This is how I restore a Dynamo corner cut CP

PrairieDillo

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Donor 2011, 2024
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Two corner cut control panels were used for this demo.

I picked up tips from other KLOV guys like Blkdog (break cleaner) and Eseyo (heat gun.)

Tools:

Heat gun
knife
disposable gloves
metal pot cleaning scrubbing pad (one with wide space holes and it's woven)
one can of brake cleaner (good for at least 2 control panels)
steel wool
wire wheel attachment on a drill or drill press.
clamps
drill press w/ hole cutter.

Parts used
NOS diamond plate Capcom overlay
IL competition joysticks
1/2 wood sheet cut as joystick spacers

Optional:
Bob's black oxide carriage bolts 3/16" x 1 1/4"
acrylic sheet

Lets start with the stripped CP and start getting it down to a clean Control panel.

Here's the pretty messed up control panel from an HS5 25" Monitor cab.

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With the metal control panel completely stripped you can heat the back side and pry off the CPO. This will just leave the layer of adhesive stuck to the metal.

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You can lift pretty much hole sides of the CPO if you work it right and not just small chuncks. Just tear/cut it at the corners or at sections where it begins to get too big to handle/pull (CPO material)

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Heat and pry, heat and pry... rinse and repeat.
I try to pull strips down and just heat the area in front of where i'm pulling. Try not to get one spot too hot.

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continued stripping it down.

You should be able to get all vinyl off of the control panel.

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The next part is cleaning the adhesive off of the metal CP. You'll need to make sure that you are working the metal scrubbing pad so that it scrapes off the adhesive into little balls and it can fall out and kind of collect on your floor or work surface. Try not to step on these as it'll gum up your shoes.

I soak it down with brake cleaner and try to work fast as the stuff evaporates quickly. I also try to work in one direction cause as the pad gets gummed up you can just spread the adhesive right back onto the metal area you are working.

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After maybe 20 mins, you should have most of it off. I also work down to finer steel wool and do a cleanup wipe with that or a paper towl. I go over it slowly and inspect it for left over areas that need cleaning. I also take the time to wire wheel rust and old paint. The corner cuts are areas that are typically rusted that need to be stripped.

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After a while you should have a pretty clean control panel. I wire wheel any rusted spots to expose the metal. I seal that with primer where I can. Under the CPO it will rust and the rust will cause lifting under the CPO.

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Once you have a clean stripped to the metal control panel, it's a good thing to primer the sections you want to paint. Some may want to paint the whole thing but I figured to just paint the corner cuts as how the original is done. Bellow I just primered the corners and then sprayed some fresh black enamel on the exposed corner "cuts"

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I've made the next part more tricky than it needs to be. These types of overlays are actually more designed to be generic and probably the big 3KOAM cabs in mind when they placed the Capcom logo. That's why it sits so far down on the CP and if you just drop it on, it's bellow the bullnose where you wouldn't be able to see it. (yes that's a real term) My solution is to reposition the CP so that the logo is right above the bullnose and then to seam the CPO together bellow it. I did a width trim of the whole overlay first but this was a mistake.

The next time I did this I wouldn't trim the whole width of the CPO first because if I waited I'd be able to match the pattern better on the back side when I did the bottom part. I'd be able to match the horizontal and vertical patern to tile the diamond plate so that it's more seamless looking. Then again, who will know...

I centered the logo and then placed clamps on it. I including a piece of wood to get the CPO to start matching the angle at the top side. I applies pressure to the middle areas and the bend in the CP.

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After clamping down the CPO, I flip up the exposed side and use a razor blade to cut the backing paper so that i can exposed enough CPO to hold the alignment. You can warm (not too hot) the CPO with a heat gun to make the bends softer when you burnish down the CPO.

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When a good section is down. I unclamp the other 1/2 of the CPO to remove it's backing paper. Then I burnish/warm/burnish some more till it's mostly down. How you burnish is also a technique cause you are basically pushing out air bubbles.

I like to heat the extreme bends before I burnish the final top side that meets against the Glass/Acrylic bezel.

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control panel overlay

Had I known better I would have not done a width trim so early on this one. I would have been able to tile this one better before covering the bottom side. It really donesn't matter cause basically only I would know that there's a unmatched seam there.

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Final trim with a razor blade and knife.

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Test population of joysticks and buttons.

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Personally I like to use a spacer to adjust the height of joysick. I do not like to use the different settings of the joystick E-clip and spacer. I think that most are used to the joystick length/height/throw but when not mounted in wood, some sticks ride way to long/high. This is why I like to use a spacer. Supers and Ultimates are longer than Competitions. For Competitions I use 1/2" wood. For the rest I use 5/8" or 3/4."

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Acrylic Top Plate

Optional:

Most don't have to do this if its just for the home as I find that it's a pain to make an acrylic plate for the top of the CP. I got used to them cause they were in most of the arcades that I visited so I like doing it to protect the vinyl overlay that I just put in. They are especially common on Dynamo cabs.

I also suggest using new Cariage bolts from Bob Roberts as they come anodized black.

Here are some tips.
- I squared off the thing on a simple table saw and cut the corners.
- Mark all of the hole registrations knowing that you can't perfectly center everything and can dremel it later for more clearance for your buttons.
- Flame bevel the edges (much easier than sanding them smooth) http://tapplastics.com/info/video.php
- Work slowly with your hole cutter as if you take a too agressive cut you can get your cutter stuck and end up cracking the sheet.

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... and of course the beauty shot in a finished cab. Dynamos take straight out of the can Rustoleum semi-glossy black with a foam roller very well. you can sand it down a bit to thin out the loose vinyl and even primer it. After a few layers you can get it pretty smooth.

Shown here:
-simple patch and paint (got rid of lock bars)
-restored the control panel.
-new acrylic bezel (thanks sseyo1)
-new reprint MvC marque
-complete reconditioned coin door (swaping out any broken or torn up parts)

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I just acquired the same dynamo game with similar wear and tear, seems that all these suckers faced the wrath of arcade craze and overuse. May I ask how you got ahold of the replacement CP vinyl? I saw mamemarquees has some repro stuff but just wanted to make sure it's legit quality before i start my restore.

Goodluck and if u need any pics or anything feel free to ask, (measurements, locations, whatever u need).
 
I'm working on one as well. I plan on restoring mine to an Ikari Warriors. Can't wait to see the rest of the pics.

So did all cut-corner control panels come pre-drilled for 6 buttons?

- Mike
 
I'm working on one as well. I plan on restoring mine to an Ikari Warriors. Can't wait to see the rest of the pics.

So did all cut-corner control panels come pre-drilled for 6 buttons?

- Mike

No. Ikari isn't. POW isn't. Both are unique panels. There were a fair amount of different types.
 
What do you reckon this game was, before it was converted to a Maximum Force? I'm not looking forward to trying to convert this to a traditional 2-joystick, 12-button layout...

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That's a common general Dynamo CP.

It has Trackball sized holes in it but often they just put in joysticks into them.
 
That's a common general Dynamo CP.

It has Trackball sized holes in it but often they just put in joysticks into them.

Thanks. Just curious, if you were me how would you lay out the buttons for a generic fighter/shooter cab? I assume that was one of the intended configurations.

John
 
oh yeah and you are another guy that posts way too BIG pics of your stuff.
 
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OK, this write up is now pretty complete. Bump to the top.
 
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