29 replies to this topic

[gonzonia]

I've just acquired a Jude Dredd cabinet. I'm going to do my best to document as I convert to a Vpin. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with what I got. There's some chipping but not too bad. 

 

Some background:

I've been wanting to build one/get one for years. I was able to get an AtGames Legends Pinball HD from Sam's Club on sale in Februay 2023. I was hooked. It wasn't long before I stared modding the machine. First was the goldleaf buttons and then I kept going then OTG and PinupPopper on a PC (first windows machine I'd owned in about 15 years). Since then:  BuyStuff Haptics kit now full SSF, KL25Z swapped that for a PinOne, CSD flipper solenoid kit, lighted start/add credit/action buttons, 3D printed a coin door, BuyStuff Backbox 2.0. I was holding off on the final monitor swap and adding stern legs until later this year. I saw the Judge Dredd machine listed on FB marketplace and jumped at it. 

 

Key goals-

• I want everything inside the cabinet. My current machine has the PC outside and the inside wiring is a rats nest since I've avoided removing the monitor.  


• Solenoids. I'm probably going to use the Cleveland Software Design Virtual Pinball Builders Kit for simplicity.


• Access to the inside. I want to make sure I can get to the interior of the machine without too much trouble so the monitor needs to tilt up out of the way to work inside. 


• No LED matrix. I'm not a fan of all the excess lights. 


• Action/fire button on lockdown. I'm looking for a good source of one that will fit. I found one on VirtuaPin.net that's a bit more than I was hoping, so this will probably be a later thing. 


• Hoping to keep the graphics as/is. I don't mind the dings/scrapes for now. I could see myself changing my mind though once I get further along (mainly cause I'm likely to screw it up more)

After getting it home and inspecting it, there were definitely some things that needed to be addressed. First thing was it needs to be cleaned. It's filthy. 

I've wiped most of the outside with some basic glass cleaner to get a lot of grim off. I need to get a scrub brush and some rags to get at the grooves and the interior. 

 

I've already ordered new legs. While these are probably functional, there's more rust on them than I want to deal with. My time to clean them up is worth more than the cost of new legs from Pinball Life. 

 

Also ordered - 

Leg Bolts

Levelers

Leveler Cups

Rear Glass Channel (it's missing)

Beer Seal

Backbox Hinge

 

This will at least let me set it up once it's cleaned. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by gonzonia, 03 August 2024 - 06:02 PM.

[gonzonia]

Today I got deeper into cleaning. I picked up some Myers All Purpose cleaner and a couple of scrub brushes that felt pretty soft. 

Removed some of the copper grounding strip, pulled off the lockbar receiver (that was gross behind it), pulled out the buttons, and started scrubbing.

I dried and wiped with a paper towel after I did each bit so the water didn't stay on long. 

 

BEFORE- 

 

Cleaning under way- 

Question- When the receiver locks, it has a bit of wiggle. Not enough where you can pull the lockbar off, but it's not tight like I'd expect. Is that adjustable in some way?

Edited by gonzonia, 30 July 2024 - 08:09 PM.

[mjr]

> Question- When the receiver locks, it has a bit of wiggle. Not enough where you can pull the lockbar off,

> but it's not tight like I'd expect. Is that adjustable in some way?

 

That's what the two brass screws on the top of the receiver are for.  Make sure you're testing with the glass in - it's a big factor in the fit.

I think a little bit of play is pretty normal, though.

[gonzonia]

Thanks. I suspected as much but hadnt taken a close look yet. After the cabinet itself is cleaned up Ill tackle the receiver, lockdown, and coin door.

[Jewer76]

Very fun to follow your progress. Please keep them coming

[gonzonia]

More cleaning today. I think the cab is as clean as I can get it. 4 buckets, 5 rolls of paper towels, 2 trash bags, 2 magic erasers. 

 

Edit to ask: Thoughts on painting the inside? If yes, do it now or after I've planned everything and drilled/cut the necessary holes?

 

 

 

Edited by gonzonia, 03 August 2024 - 06:12 PM.

[chonk0master]

I'm guessing you got this without the playfield? What's it run if you don't mind? Overall it looks really clean to me, no major scratches or knicks, good score.

 

Painting is an ocd option, the reality is no one is really going to see the inside once its done. 

 

I'm finishing my build up and I can say that the amount of time I have spent on wiring is 10x what i thought it would be. I do have about every toy CSD offers, SSF, LED and five screens stuffed in mine, but damn I've already gone through multiple spools of wire I picked up off amazon.

 

My point I guess is if you want to spend ocd time on the entire thing, paint it. If you want to budget your time and plan to install a lot of toys, allocate it to wire management and wire trays, bus bars, etc. Helps keep the cab from looking like a box of spaghetti.  

