Official Sanwa Modification Thread [Archive]

armad1ll0

09-23-2004, 10:50 AM

I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier with all of the still common off shoot threads, and re-posted questions.

There are a number of dudes here that have sig experience to help people along that want to work w/ Sanwa parts. We all play homage to the original in Catch22 but many have dev their own style and way of doing things.

Now if I can get FMJag to give this puppy a sticky...

Here's some guidelines that I thought would help make this a good read thread.

1) Please feel welcome to post NEW questions that you've not seen in this thread already about Sanwa parts, and installations.

2) feel free to show your modification of, upgrade, custom or installation of Sanwa parts to your creations.

3) no advertisements. Please keep that to your own biz thread. People all know of which guys are builders eventually.

4) of course feel free to answer and give your opinion on how to tackle the questions.

Shodokan123

09-23-2004, 11:09 AM

What is the difference with installing Sanwa parts compared to happ parts?

Having to do with the above question...

What makes the sticks different?

Which of the 2 style sticks are more responsive?

How differently do sanwa buttons need to be installed?

Whats the difference between long ans short sanwa sticks?

Is sanwa the best quality for japanese arcade parts? Like HAPP is for the USA?

trabus

09-23-2004, 11:17 AM

Great idea, I think this is long overdue.

Actually, I have a question about mounting the buttons with a graphic overlay and a lexan/plexiglas topsheet. I'm building an all Sanwa stick right now and I'm trying to figure out what materials to use for the top of the box. I was thinking of using masonite and reinforcing it with some wood supports underneath, but I don't know if that will be stable enough. And I figured it would be shallow enough that I wouldn't have to topmount the joystick either.

The main reason I'm considering masonite is because I don't want to have to route out the top to mount the joystick. Also for the buttons I figure that I would have to drill larger holes with MDF (that the buttons would fit through completely) and depend upon the plexiglas to support the buttons. Is that correct?

armad1ll0

09-23-2004, 12:23 PM

I wrote up my thoughts of Japanese vs Western parts on my website.
I'd rather not transcribe it but here's the link.
http://www.geocities.com/armad1ll0/systems/Joystick_parts.htm

Regarding mounting the stuff. I prefer to top-mount the plated sticks so that bolts don't show. For clip-in OBSF buttons if you mount into a surface no thicker than about 1/8" Any thinker then I would recommend a screw in type like the OBSN. You still may need to route out the botton side cause the thread isn't so thick.

trabus

09-24-2004, 10:35 AM

After looking at several materials at the hardware store, I decided to go with MDF and top mount the stick with a plate. I realized that doing it any other way would be shoddy and probably not be solid enough. I made a joystick plate last night from some sheet metal, and I'm going to either make a plate for my buttons, or drill the holes a bit bigger and use the plexiglas to support the buttons.

Thanks for the advice. :)

trabus

09-26-2004, 09:52 PM

I just finished building my box today. I went with the top-mount plate method for mounting the buttons. I still have to paint it and wire it up, but I'm pretty happy with it. It's 12.5" w x 9" h, base angled with 3.5" h in the back, and 2.5" h in the front. The buttons fit great, and the joystick is nice and solid.
http://www.trabusproject.com/images/joystick/unfinished/

btw, the joystick mounting plate looks crooked because I accidentally drilled the joystick mount holes a bit crooked, so I had to rotate the plate a bit to compensate. I probably could have made a new plate, but I didn't have much time.

SpiffyShoes

09-26-2004, 10:10 PM

Nice, I like it. How much did the metal plate cost you? I'm putting some sanwa parts into a red octane and was planing on just using the plexi/lexan to hold them in but if the metal plates are cheap I might buy one to put under the plexi.

trabus

09-26-2004, 10:14 PM

I just got a 6x18 sheet of 16 gauge steel from home depot (it was about $6). I cut the plates out with a grinder and drilled the holes with a holesaw. I had to grind the holes a bit to make them large enough for the buttons to fit.

SpiffyShoes

09-26-2004, 10:29 PM

Cool thanks, I’ll look into that. What size hole saw were you using? I've found that 32mm works great. It's a little loose if your using regular sanwas but if you use the screw type sanwas it doesn't matter.

trabus

09-26-2004, 10:58 PM

I couldn't get a hold of any metric hole saws, so I used a 1 1/8" and used a rotary tool to grind the holes a bit larger. Really, its the plexiglas that is holding the buttons tight though. The metal is more there for support.

SpiffyShoes

09-26-2004, 11:21 PM

A 1-1/8" is a 29mm bit. It should have had the metric conversions on the package when you bought the bit. A 32mm bit is a 1-1/4". They have them at Home Depot for like $6.

trabus

09-27-2004, 12:02 AM

I tried a 1-1/4" bit, but the holes were too large, so I went down to the 1-1/8". A 1-3/16" bit would be perfect, but they're hard to find unless you go to a serious tool store.

SpiffyShoes

09-27-2004, 05:42 AM

Maybe my 1-1/4" is off but the sanwas seemed to fit in it and they don't fall through. They do move around if your using the regular sanwas but if your using the ones that mount with a bolt the same way the Happ buttons mount it keeps the button tight and prevents them from moving.

trabus

09-27-2004, 08:59 AM

I'm using the clip type buttons, which is why I needed a precise hole. If I had used the 1-1/4" hole saw they would still clip-in but they'd shift around because of the extra room, which of course would totally blow goats.
So I had no choice but to use the 1-1/8" hole saw and use a rotary grinder to enlarge them to fit. Next time I will try and find a 1-3/16" hole saw.

metrock1

09-27-2004, 04:14 PM

Did you use a template for the holes or by sight. I want the same layout except 6 buttons instead of 8. Also is the metal plate recessed in the wood or is it bolted directly on top. If its recessed did you route it out or use another method.

SpiffyShoes

09-27-2004, 06:07 PM

If you don't have a router you can use a wood chisel. If you don't know how to use one ask someone at your hardware store to explain how to use it to flush the plate.

ax0r

09-27-2004, 06:13 PM

that button layout looks uncomfortable

trabus

09-27-2004, 09:58 PM

Well its a good thing that it's my stick and not yours, then eh? ;)

The button layout was from a template I made (after several configurations thats the one I felt was the most comfortable for me). The metal plate is recessed, and I did use a router for it.

metrock1

09-28-2004, 05:27 AM

What size router bit was it and how deep and wide was your cut. Sorry for all the questions it's just I haven't seen a lot of how to stuff for sanwa mods but I love em ever since I bought my 2 jap machines ya know.

And by the way I think those style of buttons is the way to go. I can't play on american style buttons any more to save my life.

trabus

09-28-2004, 09:00 AM

I just used a 1/2" router bit and cleaned up the edges with a 1/4" bit so I could get the corners. The cut was 1/8" deep, and I just made it in the shape of the plate.

