Project: Ultimate Arcade! [Archive] - TBCS Community Forums

Rankenphile

10-05-2005, 11:52 AM

Greetings, everyone.

It's about time I'm getting started on this mod and actually contributing some work of my own to these boards, so here we go - the Ultimate Arcade Machine!

As you can see here, I'm the lucky recipient of one awesome piece of nostalgia - an authentic Galaga arcade cabinet.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/original_state.jpg

While not a true PC mod, I still think this will be pretty interesting to some of you that visit this board. My plan is to take a fully modded Xbox and install it inside of this machine, complete with a new controller, new screen, new speakers, custom marquee and paint job, new lights and more.

The cabinet was donated by the good fellow geeks at my local games and hobbies shop, Docking Bay 93, and I must give them props. They had this one in their storage unit and were kind enough to let me take it for free, as long as I hauled it off.

The cabinet itself is not in the greatest of shape, so a lot of the preliminary work will be restoring and remodeling it to fit my new vision. I spent some time yesterday measuring everything out for the box, and have drawn out a rough schematic of the current layout, below.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/plan01.gif

Below are some more photos of the cabinet in it's original state.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/rear_view01.jpg
The rear view of the cabinet, before removing the monitor.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/side_panel01.jpg
The side. What a shame to have to lose that great graphic.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/side_scar01.jpg
As you can see, there is substantial damage to all of the graphics and the surface finish of the machine. This is but a small sample of the damage.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/speaker01.jpg
The speaker, which sits in the area above the monitor, behind the marquee.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/speaker_grill01.jpg
The underside of where the speaker sits. This grill covers the speaker.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/rear_damage01.jpg
The particle board along the back is the most damaged, but this will be cut off and sanded down. The t-molding around the outside is in rough shape, as well, and will need to be replaced. At my work we use 1/2" T-Molding all the time, but unfortunately this stuff is 3/4", so I'll have to get new stuff ftom a hardware store.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/kick_plate01.jpg
This is the kick plate on the bottom. THere is substantial damage to it and to the wood above. The kickplate and the tray behind it will be removed, the kickplate itself replaced, and the rest of the wood in front will either get cut away or repaired, depending on how it fits with my overall plan.

So far, the only major progress has been removing the monitor and taking full measurements. I also removed the bar and metal grill that encircled the opening on the front above the kickplate. That and the plan drawing was all I was able to get through yesterday, as I had another appointment to get to and only had a little over an hour to do all this.

My plan for the monitor is to raise it up to a much more vertical position and install a television. The Xbox will sit below, where the coin door was originally. It will be connected to the house network, allowing me to connect to the file server and stream music, movies and television shows into this box, providing the main entertainment for the garage. I have old surround-sound speakers that I'll be installing throughout the cabinet to provide a much richer sound than the old mono speaker that is currently in there. I'm going to get the X-Arcade Dual Control stick (see picture below) and use it for the primary controls, but also have standard Xbox controllers available for use.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/dual.gif

I've got a few other things up my sleeve, too, but this is the over-all goal. Work on it will be slow, especially at first, as we have a lot of work to do on the house and the garage (if you couldn't guess) since we just bought this house. It was originally owned by a bunch of meth-freaks who just let it go to hell. This is my primary concern, getting the house nad garage up to snuff, and this is a side project, but I will keep it posted with plans, questions and photos of my progress.

As my last step before leaving, I set off a couple flew bombs in the garage. I finally managed to kill or chase off the last of the rats (I hope) that are living under the garage, but I'm still working on the fleas. I'll keep you guys posted on my workspace, as well - heck, I don't even have electricity out here yet. :mad:

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-03-05/fleabomb_01.jpg

crenn

10-05-2005, 11:09 PM

Looks like it's going to be a good mod. What I would do is actually install a PS2, XBox, PC and GC in the same unit and then have a switch that can switch between them all. It's only an idea but that in my opinon is the ultimate arcade machine ;)

Rankenphile

10-06-2005, 12:36 AM

Believe me, I considered something like that, and I do have a PS2 and GC, as well as my PC, but I don't want to take it that far.

The Xbox will run emulators of SNES, MAME, NES, Atari, Sega Genesis, you name it. Even original Playstation games. Plus it will be hooked to the network, so it really will be a full entertainment system. I'm thrilled with it as it is.

I may look into incorporating my other systems into it, but I want to keep having to fiddle around inside it to a minimum. As it is, I have to open it to boot the Xbox and have to turn the television screen on separately, as I can't just have them both power up with one switch. The Xbox requires a custom boot-up to get the mod to run - you have to hold down the power and eject buttons for three seconds or so for it to activate.

This way, though, I'll be able to back up my xbox games onto the hard drive (160gb, baby!) and run them all through the console there, so I won't ever have to switch out game discs. That's the real beauty of it all.

I should be getting my Xbox tomorrow, fully loaded. I'll definately post shots of it and any further progress as soon as I can.

Thanks for the comments!

Rankenphile

10-06-2005, 03:09 PM

The Xbox just showed up!!

I ordered a custom-modded Xbox off of Craigslist, and it finally showed up! I'll post a couple screenshots and photos later tonight, when I get home, but now the agony of having to wait to get off work to play with my newest toy! ARGH!!! 8)

Aero

10-06-2005, 06:06 PM

Well, my parents are getting our basement finished, I really should build one of these as well. Not sure how though. I will be paying attention to this work log!

TheGreatSatan

10-07-2005, 12:22 PM

Here's Yoshi's

http://www.gearlive.com/index.php/news/article/xbox-ps2-gamecube-all-in-one-ultimate-gaming-mod-09280209/

[DGN]Nexus

10-07-2005, 02:07 PM

Heh... I was just talking to one of my firends at school about how cool it would be to have a Xbox and a PC in the same Case. The ultimate game station for where I live. Halo, Halo2 and PC games are the lead types here.

GregoryJ

10-08-2005, 04:24 PM

Its a beautiful machine and really good starting canvas. Youshould try to save the artwork on the sides. I would tape them off with painter's tape and then do a whole new custom paint job on the rest and try to incorporate the colors and theme's of the oldschool grafix and look with the modern gaming technology. It would be a shame to loose that artwork (the side grafix). I do have to say that you got one heck of a deal and a great find too! Good luck and keep the pics coming. 8)

Rankenphile

10-09-2005, 01:58 AM

The more I think about it, the more I think I'm going to have to keep at least one of the graphics. They're not so beat up that I can't at least try to paint-patch them, but it will stil be noticeable.

I've been spending the past couple days drawing plans and configuring (and playing) with the Xbox. This thing is great - I've backed up about 20 games onto the hard drive, and have about 650 SNES roms already set up. I'm working on getting MAME and NES roms, probably a number of SNES and Genesis roms as well, and whatever else I end up cramming. I'm actually uploading music to it right now.

