Arcade Stick Finished - Pics as promised - links sorted

[johnkiddier]

Links to pics now sorted (thanks Yashiro)

I've been following the various arcade stick threads for some time now and the suggestion that you could adapt a Dreamcast stick for PS2 or GC use cropped up a few times. A little digging around on the web told me this was actually fairly straightforward.

I was looking for a good quality arcade stick that would work with both my PS2 and Cube and it seemd only a small step from converting an existing stick to building your own from scratch.

So, that's what I've done..........

I sourced genuine arcade parts from a UK arcade distributor and the pictures below show my final result.

Tokuda's review of VF4 Evo persuaded me to hurry the stick along and I've now tested it with VF4 Evo, Capcom Vs SNK2 and Guilty Gear XX.

I'm very happy about the result.

For those interested in the technical specs:

I have used a Lorenzo 'Competition' stick along with 10 Lorenzo horizontal microswitch buttons. The internal workings are simply a PS1 digital controller (without the analog sticks) with wires soldered on to connect with the new buttons.

I've used a 'bat' style stick rather than the japanese ball type as this is my personal preference. Posts on virtuafighter.com seem to prefer either the competition stick I've used or the Sanwa's. I'm going to build another one soon probably using a Sanwa stick (damn expensive though).

What I'd change?

The button layout worls well for most games but a jap style 6 button layout would be more comfortable.

The buttons are spaced a little too far apart perhaps, a couple of millimetres closer together would have been an improvement.

The paint job! I rushed the paint on this so that I could get playing with it. I'd forced myself not to play VF4 Evo until the stick was finished. A custom overlay with a clear polycarbonate top will be included on the next stick I build.

Overall, the stick is similar to the Mas Systems sticks but using a better stick than the Happ Ultimate sticks used as standard.


Constructive critisism is welcome as I want to build the best stick possible.

Please note that the digital camera makes the whole thing look a lot taller than it really is.

[johnkiddier]

Hmmm, the pics don't always seem to come out, here's the links as well:

http://geocities.com/jkiddier/joystick_top.jpg

http://geocities.com/jkiddier/joystick_front.jpg

http://geocities.com/jkiddier/joystick_side.jpg

http://geocities.com/jkiddier/joystick_back.jpg

[quexex]

Those links don't work either dude...shame sound interesting...

Cheers

Quexex

[mid]

The problem is you can't link to images hosted on Geocities. What you need to do is knock together an impromptu web page with the pictures on, and link to that.

On the subject of building a stick, I have to say I'm tempted. Technically, it doesn't look that complicated, and all I'd need to buy on the tools front is a soldering iron (having never bothered getting my own), as drills, jigsaws, workbenches and the like are all at home.

Where did you get the parts from?

[Madbury]

Well, I've got the parts to make 2 6 button sticks, all I need is a box to put them in. OK, so the joystics aren't the best in the world, but they'll do for my supergun.

I'm intending to copy the DC stick layout, so I'll need to drill quite a few holes in a bit of MDF. What is the best way of drilling holes big enough to accept buttons and sticks, should I go in with a pilot hole and then use a jigsaw, or should I get one of those big old wood drilling bits. Might be difficult without the use of a pillar drill?

--edit-- buttons and sticks from evilbay, same company that sells the Xarcade stick, however there are better sticks around. What I really want are a couple of the HAPP rotary sticks.

[mid]

There are very handy wood drill bits that are a sort of flat W shape, more like
[code:1:a0651eeb8e]
/\
|/ \|[/code:1:a0651eeb8e]

if that works, that should do this nicely, I'm thinking.

[g-funk]

If you email me the pics I'll host em for you mate.

[Rabasaurus]

Just copy and paste the links into a new browser window to view them, dont click on them or they wont work!

[yashiro]

Cool. I'm sure version 2 will be better though. 8)

[johnkiddier]

Thanks to Yashiro for sorting out my pics, much appreciated.

I'll get a website sorted in the next few days which explains exactly how I did everything.

Madbury, I used a 28 mm wood spade (one of those odd looking triangular wood drill bits) to do the holes. I should have used a pillar drill but I got impatient and did it with an old 1950's fixed speed drill. Worked OK but a proper hole cutter would be better.

The pics are a little distorted due to the lens on the digital camera. The stick looks a lot lower and wider in the flesh.

The Happ Perfect 360 rotary sticks look nice, just need their own separate 5v power supply. Oh, and a bank loan I think..........

You'll notice the button on the back of the stick......well it was supposed to be wireless. I wired up a cheapo wireless PS2 pad but attached the battery pack the wrong way and fried the encoder

Next time I'll pay a little more attention to polarity

I've got another Competition stick along with 6 buttons that I'm probably going to make into a wavebird stick around Christmas time. What I've learnt on this project should help me achieve a more professional product next time around.

[johnkiddier]

Mid,

I got the stick and buttons from Happ Controls Europe. Very efficient, arrived the next day.

I also ordered a stick and buttons from a guy on Ebay. Dead cheap, didn't expect much. The stick was a Happ / Lorenzo Competition stick but with a slightly different style handle. I used the base from that stick and the handle from my new stick to create the finished product. I used one of my old PSX pads that I had lying around for the encoder.

I should have used crimp connectors everywhere but I got impatient and soldered most of the wires to the buttons. Means they won't come off but also means I';ve got to desolder every button if I want to varnish the top or put an overlay on.

Easier just to build another stick.

I have used hand tools throughout, even most of the holes were done using a hand drill.

[steve_dynamic]

Nice work! Shame its a arcade stick that i wouldn't want to use. I'll stick to my Sanwa-made sticks and buttons...

[mid]

Ta - now its time to go shopping...