ThyAllMighty

09-29-2004, 10:46 AM

I know this isn't really sanwa, but this seemed kind of relevant. Can you put an octangonal gate into the t4/sc2 stick and how?

armad1ll0

09-29-2004, 12:24 PM

the only way to get the GT-Y in there is to put the whole Sanwa JLF in there.

trabus

09-29-2004, 10:55 PM

Well I just finished it, and it works. :D
http://www.trabusproject.com/images/joystick/index.php?i=4
I used a solderless method for the connections, I seperated the wires on the ribbon and put shrink tube around them. Then I hooked them up to a barrier strip. I still need to wire up the mode button and select, but the buttons haven't arrived yet. I also need to make room for the start button (the temporary one is sideways right now because it's too close to the back wall) but I'm also going to wait until the real one arrives.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it, being my first stick and all. :)

ragnafrak

09-30-2004, 12:23 AM

nice trabus, great button layout too..

if you had like a pool ball as a start button that would be sick

Tha-Darkside

09-30-2004, 12:55 AM

I agree, that is a pretty sharp looking stick. Well done :tup:

armad1ll0

09-30-2004, 01:44 AM

this is what this thread is all about.

Nicely done...

Lei Sui Long

09-30-2004, 03:32 PM

Lei Sui Long

10-01-2004, 07:50 AM

I was looking at everything I have ordered and I was wondering if someone could tell me the order of the pegs on the Sanwa stick? I don't want to have guess for up,down,left and right.

trabus

10-01-2004, 08:20 AM

With the tan side of the pcb facing you, and the prongs pointing downward here are the directions from the left to right prong-
1 - left
2 - right
3 - down
4 - up
5 - ground

I'm 90% sure of this, but I don't have my stick here with me, so I'll need to doublecheck when I get home.

The best way to tell though is to look at the green side of the pcb (just take off the restrictor plate and it comes right off) and trace from the prongs to where they end. Then whichever postion the microswitch it leads to is opposite of the direction it represents; so if the microswitch on the left side actually triggers the right direction (because the when you move the joystick to the right, it pushes on the left microswitch). The same is true of the up and down directions.

SpiffyShoes

10-01-2004, 08:38 AM

I am buying a Red octane stick that they have on Sale 4 $15 and all Sanwa components to replace the junk it comes with. Besides drilling the extra button holes and wiring them up what else will I need to do?

Will the stick and the buttons fit in the pre drilled holes on the red octane stick? Will I have to route the stick portion to get it mount as well as the buttons? Thanks in advance for any help!

It depends on the sanwa stick you bought. If you bought an Ulitmarc T-Stick with the extra long handle then you should be able to mount it useing the holes in the Red Octane box. If your using a JLF stick then you will need to cut out a square hole for it and use a mounting plate to top mount it. There is a tutorial on how to top mount the sanwas on www.modeverything.com

For the buttons you will need to enlarge the holes in order to fit them on.

Lei Sui Long

10-01-2004, 09:01 AM

Thank you both!!!!!! Thats helps ALLOT!! I will post pics of the sticks when they are done!

Tha-Darkside

10-09-2004, 01:52 AM

For those interested, I finally had the spare time to make a blueprint of the small sanwa cases I created awhile back. You can click on the link here (http://www.byrdo.org/small_sanwa_blueprint.htm) or go to my website. It's a pretty simple layout, but gives all the measurements I would use. I've had several people interested in these small cases so hopefully this will help those of you with your own projects. I haven't gotten around to making any button layout templates since I figured most people would prefer making their own, this is the main reason I left the "top panel" blank.

Ukyo2k3

10-09-2004, 09:21 AM

Hey Darkside. Do you know if there is enough clearance inside to put Happ parts or do you think they would be running into the bottom?

Tha-Darkside

10-09-2004, 10:48 AM

Hey Darkside. Do you know if there is enough clearance inside to put Happ parts or do you think they would be running into the bottom?

It'll bottom out with Happ stuff but if you increased the overall height by about 1/2 an inch then Happ parts should fit in there fine.

SpiffyShoes

10-10-2004, 11:14 AM

I'm not sure I'm happy with the artwork and the plexi but here is one of my Namco's.

delurio

10-11-2004, 11:30 AM

whoa, nice robbie.

I was wondering which games is what type of sticks. I heard that VF 4 uses a square gate, but what about the others?

SpiffyShoes

10-11-2004, 01:25 PM

As far as I know they all have square gates except for the Chaos stick by sammy which I've heard uses an Octagonal gate.

armad1ll0

10-11-2004, 02:25 PM

They all have square gates, the best to use is the Hori Arcade pro because you can just put a GT-Y gate in there pretty easy. I did that to ours.

armad1ll0

10-11-2004, 02:39 PM

1) for the buttons, you'll need to open up the holes on the PCB to fit Sanwa "clip in" type buttons in there. If you use screw type they need to be short enought to fit in the case. Clip in are better because they also hold the PCB keeping all of the buttons in and making whole thing more rigid.

It's also possible to re-route the leads so that the button config is better. I swaped start/select and moved the buttons around on my stick so that they are more friendly for SF and works well for Dreamcast adaptors.

2) mounting the joystick. The case is tall enough to hold the un modded JLF joysticks. This makes it easy as there's no "too long of a shaft" to deal with, unlike the Namco stick. There are three ways to mount the joystick to this case.

A) Cut out some of the reinforcements in the stick so that the JLF can sit in there flush. Then drill two holes through the top for a 2 bolt method.

B) Catch22 showed in his inital mod of the Namco how he used the original 4 screws and put them through the body of the joystick. This required 4 holes to be drilled in the gate and 4 of the holes in the joystick body to be opened up so that the 4 prongs coming off the joystick case to fit in there. It's a tight fit but it'll come.

C) I believe that it's spiffyshoes that first did the Catch22 mod but with shorter screws to mount off the body only and not screwing through the body, pcb, and gate.

I recently did a Hori mod using method C but I simply cut the original 4 screws so that I didn't have to make any other adjustments to the gate. It's important to me to be able to change the gate quickly. This is why spiffyshoes's method is better than even Catch22's method and prettier than my 2 bolt method.

SoulCaliFreak

10-11-2004, 03:23 PM

Spiffy, I like your Namco mod, much better than the plain old grey.

Armad, any pics of this new stick you just modded. I guess I'll have to ask Himura if he has the clip in Sanwa buttons, cuz he was going to sell me the screw in ones.

Can I still just take out that pcb since I can't find out why it doesn't work, and just put the dual shock pcb in there? Or will the buttons be all loose? BTW, you rock man!!! Can't wait to see a pic of the mod, outside and inside if you will.

armad1ll0

10-11-2004, 06:23 PM

Here's the outside. Rest are following.

