A Stargate restoration and deconversion

[Phetishboy]

I've seen several cabinets and never a trace of those front stripes. I tend to ignore the flyers, as they're often not the final production details.

Since my game is restored, repainted, and made from 2 or 3 games - not original - I'd put those stripes on mine if I had the exact measurements.

Any chance you'd have time to document this - measuring all the details of the stripes, how far each line is from the inner cabinet edge, how long each piece of the stripe is so we'd get the angles right, measured to the 1/16" accuracy?

Your CPO has the stripes too. It looks like the stripes may have been continued down the front in early production runs, then abandoned later due to the extra work/paint involved. They seem legit to me. I doubt some schmoe saw them on the flyer and decided to just throw them on the his cab for fun.

 

[joeycuda]

Yep I'd be happy to document it! Honestly until reading this thread I haven't realized how rare this seems to be. I can take measurements and pics tonight.

I think we'd need
-distance from edge of hinge to top of art
-distance from inner side of cabinet to edge of red stripe
-width of red stripe
-dist between stripes
-width of yellow
-length of longest (towards outside of cabinet) edge of red stripe
-length of shortest (towards middle of cabinet) edge of yellow stripe

I wonder if yours is an early production or prototype cabinet or some sort? Anything else odd about it?

 

[joeycuda]

Yeah, I love the look. Like I said, I just thought it was a cool 'mod' when I picked up the cab. Only to then discover that it is real.

Any other Stargate owners have the stripes?

I noticed in the pics on your site, it looks like the front is black. Was the front covered in black paint as well?

 

[Auric]

I noticed in the pics on your site, it looks like the front is black. Was the front covered in black paint as well?

Do you mean does it look like the front was painted over? No

 

[IG-88]

I wonder if yours is an early production or prototype cabinet or some sort? Anything else odd about it?

Do these machines have plate on the back with a production # on them? Like a DK or Nintendo cab? Maybe we can figure out something from them....

 

[Auric]

Do these machines have plate on the back with a production # on them? Like a DK or Nintendo cab? Maybe we can figure out something from them....

I looked. Mine does not have any production marks that I can see. Anyone with a Stargate know where such markings would be?

BTW: First Measurements:
Yellow Line: 1 1/8 inches exactly
Red Line: 1/2 inches exactly

I don't have a small tool to measure the distances and gaps with any level of precision, so I'll have to get a better tool tomorow. Here are some more pics of the lines:

Not a great shot, but a close up on the bottom:

 

[joeycuda]

I did a Google Image Search for 'Stargate arcade', and think I might have found a picture of another cabinet with the front panel stripes. Odd thing is, it's a screencap from the NewsRadio episode, where Dave Foley plays it. Since that cabinet was dressed up cosmetically a bit, marquee and sideart, not sure if they did something to the front. Would seem like a coincidence though-

 

[joeycuda]

..and about that episode-

Eugene Jarvis, legendary arcade game designer and creator of arcade classics "Defender" and "Defender II : Stargate" after which games the game "Stargate Defender" in this episode was named, plays the third delivery guy.

Is it possible that since he was in the episode, it was Jarvis' personal game, which could have possibly been an early cabinet, which might explain the possibility of the front stripes on that particular cabinet......?

 

[Auric]

Here is the full episode (including a cameo by Quisp cereal!):
http://www.hulu.com/watch/6841/newsradio-arcade

 

[Auric]

So, I got some insight from the man himself: Eugene Jarvis. Here are a few of his comments:

"No doubt the initial proto run which was used in the photo shoot for the brochure had the lines. Then the guys at the cabinet factory screwed up and built a couple hundred cabinets without the lines and the line bosses said ship it anyway, and guess what - we can save $5 by not screening the front so leave it off for the rest of the production run."

"If I hadn't been so busy on Robotron, I would have noticed and made them put the lines back on. I guess I am 30 years too late! So anyway you have an early cabinet. Probably one out of anywhere from 20 -200 units."

Thanks Eugene!

 

[Phetishboy]

I knew it.

 

[joeycuda]

So, I got some insight from the man himself: Eugene Jarvis. Here are a few of his comments:

"No doubt the initial proto run which was used in the photo shoot for the brochure had the lines. Then the guys at the cabinet factory screwed up and built a couple hundred cabinets without the lines and the line bosses said ship it anyway, and guess what - we can save $5 by not screening the front so leave it off for the rest of the production run."

"If I hadn't been so busy on Robotron, I would have noticed and made them put the lines back on. I guess I am 30 years too late! So anyway you have an early cabinet. Probably one out of anywhere from 20 -200 units."

Thanks Eugene!

Wow.. that's interesting info. I still think more of these would have popped up by now, but I think it might have to do with a LOT of Stargate cabinets were JAMMA-tized and painted black. Surely some of that early run fell victim.

I would like to paint them on mine, if you end up having time to do detailed measurements. Stenciling that would be easy.

 

[Auric]

I'm grabbing a more detailed ruler on the way home. You'll have the measurements tonight.

 

[Auric]

Okay measurements are done. I'm creating a template for both sides.

joeycuda: A .psd file work for you? It will be actual size, so you'll be able to use it as a 1:1 template.

 

[joeycuda]

Okay measurements are done. I'm creating a template for both sides.

joeycuda: A .psd file work for you? It will be actual size, so you'll be able to use it as a 1:1 template.

Sure, a PSD would be fine! Thanks a bunch..

 

[Auric]

Okay, I ended up skipping the .psd and made 3 base files. One for each side as a template, and one with the measurements. The overall design is 14 inches tall and 2 inches wide. The inside is only 12 inches tall, making the angle at the bottom a perfect 45 degrees.

If you print the templates at 100% and cut them out, keeping the black area, it should line up perfectly on the cabinet. The TOP of the template, with the 1 1/4 black margin, should begin *directly* beneath the CP hinge. So basically tuck right up the the hinge and it will be a perfect fit.

Let me know if that all makes sense. I think once you've confirmed this is correct, I'll make a small page about this, so others can attempt this if they want.

Whoops! Forgot KLOV auto thumbnails *sigh*. You can get the full res versions here: http://www.aurcade.com/media/stargate-lines.zip

 

[WhereEaglesDare]

Nice, great job...

 

[StreetzKing]

what did you do with the jamma pcb that came in the cabinet??


Resto looks amazing!! good luck on the stripes, its the little things that always help

 

[joeycuda]

what did you do with the jamma pcb that came in the cabinet??


Resto looks amazing!! good luck on the stripes, its the little things that always help

I sold the JAMMA board to help pay for the project.

 

[Thomas]

Great thread/read and a very well done restore! I also think the lines add a little extra curb appeal to the cab. Thanks for documenting them.