My joysticks and buttons have arrived from eBay (many thanks to Andy @ GremlinSolutions for the excellent buttons) so it's time to get down to building the control panel. I chose this panel first, as I think this is one of the most complex parts of the beast.
See my earlier postings on design (under the Early Thoughts tag) for my sizing and reasons for sizing, etc.
The process:
- cut the perspex to size - a table saw helps
- cut the MDF to size - a table saw helps
- clamp them together
- mark out the player 1 control layout
- drill the player 1 control layout - a bench drill helps - my freehand drilling isn't accurate enough
- copy the layout onto the player 2 side
- drill the player 2 control layout
- DO THIS DIFFERENTLY - I'm not 100% happy about my control panel - when you look at the finished article, player 2's controls are far too close to the right hand side of the cabinet for my liking, and player 1's start too far in from the left hand side - I'd have tried to centre them better next time around, inside of striking a line in the middle and copying one side to the other
- prep the MDF for painting - light sanding and a coat of MDF primer/sealer
- paint the MDF - foam roller and matt black for me - spray paint if you prefer, but I think it's too expensive for this job
- paint it again
- remove the perspex protective plastics
- install the joysticks and buttons
- go all funny/nostalgic inside looking at it
I'm trying to put out my own game that I developedin a coin-operated console . How do I go about doing this??
ReplyDeleteVery neat. I'm making a toy helicopter ride for my son and I think I'll use the same methods for the control panel. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWould love to see your work - thought about blogging it? Or share some pictures somewhere?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the contribution.