Maybe I'll do some buttons swaps to Sanwa. The thing is, I don't find that much of an upgrade. The stock ones work fine. I just noticed that the SC logo is yellow in blue though... hmmm...

armad1ll0

10-11-2004, 11:53 PM

Swapped in JLF, GT-Y, Moved some button wiring around as well as start & select.

armad1ll0

10-12-2004, 12:06 AM

Lastly just a close up shot of the joystick flush mounted in there with hidden bolts (ala spiffyshoes technique)

This also shows that you don't have to hybrid the parts to fit them in there.

SoulCaliFreak

10-12-2004, 08:04 AM

Nice! Did the Sanwa stick fit in that little square recess where the old stick used to reside? I'll have to read Spiffy's way of mounting cuz your pic is so dark, I don't see how you got it in there. Of course, I don't know what I'm supposed to look for either.

Did you switch it with a dual shock pcb then, or did you just keep the stock one? I just want a dual shock pcb so it'll work fine with Xbox and Cube since I play SC2 on both of those systems. All I wanna know is if I can just take that pcb out and use the dual shock one? Or will the buttons be loose?

And you said you recommend the clip in sanwa buttons over the screw ins, correct?

armad1ll0

10-12-2004, 11:00 AM

The stock PCB works fine since this was a brand new unit. If you get the right adaptor it should work fine. I think that a gemini will work with this stick as well.

I cut off the two bolt prongs and then opened up for holes so that it could slide in there and seat flush. I then used Spiffyshoes idea of using shorter screws to not screw through the PCB and the gate. The head of the screw resides under the PCB. This way a flash harness will fit in there or the gates can be changed easily. (this is a slight upgrade from Catch22's boltless method) Previously I would just sink in two bolts from the top of the panel to secure the joystick.

The joystick body fits in the square cutout fine as long as you cut off the two flanges.

This is as much info as I'll put out there. I'm to busy to be writing a guide. I do this as a paid service from my site and this is good enough info for someone that knows what they are doing to figure out the rest themselves.

A number of us have figured it all out with only a few simple pictures of Catch22's original JLF in the Namco/Hori stick posted on tekken zaibatsu.

Clip in buttons tend to work better in this installation.

SoulCaliFreak

10-12-2004, 02:40 PM

I thank you very much Mr. Business man. I'll gather what I can from what you posted and let you know how it all works out.

armad1ll0

10-12-2004, 03:51 PM

you can't stay with top of the game if you give out every single one of your tricks.

SoulCaliFreak

10-12-2004, 07:47 PM

It's all good Armad, you've given plenty of stuff. I'll hit up my boy Byrdo if I get stuck on anything else, but your stuff has been invaluable. Can't wait to start putting it to practice. I'm not out to go into business myself, not for a while, just wanted to do a mod. Thanks again. :tup:

armad1ll0

10-15-2004, 10:23 AM

I've finished my Tekken 3 (4 button) stick mod. It got:

* upgrade to 6 buttons (kept with the stock stile yellow hori buttons)
* Sanwa JLF with shaft cover set and yellow ball top.
* Cable swaped out for a Sony cable off a digital controller I had. (the hori cable looked in bad shape)

SpiffyShoes

10-17-2004, 03:14 PM

Hey can you tell me how to wire a sanwa stick? I can't figure out which pin does what and i can't find any posts telling me how. If you could tell me it'd be a great help.

If you have a five pin joystick connector that Himura sells on his website then with the microswitches facing up the pin on the far right is the ground. All of the rest of the pins you should be able to figure out from there. Just look at the circuit board and trace the line going from a pin to see which microswitch they go to. The lines on the circuit board are fairly big so this should be an easy task.

If you don’t have one of those five pin connectors then just follow Armad1ll0’s example he posted earlier in this thread, and just solder to the microswitches like you would a regular joystick.

armad1ll0

10-17-2004, 06:53 PM

oh I might as well post this pic of the Hori Real Arcade Pro that I modded. I might also put in a flash harness in there also. It just won't look any different.

Forty-Stupid

10-20-2004, 01:10 PM

Hey thanks Spiffy Shoes. I just realized that it really only matters how you intend on mounting the stick that determines which way is up down left or right so you pretty much have to trace them. It wasn't hard at all. Thanks again.

shinobi00

10-21-2004, 03:50 PM

I'm about to order a joystick from himura games, and I was wondering a couple things. Are there any installation instructions anywhere for mounting sanwa stuff any where? Also, does 3/4 wood work ok for sanwas, thats what i used for happ products. And finally, what size are the wholes of the holes I have to drill for the joystick and buttons?

SpiffyShoes

10-21-2004, 04:14 PM

3/4 is way too thick if you are wanting to bottom mount the joystick. 3/8 is what you should use. Other wise you should top mount the joystick. Top mounting isn't very hard and will give I better sized shaft. You can find instruction on how to Top Mount your Sanwa on www.modeverything.com. For the buttons if you ordered the clip in type you will need to make a metal mounting plate to top mount them. If you ordered the screw type buttons then you should be able to mount them on 1/4" wood. For the buttons you will need to make your hole 30mm. Since they don't make 30mm drill bits then just use the regular 1-1/8" (29mm) and then widen the holes.

armad1ll0

10-21-2004, 06:14 PM

you can clip into your plexi if you secure your plexi through another method other than leting the buttons hold them down.

SpiffyShoes

10-21-2004, 07:21 PM

That's true but it's not as strong as using the metal plate or wood. It should be fine for regular use but if you pound supper hard on the buttons it will crack the plexi. Of course most people aren't going to be pounding that hard on the buttons but you never know. If your going to mount the buttons that way it might be better to use Lexan instead since it is supposed to be stronger. But then using Lexan you have the disadvantage that they won't cut it for you at the store, plus you have to sand down the edges.

Ukyo2k3

10-22-2004, 08:30 AM

Where do they cut plexiglass for you? And are youtalking abouting cutting into shape or just small enough for you to fit into your car liketh wood cutting stations?

SpiffyShoes

10-22-2004, 09:06 AM

They will cut it for you at home depot or lowes. They will only cut 90 degree angles so they won't cut the corners off for you or anything. Their cuts are going to be better than what you do your self though. And the fewer the cuts you make on the plexi yourself the fewer chances you have of making mistakes.

Tha-Darkside

10-22-2004, 01:54 PM

New Sanwa Stik for tha sanwa thread. Gives you an idea of how low cases can be made to fit sanwa parts. This one is a JLF stik.