[gonzonia]

Yes. No playfield. There's some scratches and chipping in the left corners but that will be hidden by the legs. I was able to get the cabinet and backbox for $220. The guy I bought it from charged another 50 for the glass, legs (which I ended up not using), coin door, lockdown bar & receiver. I thought about going he flat pack route, but I think this will be more fun. 

[gonzonia]

Today I got the legs on and put the cabinet where it will live for now. There's a light directly above so I may have to move it due to glare. 

 

Along with the new legs, I ordered a rear glass channel and I was hoping to install that. I noticed though that the wood was splitting at the screw holes so I got some wood glue in there and clamped it together. I'll revisit that tomorrow after it's dried completely. 

 

Instead I focused on cleaning up the lockdown bar, receiver, and coin door. 

Lockdown Before:

 

Removed the old beer seal and started cleaning: 

 

Cleaned up and new beer seal installed: 

 

I forgot to take pictures of the receiver, but I was able to scrape a lot of the rust (seen in a previous update) off. 

 

Coin Door Before: 

 

Coin Mech removed:

 

German Coin Returns:

 

Cleaning in progress: 

 

Next stop: Scuff and paint

[MKEBri]

Really appreciate this thread. Will be following. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[gonzonia]

Having trouble with the image host, so moving updates to VPUniverse.

https://vpuniverse.c...-dredd-cabinet/ 

 

 

Looks like the Image Host is working again - 

Posted on 8/10/24- 

I got the rear glass channel installed. The wood didn't hold as well as I'd hoped and I think that's causing some slight separation between the glass and the plastic on the right. Not something I'm going to fret over for now, I'll probably come back to it later. 

 

I ordered some parts from Action Pinball and while I waited for them I decided to focus on something else. 

 

I've spent much of the last week working on a way to use the coin return buttons as "Add Credit" buttons. I started looking into how a lot of other people have done it, and most people keep the mech controls in some way. I started looking at what I'd removed, but it wasn't going to work the way I'd like. Ideally, I wanted to use these buttons (swapped bulbs with 6v LEDs) which I'd bought on Amazon a while back. The challenge is that they don't fit with the lens on, and while there are some ways to 3D print a new bracket so they'll fit, it's not the look I want. I wanted it to still look the same on the outside. That meant re-using the coin reject button cover if I could. 

 

The answer (so far, still working some parts out) is to model and 3D print a new piece for inside the button. The button is made up of a colored lens/cover, white plastic "plunger", spring, shell and shaft, locking ring, light, and switch. 

 

Originally I was thinking I’d print a new shell and shaft because the one the button came with wouldn’t fit inside the space for the coin return button. After a few iterations of that idea I realized that the resizing done to make it fit resulted in the plunger and spring no longer fitting.  Instead, I turned my focus to the plunger. The trick was to make it longer but keep the arms that clip into the shaft the same size. After about 3 or 4 failures I got a good fit that will click the switch, and fit so that the shell is up against the coin door slot hardware. 

 

Now I needed to get it to lock in place, otherwise it just fell out when pressed. To do that I needed to print a bracket that would go around the shaft and attach using the same screws attaching the coin door slot. This would allow me to use the locking ring to hold it all in place. 

 

This proved challenging because of the angles of everything. After about 11 iterations, I got it “close enough” but couldn’t leave it alone and kept fiddling. It took another 5 iterations, but the result is pretty good and I’m happy with it. The STL is available. 

 

I forgot to take pics, but I've scuffed the metal parts and got a flat black coat on the back of everything. I'm going to try the hammered paint followed by a satin coat. If I don't like the look I'll scuff it all up again and try the flat followed by a gloss splatter.

 

Rear Glass Channel Installed:

 

Coin Door with Buttons Installed: 

 

The pieces: (the two white pieces are 3D printed)

 

 

Edited by gonzonia, 14 August 2024 - 03:03 AM.

[gonzonia]

Posted on 8/12/24 on VPU (with some minor edits here)-

I got a lot done over the last couple of days. The first thing I got done was painting all the coin door parts. 

 

I painted the back in Flat Black.

 

This is before the front is painted. I painted using rust-oleum hammered black followed by satin black. 

 

Coin Return after painting. 

 

After I got it installed, I noticed a problem with the thumb lock I got. It's the wrong length. 

 

Also missing a coin flap. 

 

I quickly modeled up an adapter for the lock and printed a coin return flap . Worked great! 

 

With that installed, I went to work on the backbox. First step was to remove all these lamp sockets. 

 

With those removed, I gave it all a good scrubbing like I did to the cab. The back of the light panel didn't handle the water as well as everything else, so I'm not sure I'll be able to re-use it. I'm not sure I can regardless, but I may start thinking about a plywood replacement that will mount the backbox TV. (I noticed today 8/13/24 that this is addressed in the Pinscape Build Guide. I'm not convinced it isn't possible. I've found a 1080p monitor that might fit  but it'll be close and I need to do some mockups to check) 

 

Once clean I put it on the cab with new hinges,  a new latch, and wing bolts. 

