54 replies to this topic

[robertms]

Great stuff Mike, following your build with interest. Thanks for providing detailed pictures and links!

[MikePinball]

The custom glass for my backbox arrived today courtesy of Fedex delivering on a Sunday.

 

I ordered the 3/16" tempered glass from OneDayGlass, which is a division of PeninsulaGlass. I submitted my order on 2/18 and I received it today (2/23) which is a fast turnaround. Their prices are good (I paid $46 including free Fedex ground) and unlike some of their competitors, they can cut to 1/16" accuracy (rather than 1/8"). The exact size of glass I ordered was 27" x 15 13/16".

 

I put the standard plastic trim and a lift handle around the four sides of the glass. I have 1/16" gap on each side of the glass and it overlaps the 3/4" wood guide at the top of the backbox by 1/8". When I lift the glass out of the "H" channel, there is approximately 1/8" clearance between the bottom of the lift channel and the "H" channel so that the glass can be rotated out and down. I would say that this is a perfect fit. It definitely pays to triple check the measurements and make a plywood template.

 

I originally was going to go with a height of 15 7/8" but decided I needed to reduce the height by 1/16 just in case they came in too tall - it is easier to be too small than too big. Other glass manufacturers who can only cut to the nearest 1/8" and only guarantee ± 1/8" weren't accurate enough.

 

Here is a picture of my backbox with the monitor, speaker panel, "H" channel, and glass. If you look closely you can just about see the BenQ and HDMI logos on the front of the monitor.

 

 

A couple of notes on my build. I decided to eliminate the backbox locking clamp because there really is no need. This means that I didn't put a groove in the top of my backbox to take the glass as it lifted out of the "H" channel. The wood guide for the top of the glass is tidied up using a 3/4" quarter-round molding hand nailed and punched into the 3/4" square wood guide. I will use some wood filler to smooth everything out.

[GCS2000]

Love the PF screen mount/rotation.  Really, Really need to come up with something for widebody cab too.  I am under the hood far too much to have to keep lifting the PF screen in and out of the cab every time I need to do something.  Well done.

[dondi]

Way to go Mike. Love seeing the progress. 
Just received my flat pack and started roughing-it-out as I await for a few of the remaining vital hardware bits to arrive.

Going to start my build log.

[MikePinball]

I have been working on a custom speaker grill for my cabinet. Here is the result in CAD in both single color and two color. I would get these 3D printed and can obviously choose the final colors. I think the two color gives some contrast between the grill and the logo but is harder to print and put together.

 

 

Some of you may wonder why I choose this UFO theme instead of something more like "Attack from Mars". UFO is actually the name of an under-rated and not well-known UK rock band that started in 1968 and is still playing live gigs in the USA in February 2020. The name of my cabinet is "UFO Pinball Obsession" which is a play on an album of theirs from 1978 called "Obsession".

 

Edit: Corrected typo.

Edited by MikePinball, 26 February 2020 - 05:30 AM.

[rob3d]

I have been working on a custom speaker grill for my cabinet. Here is the result in CAD in both single color and two color. I would get these 3D printed and can obviously choose the final colors. I think the two color gives some contrast between the grill and the logo but is harder to print and put together.

 

 

Some of you may wonder why I choose this UFO theme instead of something more like "Attack from Mars". UFO is actually the name of an under-rated and not well-known UK rock band that started in 1968 and is still playing live gigs in the USA in February 2020. The name of my cabinet is "UFO Pinball Obsession" which is a play on an album of theirs from 1978 called "Obsession".

 

Edit: Corrected typo.

 

this didn't even occur to me, definitely gonna try and design a set for my setup

[KrakenByte]

Very impressive good work here!!!

 

Congrats!!!

[fireslayer26]

Would you be willing to share the CNC files? Thanks

[MikePinball]

What do you mean by the CNC files? The gerbers? I had the wood professionally CNCed by a local wood shop so I don't have those files.