Silver Streak (http://www.byrdo.org/images/Arcade%20Stiks/Silver%20Streak%20front.jpg)

Also for the top, lexan is much better/stronger than plexi and it won't crack, making it ideal for mounting sanwa buttons as long as there are other "renforcements under it so that it doesn't bend inward, for those of you that "hammer" the buttons. I always use lexan and have never had any problems with it, it's also not very hard to cut yourself.

shinobi00

10-22-2004, 06:10 PM

wow, that is a massive hole to make in the wood. I've seen the mounting plate and it looks like I can top-mount it just like any other joystick. I was just gonna send the 4 screws through the mounting plate and use washers and bolts to tighten. Does that sound workable?

shinobi00

10-24-2004, 09:07 AM

I already bought the 3/4. but I'll just get 3/8 so I can bottom mount it. I'm not going to use the 34, to top mount.

armad1ll0

10-25-2004, 08:54 AM

if you top mount it doesn't matter how thick it is unless your concern is the buttons.

shinobi00

10-25-2004, 10:57 AM

Yeah Himura just told me I have the screw type, so i guess it's 3/8s then. I just hope it's strong enough. At least i don't have to top mount it now.

SpiffyShoes

10-25-2004, 11:28 AM

3/8's MDF should be plenty strong as long as you use it in small sheets. But it won't be thick enough to counter sink your bolts very easily so they will have to be showing on top of the plexi. If you already have the 3/4 MDF board I would recommend going ahead and just using that. It really isn't hard to top mount the joystick and buttons. And by using the thicker wood you can put the bolts under the plexi.

shinobi00

10-25-2004, 08:07 PM

Yeah the thing is, I'm setting up a sit down style arcade setup. I'm not sure 3/8s is strong enough. I don't worry about the wood. I work for HD so I can get wood free by purposely fucking it up, or getting scraps or some shit. And the screw type will fit in the 3/4?

SpiffyShoes

10-25-2004, 10:06 PM

The screw type will fit in 1/4" wood with plexi. If you use the 3/4" wood then you will need to use a router to rout out the wood around the buttons so that it is only 1/4" thick. If you don't have a router you could use a wood chisel to take off 1/4" from the top and use a piece of 1/4" MDF to mount the buttons in a similar way to which you top mount the joystick.

Ukyo2k3

10-25-2004, 10:25 PM

Spiffy, draw me up an example or show me something so that i can learn how to countersink bolts. i just do not understand, but i dont want my bolts to show. PLEASE!!!

SpiffyShoes

10-26-2004, 09:45 AM

To counter sink your bolts when bottom mounting you just drill holes in the wood to sink the bolts into. For top mounting when your routing out on top to make the plate flush, you just make it deep enough so the bolts are flush also.

Ukyo2k3

10-26-2004, 10:00 AM

Cool. Thanks Spiffy. Its all becoming clear now. Excellent artwork.

Nash421

10-26-2004, 10:27 AM

Just a question thats possibly been answered in another thread. Is top mounting an optical sanwa in 3/4 wood any different than normal sanwas? Is it possible?

SpiffyShoes

10-26-2004, 11:07 AM

It is the same as mounting regular sanwa JLF's. The optical Sanwas don't come with a mounting plate though if you are ordering from Himuragames be sure to ask for one. They do come with an octagonal gate though and the 5 pin connector so you don't need to order those.

Nash421

10-26-2004, 12:19 PM

How bad would it be to bottom mount the stick and buttons on 3/8 wood? Would it be strong enuff to withstand "normal" play?

SpiffyShoes

10-26-2004, 01:19 PM

It should be strong enough. But like I said before if you bottom mount on 3/8 wood you can't really counter sink your bolts. So they would be showing on top of the plexi.

THChardcore

10-26-2004, 08:42 PM

I have a Sanwa JLW stick top mounted in wood and 6 clip in buttons. Basically, I'm not really happy with the shaft length and would like to lower it for comforts sake as well as make a more clean and smooth wooden box. I had some general questions before I start. First off, I need to know what type of wood will give me the best finish. I want to use hardwood oak that I have lying around, but will I be able to paint it okay. MDF seems very shitty as it gets nasty on the edges after cutting (something only texture molding seems to help). Also, what type of paint/primer should I use to get a really nice matte finish, I want it to feel like formica or even some sort of counter top. I'm guessing I'll just use wood screws for it all. I have a really inventive way of mounting this things that's fairly complicated, but I think it will work out nicely and I'll post pictures when I'm all finished.

Thanks

Nash421

10-27-2004, 06:55 AM

It should be strong enough. But like I said before if you bottom mount on 3/8 wood you can't really counter sink your bolts. So they would be showing on top of the plexi.

Thanks Spiffy. Gonna start building my sanwa flash this weekend. I'll take a feel of the 3/8 wood and then decide on top or bottom mount. Thanks for the help :clap:

X44

11-02-2004, 01:49 AM

I just got the JLF's that I order from himuragames. My question is that it looks to me that the micro are solder to the pcb,but what i do see is that it has five pins out. I don't know if someone has ask this or not,but can i just solder to those pins straight up.Is my first time with a sanwa so i dunno. i have done american switches but not a jap stick. If not i guess i can do it old style and solder to each micro but the pins would save me time and hassle..

another questions that i have is that how to you spiffy and armd.. hold the pcbs to the board and how u keep your wire so clean i'm afraid that the damn solder might come off the pcb and it migth screw the whole thing. So i'm dabeting the dimensions and i'm thinking of making 3 additional inches all around so that i would have room for the pcb. I really wanna make a clean job not a spider web if you guys know what i mean...

and by anychance does anyone know the a template of japanes buttons configuration.. since the jap and short (the first two buttons) are alittle bit lower is throwing me off like jap arcades,or namcos,or hiros stickand i dont know how much lower they are, but if noone knows i guess i'll make it to fit confortable with my hand.. :tup: on the projects u guys make and i wanna make something half decent like everyone in here..

thanks to anyone that helps me out..

armad1ll0

11-02-2004, 02:15 AM

You can make your own harness, get a joystick harness for the JLF or solder to the switches that happen to be soldered to the PCB. The grounds are all ready daisy chained on the JLF PCB though so you just need one ground to it.

Your other question about size and soldering to the PCB doesn't make sense to me. Depending on how you solder to a PCB it should never come off, unless with some good force to tear the wire or copper off the PCB.

Clean is just triming down the wires, laying them up tight and using zip ties.

examples of wiring that I've done:

http://www.geocities.com/armad1ll0/images/Stealth_wire.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/armad1ll0/images/Mod_sticks/DualShock_RO.jpg
http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38377

X44

11-02-2004, 08:20 AM

shinobi00

11-02-2004, 08:26 AM

So basically your saying that i can't solder to the five pins on the sanwa then.Oh, well i guess i have to do it like soldering a competion stick. I just thought that i would save my self time by doing it the five pin way..looks nice and neat the way you clean up after the job. Looks like you screw the pcb to the wall and u put all the wires to some little tube and zip's..thank alot
:tup:

X44

He's probably not saying that because you can. It's easier if you could find a five prong plug. When soldering to them, it's harder to avoid the wires form touching each other when they are so close. It's your decision.

