FS Parts: New 3-D Printed Midway Pac-Man Joystick Parts

VicShaf

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My son and his friend recently purchased a 3-D printer and decided to reproduce some arcade game parts. They started by making parts used on original Midway Ms. Pac-Man / Pac- Man (and other video games) joystick assemblies, including the following (3) plastic parts:

Actuator
4-way Actuator Plate
Stop Spacer

They used an ABS filament to create these parts. They were reproduced as close as possible to the original dimensions and were tested on an original Midway Ms. Pac-Man joystick assembly. Post print processes were used to improve the durability and finish of the parts.

They would like to start making larger quantities of parts and selling these, but they would like to first have these parts tested in joystick assemblies by others. They would like outside opinions on the appearance and functionality of the parts. For the first three people who reply to this posting with interest, we will send a set of the (3) parts listed above, free of charge, but ask that you please provide your feedback on these parts within one week of receiving them.

They plan on selling parts for a competitive price, comparative to the current market (if available). The parts can be sold individually or as sets.

They also began reproducing the black shifter bezel for an Atari Pole Position (also used on other Atari video games). If you would be interested in testing or purchasing this part, please let me know. Also, if there are any other plastic parts that you believe would have a high demand and be somewhat easy to reproduce, please let me know so my son and his friend could look into reproducing those as well.

Here are pics of all (3) parts:

http://s427.photobucket.com/user/Vi...d Midway Pac Man Joystick Parts?sort=2&page=1


Email me directly at [email protected] or PM me, if interested.

Thanks,

Vic S. (in CT)
 
Update

Only (1) set is spoken for, still have (2) more sets. These are free including shipping. Any other interest?

Thanks,

Vic
 
Update

The prototype sets are now gone. I will post an update, once we receive feedback from the newsgroup users.

Thanks,

Vic
 
This is a great idea, as there are lots of plastic parts that are either no longer available, expensive, or just tend to break.

My ideas are:
- Tempest spinner knobs
- Other, hard to find joystick bases or parts
- Buttons (odd sizes, types, and styles)

Scott C.
 
Hey Vic,

I've got a Ms. Pac-Man on location if you want some real world feedback from a game that gets quite a bit of play per month.

LMK

Steve
 
This is a great idea, as there are lots of plastic parts that are either no longer available, expensive, or just tend to break.

My ideas are:
- Tempest spinner knobs
- Other, hard to find joystick bases or parts
- Buttons (odd sizes, types, and styles)

Scott C.

The problem is that 3D Printed parts are not of a high enough quality cosmetically for spinners, buttons, etc. It's fine for hidden parts but not nearly good enough for visible parts especially parts that will be held/touched/pushed. Injection molded or machined parts are the only good solution for those parts.
 
OK, I got my parts a while ago and just had time to test them out today. They look great but do need a little refining. The shaft hole on the actuator needs to be bored out a little more, as I can't even get it onto the joystick staff as is:

25761299256_cfa8c3b1b0_h.jpg


Also, the restrictor plate needs to be flat on the topside, as the raised diamond frame that was added to the repro:

25692292741_d1eaaa8310_h.jpg


prevents the piece from sitting flush against the bottom of the metal base housing like the original does. You can see how the original, while raised on the underside:

25160915693_5d495a3cb1_h.jpg


is flat on the topside:

25486690580_682c34e584_h.jpg


Underside comparison:

25761304096_459840f6ac_h.jpg


topside comparison:

25156890554_c43714ae4b_h.jpg






I haven't yet tested the cylinder, but I am not sure what it is for. Is it the upper sleeve that sits under the ball-top? If so, why is there no bottleneck where it enters the housing like the original piece has? Seems like it would need that to still allow the stick to have its full range of motion. Overall, I think the parts look great and feel solid, they just need a few tweaks. Hope that helps.
 
Update

We recently sent out 3D printed parts to several forum members to test and critique. We would like to thank everyone who took the time to test these parts and write us valuable feedback. We learned a few things and are now confident in our final product. With that said, here are a few remarks and the changes we have decided to make.

All four of the responses we received commented about the inner diameter of the actuator that sits on the bottom of the joystick. We were trying to keep the actuator inner diameter as tight as possible as the joystick diameter sizes seemed to vary with respect to the wear they had. We decided to go ahead and increase the inner diameter of the actuator by 2% to accommodate larger sizes without introducing too much play in the joystick.
One response we received on the 4-way actuator plate was regarding a part difference. It appears that some of these plates come with a fully flush top portion without the seating diamond. We based our part off of an original part that came with the seating diamond naturally. We have decided that we are going to offer both of these parts together, one plate with the top seating diamond and one without it.

One response mentioned a bottle neck missing on the stop spacer that acts as an upper sleeve for the joystick. The original part we modeled our stop spacer from is a simple cylinder; there should be no tapering or bottle neck in this piece, unless due to wear.
Additionally, we have modified our finishing process for all these parts to yield a smoother feel and to tone down on the shiny gloss some responses commented on. All of our parts are made using ABS plastic; this is the same plastic used in Legos and drainage pipes. It has a lot of flexibility without snapping and has a high heat resistance. This plastic material should have no problems with durability.

We are also offering a joystick sleeve that is ready for sale and are working on an Atari shifter bezel that will be available soon. If anyone has ideas for parts or wants a part modeled, please post below!

Here is a link to pictures of each of the 3D parts, some shown as used in a joystick assembly:
http://s427.photobucket.com/user/Vi...d Midway Pac Man Joystick Parts?sort=9&page=1

Final Prices will be:
4-way Actuator Plate: $6.00
4-way Actuator Plate (Without Seating/Top Diamond): $5.00
Actuator (part located just above E-clip): $6.50
Joystick Sleeve (part located towards middle of joystick): $6.00
Stop Spacer (part located just under red ball on joystick): $5.50
*Shipping cost in the continental US: $2.00

For any purchases made before April 1st, 2016 11:59 P.M. EST, we will be offering a 25% discount on the order. You can contact us at [email protected] to purchase parts, ask questions, or make any suggestions.
 
Cool idea! Good luck.

I would say buy an original part to make sure you have an exact match and also to compare with in a photo.

That would really help your sales and productivity at the same time.
 
Update

Reminder (3 days left):

For any purchases made before April 1st, 2016 11:59 P.M. EST, we will be offering a 25% discount on the order. You can contact us at [email protected] to purchase parts, ask questions, or make any suggestions.
 
Update

Reminder (2 days left):

For any purchases made before April 1st, 2016 11:59 P.M. EST, we will be offering a 25% discount on the order. You can contact us at [email protected] to purchase parts, ask questions, or make any suggestions.
 
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