Forgot to post links last time to resources we used... there are many great tutorials out there. As usual, we're not responsible for the crap other people post on their website or on messageboards, so don't start complaining to us if you don't like what you see.
http://slagcoin.com/
http://forums.shoryuken.com/
The tech subforum of the SRK forums is a very good place for getting info, pics of professionally done joysticks and tutorials, but the following threads will be of special interest to you should you decide to build a stick:
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=143234
(noob thread supplying basics)
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=113675
(deals with padhacking)
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=191692
(great tutorial on how to do a mirror finish)
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=191692
(600 pages counting of pics of gorgeous home-made sticks)
http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=132452
(with links to all threads on the SRK forum relevant to joystick building)
http://case-mods.linear1.org/case-mod-101-how-to-paint-your-computer-case-part-1/
(another good tutorial on how to get a nice mirror finish)
We got our sticks and buttons at
http://www.arcadeshop.de
Cheers.
Donnerstag, 16. Juli 2009
Montag, 1. Juni 2009
And the first entry in this blog is about....
... arcade sticks! In painted wooden boxes! Plug zem in into your PS3/ X360/ Okama Gamesphere and beat the crap out of your buddy/ vanquish the evil invaders from space/ set a new record in Rape Games (mine is around 14 seconds for all three stages - stick that in your pipe and smoke it)!
We figured it wouldn't hurt to test out most techniques we will need to have mastered when we start working on our arcade machine and we quite liked the idea of getting custom joysticks for ourselves (after all, you can't carry your arcade machine with you if you go hang out at your buddy's place), so why not do both and build ourselves some nice sticks in the first place?
First thing we did was build the cases for our sticks (truth be told, the very first thing we did was read up on woodworking, soldering, and wiring for months - there aren't that many techniques involved in building an arcade stick, but if you've never built anything yourself or worked with wood before, be prepared to do some research before your first trip to the DIY store) - see pics below.
FOr those that want to know, this is roughly what we used:
- MDF (= medium density fibre; it's made from wood that is shredded to a pulp, then mixed with glue. MDF doesn't have most drawbacks of natural wood - among else, knot-holes and a tendency to warp - but basically looks like shit, so you almost have to paint it for it to look decent)
- acrylic glass 2mm (for covering the control panel overlay)
- acrylic glass 4mm (for the bottom of the stick's case. If you do the wiring neatly, the fact that you can see the insides of your stick will make the whole thing look extremely swell); note that you can get tinted acrylic glass as well (I got blue glass to fit the theme of my stick - more on this in an adrenaline soaked future post))
- PCB of the video game system of your choice (to get one, I took apart a controller for the Playstation 1 (very cheap and easily moddable by noobs like me), and threw away everything but the green thing that is connected to the cable you use to plug in the controller into your console)
- wire
- quick disconnects (not strictly necessary, but useful for swapping buttons without having to desolder the wires)
- arcade parts: a joystick and buttons. I got a Seimitsu LS-32-01 and a Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT; pretty much standard parts for anyone into shmups and beat'em ups and used in Japanese arcade machines. A bit pricey, but well worth it: they simply play like a dream.
- wood glue
- tools: circular saw or jig saw, router, drill/ drill bits/ hole saw (for buttons), soldering iron/ solder, sanding paper (180, 400, 600, 800, 1200)
We are aware that there are many different ways of building an arcade joystick (different wood/ build/ angles/ edges/ pcbs/ control panel construction etc.), and although we’re pretty sure that our way works ok, feel free to get crazy on your own stick - as long as you make something that looks and works the way you want it to, you've done it the "right" way. Also, as you see, I will not provide you with exact measurements for the wood. First, because I don’t remember them, and second, opinions on what makes a good case size differ greatly. Again, go for whatever you feel will suit you best.
We decided we wanted our cases painted anyway which is why we got ourselves some MDF: it’s cheap, very easy to work with and tough enough to take most abuse involved in playing shooters or beat'em ups.