SpiffyShoes

11-02-2004, 09:25 AM

If you notice there are some points where the prongs are soldered to the PCB. It's easier to solder there then it is to solder to the actual prongs themselves. And yeah, I use screws to mount the PCB to the side of the box and cable ties to orgonize my wires, same as Armad1ll0.

Nash421

11-05-2004, 09:58 AM

Just posting pics of the Sanwa stick I've been working on. It's based on the blueprint from Darkside's site. Since he's not building sticks anymore I figured I would try building the case.

It's sanwa stick and pushbuttons mounted on 3/4 inch wood with lexan. It didn't come out perfect, but the next one I build, the case should come out nicer. Only thing left is to put in the pcb, start and select buttons on the side, and to do the soldering.

Sanwa Stick Top (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaTop.jpg)

Sanwa Stick Inside (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaInside.jpg)

Sanwa and Mas Size Comparison (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaSize.jpg)

Tha-Darkside

11-05-2004, 01:18 PM

So basically your saying that i can't solder to the five pins on the sanwa then.Oh, well i guess i have to do it like soldering a competion stick. I just thought that i would save my self time by doing it the five pin way..looks nice and neat the way you clean up after the job. Looks like you screw the pcb to the wall and u put all the wires to some little tube and zip's..thank alot
:tup:

X44

An easier way to wire the stik without the harness is to de-solder the 5 pin connector so you can remove it, then run your wires through the 5 holes and solder them on that way. It'll make a secure connection, look very clean, plus it's less likely for your wires to ever come in contact with each other.

Not bad Nash, but why the heightened sides? Is it out of preference? I like them flush with the top so my hands don't feel restricted, but that's just my choice.

Nash421

11-05-2004, 03:20 PM

I tried it out flush and a little bit high. The spacing is just right for me that the side of my hand fits between the stick and the sides. It just felt a bit better. =)

Nash421

11-08-2004, 12:28 PM

I'm trying to setup my flash stick. I was having problems I thought with finding the power on the pcb I was using. But I just opened up my MAS with a perfect 360. I unsoldered and put my stick in there and I have the same problem. When I connect the power the stick goes nuts like its pressing a whole ton of buttons.

I just wanted to make sure. The pin layout is :

1. Ground
2. 2 Through 5 is the directionals
3. Middle prong on the other set of 3 is the 5v connection?

SpiffyShoes

11-08-2004, 06:07 PM

Yeah, thats correct.

Nash421

11-08-2004, 06:15 PM

Really odd, I hooked it up to my MAS PCB which works fine with my Perfect 360. Still didn't work.

zapatistab

11-09-2004, 09:02 AM

Hi Anyone,

I'm having a hard time getting a straight answer, so can someone tell me what kind of Sanwa to get. I plan on putting a Sanwa Stick in a Hori Neo Geo Stick. Do I get a Sanwa with a mounting plate, or one without a mounting plate? Thanks in advance!

SpiffyShoes

11-09-2004, 04:41 PM

Do, you have a picture as to which stick your talking about? Is it this one?

http://www.superfamishop.com/acheter,accessoires,consoles,jeux-40+2695.html

You only need a mounting plate if you are mounting your joystick in wood. I assume your Neo Geo stick isn't made out of wood so probably you don't need one. If you have the Neo Geo stick from the picture you want to get a sanwa JLF.

zapatistab

11-09-2004, 04:46 PM

zapatistab

11-10-2004, 09:00 AM

Hi Spiffy,

One more Sanwa question. For the Neo Hori II, do I get Sanwa buttons with the clips or the screw on type? Thanks

SpiffyShoes

11-10-2004, 09:30 AM

Which ever you prefer they both should work fine. Personally I like the screw on type best but the clip on ones are a little cheaper. I tried putting some plexi on my Namco but I had clip on buttons and they didn’t fit with both the plexi and metal plate but the screw on ones would. So basically it boils down to the screw in are more versatile but the clip-ons are cheaper. Either way should work fine.

zapatistab

11-10-2004, 10:46 AM

zapatistab

11-11-2004, 11:49 AM

GaijinPunch

11-11-2004, 01:45 PM

Quick question for anyone that wants to answer it. I've got 6 clip-on Sanwa buttons. I'm curious -- if I get my plexi cut at EXACTLY 30mm, will it fit, or does it need to be a smidgeon larger?

Next question: the tutorials I see on "wiring your own PS2 Controller" show different buttons which have an NO, NC, and Ground connections. The Sanwa ones just have two. Any way to tell which is which? And am I a moron assuming there's no ground?

Tychom

11-12-2004, 07:20 AM

So I finally opened up my Hori Neo II, to see what I am up against. Seems like a fairly easy Mod. Is there anything I should know before I begin adding a stick and buttons?

Any suggestions or opinions will be helpful. Thanks!

I was about to post this anyway, and I guess it ties in as I believe that stick is the same (at least close to identical) to the Hori SS (The black ones with green buttons/ball top), likewise there's a PCE equivalent.

I had a spare JLF-TP-8Y and some OBSF-30 buttons hanging around which I needed to put to good use, the only stick spare I had was one of the afore mentioned Hori SS sticks so I decided to toy around with them.

Anyone who's come across one of these knows they're very shallow indeed, the only option is to mount directly to the underside of the plastic casing. The plastic casing in turn has no space between it and the metal top plate (so you need to use flat headed screws to hold the stick in place or the plate won't go back on properly).

Mounting is no different to many sticks: shave/cut the original plastic supports and widen the basin where the original stick was, screw holes and attach the stick flush against the plastic. Even with the stick absolutely flush I estimate there is less than 1 millimeter of clearance between the shaft and the sticks base plate when reattached, there's absolutely no scope for lowering the stick further.

So obviously we have problems: it's mounted way too high, the shaft is too long and the whole thing just doesnt feel right, it feels awkward to move.

After mulling for a while, realising there was no nice way to mount it lower I decided on all out modding it and using the shaft from the original Hori. This shaft is much much shorter, obviously about right for this stick, it is however about a millimeter less in diamater, placing the shaft through the Sanwa bearing and spring cap parts it's immediately obvious that it will be loose, unresponsive and with a dead zone in the center as the shaft moves and the bearing/caps stay firmly put.

