OP
OP
I'm saving them for sure. There are no more arcades in Memphis except for Putt-Putt off Summer, and it's pretty weak. What should I use to clean them up?
Found a Stargate on a curb in Memphis
- Thread starter mitchschaft
- Start date
joeycuda
Well-known member
Should be able to use the harness, after replacing all of the old connectors. Probably a good idea to do that, as a general rule - replace the crappy IDC housings with molex housings and use crimped on trifurcon pins.
As bad as the original cabinet might be, since it's plywood (delaminated) and not MDF or particle board (swelled to be larger), you should be able to use it as a template for the new cabinet. Rough cut the new panel, clamp it to the cabinet (on its side), and use a flush trim bit and go around the cabinet. Not that hard. Williams used dado joinery, you can do that or use butt joints along with biscuits for strength.
As bad as the original cabinet might be, since it's plywood (delaminated) and not MDF or particle board (swelled to be larger), you should be able to use it as a template for the new cabinet. Rough cut the new panel, clamp it to the cabinet (on its side), and use a flush trim bit and go around the cabinet. Not that hard. Williams used dado joinery, you can do that or use butt joints along with biscuits for strength.
D_Harris
Well-known member
Biscuits don't really add strength to a joint. The help with aligning up the adjoining pieces.
I'm in the process of reproduction StarGate/Joust/Robotron control panels. The most difficult part is the angled dado and rabbet.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
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OP
OP
Yeah, I can't find any info on a cab repro. I bet my dad can do one using this old, dead cab. *crosses fingers* assuming everything else works of course.
I've got another 4600 chassis on the way. I'm going to see if I can't get my Galaga parts up and running with it before going for a Stargate wiring harness. Unless one pops up for super cheap. I see one for sale by garagearcadecom, but we're supposed to avoid that guy like the plague
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I've got another 4600 chassis on the way. I'm going to see if I can't get my Galaga parts up and running with it before going for a Stargate wiring harness. Unless one pops up for super cheap. I see one for sale by garagearcadecom, but we're supposed to avoid that guy like the plague
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joeycuda
Well-known member
That is true for edge gluing or face gluing solid stock, where you are gluing long grain to long grain. In that case, the glue line is already stronger than the wood.
When gluing end grain, such as a butt joint, the glue on the end grain doesn't make a strong joint at all. Mortise and tenon joinery or biscuits (which are basically mortise and tenon) creates a face grain to face grain glue joint, even if the boards are end to end.
I'm going to make a few 'new' Atari cabinets for personal projects. In replicating an Atari cabinet, you'd either need staples, as originally done, or could upgrade to biscuit joints, since you can't depend on a glue joint anywhere where there will be vinyl on one of the faces. It may be overkill, but I plan to use biscuit joints instead of the staples. It will look clean, be stronger than the original cabinet design, yet other than staple crowns/holes, will look identical.
Oh and about that control panel.. More power to you.. I was looking at it, thinking about what I'd need to make one myself. It looks like a heck of a challenge, without the jigs they had in the factory back then. You need a good router table or shaper, the right bits, and a lot of patience to nail that. I'm sure you'll get it though.
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D_Harris
Well-known member
I thought those staples in the Atari cabinets were just to hold the pieces together while the glue dries.
As for my Williams control panels. Two jigs identical jigs would be all that is needed. They would be exactly the same, except that one would have 9° slant for the lower portion of the control panel and the other will have a 10° slant for the control panel top.
They were easy to design, but in order to make them I have to determine if it is plausible to rip cut a 2" x 4" on my table saw with the blade set at an angle and the 2" x 4" on it's edge.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
As for my Williams control panels. Two jigs identical jigs would be all that is needed. They would be exactly the same, except that one would have 9° slant for the lower portion of the control panel and the other will have a 10° slant for the control panel top.
