Interest Check: Atari Food Fight/Red Baron/Tunnel Hunt Gimbals (Aluminum)

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Interest Check: Atari Food Fight/Red Baron/Tunnel Hunt Gimbals (Aluminum)

I got the idea from another thread of mine but decided it deserved a new thread since it's not a "plastic" part.

What you see in the attachments are aluminum gimbals for the Food Fight, Red Baron and Tunnel Hunt analog joystick mechanism. The smaller parts are the gimbal posts which mate with the gimbal linkages. These will be a direct drop in replacement for the OEM plastic gimbals which tend to break and they will work on the older black plastic version as well as the newer/tougher natural nylon version. These aluminum parts will not be prone to breaking.

I had access to machine time today, so I whipped up these samples! While they're not complete, I think the pictures may illustrate where I'm going with them. I still need to machine the pivots, attach the pivots/posts to the gimbals and then test it for fit/function. I intend to give these a hard black anodized finish, so they'll look sweet. Final cost will be $50/pair. Once I get going, depending on how many sets I'll be making, it'll take me about 30-60 days to crank them out and have them ready for shipment. That includes anodizing.

Interested? Show of hands?

87 t-66 x1
DuaneHawley x2
SaminVA x1
jasonsmith01 x1
parkway x1
barristr x1
animesuperj x1
rtree1 x1
TimothyC x1 (?)
PASTAMAN x 1
eightbitwhit x2-3
robotron911 x1
Mylstar x1
Tombo x1
Arcadenut x1
Ghost123 x2
joemagiera x2
mnrocketry x1
resipsa x1
rdudding x1
gregbl x2
Wiz x1
 

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I would like a couple sets, good idea, I played around with a few different ways to make them year or so ago. This is a good solution

Also you had expressed the possiblity of re making the bellows in urethane. The Wizz ones are inadequate but all we have. I think you could sell quite a few now and more in years to come

Couple these arms with this stick and some aluminum pot links and thats a bullet proofed stick for sure
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=333595&highlight=Food+fight+stick
 
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I've been looking into the bellows because I need them myself. I've got 720/Logo parts running at the moment, so I'm all full up as far as making some quick samples. Between the inner/outer rings, maybe a 25A/30A(??) urethane in the middle, plus the urethane mold itself, I can see these running roughly around $25-30ea. That's folding the cost of a two part mold into the price, of course. Luckily, urethane molds are relatively inexpensive compared to injection molds. Still, it's not the kind of money I'd want to lose. I'll put together a cheap silicone mold ASAP and see what I can do with it. Anyone here have a relatively intact bellows and a durometer handy? I'd like to get a reading on that rubber material.

I would like a couple sets, good idea, I played around with a few different ways to make them year or so ago. This is a good solution

Also you had expressed the possiblity of re making the bellows in urethane. The Wizz ones are inadequate but all we have. I think you could sell quite a few now and more in years to come

Couple these arms with this stick and some aluminum pot links and thats a bullet proofed stick for sure
http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=333595&highlight=Food+fight+stick
 
Sent you a pm for the bellow, I have an NOS one and a nice used one for testing.
 
I'll put some effort into coming up with a design for the bellows ASAP. The gimbal is looking like it's getting enough interest to push me into running a qty of them.
 
In for a set as well.

You would certainly sell far more of the grommet/bellow than any other part from the stick if you made a quality repro, but given how purdy your whipped up parts look don't let me talk you out of anything :). While I'd like a set of metal gimbals, I'll take a half dozen of the bellow if you can figure out a way to make it without having to charge a fortune for them.
 
You know I'm already going there. LOL Just let me work through the current items and I'll commit to the bellows. I know I can keep them down to a reasonable price. Am I adding you to the interest list for the gimbals in the meantime?

In for a set as well.

You would certainly sell far more of the grommet/bellow than any other part from the stick if you made a quality repro, but given how purdy your whipped up parts look don't let me talk you out of anything :). While I'd like a set of metal gimbals, I'll take a half dozen of the bellow if you can figure out a way to make it without having to charge a fortune for them.
 
Does anyone know if the linkages for the analog sticks are being made by anyone? I have some aluminum ones I picked up awhile back. I can copy them if nobody else is making them.
 
I'm good for at least two sets, but likely three. I just picked up a complete original stick a couple of weeks back, so I'd want to outfit that stick, my playing stick, plus have a set on ice for inventory.

The bellows are of interest to me as well - thanks for the consideration on both of these projects!
 
This is looking real good. I was hoping for an interest level somewhere around 40-50 sets, so this is a great start.
 
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