What I decided upon was to annihilate what was left of the Hori stick. Being designed for the shaft I was using it was apparent that the bearing and caps from that stick would be exactly the correct bore for the job, sadly they're not the right size or shape to be put directly into the Sanwa stick, I figured that if I could somehow get them *into* their equivalent Sanwa parts then all would be good. So it's filing time.

I took each of the 3 parts and filed them down so that all that was left of them were tiny plastic tubes, each of them with plastic litterally no more than about 0.3mm thick, this was done with 2 medium sized files and took a few hours. Each of these tubes was now ready to go, they slotted perfectly (quite tightly, there's no movement at all) inside each of their Sanwa equivalents. Put back together again the Hori shaft fits into the Sanwa as if they were made for each other, there's no wobble at all yet the shaft slides in and out just fine.

One final problem though, the Sanwa spring cap is too long and covers the end of the shaft so there's no way to put the clip back on. Once more with the filing I take off a few millimeters. Clip goes back on and we're good to go :)

As to how it feels, well it feels better than the original hori stick, it also feels better to me than with the original long shaft however it is not perfect (and is no competition for the one mounted in my DC stick). Firstly it's still very obvious that the stick is mounted too high, the center of rotation just feels wrong and there's just nothing that can be done about this, also I think that the shaft is definately held tighter by the inner spring cap than it otherwise would be, the inner tube created could still be thinned out a bit more to make the shaft slide through it easier, but then the tube itself may not be held in as tightly. The combination of the two things means a little more effort needs to be put in when using it than otherwise (but this is perfect for people who find the Sanwa sticks to loose in the first place). The stick also has more throw (though it obviously contacts the switches at the same point), as I had to file down the length of the outer spring cap to fit it onto the shaft the point where it makes contact with the restrictor has risen.

All in all, it's interesting, certainly not bad but it doesnt come close to having the stick mounted lower.

ps. the button holes are 30mm, the Sanwa buttons clip in just fine.

zapatistab

11-12-2004, 08:44 AM

Wow, that was alot of info. Thanks for taking the time. I will take all of that into consideration when I start the swapping! Thanks :clap:

armad1ll0

11-12-2004, 07:42 PM

You can take the shaft and E-clip from any other Hori joystick. This is what people basically do with the Namco.

I just personally like the case of the Namco and the newer Hori sticks much more than the older Saturn/Neo-Geo/PSX body.

zapatistab

11-15-2004, 08:58 AM

zapatistab

11-15-2004, 01:11 PM

My Sanwa parts just came in, and I noticed on the buttons there is a slash mark next to one of the connectors. Is that were you connect the ground, or does it not matter which button connector you use for ground? Sorry for the rookie question, but I wanted to cover all bases before I begin messing with it!

KojiroSon

11-16-2004, 07:54 PM

Just a personal question to yall, how do yall get your parts (sanwas) because I have been going through different distributors and have found many of them to be (*cough) unreliable.

Nash421

11-16-2004, 07:58 PM

www.himuragames.com

He ships it out really quick.

armad1ll0

11-17-2004, 01:52 AM

I used to buy a couple hundred dollars worth of parts from Asia at one time to get my Sanwa stuff. Now I just go to Rodney. (himuragames)

He just rocks and is easy/reasonable to deal with.

TGC

11-17-2004, 02:24 PM

So are those sanwas on himuragames.com Optical sanwas?

How are they then?

SpiffyShoes

11-17-2004, 03:12 PM

He has both micro switch and optical versions of the Sanwa joysticks on his website. The micro switch versions are $23 and the optical version is $58. The best way to know how the sanwa joysticks feel is to go to an arcade and try them out. You may have to try a few arcades before you find one but if you can find one that has some astro city / candy cabs then they probably have sanwa parts in them.

zapatistab

11-17-2004, 03:26 PM

[QUOTE=trabus]With the tan side of the pcb facing you, and the prongs pointing downward here are the directions from the left to right prong-
1 - left
2 - right
3 - down
4 - up
5 - ground

I'm 90% sure of this, but I don't have my stick here with me, so I'll need to doublecheck when I get home.

I know this is old, but can someone confirm this layout to be true?

TGC

11-17-2004, 03:35 PM

AH so that flash kit is what makes it optical then?

One more thing please!

My top is 3/4" thick, so would a top mount or bottom mount be better?

SpiffyShoes

11-17-2004, 03:47 PM

It doesn't matter either way should be fine. Both ways have their advantages and disadvantages. If you don't have a router though I would suggest Top Mounting.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-19-2004, 11:17 AM

How do you put the buttons in 3/4" wood? Give as many exaples as possible please...

Nash421

11-19-2004, 12:41 PM

The screw type buttons you can chisel out the wood.

Example (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaInside.jpg)

SpiffyShoes

11-19-2004, 01:04 PM

You either have to use a router to thin the wood down to 1/4" around the buttons or you have to top mount them using a metal plate.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-19-2004, 01:24 PM

SpiffyShoes
But I use 3mm Lexan also, will it work then you think?

Nash 421
I don`t have the screw type buttons, I have with those "clips" things on the sides.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-19-2004, 01:38 PM

I have messured on one of my Sanwabuttons and the "grip" is max 4mm (millimeter). So, I was wondering if I could rout down to 1 mm of MDF wood (I have 3mm Lexan)? Or will it break easy? Anyone who have tried it?

SpiffyShoes

11-19-2004, 03:41 PM

I don't know if the lexan will hold or not but I know plexi will break if it is the only thing holding the button on and you pound on it pretty hard. I'd suggest mounting them onto a metal plate the way Trabus did.

http://www.trabusproject.com/images/joystick/unfinished/index.php?i=3

Tha-Darkside

11-20-2004, 02:32 AM

Lexan will easily hold. It's MUCH stronger than plexi and will not crack/break from mashing or pounding. You could mount your buttons to the lexan and just use the mdf as a framing support. It will be very sturdy plus there would be no need to route the mdf to 1mm, because mdf usually becomes very brittle when its thinned down, I wouldn't recommend it in the long run.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-20-2004, 06:23 AM

Tha-Darkside
Do you mount the buttons in just the lexan or how do you do it? Any pictures? And when you do it, is the buttons tight fastened or little loose?

TheRealNeoGeo

11-20-2004, 07:10 AM

I messured again and realised that the button grabs hold of objekts 4mm, 3mm, 2mm and 1mm. So maybe it works on my 3mm lexan.

Tha-Darkside

11-20-2004, 01:46 PM

I mount them in just the lexan and they're never loose, but that just depends on how accurate the hole is, because I like to make the holes to where the buttons fit very snuggly that way they can't move. Just make sure you push it so that both clips latch on and you'll be good to go. A friend has my camera so I can't post any piqs yet.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-21-2004, 01:27 PM

Tha-Darkside
What is the dimension of the holes you are drilling?

