70 replies to this topic

[rmaerz]

Would this be the appropriate forum to post questions regarding modifying a gutted arcade cabinet? I purchased a gutted Satan's Hollow cabinet and I am seeking various tips going forward.

[aftermac]

Well this is the forum where I posted a topic for building a MAME cabinet, so I think you're in the right place.

I haven't converted a cabinet, but I'm learning a lot building mine, and I've been researching arcade cabinet construction for over a year now. I'll be happy to help if I can. Any pictures of your cabinet and work are appreciated also!

[keilbaca]

Sure is!

All we need are pics, and what you are planning to do with it. Mame or Jamma cabinet?

[rmaerz]

OK, see the attached pix to get an idea of what I am working with.

I purchased the book "Project Arcade" which I am sure others have, and unless I missed it, the author completely skipped over the steps that were taken in the actual mounting of the monitor. The only thing I saw was the shelf was installed and at the end of the monitor chapter a pic of the monitor in the cabinet.

I may not have an option, but I desire to use the existing "skeleton" of the cabinet to mount the monitor and control panel. The control panel should be relatively easy so I won't waste time on that.

The cabinet is Satan's Hollow and to me it was a good fit to build a dedicated Galaga cabinet. I have seen people create "MAME" cabinets (complete with the marquee advertising as it a MAME cab with 15 controllers and buttons everywhere) but honestly that's not my cup of tea. My goal is to build a cabinet, a replica if you will, of Galaga. I would like to go as far as being able to hide that a computer is running the thing. According to KLOV's database, Galaga had a 19 inch monitor which Satan's Hollow can accomodate since I measured the thing before buying it.

I'd like to see recommendations on securely mounting the monitor in the cabinet. The pix show the front and back to give you an idea with what I am working with.

Also, one of the pix shows some of the damage to the plywood. Aside from patching the damage, has anyone tried adding a moulding to a cabinet that doesn't look horrible?

Lastly, notice that I will have a gap of several inches between the control panel and the monitor. I had an idea of filling the space with a blank marquee, if you will, that would have a glow like the effect Tron had in its cabinet. I thought that might be pretty cool. Any ideas on this would be a plus.

I'll have more questions down the line, but this is a good start.

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[sdamon]

Have you considered the possibility of installing a Galaga board and arcade monitor, if all you want to do is play Galaga? This would give you a truly authentic Galaga experience.

[rmaerz]

sdamon, on Wed Apr 1, 2009 12:36 PM, said:

Have you considered the possibility of installing a Galaga board and arcade monitor, if all you want to do is play Galaga? This would give you a truly authentic Galaga experience.

Where can I find more information on installing this equipment? I need to be able to add the controllers and cash box as well. I need more info to assess if this is something that is cost effective and if it would be something I could support myself. I'm an experienced IT guy, but I need to see if I can support this myself since I'm not a prodigy in electronics.

[Cassidy Nolen]

Wow, you really meant just the cab....I have to ask though, why use that one if you really wanted a Galaga? Galaxian and Pac are slightly larger but the correct shape. Ms. Pac is identical. Seems sort of out of place to spend that effort on a SH cabinet if you want a dedicated Galaga.

http://arcadeshop.com sells everything you need for wiring, power supply, etc. My suggestion would be a new board with the Galaga ROM on it. He sells the bare boards, you install your own ROM. Call him if you don't see it online. Galaga is a finniky board with some resistor rows that are not very well designed. Lots of bootlegs out there too, probably would steer clear of those.

As for mounting a monitor, the black piece of wood on the left side in your pic is the "shelf". There should be an identical one on your right side too. Those two bolts hold it in place. The monitor chassis has drilled holes in it, that mount to two U-shaped bars that go left and right at the top and bottom of the monitor and then it all slides from the back into place. Secured with two bolts on either side (7/16 head, I know that part, don't know the thread). Then its a matter of hooking it all up, bezel, glass, etc. and you are good to go.

