Arcade - Tekken Cab to Mortal Kombat 2 Restore

Optimus Prime

Thought id start a thread on this. I've finally got around to start on changing the Tekken cab i bought from Myrdinn to a Mortal Kombat 2 Cab. Its a Midaway cab for sure, but the CPO seems to be slightly different than a standard MK2 cab, It will mean ill have to run the red tmolding around the side of the CPO as opposed to flat on top of it. I dont mind though, it will be good enough for me!

It was on the long finger as i was working on trying to get my space invaders cocktail cab up and running, but i blew the monitor i got off mitch for it, it was 110v and i was using a stepdown but something went wrong after about 5 minutes of it working perfect.. anyways, I was starting to think about putting an LCD into the cocktail which is all kinds of wrong so decided to start this while im waiting for a new CRT.

Here is the Cab when i first got it.



The PCB. I picked up some broken\untested PCBs a while back off Mitch, 2 MK2s and 1 MK3Ultimate. Managed to get one of the MK2s going, it had no sound when running, but it just needed a Negatron (Thanks Steve_SI for that tip!) Works Perfect now.





I removed the buttons and joysticks, but the first big thing i need to do is to re-size the artwork for MK2 and touch it up in Photoshop, so i measured up the sides



Drew it down on a piece of card so i can work on it tomorrow... measured the marquee and the image under the cpo too.



The Control Panel is a mess, as you can see it looks like it used to be a 5button 2player Mortal Kombat cab, i think. but the holes where drilled into a 6Button 2 player. So now i have to revert it back. I'm brutal at drilling holes for buttons and doing the Tmolding channel to be honest so im going to try save this somehow!!





Finally today i just whipped off the marquee, marquee holder bar and the grill over the speakers. Im going to sand these down to be sprayed with a fresh coat of black eventually along with the coin door. I might actually spray the front of the cab black too just to clean it up before i put the artwork on.

Thats all ive done so far, not much. ill be buying red tmolding in the next few days and new buttons and joysticks. Ill update when ive got around to doing some more on it.

Nice! Looking forward to seeing the finished result!

Myrddin

Jeez the cp is like a connect-4 game Nice work Keith, looking forward to seeing how it pans out

Optimus Prime

Yeh, don't know what to do with it, might fill it using wood filler then stick a sheet of plexiglass over it with the cpo artwork on it.

Jack burton

Would you not be better off getting a fresh piece of ply and starting a new cp?
You would have to paint it and stuff then I suppose

Either way, well done, cant wait to see the finish!

TechnoFreek

That control panel looks proper mangled. I'd start with a fresh piece of timber.

o1s1n

Great project! Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Oh and I know I've drooled over it before, but it's worth repeating - dat Time Crisis cab :eek:

Optimus Prime

TechnoFreek wrote: »

That control panel looks proper mangled. I'd start with a fresh piece of timber.

I honestly am brutal with the woodwork side. drilling the holes, and i dont have whats needed to route the tmolding.

The cpo is a little strange, the tmolding channel isnt in the middle, its about 3\4 of the way up the wood on the side, its supposed to have a layer of plexi glass over it that is then covered on the sides by the tmolding.

I might give it a go.. hmm... i wouldnt need to paint it as the top is covered with artwork, the sides with tmolding. tmolding would be the issue though as i dont have a router. maybe someone i know has one, ill ask around.. the more i think about it the more, the more i think your right and making a new one would be easier, it would even make resizing the cpo artwork easier as i can drill the buttons based on their location on the artwork when i get it printed, as opposed to trying to resize the artwork to fit this cpo...

I can laser the plex for you if you like?
Best to have the plex first then cut the holes to match. Other wise it's a bastard if the button holes are a mm out. I've made that mistake before

Optimus Prime

urbanledge wrote: »

I can laser the plex for you if you like?
Best to have the plex first then cut the holes to match. Other wise it's a bastard if the button holes are a mm out. I've made that mistake before

Thanks! That would be great, I'll get the cpo artwork printed first so ill know exactly where the button /joystick holes go.

julan

Wow Tekken 3 really looks cool

julan

julan wrote: »

Wow Tekken 3 really looks cool

not as cool as MK2!

Optimus Prime

:pac:

Ive just about finished up resizing the Marquee, Control Panel, Side Art, The under control panel banner and bezel instructions to send off to get printed.

Wife is due this week so i dont know how much ill get done the next week or so, but next ill be ordering up Red TMolding, and the blade needed to cut the tmolding channel as i decided that cpo is beyond saving so im gonna get a new piece of wood made, hopefully i can do it.

I managed to get hold of a router, so getting the right hole bit for the drill will be on the list too.

Ive to discharge that monitor and send it off the Grant as well. ill probably use parcel motel to send it as postage was a killer the last time.

