering the wonders of Daphne, a laser disc game emulator similar to MAME, I can run Dragon's Lair flawlessly from a PC and easily configure a coin door.

Keeping with the arcade-accurate theme, I also ordered a control panel from a guy named Tim Mundstock. Every time I did a search for Dragon's Lair control panel, his name kept popping up. I learned form the Dragon's Lair Project's Laser Disc Game Classifieds that Tim is responsible for making some of the most accurate Dragon's Lair and Space Ace control panels there are. I immediately emailed Tim and ordered one of his few remaining panels in stock. Buying from him is like buying NOS (new old stock), so I'm sure I won't be disappointed when it arrives. Unfortunately for me, Tim only had Space Ace control panels in stock. I'll have to fill the three extra holes drilled in the panel where the Space Ace difficulty buttons would normally go. (For those not "in the know", many Dragon's Lair cabinets were later converted to Space Ace cabinets, so everything is interchangeable.)

Now that I purchased just about everything I need to get started, I'm currently lacking the most crucial of materials - wood! I simply can't proceed without it! That's the major drawback to owning a lil hatchback. I need to sucker ... err ... convince someone with a truck to give me a hand in rectifying this dilemma.

Once construction begins, things will get a bit more interesting. Pictures coming soon!

And so it begins ...

I think I'm either bored or crazy. Ok, perhaps a touch of both.

While experiencing a pre-midlife crisis earlier this year, I decided to relive one of my most cherished childhood memories: playing oldschool videogames on a full size arcade cabinet. Hundreds of dollars later (and some quite colorful language exchanges while sawing wood outside in the snow with Becca and my bro-in-law), I accomplished my task. I based the cabinet loosely on Midway's quarter-consuming Defender; a pure classic for a gaming junkie of that time. Unfortunately my impatience in the project led to many (costly) mistakes.

One of the biggest reasons for me to build an arcade cabinet in the first place was my undying nostalgic pining over the animated arcade amusement, Dragon's Lair. I refer to the years of 1984-85 as my personal Great Depression, as whatever money I could slyly obtain would be immediately gobbled up by the game’s insatiable appetite. When I wasn’t dropping quarters into a gluttonous slot, I was buying up pack after pack of Dragon’s Lair collectible trading cards – complete with stale, bland gum. To pay homage to these self-imposed exiled times, I created a slightly altered Dragon’s Lair marquee to adorn my makeshift machine. The icing on the cake was to come a few months later when I had my marquee signed by Dragon’s Lair creators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.

The arcade cabinet was complete, and yet I remained unsatisfied. Something was wrong. While it looked good for a n00b rush job and played most MAME games flawlessly, I never stopped to even consider if I could actually play Dragon’s Lair on the cabinet! A few years ago I got the Dragon’s Lair 20^th Anniversary DVD set and had been feeding my addiction on my PS2. Since MAME requires a PC anyways, I just assumed that it would all work out in the end. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Yes, I could plop my PS2 into the cabinet’s innards, disconnect the controls from the PC and disassemble the control panel to map the button layout each and every time I wanted to play that game, but that grew old on day one.

The other issue was that my PC/PS2 swap method totally negated the necessity of a coin door. I could still play the game just fine, but to me there’s nothing like plunking in a couple quarters to totally relive the arcade experience. (Home arcade cabinets make GREAT piggy banks!) Unfortunately there was no workaround for this problem. (Note: I wasn’t aware of Daphne at the time or I found it totally frustrating to comprehend. I forget which it was.) The coin door I bought for the cabinet was relatively expensive, so I wanted to ensure it would be used. It never hurts to invite a few friends over to admire your new toy, especially if they just happen to be carrying some spare change.

I love playing MAME games on my cabinet - especially Marvel vs Capcom. The existing design and control panel configuration suits it best as a fighting machine. To that resolve, I have decided to do two things this winter:

1. Convert the existing arcade cabinet to a Marvel vs Capcom cabinet, complete with marquee, side art and control panel overlay, and
   
   
2. Build from scratch an arcade-accurate, dedicated Dragon’s Lair arcade cabinet.
   
   

As I stated at the opening of this entry, I think I'm either bored or crazy. Either way, hilarity is ensured to ensue!