 

I have a list of 17 (yes 17!) improvements to the original CNC design that need to be implemented before I would ever contemplate cutting more wood. Most are minor things that I was able to workaround. The CNC design was geared to the monitors I ordered and custom speaker panel for the DMD.

[dondi]

How's the build going @MikePinball?

[MikePinball]

Thanks for asking. Paint is essentially done. I have to put the cab together to show what it looks like. I am working on a design for the cabinet.

 

I spent the last 4 days driving to "retrieve" a family member and bring them into the family "isolation unit".

 

My Pinscape AIO board order is about to arrive so I will hard at work fulfilling back-orders as well.

[MikePinball]

Here is a picture of the assembly after paint. Nothing is wired and things like the LEDs and DMD is not included. I don't want to do too much assembly until I have the vinyl wrap designed and installed. You can see the 4 monitors including the two 7" ones in the apron. All of the glass is in and done.

 

[dondi]

Nice progress Mike. Hope all is well with you and your family.

Are those clear coin reject buttons (I've been looking for clear buttons for my Happs Universal coin door -- can't find any)?

Are you going to wrap the cab with it assembled or taken apart? I've been contemplating this while in the "dry-fitting" stage of my build. I know you used EZ-Lok nuts for easy disassembly... Seems there are certain sections of the cab where doing the wrap while disassembled would be more difficult (front face and the corner seams). I was figuring on painting, sanding & wrapping while disassembled. 

[MikePinball]

The photograph doesn't quite do it justice. The coin slots are the standard SuzoHapp yellow.

 

I used EzLok for all of the removable stuff. The cabinet (front, sides, back, plinth, bottom) were glued and screwed together with #6 screws. It isn't coming apart. Same for the 4 parts of the backbox. The Habor Freight straps I got were very helpful for this construction and think a better investment than 6' clamps. Construction note: make sure you countersink and pre-drill the holes for the 1 1/2" #6 screws.

 

See this append for a picture of the constructed cabinet with visible screws. You can see 6 screws to hold the front to the sides and 3 more to hold the front to the bottom. Pilot holes were CNC routed beforehand which made it easy to position and drill the holes for the screws. Sanding and bondo took care of the holes before paint.

[apophis]

Looks great!

[dondi]

@MikePinball can you suggest a paint? I will be doing a lot of vinyl, but I like the way your black came out. I'm hoping for minimal coats to serve as a base for the vinyl to adhere nicely as well as looking nice in the exposed parts of the cab (i.e., the rear of the backbox). Would like to avoid a primer layer, if possible.

[LynnInDenver]

The photograph doesn't quite do it justice. The coin slots are the standard SuzoHapp yellow.

Those work great, believe it or not, with colored LEDs. Doesn't matter the color. Radiant Silverball has Red, Green, Blue LEDs in the three coin slots on the Suzo-Happ door we got. If we tire of it, I have a complete set of LEDs so we can make them all one solid color, or even color fade LEDs.

[MikePinball]

I used the standard Krylon satin black - I used slightly more than one can.

[MikePinball]

 

Those work great, believe it or not, with colored LEDs. Doesn't matter the color. Radiant Silverball has Red, Green, Blue LEDs in the three coin slots on the Suzo-Happ door we got. If we tire of it, I have a complete set of LEDs so we can make them all one solid color, or even color fade LEDs.

 

I plan to replace all of my 6.3V light bulbs with LEDs. I have decided on all of the colors. People should be aware that they need to buy LEDs with a "wedge" base. These LEDs are meant to replace bulbs and have forward voltages of 6V, 12V, 14V, 24V, and 28V. No need for a current limiting resistor. You to make sure you get the right width - look for T10.

 

Here is a Mouser search list that should narrow down what you need.

[coreduo0099]

Looking good.  I used some automotive LEDs and they don't fit right.  had to trim them and they still are not ideal.  Would love to find some replacements that the buttons don't occasionally drag on when pressing.