Centipede Cabaret CP with 3” trackball

[fritte_h]

I have the Millipede with Braze kit in my Centipede Cabaret, and I just love the Millipede game! So I really wanted to play Milli with the proper 3" trackball. As soon as Takeman took up orders on the repro CP's, I ordered a blank one. Also bought some 3" trackball units and an Irish Centi CPO.
Wet sanded the CP to prepare for the CPO. Powder coat paints has a low surface energy, so to get a better bond of the adhesive, one must abrade off the top layer.
Then it was time to drill the holes in the CP. Made a T-shaped wooden jig, to be able to clamp the CP in the drill press. Drilled the holes for fire button and trackball with 29 mm and 3" hole saws, and the other holes with drill bits. Worked as a charm!

 

[fritte_h]

CPO hole cutting! At work (I work with pressure sensitive tapes) we have a flatbed knife plotter. We use it for prototyping, cutting shapes direct from a CAD drawing. So with the original Centi CP as a guide, I made a CAD drawing for all holes in the CPO. Reg the position of the larger trackball versus the original 2.25" unit; to keep the same look and not interfere with the center mushroom on the CPO, I put the left trackball mounting hole at the same place as the 2.25" unit. Then of course, the other mounting holes gets a bit more "spread out" compared to the 2.25" unit. After a careful position matching of the CPO on the plotter table versus the CAD drawing (including some cuts without a knife), I made the "sharp" cut. Here the rule "measure twice, cut once" really applies! The result was very good!

 

[fritte_h]

CPO mounting. As this was my first time I mounted a CPO, I was a bit nervous of course (even that I work with tapes and adhesives). I wanted the position of the CPO to be spotless! So what I did was to replace the protective paper on the backside of the CPO, with horisontal strips of a plastic protective liner. I put them on in a certain way, so I could remove them in a certain order. Positioning: I mounted the CPO to the CP with the player one button and the two bolts at the horisontal trackball holes, still with the liner on. When the position was perfect I tightened the button and bolts, then removed the adjacent strip of protective liner and rolled down the CPO to the CP. Then worked my way outwards by removing one strip of protective liner at a time, until the CPO was fully attached. After cutting off the excess it was done! Mounted the trackball units; tested both with white and black ball. With the Centi CPO, I definitely think the white ball looks the best. What's your opinions guys?
I would like to have a red translucent ball, so if someone has an original Crystal Castles ball in good condition, I am interested!

 

[Phetishboy]

Cool. Yeah I did this with a blank Atari Cabaret CP last year when I built my Crystal Castles Cabaret. I searched forever for the right metal hole punch, and ultimately I ended up using a 3" bimetal holesaw.

 

[fritte_h]

Cool. Yeah I did this with a blank Atari Cabaret CP last year when I built my Crystal Castles Cabaret. I searched forever for the right metal hole punch, and ultimately I ended up using a 3" bimetal holesaw.

View attachment 529017

Very nice looking! Yeah I went with a holesaw since I needed it only once (I think), but I got a high quality Bosch. Do you have a good lead where I can get an original Atari red translucent trackball?

 

[andrewb]

Very nice looking! Yeah I went with a holesaw since I needed it only once (I think), but I got a high quality Bosch. Do you have a good lead where I can get an original Atari red translucent trackball?

Out of a Crystal Castles cab.

 

[fritte_h]

Out of a Crystal Castles cab.

Good one! So can anybody tell me where they live, so I can rob the red ball....I even might be kind and trade it with a black or white ball!

 

[Phetishboy]

Very nice looking! Yeah I went with a holesaw since I needed it only once (I think), but I got a high quality Bosch. Do you have a good lead where I can get an original Atari red translucent trackball?

I bought a refurbished one from Andrew. You'll have to track him down and see if he's got another one. Oh look, you don't have to look far, he posted in this thread.

 

[Phetishboy]

The lit red ball does look Killer though and beats the shit out of a plain white one any day.

 

[fritte_h]

I bought a refurbished one from Andrew. You'll have to track him down and see if he's got another one. Oh look, you don't have to look far, he posted in this thread.

Yeah I know, I have track(balled) him down and talked very sweet to him, but to no avail!

 

[fritte_h]

The lit red ball does look Killer though and beats the shit out of a plain white one any day.

View attachment 529203View attachment 529202

Sweet Jesus, that looks indeed KILLER!! Drool!

 

[mcdermd]

Man, Phet's customs always look so _legit_. The right mix of what Atari would have actually done without the tendency for excess that's all too common in the hobby builds.

I'm not one to condone fake bullshit but Phet's bullshit tastes reallll ncieeeee.

 

[Phetishboy]

Man, Phet's customs always look so _legit_. The right mix of what Atari would have actually done without the tendency for excess that's all too common in the hobby builds.

I'm not one to condone fake bullshit but Phet's bullshit tastes reallll ncieeeee.

Thank you sir, that has always been my goal.