VLX XL Worklog 01 – Design and Materials

Yesterday I completed the construction of my “VLX XL” named after Hori Real Arcade Pro. 3 Premium VLX (the XL part was inspired by the recently released Nintendo DSi XL). The idea behind it is pretty similar to the Hori VLX (slap a Taito Vewlix control panel in a case and hook it up for use on consoles), so like my Vewlix Tournament Edition, I named it after the real product – with my own twist of course.

And just like the Vewlix Tournament Edition, I’m creating a few Worklogs detailing the project.

Design Features

• A full size, actual, honest-to-goodness Taito Vewlix arcade control panel
• White side caps that match the original ones cut for my Vewlix Tournament Edition*
• Accommodates extra L1, L2, Select, and Home/Guide buttons
• Bolts to my Vewlix Tournament Edition and…
• Can be used by itself (okay, so I just put rubber feet on it)
• Ability to swap out cables (USB, GameCube, PS2) through a single notch in the back of the case

* The actual Taito Vewlix arcade cabinet’s white side caps are much simpler than the Mad Catz design that I played off of with my Vewlix Tournament Edition.

As of posting, I have not wired up the controls to a PCB, but I plan to use Toodles’ Multi-Console Cthulhu board. So, you could say, another feature is Multi-Console compatibility.

Materials

Along with the Taito Vewlix control panel (of the 1 or 2 player variety), a PCB (or 2), and a USB (or other console) cable(s) you will also need:

1. MDF – I used 1/2″ and 3/4″ MDF to create the case
2. 1/8″ Thick Hardboard – I used small pieces as the 24mm Sanwa button holders that were flush mounted to the back of the case. The Sanwa buttons snap in, no problem.
3. Nuts and Washers – The Taito Vewlix control panel did not come with any nuts or washers to bolt the panel to a case, so I had to find the right ones:
   • Zinc Plated Metric Hex Nut – M4 – .7 (Home Depot PN 36188)
   • Zinc Plated  Flat Washer – 4mm (Home Depot PN 36298)
4. Rubber Feet – I could only find 1 package of rubber feet, but they turned out to be exactly what I needed: Shepherd 1″ Anti-Skip Pads
5. 3/4″ x 3/4″ Square Pine Moulding – I wanted a small piece of square wood to use as the frame that the MDF would be screwed to. This was all I could find, but ended up being exactly the right size. Measures 11/16″ x 11/16″.
6. Screws – I ended up using 1″ and 1-1/4″ fine thread drywall screws.
7. Wood Glue
8. Killz oil-based primer
9. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Multi-Purpose Latex Semi Gloss black paint
10. Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch Multi-Purpose Latex Semi Gloss white paint – I have seen people complaining that their white’s have yellowed. This Killz-paint-lacquer combo has been on my Vewlix Tournament Edition over a year and is still as white as the JLF ball top and Sanwa buttons.
    
11. Minwax Clear Brushing Lacquer – Clear Semi Gloss

Next worklog: I will post the final Google SketchUp file and discuss all of the construction and finishing.