I've got a plan to widen the area aroudn the coin door, reinforce the area behind the top and sand and Bondo that area to smooth it off, replace the kickplate with a custom paint job, and pull out the old cointray box that was in there. I think I want to put a clear plexi door on it with an aluminum hinge and latch, and build a black box inside to house the Xbox itself. I'm planning on building a small pedestal for the Xbox to sit on, with a locking latch to fit it in to prevent shifting and theft. Inside the box, behind the lip around where the hole is, I'll mount 2 sound-activated UV CCFLs, and paint the inside and the Xbox itself with clear/UV-Green paint, so that it will look normal when it is quiet, but when music is playing or someone is playing a game, it will flicker with UV/Xbox green. Should be a pretty cool effect.

I've got a few other plans in the works, too, but I'm still working on them. One thing I may need a hand with is programming LEDs to light in sequence. Anyone have any experience with that? Billybob, I saw your work on programming the random LEDs on your R2 server, you know much about setting them to turn on in sequence?

Thanks. Pics coming soon, I just have to find my digital camera (I feel so bad! It's a great camera, and I have no idea where it is! All this moving and stuff is killing me!).

crazybillybob

10-09-2005, 06:29 PM

Rock,

I'm working with a $9 Microcontroller to driver some other LEDs on R2Server. It has 8 Outputs so depending on how you them to light up it may work. The nice thing about it is that you can program it Via your Pc's serial port (Rs232) (to do this you need to order the Easy RS232 kit ($10)). The commands are easy to uderstand and the owner Mike S. answers q's on the forum there quickly.

Here's a Link to the Site I'm using the Athena HS (the HS is faster so the PWM out to the LED's are smooth, I need this because I'm makeing the LED's fade as well as flash)
Kronos Robotics (http://www.kronosrobotics.com/xcart/customer/home.php?cat=249)

These Chips have shown up in Nuts and Voltz and Servo sevral times, As mike Writes some good articles for them using the chips.

Let me know if you need more info.

I'm also thinking that you could make 1 power button to turn on the whole system, you'd have to "Mod" the power switch for the TV and Xbox.. There would have to be a time deley on the Xbox power and Reset (for 3 secs). I don't have a curcuit yet but try searching the net It's been done before.
I'll let you know when I find it (I'll look as soon as work slows down a bit!)

Crazybillybob

Rankenphile

10-17-2005, 12:23 PM

Setbacks.

I've been trying to relocate the cabinet into the barn at the house I'm staying in now, where we have a full woodshop set up. The rain here has been pretty much relentless, and I don't want to move this thing when it is wet, because the thing is basically constructed with particle board. Even if I wrap this thing up in a tarp completely, the half-hour drive in the back of a pickup would ruin it. So, I play the waiting game and keep drawing plans and getting ideas. Once I get it to the barn, I'll post more pictures (found my camera, but can't find the mem card for it, lol). I'm going to show off some of the plans I have, but want to wait till I get it to the barn first, so I can take more accurate measurements and actually post the true plans with accurate dimensions and such.

I'm still looking for the last main components - the sound system, if I don't want to go with the car stereo amp, and the television - and waiting on ordering the controller setup next week, after I get paid again. Once I get the TV and the controller, I can plan more, as I'll know the exact dimensions of the internals so I can craft around them. Right now, it is all guesswork.

Sigh. Soon enough, though, I'll have good updates. I'll keep ya posted.

Oh, here's a good deal I found from Computer Geeks (http://geeks.com) - 1000 feet of CAT5 cable for under $50, with all the tools! (http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CT-CAT5E-1000-6U&cpc=SCH&srm=0)

Also, if you are like me and use about four or five different computers throughout the day, you might be interested in Del.Icio.Us (http://del.icio.us) an online bookmarking site/community. I'm always emailing myself links to cool sites I find at work or at home, and keeping them all in my hotmail account is a pain in the butt, but this looks like a neat site. You can keep all your bookmarks online, sort them by tags, and browse others with common interests.

Anyway, I'll post more info soon.

Rankenphile

10-20-2005, 06:51 PM

I don't know what happened, I think there must have been a rollback on the boards or something, because I'm missing a post out of this thread. (EDIT: Just read CrimsonSky's post in the operator assistance board (http://thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14535#post14535) on the site update on what happened to the forum. It explains everything.)

Anyway, the other day was nice, which is unusual for this time of year in Washington, so I carted the cabinet into the back of the truck and hauled it into the barn. Now I've got great tools, materials, and the best part - electricity! I cna actually work on this at night!

Tonight I'm going to be taking the rest of the measurements I need, and I think I found the television I'm buying, so hopefully I can pick that up tomorrow. I'm working on writing out a heirarchy of the project's needs as part of my plan, as a new experiment. You'll see what I mean.

This weekend will probably be filled with working on the house and carving pumpkins with my family, so I'll see what I can do to get actual work done on the box, but things are coming along.

Oh! I've got the networking all set up on the Xbox, and it is working SO great! I installed about 900 or so NES ROMs onto the system, and have been haing a blast playing all the classics, as well as tons of great games I had never even heard of. Bubble Bath Babes is a current favorite - think bubble bobble meets Tetris meets half-naked 8-bit woman on the bottom of the screen. Lol.

Also - Tribal, you think that mouse is bad, you seriously should see the size of the rats in my garage. I finally chased off the last of them a couple weeks ago, only to have another one move in somewhere. I'm continuing to bait them, so hopefully this wave of vermin will be chased off soon, but UGH! I'm tired of burying these nasty things!!!

Rankenphile

10-23-2005, 02:45 AM

Not much visible work yet, jsut a bit of planning. I picked up the television for the unit last night, and it is still in my car, as I have been busy with family stuff lately - we all get together for a big birthday party for a bunch of the younger kids at this time of year, and carve pumpkins. A lot of us can't be together for Thanksgiving, so this is our get-together before Christmas.

Mine got a lot of laughs - I found an image on the web of one I wanted to do, and took the image into Freehand and built a pattern of it. I think it turned out pretty cool, what do you think?

http://rankenphile.com/images/pumpkin05/resized/napoleon1.jpg

When I brought it home to my girlfriend's house, where I'm staying until we finish the remodel, everyone got a good laugh. Her father had never seen the movie, and coincidentally, it just started right after I lit it, so we all went in and watched it. Good stuff.

I also did this one from a drawing I did before we had dinner.

http://rankenphile.com/images/pumpkin05/resized/caveghoul.jpg

Now that I've got the screen for the cabinet, I'm going to be spending tomorrow morning getting some more measurements and figuring out the mounting for it. I've got to go to Seattle for another family dinner tomorrow afternoon, so I can't get too much more done, but I'll get more this coming week. Now that I have the screen, I can get a lot more done.