TheRealNeoGeo

11-22-2004, 08:22 AM

http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfolders/upload4/sanwabutton.JPG
????

TheRealNeoGeo

11-22-2004, 08:52 AM

http://www.holesaw.com.tw/p5_ha90-type.htm

That HA-90 would be nice...
Does anybody know where these are sold besides in Taiwan?

SpiffyShoes

11-22-2004, 01:21 PM

Don't they sell something similar to that at HomeDepot for a Dremel Rotary Tool?

JetEnduro

11-22-2004, 01:27 PM

you can either use spade bits, i can't remember the exact size, or hole saws, they sell them at home depot.

TheRealNeoGeo

11-22-2004, 03:04 PM

SpiffyShoes
There is no Home Depot in Sweden :(.

JetEnduro
I don`t think it`s possible to use spade bits for drilling holes in Lexan.

nothingxs

11-22-2004, 06:09 PM

I'm interested in taking one of those Hori Soulcalibur joysticks and modding it to have a Sanwa Flash joystick and pushbuttons. Is this technically feasible and/or possible? If so, can this be done with almost no soldering, or will this involve a good deal of it?

I'm curious about this because my budget won't allow me to actually get this stick built by someone else, but the prospect of taking a shot at it and building it myself is still very real. If anyone could supply details on this I'd be most grateful. Thanks!

SpiffyShoes

11-23-2004, 06:19 AM

It is possible to do but it does require some soldering. Here are some pictures of the one that Armad1ll0 did.

http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38374

http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=38377

You can install the Sanwa Flash joystick without having to solder if you use Quick Disconnects. But the buttons you would have to solder, no way around it that I can think of. Also you would need to modify the Sanwa joystick in order to get it to fit in the Hori stick so you need a saw and a drill of some sort.

nothingxs

11-23-2004, 06:41 AM

The Sanwa's shaft is slightly too long for the Hori casing, then?

Any idea how much from the shaft I'd be removing? I want the stick at the regular 'low' position rather than riding much too high or it'd defeat the purpose of switching them out. I'm also guessing I'll want to run a 5V to the stick itself, as though wiring a P360, right? :3

Does anyone have any pictures of how they did the buttons? My guess is a set of 6 clip-on Sanwa pushbuttons and just resolder the wires.

SpiffyShoes

11-23-2004, 10:17 AM

No the sanwa shaft should fit fine in the Hori SCII casing. It was only with the Hori/Namco sitcks that it had trouble fitting.

You can hook up the 5V cable and everything else by just using quick conects so you wouldn't have to solder any thing. The only reason you would need to solder anything is if you are wanting to upgrade the buttons to sanwa buttons.

nothingxs

11-23-2004, 12:49 PM

Yeah, I intend to put in Sanwa clip-on buttons.

SpiffyShoes

11-23-2004, 12:56 PM

To wire up the buttons you can either enlarge the holes on the PCB to fit the larger prongs on the sanwa buttons or you can just use wire to connect the buttons to the PCB.

nothingxs

11-23-2004, 06:15 PM

I figure I'll go with wire since it's probably a bit safer, unless you have pictures of the larger holes on the PCB that I can use as guidelines or a diagram or something visual.

I'm going pretty far in the planning part, now it's time to buy an SC / Tekken 4 stick. :)

EDIT: Speaking of which, what modifications will the actual Sanwa stick require exactly? I just noticed you spoke of some. Whoops.

solace

11-25-2004, 12:53 PM

Quick Question from a noob: Is the Tekken 5 cabinet sticks all Sanwa specs? If so, any modifications towards it?

THChardcore

11-26-2004, 07:12 AM

Okay, with all the problems people are having with controllers and converters on the xbox version of SFAC and wanting to have a lag free stick with headset support, I got the idea to do a mod. I finally ordered all the parts for a real DC agetec Sanwa mod, all new buttons (screw type) and an extra button for back (24mm to be mounted on the side) and a regular JLF with an octagonal plate. I have been working on hacking the pad for the project (a xbox 3rd party pad) and I have a few questions about the xbox and electronics in general. Will the screw buttons work for this mod without any routing of the plastic holes that surround each button? Also if anyone knows, will clips in be better, it seems they wont.

1. I plan to hack the input slots on the xbox pad (well at least the one that supports the communicator for the headset) to the where the vmu slot used to be housed on the DC agetec stick. I was wondering if I can just cut the 5 metal pins that are soldered to each port and run wires between that and the seperated port without fucking anything up?
Disconnecting and resoldering should have no effect on the port being functional as long as I run all the wires from the traces or points to the correct pins on the port, right?

2. I was wondering about the triggers, I heard they use petonometric (sic???) triggers on the xbox and I was curious if cutting them off will have any effect on the them. They are still there right now but I'de like to get rid of them for space purposes. I've left the analog sticks in tact because I know they can fuck up the pad a lot if removed and not replaced with the proper eletronics, but I was told SFAC has no mapping to the triggers, only to the 6 face buttons (x,b,a,y and black/white) and so I'm not sure if this would fuck anything up. I also plan to use this stick for GGXX reload if that makes any differences.

Thanks and have a good Thanksgiving.

SpiffyShoes

11-26-2004, 07:47 AM

JetEnduro

11-29-2004, 02:56 PM

today i was looking to buy a router attachment but there where some weird named ones and i don't know which one to use, which ones do you ppl use(names please? :pleased: ) to route out the wood for the buttons and the mounting plate?

Death By Aegis

12-01-2004, 12:18 AM

my original sanwa dreamcast joystick "broke" tonight so i took it apart trying to find the problem. my guess was that the chord went bad somehow. so i took apart an old dc gamepad and swapped chords. low and behold it was fixed. that was my first time ever messing around with the internals of a joystick.

what did all this lead me to? well now im thinking about making some custom sticks. it doesn't look all that complicated. im a computer technician, so im pretty familiar with pcb's and all that. i just don't have any experience or knowledge in soldering.

so i guess my question is this. if i were to start from scratch and build a sanwa ps2 stick, is there any way to do it w/o having to solder?

i did some searching around in this thread and found a nice diagram on how to build the control panel enclosure.

i guess what i'd like to know is where i could go to find all the parts i would need for my project. im not sure what all parts i would need. would anyone here be kind enough to point me in the right direction? perhaps give me a parts list of what i'd have to buy?

one more question. would it be possible to use the internal parts of an old ps1 or ps2 gamepad to use? in taking apart the dreamcast joystick and gamepad i noticed the internals were pretty much identical. so it would seem if a person had access to a bunch of old gamepads they could use them to build the sticks. unless there is a more preferred method?

thanks for any help you guys can give.