[gonzonia]

Lot's of planning....

I spent much of my planning time yesterday re-watching some Way of the Wrench videos and mapping out the electrical.

 

I think I'm going with this. Once I lay it all out I may add some terminal blocks for the amps, just so I have less cables running to the power supplies.

 

I also ordered some pieces for the backbox.  I've decided to go with a Virtuapin pre made speaker panel because the woodworking portion of this project scares me the most, so anything I can do to minimize that (especially with something that is user facing), the better. 

 

Once that arrives I'll work on mounting the backglass screens. I've given up on using the hinge. Instead, I'm going to go with a simple vesa mount on wood. Since the largest monitor size I can find that will fit is 27" (32" is too big, and I can't find a 1080p 30", if you've got a model number that will work, let me know)

 

I'm focusing on the backbox because I find it more manageable as the first steps or me.  I can picture what I need to do and map it out easier without being overwhelmed with everything else that's going to go in there. 

 

 

 

 

 

[gonzonia]

Just discovered the Dell U3023E which would be a perfect backglass screen if I can find one used. The slightly larger screen doesn't justify the $500 price tag for my purposes. s

[gonzonia]

Sorry for the quiet. I'm waiting on parts. 

 

I've done some minor things while I wait. I drilled out the flipper and magnasave button holes. I've also spent way too much time trying to find the "perfect" backglass monitor. 

[gonzonia]

Things I've done since the last major update.

1. Created some adapters to attach 120mm fans to the ventilation holes in the cabinet as well as grills for the back.
   
2. Created an adapter for the AC port to install an IEC320 plug and rocker switch 
   
3. Drilled out flipper and magnasave holes to be able to install butons I plan on using. (RGB buttons are correct, black are placeholders)
   
4. Created speaker grills that friction fit into Virtuapin speaker panel.
    
5. Painted, sanded, filled, painted, sanded, filled, sanded, painted Virtuapin Speaker panel (still in progress)
   
6. Created spacers to raise speakers a small amount so they are not sticking out from speaker panel
   
7. Removed and reinstalled subwoofer mount only to find out it won’t work. Ordered piece to adapt from Flipper Fidelity directly. Should have done more research on that.
8. Painted and re-installed U-Channel
   
9. Planned out electrics.
   <See previous post>
10. Planned out buttons (this resulted in swapping one of the coin buttons to an “Extra Ball” button
    
11. Installed backglass lock
    

Just to be clear, when I say created, sometimes I mean that I modified someone else's design. I haven't uploaded those models anywhere yet since I haven't fully installed so I'm not sure they are ready.  I have a few things ready to install once I'm ready. 

 

1. Launch Button. 

2. Brackets for speaker panel

3. Speakers (obviousy)

4. Trim for backglass glass

5. H Channel for speaker panel

6. LCD screen for DMD (original backglass screen from my AtGames Legends HD). I was thinking I'd attach with mirror clips but I don't think it'll fit in the U Channel. I might try custom printing something again that will still fit and hold it in place at the corners. 

 

I"m still trying to figure out the backglass monitor. I've spent way too much time agonizing over this. I can go cheap and light with the 27" Viewsonic VX2776-SMHD, a little larger for a 28" 4K Asus VG289Q1A, or a litle pricier but one that practically fills the space with a 30" Dell UP3017.

 

https://www.displays...ison/e2982ca891

Edited by gonzonia, 11 September 2024 - 05:30 PM.

[gonzonia]

If anyone doubts how much of an idiot I am when it comes to physically building things. 

 

1) I spent a weekend sanding, filling, and painting the speaker panel only to realize I was not looking at it correctly and that was the back  :facepalm:a

I've ordered an acrylic panel for the front, Here's what it looks like installed with no acrylic. 

 

2) I ended up ordering the Dell UP3017 and again confirming just how horrible I am at physically building things. The monitor fits the width of the back box like a glove. Unfortunately, that means it will not get past the translite supports. That got sent back today and I ordered a 27" monitor instead. 

 

I did get the subwoofer adapter though, and once I get some 1" screws, that'll be installed. I also put in a big order for small parts and I'm hoping to get a lot more installed over the next week. 

[gonzonia]

Things are looking up! After some extremely frustrating mis-steps, I have the 27" monitor installed in the backbox! 

 

Here's what I ended up doing- 

 

I initially tried cutting a .75"x 6" board that I happened to have to the correct length. That didn't work. I tried twice and my cuts were off both times. Frustrating, but not insurmountable. I decided to just put in some 1.5" blocks and I'd screw the board into that. All good. I marked the center lines and installed the Vesa mount. Everything was going great. Until I tried to hang the monitor. There wasn't enough clearance above the mount to get the monitor high enough and slide it into place. I had to rethink it all again. 

