37 replies to this topic

[DDH69]

Well I liked the first one so much I decided to make a second.  The idea got into my head when a mate saw my build and said “I want one”.  I thought it over and decided I’d build another.  It will be better than the first, then I will sell #1.  My mate may want it, he may not, either way #2 is getting built.

 

Here’s a link to my first build thread that resulted in what you see below.

 

 

This is actually a restart of a thread from about 2 weeks ago lost in the great site restore of 2015.  All thanks go to the backups and those who gallantly restored them despite the original start of this thread falling victim.  I include this comment to explain why this post covers a few things people may have read before.

 

So the new build will be;

• 46” Samsung Series 7 TV


• 32” backglass


• 15.6” wide screen LCD screen for DMD


• 10 solenoids


• Knocker


• Shaker


• Gear motor


• Big power supply – custom built again


• LEDWiz with MOSFET boosters


• IPac 2

 

So far I’ve built the flipper solenoid setup because I got asked in the first incarnation of this build thread about solenoids and the sound I got.  So below are a few pictures of the knocker, one (bad) of the flippers, and a video I created when asked about the sound a week ago.  The video is here.

 

 

I’ve picked up a second hand coin door from the same fellow pinball lover I found for the coin door about 9 months ago.  It will need some restoration, mainly painting, all-in-all its in good shape.  A few pictures below.

 

 

 

I will keep updating as the build progresses.

[kruuth]

What model of Samsung is that?

[DDH69]

What model of Samsung is that?

 

It's a Samsung 46" Series 7 - UA46F7100AM

 

I'll post some more details a bit later from my work on the TV from last weekend.

 

..... busy ordering new pinball parts at present, multiple screens, careful lists, etc .......

Edited by DDH69, 23 September 2015 - 10:03 AM.

[DDH69]

So a bit of work last weekend.  I decided to work mainly on the playfield TV and frame.

 

I wanted a 46” TV but found that they just aren’t made anymore.  I managed to find a Samsung 46” Series 7 that was still sitting in a warehouse in Sydney.  I got it for about half price given that the model is about 18 months old.

 

I’ve decided to again go with the flip up playfield TV as I did in my first build.  It mimics a real machine and gives great access.

 

To make this all happen the TV needs a frame and a small modification.  The TV is 601.6mm high without the stand, this is just a little too big.  The TV has a logo built into the frame, this gives it that height.  Either side of this its 592mm.  The solution is simple, cut off the logo and the hanging down part of the frame.  A few pictures below show what a hacksaw and a file can do to a brand new TV.

 

 

The frame will then be 594mm with a 592mm TV giving 1mm frame overhang on each side.  This will then fit in the 596mm inside dimension of the cabinet. The inside dimension is achieved by using slightly thinner than normal plywood at 17mm.  With a wide body outside size of 630mm less 2 x 17m for the sides I get 596mm – perfect!

 

I then made the frame.  This started with some pine 70 x 30mm for the main cross bars holding the TV by the VESA mountings.  Next the outer frame of 19 x 42mm pine was shaped for the slope of the TV case on 3 sides and routed for the bottom edge of the TV.  Finally add 19 x 140mm timber on the right hand side (in normal orientation), now the bottom when used as a playfield.  This piece will allow for cut outs on either side later so that this will all fit over the flipper buttons while holding the frame together.  Photos of the frame are below.

 

[DDH69]

Well I’ve got a few days off and clearly there is stuff to build!

 

Last night I grabbed my TV for the backglass.  I got a full HD Samsung Series 5 32”.  This will require me to make the backbox about 30mm wider.  After building to exact dimensions last time, I know that being 30mm wider to get an edge to edge backglass is easily done.

 

Today I put together my new power supply.  Its another home designed and built unit.  I decided to make it a lot more powerful since I plan to run more powerful solenoids plus shaker and gear motors.

 

This power supply is built in two parts, the transformer, regulator and smoothing capacitor on one board (ply), then all of the regulators and terminal strips on another board (clear acrylic).  The transformer is a toroidal design (like a doughnut).  This type of transformer gives off a lot less magnetic “noise” resulting in interference.  I didn’t go after a toroidal specifically, the local electronics store was quitting them off at half price, so I got a 300VA toroidal transformer cheaper than a traditional “E” core – nice. A few pictures below.

 

 

The power supply parameters are:

• 300VA transformer, 18VAC 16A secondary


• Power LED


• 4 adjustable 1.5A rails for fan control (front base, PC, back cabinet, backbox)


• 2 x 3A 12V rails


• 1 x 10A 12V rail


• 1 x 10A 15A rail

 

Clearly not all rails can be fully loaded at the same time, but then they don’t need to be, its really more about coping with the surges.

[DDH69]

With a few days off from work I've started getting into my new build.

 

Over the last couple of days I've built some of my custom electronics.  First of all I've put together my new design for the power on delay so that my DMD screen powers up.  This circuit provides a small delay after power is applied then a short pulse to a reed relay that effectively "pushes" the power button.