You have a lot of work ahead to build it. I would say in this recession, you could probably buy a fully working Galaga for less than you are going to spend. Just my .25. Because arcade cabs are large, people use logic on them that would not apply to smaller projects (ie, this is the one I am going to build because its one I have). Just be careful man, see a lot of 500 machines with 1000+ in them when its done...

CN

[aftermac]

CN brings up a good point... I'm building a Centipede style cabinet for my project. I found an actual Centipede cabinet on Craigslist yesterday, in excellent condition, for $350. I have $300 just into the computer to run my cabinet. If I just wanted to play Centipede, that would save a lot of time, money, and effort.

[rmaerz]

Cassidy Nolen, on Thu Apr 2, 2009 6:18 AM, said:

Wow, you really meant just the cab....I have to ask though, why use that one if you really wanted a Galaga? Galaxian and Pac are slightly larger but the correct shape. Ms. Pac is identical. Seems sort of out of place to spend that effort on a SH cabinet if you want a dedicated Galaga.

http://arcadeshop.com sells everything you need for wiring, power supply, etc. My suggestion would be a new board with the Galaga ROM on it. He sells the bare boards, you install your own ROM. Call him if you don't see it online. Galaga is a finniky board with some resistor rows that are not very well designed. Lots of bootlegs out there too, probably would steer clear of those.

As for mounting a monitor, the black piece of wood on the left side in your pic is the "shelf". There should be an identical one on your right side too. Those two bolts hold it in place. The monitor chassis has drilled holes in it, that mount to two U-shaped bars that go left and right at the top and bottom of the monitor and then it all slides from the back into place. Secured with two bolts on either side (7/16 head, I know that part, don't know the thread). Then its a matter of hooking it all up, bezel, glass, etc. and you are good to go.

You have a lot of work ahead to build it. I would say in this recession, you could probably buy a fully working Galaga for less than you are going to spend. Just my .25. Because arcade cabs are large, people use logic on them that would not apply to smaller projects (ie, this is the one I am going to build because its one I have). Just be careful man, see a lot of 500 machines with 1000+ in them when its done...

CN

Although I'm not going to be throwing money around on this project, it's not an issue. It's a labour of love, the sense of accomplishment and the fact that it is something that my kids can get involved with. My five year old daughter is excited that she is going to paint the control panel for me because she is "an excellent painter". Now, how can you beat that?

The spec for the Galaga montior is documented on KLOV as a 19" which this cabinet can handle.

I have visited Arcadeshop.com and it should be a good resource. This person seems to have a mutual interest in Galago which is a plus.

[rmaerz]

aftermac, on Thu Apr 2, 2009 8:56 AM, said:

CN brings up a good point... I'm building a Centipede style cabinet for my project. I found an actual Centipede cabinet on Craigslist yesterday, in excellent condition, for $350. I have $300 just into the computer to run my cabinet. If I just wanted to play Centipede, that would save a lot of time, money, and effort.

The computer is not an issue for me because I get retired machines that are earmarked for disposal at no cost. I have a machine in my basement running Dr. DOS - it's probably around 500 MHz or so.

[rmaerz]

Cassidy Nolen, on Thu Apr 2, 2009 6:18 AM, said:

Wow, you really meant just the cab....I have to ask though, why use that one if you really wanted a Galaga? Galaxian and Pac are slightly larger but the correct shape. Ms. Pac is identical. Seems sort of out of place to spend that effort on a SH cabinet if you want a dedicated Galaga.

http://arcadeshop.com sells everything you need for wiring, power supply, etc. My suggestion would be a new board with the Galaga ROM on it. He sells the bare boards, you install your own ROM. Call him if you don't see it online. Galaga is a finniky board with some resistor rows that are not very well designed. Lots of bootlegs out there too, probably would steer clear of those.