Talk to you soon!

Rankenphile

10-23-2005, 09:30 PM

Progress, at long last!

I've got everything moved into the barn now, and look! I've got TOOLS!!!

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/drillpress.jpg http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/saw01.jpg

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/saw02.jpg http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/tools01.jpg

This is SO much better than the garage at the house I bought. Heck, it has electricity, and NO RATS!!!

I'm sure that my next mod will end up in that garage, but after I finish this cabinet, all my work is going into that garage and house to get it liveable. We're almost ready to start work, we're getting the plans soon, and can start making some headway on that enormous project.

I got the TV on Friday, and it's been int he back of my car ever since. I finally got to open it up and do a thorough examination of it. Take a look.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/tv01.jpg

I've torn out almost all the rest of the hardware inside the cabinet, and am saving everythign I've taken out, except for the old monitor. Here's what it looks like inside.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/cabinet_inside02.jpg http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/cabinet_inside01.jpg

I'm going to be replacing the entire front panel, and I think I have an old sheet of MDO that is almost exactly the same size in the garage. I'll look tomorrow. I was using it for a drafting board before, and it was too large. I'll just have to riip down about 3/4" on one side, and about 3" off of the top.

My project for today was to create the base for the television. The first step was to get an idea of the footprint of the thing. I turned it over and took a look.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/tv_underside.jpg

I cut a piece off of the box it came in and took some measurements, and ended up with a decent model of the footprint. It wasn't quite right, so I used it to make the second one, below.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/footprint_solo.jpg

I poked around in the scrap pile for the garage we're building at this house (how many dang projects can we have at once?!? Seriously, it's getting rediculous.) and found a scrap piece of plywood that was perfect! Exactly the right size. THe interior of the cabinet, from left to right, is 23.25" wide, and the piece of plywood was exactly 23", and was perfectly deep enough for the television.

I love it when things work out.

I sanded the scrap piece down to a smooth finish. Then, I had some thin strips of MDO I salvaged out of the Free Wood box at work, and lined them up around the footprint, creating stops to keep the TV from sliding backward.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/footprint.jpg

The TV will be mouted at a slightly upward-facing angle, so this should work great. The top of the shroud inside the cabinet will be cut to fit around the back of the TV, keeping the top part steadily in place, and this will prevent the bottom from slipping.

These will be hidden from site, so they don't have to be pretty. I took a strip of the MDO and cut it in half, creating thin stops for under the forward-facing part of the footprint, and used a taller strip at the very back, to fit just perfectly with the contour of the TV. I used some roofing tacks to hold them in place, and was all set.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/footprint_stops.jpg

Once it is completed, this whole piece will be painted flat black, as it is structural and not cosmetic. Very little, if any, of it will be seen anyway.

I had the old monitor mounts left over, and wanted to mount them to the bottom of the board. I found another strip of MDO and cut it to size, to act as a riser to give the screws something to grip when I attach the mounting brackets.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/underside_standoffs.jpg

Here is a picture of the mounting bracket just sitting on the riser, to give you an idea of what I mean.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/strut_underside.jpg

I drilled the pilot holes and counter-sunk the screw holes for the four screws I used to attach the risers.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/strut_standoff.jpg http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/countersunk.jpg

Countersinking the screws allows the mount to sit flat on the risers.

I attached the risers, and was all set for today.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/underneath_strut.jpg

I flipped it over, took a couple pictures, and congratulated myself on the first day of actual progress I had made so far...

And that was when I noticed I attached the mounts on backwards.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-22-05/duh.jpg

It was easy enough to switch them back around, and have it all finished now, but my stomach is rumbling and it's time for dinner.

THe only other thing I did was order the controller. I am JAZZED! I went to the website (X-Arcade.com (http://x-arcade.com)) and found that they had the very controller I was looking for, the two-player stick setup, on sale for $100 flat! It was factory refurbished, and still featured the lifetime warranty, so I snapped it up. I still have to get the adapter so it will fit the X-Box, but that's only $20, so I ended up saving about $30 off of what I was expecting to pay. SWEET!!!

I'll post more as progress warrants. Things are falling together now, so I'll have more to share.

See you soon!

Rankenphile

10-25-2005, 01:01 AM

A little more progress today.

I tore off the old front of the cabinet, and work was nice enough to donate a sheet of MDO to replace it with. I trimmed it down to fit, and it looks like it will work out perfectly.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-24-05/cabinet_nofront.jpg

I also hung a strap from a rafter and hung up the TV rack and spray-painted it black. Hanging is by far the easiest way to paint things, as I can walk all the way around it, making sure I get all sides, and I don't need a spray booth (the barn is plenty ventilated with the doors open). Plus, it hangs all nice until it's dry.

I spent the rest of my time today drawing up plans for the box that will hold the Xbox itself. I've settled on a design, and just need to get a few final measurements and I can get started, hopefully as soon as tomorrow.

I just ordered a pair of 12" sound-activated UV CCFLs and a can of Clear/Green UV reactive paint (see the Lotus Blossum mod for an example) from FrozenCPU, and four six-foot extension cables for the xbox controllers, so they should all be here by this weekend, as should the two-player arcade-style controller.

So stoked! I can finally get things done! I'll be drafting up my plans in AutoCAD (took drafting all four years in high school, and a couple classes in college to keep sharp) as soon as I get the last couple measurements, sot hat will probably be most of what gets done tomorrow.

More soon!

And let me know what you guys think! I've got a lot planned for this thing, and I know it's not pretty now, but with any luck, it will be fabulous when it is done!

Rankenphile

10-26-2005, 11:16 AM

I've got materials and stuff on the way, and I spent a little while in AutoCAD drawing out some more plans for the mount fo rthe Xbox itself. I've got it about half done,a nd will finish it tonight, and hopefully get started on some of the cutting for it. I didn't get home until late - I have a freelance project I work on most Tuesdays - so I should have a lot more time to get work done tonight. Plus, my girlfriend is gone all night to go see Weezer and Foo Fighters play in Seattle, so I've got the place to myself. I'll post the drawings up as soon as I get them.

Rankenphile

10-26-2005, 07:51 PM

Quick update - I've finished the basic plan for the stand that the Xbox will sit on. It may be a bit hard to tell from the drawing here, but this is what I have (note - I've reversed the colors to make it easier to see on screen. Click for the full-size plan). I know the colors and line sizes are goofy, I didn't follow standard specs for those things, because it has been so long I can't remember them. This is just to remind me of how to put this together once I get into the shop with the wood. :p

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/xbox_stand_sm_plan.jpg (http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/xbox_mounting_stand-Model.jpg)

The xbox will sit just nice and snug in this area, and still leave easy access to the controller ports. The back is just slightly lower than the back of the xbox, so that it will be slightly hidden, but will prevent it from being pushed off the stand. The holes in the back allow the cords to tuck out and then back under the stand, where they will go to their various components. The circular holes in the back are to allow air flow, as they sit right behind the fan. The holes in the front, below the stand where the Xbox sits, are where the controller cords will feed from.