 

The solution I ended up with was a pre-made French cleat. After my initial failure with cutting, I practiced a cut with a 1.5"x 5.5" board I already had. It came out great. I went to work figuring out my plan. One thing I learned while doing this- A 2x4 is 1.5 x 3.5. Good to know. 

 

Here's what I ended up with. 

 

Monitor attached to precut 12x12 piece of .25" plywood using Vesa mounts. That has a pre-made French cleat mounted to it. I may need to trim this down to get better access to the HDMI port. 

 

Attached to the backbox is the board I cut as practice. I used a Kreg pocket-hole jig to do that.

 

Attached to the board is a precut 12x24 piece of .5" plywood with the French cleat. 

 

This ends up with a depth of 2.25" + the monitor which is 2.1811". The total depth is just inside the 4.75" I have available. 

 

It tilts down slightly so I need to add a spacer below the French cleat. I also may need to raise it slightly. That will be easy though since it just means raising the French cleat attached to the backbox. 

Edited by gonzonia, 15 September 2024 - 02:49 PM.

[gonzonia]

Not much progress recently as I haven’t had a lot of time to work on it. I’ve got just about all the parts I need though to finish this up.

The backbox is almost done. I got the acrylic installed. I ended up ordering the piece from Virtuapin.net. I don’t particularly like the art on it and wish it was just solid black, but it’s a compromise I’ll accept rather than trying to get a piece cut on my own and risking it’s not correct.

 

When that arrived I had to glue it in place. Virtuapin recommended Tacky Glue which worked. It took a couple of tries before I realized I needed to scuff up the acrylic to get a good hold. They were also able to tell me the backglass size I needed to order and that should be here soon.

The speaker grills I 3D printed are held in place with a touch of hot glue.

 

With some more parts in hand, I was able to test out the fit of the pieces I 3D printed to direct the rear fan ventilation. They fit well, but I still have to test the airflow. I also drilled the hole for the front intake fan. I probably need to put a grill over that on the bottom. I may be able to reuse a piece from the original table that was for something else.

 

 

The plunger and the launch button are now installed. I had 3D printed a template for the plunger opening but I found it wasn’t quite right. I was able to use a drill bit to enlarge the opening to the plunger fit correctly. You can also see where I tried to drill a hole for the launch button but ended up hitting the metal brace for the leg so had to move it over.

 

 

My next goal is to get the playfield monitor installed. There was a sale on the LG C4 monitor so I now have that waiting for installation. I bought a 2 ft. x 4ft. piece of 3/4 inch plywood that I’ve trimmed down. The trim isn’t particularly straight but it’s close enough. I’ve measured out where it should sit in the cabinet and marked it with tape. You can see it in one of the backbox images above.

Edited by gonzonia, 04 October 2024 - 03:19 PM.

[gonzonia]

I’m very grateful to have made it through Helene and Milton with no real damage. So many of my friends and neighbors were not as fortunate. While I’ve been dealing with everything that came with the storms, I didn’t get quite as far as I would have liked.

I had started writing this thinking I hadn’t gotten to a milestone. Then I went and worked on the machine and reached the milestone I wanted to get to. I’m eager to get the playfield monitor mounted. I think I’m close, but let’s talk about what I have done.

 

I had to go back and look at my last post to see where I left off. These items are mostly complete but weren’t necessarily done in this order.

 

Glass for the backglass arrived and was installed. (Shirt says, “I Would Prefer Not To”, from Always Antisocial)

No one needs to see my ugly mug…and my son said my expression did not match my enthusiasm.

 

 

Fans installed

 

The hole with the grill is at the front left bottom of the cabinet.

 

 

Computer Assembled and placement tested (still haven’t turned it on).

I ended up buying a second case for it since I wasn’t happy with how the first one fit inside the cabinet. I’ve ordered some foam to sit underneath and minimize vibrations.

 

The third picture is closer to where it'll end up.

 

Added a couple of buttons. Need to label them still.

 

 

 

The big milestone thought is that I got the mount for the playfield in place. I thought this would be an easier step than it is. My initial measurement was off and I had to re-do the front blocks. There’s a lot to think through with this. Luckily there are Emil Jurica’s Way of the Wrench videos. In this case, I’m working through the playfield mounting video. I’m making my screen parallel to the glass though so some of it is a little different. One step at a time. It rubs a little and I need to figure out if something is at an angle, or if it’s just my bad cuts.

 

 

 

Next step is to get the screen in place and at least the backglass amp mounted so I can have some sound while I install windows on the computer.

Thanks for reading My Virtual Pinball Journey! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Edited by gonzonia, 22 October 2024 - 01:44 AM.