As for mounting a monitor, the black piece of wood on the left side in your pic is the "shelf". There should be an identical one on your right side too. Those two bolts hold it in place. The monitor chassis has drilled holes in it, that mount to two U-shaped bars that go left and right at the top and bottom of the monitor and then it all slides from the back into place. Secured with two bolts on either side (7/16 head, I know that part, don't know the thread). Then its a matter of hooking it all up, bezel, glass, etc. and you are good to go.

You have a lot of work ahead to build it. I would say in this recession, you could probably buy a fully working Galaga for less than you are going to spend. Just my .25. Because arcade cabs are large, people use logic on them that would not apply to smaller projects (ie, this is the one I am going to build because its one I have). Just be careful man, see a lot of 500 machines with 1000+ in them when its done...

CN

BTW, I failed to mention that the Satan's Hollow cabinet was one of 10 gutted cabinets available for $35. It was the best of the bunch and the $35 seemed like a steal to me.

[rmaerz]

I inadvertently mispoke in my objective for the end result of this project. I made it sound as though the finished product must look exactly like it was an original Galaga arcade cabinet.

What is most important is the user experience - the controls must feel right, the monitor must be sized appropriately and the OS and MAME as transparent as possible to the user.

My own personal touches will be added to the cabinet - the cabinet may not be black or white, the control panel may not have the overlay and the artwork may not be on the cabinet sides. Cosmetic touches such as the Galaga marquee and funtional coin door will be added, however.

[sdamon]

It will be something of a tough call as to whether to go with a PC running MAME or original arcade internals. It depends on what's important to you. Here's some pro's and cons's as I see it:

Original arcade hardware:

Pro:
Completely authentic gameplay
Boots right up - no BIOS or OS load to deal with

Con:
Somewhat expensive (about $200 each for the PCB and the arcade monitor. Plus you'll need the controls, wiring harness, and power supply)
Much more difficult to obtain than a PC and a standard monitor
More difficult to maintain (arcade hardware does break down from time to time. Of course, so do PC's, but it sounds like you know how to deal with that.)

PC / Mame:
Pro:
Easy to find hardware, fairly cheap too, for older equipment
Can run numerous games (but you say this isn't important to you)

Con:
BIOS and OS load will make the user wait a few minutes before starting play. And those screens are decidedly non-authentic. (Yes, they can be masked to some degree, but you'll never get the instant-on experience of true Galaga hardware.)
Your cabinet isn't at all designed for mounting a PC monitor... you'll have to get creative to get it to work.
While playing Galaga in MAME is very, very close to the real thing... it's still not the real thing.
A PC monitor is much sharper than an arcade monitor... which will make the game look less authentic.

So it's your call. If you love Galaga as much like it sounds like you do, you'd really probably be happiest with true Galaga hardware (or even a true Galaga machine.) On the other hand... have you played Galaga on MAME yet? If that experience is good enough for you, perhaps a MAME conversion is the way to go. Again, it's your call.

[rmaerz]

I've begun patching the cracks and holes in the cabinet this past week and I am pleased with the results. However, for two bucks I am going to see how a 3/4"x3/4" outside corner moulding will look on the cabinet bottom front since there is extensive damage to the plywood that it may be able to conceal without looking cheesy.

It's almost time to start on the control panel...

I'll post new pix as I make significant progress.

[rmaerz]

All my patching and preliminary sanding is complete and I'm ready to prime this Saturday.

I received the control panel, overlay, buttons and joystick from Mike's Arcade yesterday. I saved a few bucks by buying the blank control panel and the overlay separate. Using the hinge method made the application of the overlay easy. You need a helper to attach the masking tape to the top of the overlay while you hold the overlay firmly in place. This worked like a champ and it looks sweet with all the buttons and joystick installed.

The joystick was not as difficult as some say in removing the e-ring. I just used a precision flathead screwdriver and slowly removed it. I did this in a room with a white floor to make it easy to find since it was said that the e-ring would go flying out.