I've got to wait to get the wood for this until this weekend, I think. This whole piece will sit inside a box behind a plexi clear door where the coin door is on a standard arcade machine. The door will likely be too small to get an xbox out of, to prevent theft. The back door of this box will open and lock, allowing me access to it as needed, but keeping it secure. Inside will feature a pretty cool paint scheme, if my idea works out.

Keep checking back. More to come! 8)

wingman358

10-28-2005, 12:35 AM

Lookin' good, Rank. I'm anxious to see how this comes out.

By the way, how are you faring on the sound-sensitive LED bars?

Rankenphile

10-28-2005, 11:23 AM

I'm working on it. It may be a week or two before I can get the components and actually test out the circuit design that CrazyBillyBob found for me. I will definately let you know how they work out - I'm excited about it.

I didn't get anything done last night - I actually ended up leaving work early with some sort of stomach bug. I'm feeling a lot better now, and hope to have some time this weekend to at least make the pedestal that I have outlined above. I've got a few other plans too, but I want to get this part built and try to install the television mount - a tricky process, as I have to cut the shroud around the back of the TV, and it is a very difficult shape. I have no accurate way of predicting, at this point, exactly what shape or size to cut the shroud to make it fit right, so I'm still puzzling over that one.

I'm going to look tonight for the amp that will power the sound system - I have a car stereo amp, but I just don't want to have to use that if I can avoid it. The power transformer itself is nearly $100, and it still wouldn't give me the features and flexibility I really want.

I'll let you know.

Rankenphile

10-30-2005, 12:36 AM

Lots of progress today!

I got a ton of scrap MDO from work yesterday, and spent all day in the barn building the custom stand for the Xbox itself. Take a look at it, with all it's majesty there.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/xbox_itself.jpg

Oh, how I love it so. Hehe.

I plan on modding it a bit further, once I get a few more supplies in. Ideally, I'd like to cut out the top bubble and add a fan, but I don't think there is room inside, and a fan on the top would look... goofy.

Anyway, I brought the Xbox out to double-check the measurements I had in the plan (see the above post), and sure enough, I was off by a little bit - I had designed the stand about 1.5" too wide. I redrew some plans and adjusted a few things, and spent some time drawing out the actual patterns on the wood before I went down to the tablesaw and started cutting - planning saves lives, kids. Always measure, and re-measure everything before you cut it. And once you're ready to cut, measure again. Nothing is worse than getting to assembly and finding out you cut something a quarter inch too short.

Except getting eaten alive by electric eels, I would imagine, but I'm not exactly an expert in that field, so we'll just let it go.

I cut all the pieces out, and ended up with some... cut wood with pencil marks on it. See?

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/back_drawn.jpg

Now, it was at this point that I realized we don't have a scroll saw, or anything similar to it. I am a true woodworking newbie, so I'm playing things safe here. I needed to cut out the big holes in the top, with rounded corners, somehow, but wanted to puzzle over the best method, so I started drilling the holes in the front.

The front is going to feature five holes along the bottom for controller cords. I drew them out and drilled out a pilot hole in the center of each one.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/front_pilotholes.jpg

I then started drilling out the actual bores for them.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/front_drilling.jpg

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/front_drilled.jpg

I decided that the easiest way to cut out the back holes was to use a drill to take out the corners all nice and rounded-like. I had a band saw I used for the bottom slot, and it turned out really nice, but I had no way to feed the blade through the holes I had. I cut out a couple grooves near the lines (just on the inside to allow myself some fudge-room) with a small circular saw, and got ready for the next step.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/back_corners.jpg

I then took a hand saw and cut out the rest of the inside, as close to the inside as I could. I took a grinding wheel bit for a dremel and set it up in the drill press, set it at the correct height, and slowly ground down the insides to a nice, smooth line. It took a while and might have been faster with a router, but I don't know how to creat the templates for the router, and just wanted to get through this. It worked pretty well, but I'll end up using the router later for larger holes for the cabinet.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/grinding1.jpg

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/grinding2.jpg

Pay no attention to the shape of my thumb - I have a terrible habit of picking at hang nails when I don't have anythign else to do with my hands, and I sometimes end up with fingers that look like they've been through a meat grinder. My girlfriend is sure it's mild obsessive-compulsive disorder or something, but then again, she's a Psyche Major, so she diagnoses everything. :p

After a bit, I ended up with the back all smoothly cut out.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/back_nodrill.jpg

The large holes on top are where the network, video/audio out and power cords feed through. They go out those holes, and then feed back into the bottom hole, disguising them so they don't show up.

The squares marked off in the center there are where I needed to drill out a number of holes for the fan to breathe. The xbox sits pretty snug in the case here, so I had to make sure that air flow wasn't going to be a problem.

I marked off the holes a quarter-inch apart, and used a slightly smaller drill bit to start digging them out.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/drilling_start.jpg

After a few minutes, I had them all set to go, and the hard part - cutting and preparation - was done.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/drilling_done.jpg

The only thing left to do was assembly. I started by plotting out where my screws would go - I found a quarter-inch piece of very sturdy wood in the scrap pile that the Xbox will sit on, so I added some three-quarter inch strips of MDO below it to support it and accept the screws in the sides, hanging about a half-inch from the bottom. I drilled pilot holes for each screw and counter-sunk the surface to allow the screws to sit cleanly inside with a low profile. A few screws later, I'm good to go.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/stand_detail01.jpg

Here you can see the front, all drilled out, with the countersinking done. You may also notice that I rounded off all of the edges a little bit to prevent scratching myself when I'm reaching in, and prevent the corners from having the paint rubbed off when I have to reach in to turn it on, reset it or change controller setups.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/stand.jpg

This is the completely assembled stand, without the base itself. The base sits atop the runners on the sides, and has black carpeting to pad the Xbox from noise vibration. I sanded the surface of the board to give the glue a good surface to grip to, put on a healthy layer of wood glue, pressed the carpet down on it and clamped another piece of MDO on top of it to keep it tight while it dries.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/carpeting.jpg

See? Isn't it fun to watch glue dry? Also - in the background you can clearly see a jug of Gatorade. I've become a junkie for this stuff since I quit drinking energy drinks all the time. This particular flavor is their raspberry lemonade. Good stuff. ;)

The only other step was painting. I hung up the stand and hit it with the first coat of paint. The whole thing will be painted flat black, but will have some other cool details I'll show off later - assuming my plan works.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/10-30-05/hanging.jpg

I'm hoping to get some more materials in this week, and am planning on doing some circuitry work for some lighting effects next weekend. I'll keep you posted as things happen.