 

 

Today I started cutting out the various bits and pieces for the cabinet.  I hope to get the cabinet itself built over the next day or so then move onto the backbox.  A couple of pictures of today's efforts.

 

[DDH69]

The cabinet and backbox are now essentially together.  A few more smaller pieces of timber to be setup plus the DMD panel.  After about a week of cabinet building I finally cut the DMD panel to the wrong size and decided it was time to stop until next weekend.

 

Here are a few pictures of the build.

 

 

I also mounted the iPac and my circuit for "pressing" the [end] key on coin door open and again on coin door close on a piece of 6mm acrylic.  I do like the 6mm acrylic as its easy to work, clear doesn't intrude, and makes for an easy way to mount a "unit" with two screws inside the cabinet.  All of the fiddly circuit board mounting and unit wiring is done while comfortably at the work bench.

 

 

My legs, lock bar lever assembly and glass mounts turned up today.  Now all I need is another week's holiday!

[blashyrk]

Nice build I like the plexi mounting brackets

[court461]

Looking good, do you have a CNC machine?  Cuts look awesome.  Much better than my hand tools so just curious.

[Sneetch]

Yeah. What blashyrk said.

[DDH69]

CNC, I wish.

 

I am pretty happy with the result myself so far, thanks for the compliments.

 

The tools used for the acrylic cuts and shaping are a hand held circular saw for the longer ones, a hand saw for the short stuff, belt sander and hand file.

 

For the plywood its been a hand held circular saw with a an old piece of timer (checked for straightness) that I run the saw along clamped down on two stand alone saw horses in my driveway.  I have a circular drop saw that I use for timber up to 75mm wide, so the 12x12mm rails, etc.  These could easily be cut by hand, but I've got the saw.  The fan holes are via hole saw in a drill press.  So nothing too special at all.

 

The key is really a sharp pencil, measuring really carefully, test cutting small pieces of timber and planning.  The cabinet and backbox build to 90% as you see it is about 6 hours per day over a full week.

Edited by DDH69, 08 October 2015 - 04:06 AM.

[Sneetch]

I would need a pencil box with a thousand pencils in it and a electric sharpener. Nicely done sir! And thanks for the tools you use for the acrylic, I May give that a try for my boards as it just looks cool.

[DDH69]

Its the weekend again, so more building.  I'm at the stage of building frames inside the cabinet and backbox, plus a panel for behind the playfield TV.  Since it caused me to bring out the cutting tools I thought for laughs I'd show the high tech method 

 

 

Hopefully tomorrow I'll post some more pictures of the cabinet and backbox complete.  Having said that, it is the biggest V8 motor race of the year (Bathurst) tomorrow, so not sure how much I'll get done.

 

During the week I finished off a couple of electronic parts finally mounting them onto the 6mm acrylic I've been using.  The fist is my LEDWiz and booster circuit.  I've built 24 booster circuits, this way I can run one bank of 8 at 12v not boosted (LED buttons), another at 12v boosted (motors), and two banks of 8 boosted at 15v (solenoids and knocker).  A few images of the build process.

 

 

I also finished off and mounted my dual pulse width modulated motor controllers.

 

[DDH69]

Not a lot of building today.  I spend about 8 hours watching the Bathurst 100km V8 motor race.  I did manage to do some of the fiddly bits on the cabinet and backbox while watching the race (backbox hinge holes, remaining mounts for lockbar lever guide,DMD 15.6" screen mounting, access hole between cabinet and backbox).  It is nice to have a TV in a room where I can build.

 

Here are a few images of where things ended up for the weekend,

 

 

I'm going to get my artwork organised soon (another email coming from me soon Stuzza   ).  This project will slow down a lot now.  My mate and I now have all we need to build our Raspberry Pi MAME coffee tables, so focus will switch to that for a while.  I'm sure I'll squeeze in some progress though 

[Nemo]

Well this is the ideal mix then ! Electronics AND woodworking skills   GREAT job on both ! 

Ohhhh no need to wind down for now, we sure would like to see those coffee tables also ! 

[DDH69]

A couple of quiet weeks on this project, however, wait until I post the progress on the MAME coffee table x 2.

 

There has been progress, a lot of the fiddly wood work bits, ie the piece behind the playfield, adjustments to get the TV frame just right, holes for the side rails.  Really all the things required ready to paint.  So I've done lots of sanding and hope to prime / undercoat all parts tomorrow.

[DDH69]

Now the (not) so fun part of painting begins.  Some undercoat this weekend.  Just got to try and get those sides super smooth ready for the stick on art work (thanks again Stuzza)

 

Here's what 4 hours of (not) fun undercoating looks like.

 

 

and if you can't tell - I don't really like painting and sanding 

[Nemo]

Hahaha don't i know it, yeah painting can be a drag ! 

[DDH69]

Picked up my stickers today (artwork by Stuzza), now I'm excited.

 

Hopefully will get the cabinet into such a condition that I can put these on over the next couple of weeks.

[tthurman]

Nice work, looking forward to your continued progress.