Im gonna spray the coin door and front of the cab too around it as it looks a bit scratchy. nothing mad, just give it a fresh coat. Ill also be sanding down all the metal pieces, speaker grill etc and spraying.

There are 4 bolts on the sides ill have to try get out when applying the artwork too otherwise it could be tough, id have to apply the art over them and cut holes. if i can get them out it would be much handier, not sure yet if i can.

What do the bolts do ?
Have you considered getting rid of them?
maybe counter sink them

Myrddin

You don't have to send the tube to Grant do you?

Optimus Prime

urbanledge wrote: »

What do the bolts do ?
Have you considered getting rid of them?
maybe counter sink them

I havent looked in the back of the cab yet, but i think they hold the side panels onto the bottom panel of the cab. there is two on each side.

The Electrocoin cab i had, had two on each side as well, you could unbolt them on the inside, stick on the side art, make holes in it then but them back in. I sprayed them too while they where off. im hoping these ones come out too.

Myrddin wrote: »

You don't have to send the tube to Grant do you?

I honestly havent plugged it in since i got it off you to see whats up with, i know you said it wasnt working but i cant remember what issue it was? Ill probably send it him anyways because i havent a clue about fixing these things. One of my mates needs to send his chassis over too so will be handy just to post him both together through parcel motel.

Myrddin

keithgeo wrote: »

I honestly havent plugged it in since i got it off you to see whats up with, i know you said it wasnt working but i cant remember what issue it was? Ill probably send it him anyways because i havent a clue about fixing these things. One of my mates needs to send his chassis over too so will be handy just to post him both together through parcel motel.

The flyback is leaking HT current from where the ht lead is bonded on to it, there's also HT current leaking from the cup where it connects into the crt too so it'll prob need a flyback & a few bits & bobs (think I read that when the flyback goes on them it takes a few caps/diodes with it). Won't be a problem for Grant anyway.

There shouldn't be any need to send the actual crt tube to him though, he'll likely have loads of them over there so you should be ok just sending him the chassis?

Optimus Prime

ah yeh i know its just the chasis ive to send, ive a HV Probe here to discharge it, i haven't turned it on since i got it off you so probably nothing left in it anyways.

Myrddin

Myrddin wrote: »

there's also HT current leaking from the cup where it connects into the crt too

This is always dirt between the cup and tube

Myrddin

urbanledge wrote: »

This is always dirt between the cup and tube

No there's actually a small hole in the cup itself if I recall correctly, I think the material has just perished over time.

CathalDublin

Nothing like candle wax for a dodgy anode cup repair

Myrddin

CathalDublin wrote: »

Nothing like candle wax for a dodgy anode cup repair

Ha, I'd heard of that before. But there's a fairly severe HT leak from the flyback itself so when I owned the cab I just didn't bother.

Optimus Prime

I remember you saying it was bad so i never turned it on, ill get it sorted in the next month id say. wouldnt fancy trying it with wax on it!

Myrddin

keithgeo wrote: »

I remember you saying it was bad so i never turned it on, ill get it sorted in the next month id say. wouldnt fancy trying it with wax on it!

Yeah once I seen it I hadn't powered it on again myself. There was a game playing at the time & the whole screen went this white/blue colour. I opened the back & seen the lightning show...that was the last time I turned it on.

Optimus Prime

Just ordered the Red Tmolding, Slot cutter and arbor from TMolding.com !

Their delivery price was crazy, 37$! Dont remember it being that expensive before.

Optimus Prime

And, ive just ordered the buttons and 2x joysticks.

4x Red Happ
2x White Happ
4x Blue Happ

1 and 2 player Happ

2 Happ competition pro with red bat handles.

Ah the old happs,
I take it MKs were made in Murica?
or are they electrocoin?

o1s1n

Yep, American developer, American game, American cab, sticks and buttons.

Would look weird with anything else tbh! And this is coming from a Japanese stick/button fetishist

Optimus Prime

yeh had a quick look online and most mk2 cabs seem to have the happ buttons in them.

Optimus Prime

Buttons arrived today, and i sent over the artwork to a friend to get it all printed up.

Optimus Prime

TMolding, slot cutter and arbor arrived today. Artwork is supposed to be getting put on the printers tomorrow..

Doctor DooM

o1s1n wrote: »

Yep, American developer, American game, American cab, sticks and buttons.

Would look weird with anything else tbh! And this is coming from a Japanese stick/button fetishist

I seem to recall the European MK2 cabs with HAPP balltops though. Don't know if that's faulty memory or not.

Now excuse me while I return to my Qanba with my lovely Sanwas

Optimus Prime

Might have, could have been a conversion kit on a cab too. i dunno, im just going by the original one, which probably is a US cab.

o1s1n

Yeah most cabs would have seen aftermarket parts at some stage. Sticks on popular cabs would have been swapped out many times in their lifetime.