[DGN]Nexus

10-30-2005, 12:33 PM

Sound activated cathodes to backlight the kickpanel or overhead? that would be sweet.

Rankenphile

10-31-2005, 02:17 PM

Minor update. I spent the weekend applying coats of flat black to the parts I need, and made a shopping trip Sunday morning and found the stereo that will serve as the sound system controller for the cabinet. The best part? I found it at Value Village. For $5.00. And it turned out that it was half off.

It's just a dinky old component amp with stereo input and output, with RCA jacks. It has a tape deck and dual channel volume control. Nothing fancy at all, but exactly what I was looking for. And on the bottom, it even had the complete component diagram stapled to it, so I can always test and replace any electrical component in it if I need to.

I'll be testing it out this week, and figuring out the speaker placement, along with building the rack that will hold it and the Xbox stand itself. I'll keep you posted.

DickNervous

10-31-2005, 04:56 PM

This is a cool project. One thing I thought of is your comment about having to go into the cabinet to boot the XBox because you have to hold the two buttons for 3 seconds. There are two ways around that. I assume they are both momentary switches just like the power switch on the PC. So that means you could simply wire them up with an extension and put the buttons anywhere you want, or even wire them together so that it is just one button.

Heck you could even do both and end up with three buttons: Power, Reset, and BootMod :)

Rankenphile

10-31-2005, 05:02 PM

Interesting thought... I'll consider it. Thanks DN.

Defyant

11-01-2005, 09:01 AM

wow!!! its usually 2 am in the morn when i come here to post, and i usually just update and go :(

but seeing this in the front page made me come for a looksee!

sooo glad i did mate! this is shaping up awsome, ive seen ppl dickaround with pc's inside these but the idea of using the xbox is soo darn perfect!!! i love it!!

WTG mate can't wait to see more :)

Rankenphile

11-01-2005, 12:29 PM

Thanks Defyant :) I've got some really hot ideas for this, this is just the beginning. In the next week or two, I should have some of the really cool supplies coming in - I just heard back from X-Arcade, who I am getting the control stick from, and there was a problem with my order - my own fault, not theirs, so I wont be receiving the controller until early next week, which is a setback, but there is still plenty to get done on this, so I wont let it slow me down too much.

I'll be doing some more work on this tomorrow night, and should have more to show after that. Tonight I'm busy with a freelance design job, but I'll have some pretty cool things coming up soon, with any luck at all.

How was everyone's Halloween? I went with my girlfriend and some friends to see Rocky Horror at the nearby university, and had a good time. Nothing like a whole crowd of people shouting "SLUT!" at Susan Sarandon every time she appears on screen. :)

Rankenphile

11-02-2005, 02:40 AM

Quick update - I received some supplies today and bought some more at Michael's Craft Store. I'm still waiting for some others, but things are coming together.

Sorry for the vague post, but I promise I'll have a big update tomorrow, with details and pictures. I'll be able to start some of the more artistic aspects of this project tomorrow evening.

Edit: Almost forgot - if you liked my pumpkins above, you really ought to see the winner and honorable mentions from Blizzard's World of Warcraft-themed pumpkin carving contest (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/contests/05-10-pumpkin/winners.html). All I've got to say is :omg:

Rankenphile

11-03-2005, 01:03 PM

Well, this isn't the big update I was planning on having. I did some preliminary painting last night, after cutting out a stencil, and I have to say I am not pleased. The paint ran underneath and the ClearNeon paint works, but not as well as I was hoping - on fine lettering, the stencil actually wicked away the paint while it was wet, preventing it from leaving a good coat.

I'm going back to the drawing board on the painting thing. Anyone recommend a good way to stencil, or a cheap way to create small silk-screens?

On the plus side, I left the memory card for my camera at work, so I didn't get any ugly pictures. :p I'll take a couple to show you what NOT to do tonight, if I get a chance, while I puzzle over how to fix it.

crazybillybob

11-03-2005, 01:41 PM

Rank,
What did you use as a stencil? paper Cardboard?.....With out knowing try thin plastic, or better yet stop at your local sign shop and pick up a couple feet of vinyl paint mask (it's thinish clear or frosted vinyl) cut your pattern out then peel the back off and stick it to your work area, paint over it let the paint dry. Then peel the mask off (may need to lightly run a hobby knife around the edges if they look like they'll pull up paint.) Pro's use this allot for custom paint Check out this article (it's over at pimprig...They've got a great paint guy!)
Painting with Stencils (http://guides.pimprig.com/pimprig_paintshop/painting_with_stencils.php)

Good Luck (pics please!!) ;)

Crazybillybob

Rankenphile

11-03-2005, 09:43 PM

I used clear Contact Paper (very thin vinyl, used for cold lamination) and a repositionable spray adhesive.

I'll take a look at some of that stuff. Thanks CBB.

On a side note, I did some looking around today and found some home silk-screening equipment, built almost like a toy, for making cards. If I can find it and take a look at it, I may invest in it, as it would be very handy. It came with a tiny exposer unit and everything.

Rankenphile

11-04-2005, 02:40 PM

New delivery!

I jsut received in the mail four 6' extension cords for the Xbox controllers, AND THIS!

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/components.jpg

This is a big box of electronic components. I went to Jameco and ordered their grab bag of LEDs and their grab bag of other components (resistors, switches, capacitors, etc etc etc), as well as a couple ICs and mics. I'll have more to show soon, but I wanted to get this up to show off.

/excited!

crazybillybob

11-05-2005, 09:45 PM

Rank,
If find more out about the silkscreening thingy post a link..I've got some electronics projects where labels would be nice and silkscreening is the way to go!

Crazybillybob

Rankenphile

11-06-2005, 04:03 PM

I sure will.

I spent yesterday doing the electronics thing, and got the sound-activated circuit working on a bread board - it actually hooks right up to the speaker wires, and is volume-dependent, and works perfectly. I soldered the first of two on a small circuit board in basic form, without the LED leads or the power leads connected - I have to create the boards that the LEDs mount in and create a way to connect it to the Molex clips for the 12V PSU. All in all, it worked out great, I've gotta head down to the local Radio Shack and get a few more pieces before I can finish it, and I will be posting pics as soon as I get it all done.

I also picked up a mouse and tore open an old Xbox controller with a malfunctioning button to convert into a Rumble Mouse. I might be able to finish this today, in working form, before I get all artsy-fartsy with it :p . I've got a cool idea for it, and will post a complete work log as I get it done.

