19 replies to this topic

[HiRez00]

Greetings all,

 

I am getting my cab from Virtua Pin this week and I was hoping some members with widebody or full cabs would have some advice.

 

When I am installing the playfield monitor, I was to put it on some sort of hinge that allows you to be able to lift the monitor up like a car hood to access the components inside.

 

Has anyone done that or has a design or parts list they are willing to share?

 

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

[widget2k13]

Hi, I'm just busy doing this same thing, my idea is to have a coupke of bars sticking out some wood on the frame I have made and have them rest in something on the cabinet u shaped
http://vpforums.org/...0523_143104.jpg

[HiRez00]

I found this pic online ... this is for a mini cab but the idea is the same.

 

Nice thing about using the "U" shape cutouts to hold the bar is you can remove the monitor easily if need be. Also, notice the pipe clamp brackets that hold the pipe / metal post in place, you can loosen them and have the ability to slide your monitor side to side to get it centered as well.

 

Edited by HiRez00, 23 May 2018 - 02:14 PM.

[widget2k13]

That's similar to what I'm doing, wish I had seen that before I scratched my brain to bits haha

[mjr]

I did just what you have in mind, using regular door hinges as the hinges, connecting to a wood support beam across the back.  But I think the bar-and-pivot approach that widget2k13 suggested (and in the photo you found) is better.

 

Be sure to pay attention to the geometry when figuring out where to put the pivot point:

 

1.  Put it far enough forward that you can tilt the TV most of the way up.  The backbox ledge can get in the way if you put the pivot point too far back.

 

2.  Put it far enough back that the back of the TV won't dip too far down into the cabinet when you tilt it up.  It might hit components inside the cab if it dips down too far.

 

If there's any way you can look at how they do it on real pinball machines before committing to a design, that might be helpful.  The old ones have fixed pivot points like in the picture you posted, but the modern ones have a better system where the pivot point is on a track so that you can pull the playfield forward before tilting it up, to pull it clear of the backbox ledge.  I'd like to come up with a way to do that with off-the-shelf parts, as the mechanism they use on the real machines is clever and a bit complex - if you can find an example maybe you can solve that and post a solution.

 

Whatever mechanics you come up with, definitely do this!  It's really useful to be able to get into the cabinet so easily, without having to get out any tools or take anything apart.

[widget2k13]

i made something simple which will allow me to tilt the screen, or if i need it more tilted i can pull it forward and tilt it up and lean it against the back box, or just lift it out all together best of all worlds 

 

http://vpforums.org/...-2419.53.53.jpg

 

http://vpforums.org/...18-05-24190.jpg

[mjr]

i made something simple which will allow me to tilt the screen, or if i need it more tilted i can pull it forward and tilt it up and lean it against the back box, or just lift it out all together best of all worlds 

 

Very nice!  Just the sort of thing I had in mind.  

[HiRez00]

Nice job widget2k13!

 

I like the dual position option on yours.

 

Thanks for the additional info MJR. A friend of mine owns an arcade game restoration shop about 40 minutes away. I was going to go to his place this weekend to take a look inside some real pinball machines to get some additional ideas.

 

Thanks.

[mjr]

A friend of mine owns an arcade game restoration shop about 40 minutes away. I was going to go to his place this weekend to take a look inside some real pinball machines to get some additional ideas.

 

I think that'll be really useful.  Hopefully he'll have a WPC-era Williams/Bally machine (from around 1994 or later) and he'll be able to demonstrate how those open up.  Those have the best mechanism for this.  They use a system of latches and springs that makes the playfield lock into the forward pivot position when you pull it out, then automatically unlocks when you lower it back.  It's really clever mechanical engineering.  I think something like widget2k13's solution is a good substitute for virtual machines - much simpler and cheaper to build and accomplishes roughly the same thing.  You wouldn't want that on a real machine, since the playfields are so heavy, but for a modern lightweight TV it seems like it would be perfectly manageable.

[STV]

While "cool" this seems like an awful lot of unnecessary work.  I just rest the playfield monitor on two metal bars that span the cab.  Strategically placed so it doesn't slide on the Y axis.  I put a couple of blocks of wood on the sides that it settles nicely into which prevent movement on the X axis.  When I need to get in there to work on it I just lift it out. 

[gtxjoe]

Actuallly lift the playfield out of the cabinet? I guess you have to unplug everything also. That sounds like a lot of unnecessary work when you can just rotate the playfield out of way.

Just busting your chops. I do the same. I just have a strip of wood on the cabinet sides that the TV rests on

[imajonzin]

I just used metal 90 degree brackets so it did not go across the entire box and be in the way to work on stuff. I put slotted holes in the brackets so I could adjust the height of the playfield. My cables are long enough and I can lift the monitor out and set it on the side without disconnecting.

 562F1907-F67F-40B0-B66A-39009A005095.jpeg   124.49KB   51 downloads

Edited by imajonzin, 25 May 2018 - 10:48 AM.

[HiRez00]

I took your advice, mjr, and went to an arcade restoration place today to get some ideas on how the hinge mechs work.

 

Took lots of photos: http://www.vpforums....showtopic=40301

[HiRez00]

Greetings all,

 

I got my gorgeous pinball cabinet from virtuapin earlier this week, and all week I was designing (on paper) a hinge mech for the playfield.

 

Yeterday, Friday, I sat down and built it for about $50 in wood and parts from Loews / Home Depot in about 4 hours.

 

Attached are photos of the pf hinge monitor bracket I built and CNCd out a "slider plater" that adjusts the monitor back and forth and side to side. The slider plate can be made out of wood, I just so happened to have access to a CNC so I could make it EXACT to fit the VESA mount and also mill the "troughs" the monitor can shift / slide in to get the positioning perfect. The whole monitor support (with the 1/2" pipe) can be lifted out completely if needed by releasing the 2 clasps and hinges on either side. So not only does the monitor tilt up and down, but also can be lifted out very easy.

 

I took photos of every step of making his rig if a tutorial is requested by enough interested parties, but here are the final highlight photos.

 

I'm using a TLC brand 43" 4k TV for the playfield ($279 at Costco) and a BenQ 28" hi-resolution monitor (Amazon $169 on sale) for the backglass. The BenQ fit exactly between the 2 upright struts on the backbox that support the glass. Perfect fit.

 

Just need a bezel for the backglass and a couple other small items and this cab is DONE!

 

 

 

 

 

[widget2k13]

brilliant idea mate and cracking job on your cab 

[tyronescruz]

So I had the idea of taking what you guys had done with the wood (brown) and the handle and U clamps (red) and the pipe (green) 

But making a slide where a board would fit down a grove (black) so the screen would stay propped up sort of like a real pinball table.

When it comes down it sits on L brackets like you guys have done.

Sorry about the poor paint pic, trying to get the idea across.

[HiRez00]

That should work nicely.

[PinTill]

I've built a playfield hinge for my 32' playfield monitor.

 

Here are some pictures in my project blog "How to build a virtual pinball machine"

www.virtual-pinball-cabinet.com - hope it helps

 

Playfield Hinge:

https://www.virtual-...yfield-monitor/

 

 

[wrd1972]

Hirez.
What is the inside width of your cab? Im betting this is not a standard real pin cabinet since you have a fully cased 43" tv in it.

Edited by wrd1972, 18 March 2019 - 01:40 AM.

[ludovids]

@HiRez00:

 

Nice work!

 

Is that a VirtuaPin Widebody cabinet? That's what I have and would like to use a 43" TV for playfield, but don't think it would clear the flipper and magnasave buttons. My TV is too thick on bottom (left) side of the screen to be able to lay above the buttons.