I sized up the control panel on the cabinet and I have about a 2-3" gap between where the monitor would be and the control panel. I should have measured it. I had an idea of mounting a soft glow LED light in this area for some "flair." What do you folks think and any other creative ideas?

I also received a light for the marquee and the kick plate. I am debating if I want to use Liquid Nails or small black screws to mount the kick plate. Any suggestions?

[rmaerz]

sdamon, on Thu Apr 2, 2009 12:44 PM, said:

Your cabinet isn't at all designed for mounting a PC monitor... you'll have to get creative to get it to work.
While playing Galaga in MAME is very, very close to the real thing... it's still not the real thing.
A PC monitor is much sharper than an arcade monitor... which will make the game look less authentic.

I thought that arcade style PC monitors were produced that were the same size as the monitor I would need?

[rmaerz]

The cabinet is now primed and control panel is assembled. Note that I took a picture of the joystick before I received the bolts to attach it to the control panel.

Using the hinge method of attaching the overlay worked like a champ.

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[sdamon]

rmaerz, on Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:04 AM, said:

I thought that arcade style PC monitors were produced that were the same size as the monitor I would need?

An arcade monitor and a PC monitor are roughly the same size. The real problem is the lack of a mounting bracket on a PC monitor. On my MAME cab, I just created an internal horizontal shelf to hold the PC monitor in place. In your case, the monitor was meant to be bolted on at an angle, so you'll have to be a bit more creative about how to mount it, if you want the monitor mounted at the angle that your cabinet intended it to be.

Edited by sdamon, Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:07 AM.

[rmaerz]

sdamon, on Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:57 AM, said:

rmaerz, on Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:04 AM, said:

I thought that arcade style PC monitors were produced that were the same size as the monitor I would need?

An arcade monitor and a PC monitor are roughly the same size. The real problem is the lack of a mounting bracket on a PC monitor. On my MAME cab, I just created an internal horizontal shelf to hold the PC monitor in place. In your case, the monitor was meant to be bolted on at an angle, so you'll have to be a bit more creative about how to mount it, if you want the monitor mounted at the angle that your cabinet intended it to be.

Hmmm...I'm scratching my head because I've seen several sites online that sell the arcade style (PC compatible) monitor either with the mount kit included or sold separately for that respective model.

[sdamon]

rmaerz, on Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:23 PM, said:

Hmmm...I'm scratching my head because I've seen several sites online that sell the arcade style (PC compatible) monitor either with the mount kit included or sold separately for that respective model.

That's awesome if you can find one. I haven't ever seen anything like that.

[rmaerz]

Here's an update - cabinet is now painted with T Moulding and kick plate installed...

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[aftermac]

Looking good! It's amazing the difference a little paint and some t-molding makes!

[brojamfootball]

That thing is looking great, man! Is that control panel from a real Galaga? Looks like it is.

[rmaerz]

brojamfootball, on Mon May 4, 2009 6:26 PM, said:

That thing is looking great, man! Is that control panel from a real Galaga? Looks like it is.

The control panel, overlay, buttons and joystick are from MikesArcade.com

Overlay

Control Panel

Joystick

[Mark Wolfe]

rmaerz, on Tue May 5, 2009 7:09 AM, said:

brojamfootball, on Mon May 4, 2009 6:26 PM, said:

That thing is looking great, man! Is that control panel from a real Galaga? Looks like it is.

The control panel, overlay, buttons and joystick are from MikesArcade.com

Overlay

Control Panel

Joystick

This is looking really good so far, keep up the great work.

If I may, I'd like to put in my two cents regarding the monitor. I use an authentic arcade monitor in my MAME cabinet and then I tie it to a very cool device called the Universal Video Converter made by Ultracade.

I also use the controller interface called the GP-Wiz. they make one that uses the standard PS2 keyboard input on a pc or USB.

With these two devices in place your arcade experience will be much more realistic and the cost is not too bad either.

Whatever you decide, just keep plugging away at it