So, in other words, progress has been made, but I don't have pics yet. I'll have more to show off soon, however! Thanks for everyone's help on the sound-controlled circuit - I ended up finding a circuit diagram from the IC manufacturer that worked perfectly, and it works with either a 3V PS (think 2 AA batteries) or a 12V PSU, and is a really simple circuit to build. The soldering is the hardest part. It would make for a really cool way to add active LEDs to any computer mod.

Anyway, I'll have more tonight, with any luck.

Rankenphile

11-08-2005, 02:26 AM

I am kicking myself right now, because I got all kinds of neat stuff to show off...

...and I left my camera in the barn. I'd go grab it, but it's darn cold outside, and it's nearly bed time.

THe arcade controller showed up in the mail today, and it's looking great! It was the past piece that I needed before I can start designing the front panel.

I got the actual circuit board assembled for the first sound-sensitive LED array. I also cut the array housing backboard out and drilled the holes for the first part, and got some nice pictures of it all.

But, you're gunna have to take my word on all of it, because, again, I'm an idiot that left the camera in the barn. A lazy idiot that doesn't want to go grab it.

Oh well. Heh. I'll have pics up SOON, I'm way overdue for them.

Rankenphile

11-09-2005, 01:59 AM

Okay, as promised, here are the pictures, WAY overdue.

I didn't get a chance to do much tonight, as I had freelance work to get done, but Saturday my friend and I split these huge grab bags of electronic components, as I mentioned. Below you can see us sorting the 1900 LEDs.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/LED_pile.jpg

...and some switches...

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/switches.jpg

...and more stuff. It took about 2 hours to get everything sorted and split.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/components.jpg

We followed the circuit diagram, very similar to the one CrazyBillyBob found on the Q&A forum thread earlier and were able to get the circuit running easily on a breadboard. The stereo speaker wire hooks into ground and pin 5 on the IC (LM3915N). You can see the example below - the only thing you can't tell from the picture is that pin 8 has to connect directly to the ground (the resistor is covering the wire in the photo).

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/breadboard.jpg

I spent some time soldering the circuit to a board, below.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/helping_hand.jpg

These helping hand things are awesome. They make soldering and any fine painting and stuff much easier. If you do any fine detail work, I highly recommend them.

I've got the circuit completed, sans power leads and LED leads, below.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/circuit.jpg

Not the prettiest layout, but it should be functional. I need to finish the first LED array layout before I can test it.

I got started setting up the LED array mounting bracket last night, and drew it out and cut it out of 1/8" Cintra PVC board.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/cutting.jpg

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/cut_and_marked.jpg

I drilled the holes at 17/64" and slipped the LEDs and mounting clips through for a test fit. Not bad at all.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/led_bracket.jpg

They will be hooked into the sound system and light up higher, according to volume. There are five green on the bottom, then three yellow and two red.

The last thing I did was tear off the stencil I did on the front of the Xbox mounting stand and took a look at the damage. I had used Contact Paper, adn it peeled away badly and let the paint seep in. It looked terrible.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/paint_crap.jpg

On the bright side, however, the ClearNeon paint I used for the blacklight sensitivity worked out okay, but it too came out unrecognizeable.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/blacklight.jpg

This is okay, however, as I was planning on cutting the holes in the front all the way down to the bottom. It turns out that I will have to to get the cords through after all. Oh well, it should still look great once it is all together.

The best part came in the mail yesterday, as I mentioned. Check it out!

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-07-05/controller.jpg

It's here! It's awesome! And according to the manufacturer, it's frickin bulletproof!!! I can't wait to test THAT! :p

The only problem I see with it is that the buttons are all black. Hmmmmm... do I want to void the lifetime warranty to crack her open and paint the buttons?

Then again, modders aren't really known for caring too much about their warranties. :p

That's all I got for ya at the moment, I'll have more soon. Things are starting to come along, now that I have the controller, I can start measuring and designing for it.

/excited!

wingman358

11-09-2005, 04:14 PM

Well, think of it this way: if you do open up the controller (which you will), and you end up f**king it up, you get to test if it's actually bullet proof!

Rankenphile

11-09-2005, 06:04 PM

Lol!

Well, I actually did some research, and found that the buttons used are standard buttons. They are replaceable, and relatively cheap, and available off of eBay. In fact, there are a number of colors and styles available, including back-lit buttons. I'm debating on which approach I want to use, as my budget is getting tighter and tighter with the approaching holidays coming and the bills for a recent surgery starting to come in the mail.

I'll keep ya posted.

wingman358

11-10-2005, 05:04 PM

I can't wait to see those sound-reactive LED things in action.

Rankenphile

11-12-2005, 02:28 PM

Its been a little while since my last update, for a couple reasons. I've been quite busy with things, and have been working on what was supposed to be a quick mini-mod (coming soon), and just haven't had a chance to get to the next couple steps this thing needs. THings may continue to be slow, as I've got a ton of things to get done on the house, and I just found out I may be getting laid off from my job in a week or two, so money is going to get REAL tight as the holidays come closer and I look for new work.

I'll keep ya posted.

crazybillybob

11-13-2005, 08:33 PM

Rank,
Take your time....Family is always number one, Take care of them, we'll wait. I also wish you the very best of luck with the job search! (I'm sure you'll land on your feetsys!) Getting sacked always sucks, but this close to the holidays is just rude! :mad:

Best wishes,
Crazybillybob

titch162006

11-14-2005, 05:15 PM

Agreed,

I'm sorry to hear it man, but like crazybillbob said you family and your surgery is what counts so put those first definately. All else can wait and i'm sure i speak on everyone's behalf that we understand that...

Good luck man!!

Titch

P.S. Maybe you should get a job fixing up comps, it would be frickin awesome. Lol

Rankenphile

11-14-2005, 06:12 PM

I do freelance a bit, fixing comps and stuff, on site. 99% of the time, you end up at someone's house, usually an old lady, watching virus scans run and waiting for MS updates coming down over 56k modems (I carry a CD with most of the updates and tools I need, but still!). Not exactly exciting, and not exactly fun. I much prefer the freelance design work I get, but money is money.

It turns out that my job may be spared until at least the first of the year, but I'm not going to sit around and wait for the axe to fall, so I’ll be looking for other work over the next few weeks.

I do have more to show off soon, but I’ve gotta finish working on my resume and portfolio, as well as a few improvements in the barn where I’m doing all this mod stuff – I tore the old ugly cabinets out of the house this weekend, and will be putting them in the barn so I can actually get a little organized while I work on this stuff.

I’ve got my mini-mod just about ready to start posting pics – by the end of the week I will have updates, I promise.

Rankenphile

11-15-2005, 02:26 AM

Got some progress today, but not a lot.