Doctor DooM

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah most cabs would have seen aftermarket parts at some stage. Sticks on popular cabs would have been swapped out many times in their lifetime.

Usually caused by someone holding a cigarette next to the plastic and melting a razor sharp edge into them...

TechnoFreek

I only remember bat tops on the Mk cabs from my days playing them in courtown and Atari expo.

o1s1n

TechnoFreek wrote: »

I only remember bat tops on the Mk cabs from my days playing them in courtown and Atari expo.

Another location where the locals would have the bat tops chewed off after about a week

methman

Keithgeo, would you happen to have the artwork for your conversion? Funny enough, I'm thinking of starting the same conversion from a Tekken Tag machine over to MK2. Thanks in advance!

Optimus Prime

I have them here but they are too big to email, you can find them on the net anyways.

I got them from these sites

http://www.arcadeartwork.org/
http://artwork.joymonkey.com/
http://arcadeartlibrary.com/arcade_art/

and just measured my cab and resized as best i could. hopefully they fit. The cab i have is a slightly different shape around the CPO so i had to resize them a lot.

Steve X2

keithgeo wrote: »

I have them here but they are too big to email, you can find them on the net anyways.

I got them from these sites

http://www.arcadeartwork.org/
http://artwork.joymonkey.com/
http://arcadeartlibrary.com/arcade_art/

and just measured my cab and resized as best i could. hopefully they fit. The cab i have is a slightly different shape around the CPO so i had to resize them a lot.

Arcadeartwork.org (my site) has everything artwork.joymonkey.com has and quite a bit more, and I dont charge for anything. Just sayin
Nobody should be charging for arcade or game artwork or covers.

Optimus Prime

Thats why i stuck it up first

Im thinking about putting a jamma switcher in the back of this MK cab, i was cleaning it out yesterday and there is a LOAD of space in the bottom of it. Didnt someone on here have one, Oisin was it? Its a bit of a waste having all that space and just one pcb in it.

Myrddin

keithgeo wrote: »

Thats why i stuck it up first

Im thinking about putting a jamma switcher in the back of this MK cab, i was cleaning it out yesterday and there is a LOAD of space in the bottom of it. Didnt someone on here have one, Oisin was it? Its a bit of a waste having all that space and just one pcb in it.

It is an absolute monster of a cab, with tonnes of space inside. A jamma switcher would be a nice idea actually, get a few MK pcb's even

Optimus Prime

Myrddin wrote: »

It is an absolute monster of a cab, with tonnes of space inside. A jamma switcher would be a nice idea actually, get a few MK pcb's even

Ohh didnt think of that.. though im not really too bothered with the other MKs i like the second one and 1st one.. I actually only sold the 3rd one.. haha.. Id like to stick Sunset Riders, WWF Wrestlefest and maybe superpang in there, can swap around though. Bubble Bobble is getting its own cab after this one!

o1s1n

Here's the one I have, works a treat. Same seller too. I actually ordered a second one last week to install six boards in the horizontal cab too.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jamma-Switcher-6-in-1-PCB-/291230661023?pt=UK_Video_Games_Coin_Operated_MJ&hash=item43ceb3399f

Just be aware that you'll definitely need Jamma extension harnesses for bigger boards. So anything like CPS1/CPS2/Big Midway ones etc. This was by far the hardest part of the whole project, most places just sell those crappy cheap ones which I wouldn't trust with any board (plus they require a bit of modification too)

After fecking ages searching for high quality ones (FrancoB doesn't make them either anymore!) I came across Mikesarcade.com in the US.

http://mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl

They do up a really nice extension cable for $27.45

http://mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=JAMMAEXT

Have 4 of them now and not an issue with any of them.

Optimus Prime

Thanks a lot, a remote too for switching between boards? Nice. Yeh think i will get one of these in the long run, would be real handy, you could live inside the mortal kombat cab haha..

o1s1n

With all that space, you could probably fit a pair of those 6 slot boards in there and link them both into one of those 2 slot switchers

Optimus Prime

Oooh even better haha... that would be cool.

Optimus Prime

Had some time with this today finally! Pulled off the old artwork, took ages, it was glued on big time. left a film of sticky on the cab which we then spent 2 hours scrubbing off with metal scours. wanted to get it all off in case it protruded through the new artwork when i put it on and you could see it underneath.

You can see the sticky here...



Filled a few holes when finished..



Next step is to spray the front to touch it up a bit, down around the coin door, then apply the artwork.

Optimus Prime

Sprayed the front with a few coats of black just to clean it up, made a make shift spray tent with cardboard. it didnt work, the spray paint went everywhere and i had to mop it all up off the floor when i was finished . These are the before pics.

TechnoFreek

Nice work Keith. My wife would go bat sh1t crazy if I sprayed inside the house!

Optimus Prime

i didnt want to have to roll it outside, i thought i would be grand, i was wrong haha..