They were easy to design, but in order to make them I have to determine if it is plausible to rip cut a 2" x 4" on my table saw with the blade set at an angle and the 2" x 4" on it's edge.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
joeycuda
Well-known member
I thought those staples in the Atari cabinets were just to hold the pieces together while the glue dries.
As for my Williams control panels. Two jigs identical jigs would be all that is needed. They would be exactly the same, except that one would have 9° slant for the lower portion of the control panel and the other will have a 10° slant for the control panel top.
They were easy to design, but in order to make them I have to determine if it is plausible to rip cut a 2" x 4" on my table saw with the blade set at an angle and the 2" x 4" on it's edge.
Darren Harris
Staten Island, New York.
Awesome..
I was thinking.. the panels would be EASY to make from 3/4 ply, if you just cut the mitered edges at the correct angles, glued up butt joints, then rounded the corners, but that wouldn't be done exactly right.
I think it would be neat to build a scaled down (mini) Williams cabinet..not like the production ones, but a scaled down 68% size copy of a Robotron cabinet, with a 13" monitor.
Brick Top
Well-known member
Save those pics for when someone is trolling the local craigslist with a "looking for classic arcade games" post.
"Hi, I have a sweet Williams Stargate that needs a little touch up here and there, it worked last time it was played"
"I am thinking I could let it go for 500.00, I have seen them sell on eBay for triple that."
"Hi, I have a sweet Williams Stargate that needs a little touch up here and there, it worked last time it was played"
"I am thinking I could let it go for 500.00, I have seen them sell on eBay for triple that."
OP
OP
lol, I'm lookin at a similar post a CL now .
Do you guys know how to clean some old tokens? I was thinking a soak in CLR or something similar.
. Do you guys know how to clean some old tokens? I was thinking a soak in CLR or something similar.
Mitch,
It's time you made some friends in this hobby.
I'm right in your backyard in Olive Branch. I don't have a stargate so I won't be much help there. We should get together sometime. You can see my VAPS listing for my list of games.
I do have a working Galaga so if you want to test your board, I'm happy to help.
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YMMV, but soak them in regular Coca Cola for a bit (Few hours? Day?) and you'll be shocked how much cleaner they get.
That being said, apparently leaving them in too long will completely eat them.
Coca Cola. It's good for you!
OP
OP
Wow, that's fantastic. I'd love to check out the collection sometime. I don't believe you have all those games, lol!
Ha, I didn't think about coke. All I have is cream soda at the moment.
Ha, I didn't think about coke. All I have is cream soda at the moment
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OP
OP
Well, I need some time to be officially in the hobby. I don't know if owning a dead machine is acceptable, lol.
As long as you're willing to join this therapy group, we'll accept you.
You're only 3 games away from an "arcade"...
JoeB1355
Well-known member
I semi cheated on my Missile Command restore I still use staples but cut off the melamine in strips behind the pieces then I glued and stapled them. So the glue would actually stick wood on wood. Thats a thread for another day...
be careful, thats gonna get you on the "kick off the forum" list, doesnt matter how far gone the cab is, you can save it... according to some..
LOL good luck with the resto, build a new oneee
OP
OP
Ha, surely they will make an acception for this old bag of a carcass. Even the control panel is ruined. I got another chassis in for the monitor. I emailed bob roberts for a 4600, galaga, and a vectrex capkit. I also emailed the guy who has galaga renewal kits. Im awaiting their reply.
James_in_MD
Well-known member
That is cool - I used to go to the Space Port at the Kirby Woods Mall in East Memphis. I would definitely buy one of those tokens just for the sentimental value. Where in Memphis did you find this beast of a cab? I grew up in East Memphis, but I've been over to the north side of town a time or two. Good luck with the resto.
Save those pics for when someone is trolling the local craigslist with a "looking for classic arcade games" post.
"Hi, I have a sweet Williams Stargate that needs a little touch up here and there, it worked last time it was played"
"I am thinking I could let it go for 500.00, I have seen them sell on eBay for triple that."
Probably just a fuse?