First thing I did was hang up these nasty old aluminum cabinets to free up a ton of desktop space - I tore these out of the house I'm working on. I'll tell ya what, when you're unsure if you're going to have a job and need to burn off some aggression, nothing beats taking a crowbar to some panelling in a house. Just make sure you're allowed to do it first, or the home owner might get a touch upset.

That said, I hung these ugly beasts up - definately needs some paint on the doors, but that can wait.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-14-05/cabinets.jpg

While my friend was preparing the wall and doing some other preliminary work, I got the rest of the first LED mounting box cut, assembled, glued and painted. It's not pretty, but it will be almost entirely hidden, so it doesn't really need to be. I used some spray silver paint to help reflect the light inside and brighten the light a bit.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-14-05/mount.jpg

This is entirely made out of 1/8" PVC board, called Cintra (I'm sure I've mentioned this before). I actually stopped by Skagit Valley Signs on my way home tonight and asked if they had any scraps laying around of it, and got to take home a armload for free, on the condition that I wouldn't make any signs out of them. Lol. If you need building material for things, I recommend stopping by your local sign shop and asking for their leftovers, lots and lots of places use this stuff, and for a hobbyist a three years supply can be had for next to nothing if you ask nicely. Very easy to work with, bends nicely, simple to cut, and you can't beat the price.

The only other thing I did was take the front panel for the Xbox mounting platform off and cut out the holes that I drilled earlier - it turns out that I will need to have them this way to get the controller cords through - a step I was hoping to avoid, but it turned out inevitable. I also sanded down the old paint so that I can paint over it smoothly. I'm still working on a better way to label this thing - I'll let you know when I come up with something.

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-14-05/front.jpg

This is all I got done tonight, and I might have some more time tomorrow, I'll have to see.

I'll keep ya posted.

wingman358

11-15-2005, 10:01 PM

That LED light box looks pretty sweet. Good idea with the silver paint. Still can't wait to see it in action.

Rankenphile

11-16-2005, 03:58 PM

The more I think about it, the less I'm happy with that LED box. It's just sloppy.

I'll probably let it go, for a testing piece, but I'm probably going to remake it. I have to make a second one anyway for the other side, so why not redesign it and make it right the first time.

I'm still mulling it over. I may have some time tonight to get some work done, but it's getting darn cold outside, and the barn isn't heated, so it's tough to keep motivation going. Plus, painting in temperatures hovering around 35 degrees (F) with spray cans isn't an ideal situation.

I'll keep ya posted.

Crimson Sky

11-16-2005, 08:53 PM

You could try using silver or aluminum contact paper instead of paint--Silver paint tarnishes pretty quickly from my experience--enough to make me hate the stuff altogether. When I need a reflective "light box" these days I line it with that automotive foil trim material--a bit more expensive than shelf liner contact paper but its shiny like chrome--

just my 2cent, hope to see more soon! ;)

Rankenphile

11-17-2005, 02:06 AM

I've definately considered that. The silver is the least of the problems - you can't really tell from the photo, but the box itself is really assembled poorly - off-square, with ugly gaps, the dividers came out shorter than I had expected because it was cold and I was distracted while working on it, the cuts aren't even, the ends are off, and I'm just not really satisfied. I've got a much better plan, that will take quite a bit more time to do, and I've just been so busy lately I rushed it, which was a mistake.

I'll post more when I have it to develop. Thanks for the input!

(by the way, another great and cheap source for extremely reflective mylar is "Space Blankets", the mylar blankets they sell with camping supplies. You can get a huge sheet (at least 8'x8') for about $2 at most hardware or general stores. A little spray adhesive and careful application with a roller or squeegee, or even an old credit card, would work perfectly. I bought a few of them a while back and put them on PVC frames to use as reflectors for some outdoor photography. The fact that they were wrinkled worked well, as it sent out a reflection that was similar to a water reflection, which was perfect for the subject.)

Rankenphile

11-18-2005, 02:56 AM

Okay, new rule. Rankenphile isn't allowed anywhere near a hardware store this close to Christmas any more. :p

So, I had to stop at the local Home Depot for some screws and a heat gun, because I wanted a heat gun... and screws. Imagine that. While wandering around the tool department, because one of the lower-ranked lackeys said that I'd find a heat gun there (wrong, it was in the paint department), I kept walking past a Ryobi scroll saw, on sale for a mere $99. Adjustable speed, comes with five extra blades, adjustable cutting surface that tilts up to 45 degrees... it was rough, man.

So... lo and behold...

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-17-05/scrollsaw.jpg

I mean, it was calling me.

Scroll Saw: Come on, man. Think of the fun we could have together.

Me: Sorry, Ryobi. The holidays are coming, and I have to be responsible!

Scroll Saw: But... don't you want me? Don't you love me any more?

Me: That's not fair, it's not like that. Really. I just...

Scroll Saw:*sniff* Okay. I see how it is. Just go.

Me: Oh, Ryobi. How could I stay mad at you. You know how I feel when you look at me with those big puppy-dog... um... blades.

So, yeah. It was inevitable. I caved. And I'm glad I did. My camera's batteries died (again. It eats them faster than Vin Deisel eats babies!) so I couldn't get pictures of the progress I got done, but this thing ZIPS through Cintra in no time, in perfectly straight lines, very smoothly. I redesigned the LED box and started cutting it out, complete with dovetail joints to ensure that it is square, strong and clean.

I love you, Ryobi.

Scroll Saw: I love you, too, Rankenphile.

That wasn't the only thing I got. I got the heat gun, too. Check it!

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-17-05/heatgun.jpg

Not only that, but I got the screws I needed (8/64x2 slot-head screws... you'll see what they're for soon), a bunch of very small spring clamps (they were like $.38 each, and SO cute! :p), and this:

http://rankenphile.com/images/arcade/11-17-05/tape.jpg

The pic came out blurry, because the camera batteries were almost dead, so I went without flash, but in case you can't tell, it is electrical tape - in five different colors. Ooooh, so fancy. Hehe.

I wish I had pics to show of the LED box, but I only finished a couple pieces of it. I'm going to a punk show tomorrow night (Propaghandi is playing at the local university. Rock! :D) so I won't get a chance to do much, and if the weather is nice I'll be working on the house most of the weekend, but after dark I should have some more time to get some more progress on this part of the project.

I'll keep ya posted.

SaWBLaDe

11-18-2005, 05:43 AM

heh rank back in high school we had a saw exactly liek that and we only ever used it for cutting perspex it was f**king perfect for it although there were some people who never got the hang of it and tended to cut a bit crooked and constantly snap blades all i can say is take ur time always or u will be going through blades liek theres no tommorrow. also if ur looking for a nice silver or chrome finish that will last i suggest u try "avery" brand vinyl its the same stuff they use for signmaking and decals for cars so its sweet. i just baught soem for myself and if i can remember correctly it said it can last 5-6 years or something anyway when i use it on my mods ill try and get a camera from somewhere and take some pics for you. cheers SaWBLaDe. P.S i was going to buy one of those saws too lol.

