The CP, or "CONTROL PANEL," to those who just don't get it, is the coolest part of the arcade machine. Obviously. As has been said many times, I quoteth, these controls are the reason we build arcade machines.
It's easy to build the control panel. Most people are impatient and do it first. Start with Hatfield's Plans and cut out the design in some 5/8" partical board. It is important to use 5/8" particle board. If it is too thick (3/4"), your buttons and jotsticks may not fit properly. Then you done messed up.
I saw a web page of a guy who cut his CP out of metal and hired some people to machine the holes. It took him forever to get it back from the shop. That idea sounded really expensive and heavy.
My intent for a CP was as follows:
- Rounded edges (a modification of the Hatfield special)
- A four-way joystick for Pac-Man play
- Two 8-way joy sticks with six buttons, and two start buttons
- A plexi glass top with a freak-out wicked hoohaw design on the backside
- It needed to be deep enough to contain my laptop, a VCR remote, a tiny speaker amp and a keyboard encoder
- Removable with quick release things (like on a tackle box) for switchout with possible future control panels or deli platters.
- --1 58-9100-L red button 6 $1.76 $10.56
- --2 58-9111-L white button 2 $1.76 $3.52
- --3 58-9122-L blue button 6 $1.76 $10.56
- --4 58-9133-L green button 4 $1.76 $7.04
- --5 58-9155-L yellow button 2 $1.76 $3.52
- --6 58-9111-L1PLY 1 player button 1 $1.86 $1.86
- --7 58-9111-L2PLY 2 player button 1 $1.86 $1.86
- --8 50-6084-1125R pac man joystick 1 $17.63 $17.63
- --9 50-6084-00 8-way joystick 2 $13.92 $27.84
- --13 43-0149-00 CARRIAGE BOLT 10-24 x 2" BLACK OXIDE 25 $0.13 $3.25
- --14 90-1204-00 NUT 10-24 HEX W/SEMS BLACK OXIDE FINISH 25 $0.14 $3.50
I was successful in the creation of the CP, and I am happy about it.
To put the thing together, just follow the plans, making sure to use corner things to screw the screws into (DO IT!).
Here is an early picture of my control panel. Back in the days when it was wood colored and had hinges on the back. Note the giant hilarious rubik's cube in the background. Do I like recreating oversized versions of 80's fads or what?*
After it's all screwed together (except the top. don't hinge the top to the box yet, like I did. duh.), the next step is to cut the holes for the buttons. The use of a hole saw is required for this. Hole saw. Hoooole saw. Buy a 1 1/8" HOLE SAW from a hardware store. The holes for all the joysticks (except the ms. pacman joystick) and buttons are 1 1/8" in diameter.
Hatfield is more successful in conveynig an idea in siuations that lack a need for words (he has a poor understanding of pronoun placement. I mean, we all do, but when you're trying to explain how to build an arcade machine in five sentences, detail is key). What I'm trying to say is, he provided a wordless word document which you can print out and use to gauge where you're going to put your holes
INTERFACE!!
Okay, so you need buttons, right? You purchase them here.
I'm going to do some stealing and use a table from Russ Prince's web page that has product numbers for quick reference. Happ's site is hard to navigate, otherwise.
I bought t-molding to go around the CP, too (get the full list of product numbers on the financial page). I purchased 20 feet of both 3/4" and 5/8" because I knew I would want a larger size. When the plexiglass is added to the top of the CP, it no longer measuers 5/8", it measures 3/4".
So by this time you should have a control panel and a control panel lid with holes drilled in it. Alongside a bunch of buttons.
I know it probably looks like I ripped off Russ's CP, and for the most part I did. Except I'm too poor to afford a trackball. I know a guy who has an old machine of some kind in his backyard, and I hope to take the spinner control off it in the near future (I also hope to secure the coindoor, or maybe the whole cab). As for the Ms. Pac-man joystick, I honestly bought that before Russ had updated his site saying he did the EXACT SAME THING, so that one is an Alex original!
Whoa, what's going on here!!??!!1111oneoneoneone. For answers to that question, AND MORE! Go to the Control Panel finishing page.
* for a good laugh, you should see my horrifying failure, the jpg-intensive, "how to solve the rubik's cube" web page