Note to our German readers: at many DIY stores/ "Bauhäuser" they will cut the wood for you (it’s probably no different in most other countries that boast DIY stores, but I don’t really know what it’s like in the US, for example), which will not only save you a bit of work, but also give you the benefit of not having to pay for a whole square metre if all you need is a couple of lathes. Same for the acrylic glass you'll use for covering the control panel of your joystick. Might be they won’t cut anything smaller than 10cm. A crate of beer should work wonders in this case.
Just cut eight lathes of MDF to size (four for the outer “shell” and another four shorter ones for the inner frame the control panel will rest on), glue them together (my buddy used dowel pins, I only used wood glue on my case. Looks pretty sturdy to me), and use a router to work on the edges. Trust us, get a router for your stick, it will make your case look that much more professional.
So anyway, here are the cases we built; next step will be to paint them, and then we’ll tackle wiring and soldering.
We figured it wouldn't hurt to test out most techniques we will need to have mastered when we start working on our arcade machine and we quite liked the idea of getting custom joysticks for ourselves (after all, you can't carry your arcade machine with you if you go hang out at your buddy's place), so why not do both and build ourselves some nice sticks in the first place?
First thing we did was build the cases for our sticks (truth be told, the very first thing we did was read up on woodworking, soldering, and wiring for months - there aren't that many techniques involved in building an arcade stick, but if you've never built anything yourself or worked with wood before, be prepared to do some research before your first trip to the DIY store) - see pics below.
FOr those that want to know, this is roughly what we used:
- MDF (= medium density fibre; it's made from wood that is shredded to a pulp, then mixed with glue. MDF doesn't have most drawbacks of natural wood - among else, knot-holes and a tendency to warp - but basically looks like shit, so you almost have to paint it for it to look decent)
- acrylic glass 2mm (for covering the control panel overlay)
- acrylic glass 4mm (for the bottom of the stick's case. If you do the wiring neatly, the fact that you can see the insides of your stick will make the whole thing look extremely swell); note that you can get tinted acrylic glass as well (I got blue glass to fit the theme of my stick - more on this in an adrenaline soaked future post))
- PCB of the video game system of your choice (to get one, I took apart a controller for the Playstation 1 (very cheap and easily moddable by noobs like me), and threw away everything but the green thing that is connected to the cable you use to plug in the controller into your console)
- wire
- quick disconnects (not strictly necessary, but useful for swapping buttons without having to desolder the wires)
- arcade parts: a joystick and buttons. I got a Seimitsu LS-32-01 and a Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT; pretty much standard parts for anyone into shmups and beat'em ups and used in Japanese arcade machines. A bit pricey, but well worth it: they simply play like a dream.
- wood glue
- tools: circular saw or jig saw, router, drill/ drill bits/ hole saw (for buttons), soldering iron/ solder, sanding paper (180, 400, 600, 800, 1200)
We are aware that there are many different ways of building an arcade joystick (different wood/ build/ angles/ edges/ pcbs/ control panel construction etc.), and although we’re pretty sure that our way works ok, feel free to get crazy on your own stick - as long as you make something that looks and works the way you want it to, you've done it the "right" way. Also, as you see, I will not provide you with exact measurements for the wood. First, because I don’t remember them, and second, opinions on what makes a good case size differ greatly. Again, go for whatever you feel will suit you best.
We decided we wanted our cases painted anyway which is why we got ourselves some MDF: it’s cheap, very easy to work with and tough enough to take most abuse involved in playing shooters or beat'em ups.
Note to our German readers: at many DIY stores/ "Bauhäuser" they will cut the wood for you (it’s probably no different in most other countries that boast DIY stores, but I don’t really know what it’s like in the US, for example), which will not only save you a bit of work, but also give you the benefit of not having to pay for a whole square metre if all you need is a couple of lathes. Same for the acrylic glass you'll use for covering the control panel of your joystick. Might be they won’t cut anything smaller than 10cm. A crate of beer should work wonders in this case.
Just cut eight lathes of MDF to size (four for the outer “shell” and another four shorter ones for the inner frame the control panel will rest on), glue them together (my buddy used dowel pins, I only used wood glue on my case. Looks pretty sturdy to me), and use a router to work on the edges. Trust us, get a router for your stick, it will make your case look that much more professional.
So anyway, here are the cases we built; next step will be to paint them, and then we’ll tackle wiring and soldering.
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