Rankenphile

11-18-2005, 12:19 PM

Appreciate it, Sawblade, thanks.

I worked in a print shop for nearly five years previous to my current job, and we used a lot of Avery labels. I'll take a look through an old distribution catalog, see if I can track it down. I still know a couple sales reps for Avery, I'll see if I can't talk them into shipping me a sheet or two of samples. As far as I know, they don't know I'm not still in printing. :p

Rankenphile

11-18-2005, 08:14 PM

So today I asked at work if they had any leftover scraps of plexi. There was only one guy int he shop, as it is Friday and most of the crew works four 10's. He was like, "Oh, sure, yeah we do. Right over here."

He moves a board, and there are three BIG pieces of plexi. Crystal clear, no scratches, and at least 24"x36"! FREE! WOOHOO!!!

I was expecting a few odd off-cuts, but here is a ton of plexi, more than I'll end up using for this project, most likely! All in great shape, 1/8" thick and perfect.

I'll get some more info up soon - it looks like it will be clear this weekend, so I'll only have nights to work on the cabinet, but I'll get SOMETHING on it done. I'm on a roll now, and want to keep up the momentum.

Crimson Sky

11-18-2005, 10:28 PM

Ooo..Nice scroll saw--looks like a variable speed model too--perfect for plastics and other shtuff.

Rankenphile

11-19-2005, 01:41 AM

Ecks-ACKly!

Rankenphile

11-20-2005, 01:48 AM

So, I got a bunch dug out from under the house today, in preparation for the foundation, as well as cut down a bunch of ugly trees that were taking up a ton of room in the yard. In project news, I have the first LED box redo about half done. I've gotta finish cutting a few dividers, the subfloor for the LEDs to get mounted to, and the actual back of the piece, as well as the plexi front panel. I also need to get the containing box for the circuit itself built. I'm figuring a lot of it out as I go, off of a single sketch I drew of the whole thing. It is working out VERY well, so far, and assembly should be very easy and clean. A few of the interior holes are a bit rougher than I would like ideally, but they certainly suffice. Again, they will be hidden, so the only ones who will know will be me, and you guys, of course.

I've gotta pick up another set of rechargeable batteries for the camera tomorrow. I've gotta get up early and get to work on the house, which only leaves evenings for this stuff, but the LED box is nearly done, and I'll post pics of the whole assembly as soon as I get a little more progress. I've gotta build a whole second set, as soon as I get this one done, so don't worry - I'll document the whole process.

I'll keep ya posted.

Rankenphile

11-20-2005, 11:49 PM

Today we managed to get the entire rest of the house dug out, and finished stacking all of the cut branches from the lilac bush and the boxwood shrub, as well as the cedar branches from the trees we took down yesterday. I've got the LED box almost entirely cut, I have three more pieces - the bottom, one side and the plexi front, and I'll be all set. I left the camera in the barn, but I actually have batterues that seem to last long enough to get some good shots, which is nice.

I'll try to finish it tomorrow and post pics as soon as I have them.

wingman358

11-21-2005, 05:31 PM

Need...more...ultimate...arcade!!!!

Rankenphile

11-23-2005, 11:54 PM

Lol...

Things have been busy, with Thanksgiving coming up and all. I won't have any time tonight or tomorrow, but will have all day Friday to spend working on the box, and will have an update soon, I promise. I'm just about ready to get the first LED box working.

I'll keep ya posted.

Rankenphile

11-28-2005, 12:22 PM

First off, let me apologize, I know I’m overdue for an update, but I just haven’t had anything to share. I’ve been so busy, what with Thanksgiving, getting ready for Christmas and such that I really didn’t have the time I was hoping for this weekend to work on the cabinet. I actually spent a couple days using SketchUp to create mock layouts for our house, before we start the remodel. We’ve come up with a layout that we think is ideal, and should allow us plenty of room while being as efficient as possible. We will submit it to the architect this week and get his feedback, but I’m really positive about it. It looks like it could work out well, and it will be SO nice to finally get back to a place of my own.

I’ve still got plans to keep the cabinet going, but bear with me, things are a bit complicated in the rest of my life right now, so this has to take on a lower priority than some of the other messes I’ve got to straighten out. I WILL get progress on this soon, and will share everything I have with you guys, but it may take a little while.

By the way, if anyone here has ever wanted to try their hand at 3D modeling, but were intimidated by the steep learning curve, I highly recommend checking out SketchUp. It is an incredibly intuitive program, and their website features a number of very simple video tutorials. The demo allows for up to eight hours of use before they ask you to register, and it is very worth it.

Sergeant Napalm

12-06-2005, 07:57 PM

Rankenphile

12-06-2005, 08:08 PM

now that i finally got my profile working, i just wanted to tell you, rank, that i've been following your mod for a while. it sounds like a great idea. also i just want to tell you that ths is probobly not he most important thing you're doing at the moment. so take it easy. get what you need to get done done.o. and good luck on getting a job after the holliday season. :D

Heh, thanks, Sarge. Welcome to TBCS. I've actually shelved this mod until after the holidays - it looks like my job is actually pretty secure for the time being, at least through February. There will be some changes in the company structure after the first of the year, and we'll see what happens then, but I'm working on finishing up some plans for this mod, and will be back in full swing come January. I've got some neat ideas, and a couple surprises in store, so keep checking back, and thanks for the kind words. It's driving me nuts not being able to work on it like I want to, but probably just as well, because it's DAMN cold outside! LOL

Rankenphile

01-19-2006, 06:22 PM

This project has been buried half-way down the second page, and I've received a number of messages about it asking about the progress and such. I'm going to put my reply below to the most recent one, to keep you guys updated on it - it's not forgotten or abandoned by any means, just sort of put on hold.

Hey rank,
I was just wondering when you were going to pick up on the mod? Will it be in spring when it gets warmer?

It's kind of up in the air. I'm going to be getting a new computer for my girlfriend when I get my tax return back, and the arcade system won't really be too useful until we move into our new house as there is nowhere to put it yet, and that won't be until at least late summer to mid-autumn, so I'm not in a big rush. I'm going ot be doing a computer mod once I get the money from my taxes back, so I'll have a project to post once that gets started, but I jsut don't have a ton of motivation right now to work on the cabinet, as when I get it done it will basically mean I won't be able to play my xbox, lol.

I'm still playing around with the LED setup and stuff, so I'll post on the progress of that as it happens. But yeah, a lot of it is just waiting for warmer weather, and a lot of it is just I'm too lazy to stop playing World of Warcraft and get crackin' on a new project, lol.