Nash421

12-01-2004, 06:58 PM

Found a US site that sells 30mm Hole Saws. Found one that's retail. Yay!!!

http://www.mytoolstore.com/mkmorse/av.html

broken spirit

12-01-2004, 11:23 PM

...2. I was wondering about the triggers, I heard they use petonometric (sic???) triggers on the xbox and I was curious if cutting them off will have any effect on the them....but I was told SFAC has no mapping to the triggers, only to the 6 face buttons (x,b,a,y and black/white) and so I'm not sure if this would fuck anything up....
the white/black buttons map automatically to L/R triggers respectively. Im not sure if that helps or not.

CigarBoB

12-02-2004, 12:07 AM

here is another site for the 30mm holesaw
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp?xi=xi&ItemId=1611747765&ccitem=

Ive been buying supplys from Grainger since 1994 and they are very good to deal with.

Alos here is a pic of my newest stick.

NiteWalker

12-02-2004, 04:40 AM

How does the hole saw work for MDF? I use a spade bit and like the way that works. It also drills through the lexan with no prob. How is the hole saw on lexan?
Thanks for the link btw.

SpiffyShoes

12-13-2004, 07:24 AM

I finally got around to finishing up my pare of Namco sticks and took some pictures (http://himuragames.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=playerproj&action=display&num=1102918265).

zapatistab

12-14-2004, 08:33 AM

Here is a pic of my Hori Neo w/Sanwa's

Nice pics spiffy. I did not take a pic of the guts, because it's not as clean as Spiffy's :sad:

armad1ll0

12-14-2004, 09:00 AM

zapatistab

12-14-2004, 09:18 AM

Nice, as it's the first of the old body Hori mods that I've seen I have one appart on my desk that I've not finished yet.

I suggest going to Home Depot and getting "button cap socket bolts" they'll require an allen wrench but look more nice and have a smaller softer head than a typical bolt like you've used.

Thanks for the advice about the bolts. I wasn't sure what type of bolts to use, so I stuck with the standard ones used on most U.S. sticks. Thanks, all the advice you spill out in the threads, really helped out on this stick. And thanks too Spiify as well.

THChardcore

12-14-2004, 01:47 PM

This is what I made for 3S play, thanks to all that helped (Cigarbob, DF, ect.)

NicholasG.

12-14-2004, 03:50 PM

Hey Spiffyshoes, when you widen the holes in the pcb to fit the sanwa switches do you use an ordinary drill bit?

Kayin

12-14-2004, 04:01 PM

Anyone know if it is possible to mod a Hori SC2 stick with Sanwa parts? I am considering buying one and would like to know.

Thanks in advance to anyone that helps.

Tha-Darkside

12-14-2004, 04:13 PM

Anyone know if it is possible to mod a Hori SC2 stick with Sanwa parts? I am considering buying one and would like to know.

Thanks in advance to anyone that helps.

It's possible, I know several people that have done this, plus there's some on these forums that do this type of mod so if you're planning on it I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get some info.

Kayin

12-14-2004, 04:28 PM

Okay, cool, now what about the deal with an R2 button? There any way to hack the PCB or something to make one? (Sorry if this sounds stupid, but I may change the layout to better suit SF games and the likes.)

armad1ll0

12-14-2004, 07:48 PM

usually if there's no button, the chip on the PCB will still have a contact for the button. the copper trace just won't go to it to wire up a button. I've figured one out to add buttons to a stick that didn't have the button already wired up on the encoder chip on the PCB. I've added R1 and L1 on a Hori Tekken 3 stick. Now the stick has 6 buttons.

angryliberal

12-14-2004, 11:55 PM

I have a hori sc2 stick that I've modded by adding a sanwa stick to. I would also like to add actual sanwa buttons. how difficult s this,and is there an faq or something i can read concerning replacing the buttons on the sc2 stick. replacing the buttons on my x-arcade was easy, all quick disconnects, and i have very little problem with sodering, I just can't figure out how you go about taking the old buttons off and putting the sanwa ones in. anyone got a suggestion?

armad1ll0

12-15-2004, 09:40 AM

1) Desolder every old button and lift the board off.
2) Unclip all of the old buttons
3) Then you'll have to take a dremmel tool to "open" up the holes so that the prongs on the Sanwa will fit through.

ShinJN came up with even bending the Sanwa buttons in and then up also so that the prongs will line up a little better.

I grind out the traces of a few of the buttons to "re-route" the lines so that the button layout is

[] <| R1
X O L2

angryliberal

12-15-2004, 11:05 AM

thanks for the info. i'm not up to re-wiring the buttons or anything, i'm still very new at all this, but i love the sanwa parts, and i eventually wanna actually build my own stick, but for now i'm practicing with premade stuff...

SpiffyShoes

12-15-2004, 12:35 PM

Hey Spiffyshoes, when you widen the holes in the pcb to fit the sanwa switches do you use an ordinary drill bit?

You could use an ordinary drill bit. I'm not sure what Armad1ll0 uses. I decided against widening the holes on my pcb's since the prongs are so big on the sanwa buttons if you made an ordinary round hole it would have to be pretty big and I was worried about the stability of having two holes that big right next to eachother. If you could make a small rectangular slit it would be better. What I ended up doing was just bending the prongs down flat and then soldering some striped wire to all the prongs. I then threaded all the wires through the holes and pulled everything as tight as I could get it and then soldered the wire to the PCB. I then just clipped off the excess wire. It provides a secure mounting for the PCB withought having to widen the holes.

armad1ll0

12-15-2004, 03:26 PM

a small dremmel bit head. I just grind out a larger hole similar to drilling. It's big enough for the prong to go through. It's a better solution than making extensions. You need the PCB to be mounted solidly.

ParryPerson

12-16-2004, 11:30 AM

If I got Sanwas, would I want to replace the ball top with a bat top or no? I've never been to japan or seen a japanese arcade cabinet with sanwas in them

ParryPerson

12-16-2004, 12:26 PM

Also I have an old PS1 Namco stick like the ones you guys seem to be modding. Is it rare or something? (could I sell it for parts) It's got yellow buttons and a sanwa-like stick in it with a ball top that unscrews.

SpiffyShoes

12-16-2004, 12:57 PM

Are you wanting to sell the whole joystick or just the parts? If your wanting to sell the whole thing how much would you want for it? I know some one who was wanting one with some sanwa parts in it.

ParryPerson

12-16-2004, 01:15 PM

Well, I guess I could sell the whole thing, now I don't know if has sanwa parts in it, I don't know anything about these sticks. I got it from a resale store for cheap cheap.

SpiffyShoes

12-16-2004, 01:39 PM

Hey Parry I sent you a PM.

armad1ll0

12-17-2004, 03:10 AM

It's worth at least $50 plus shipping.

NicholasG.

12-17-2004, 02:16 PM

Thanks for the answer spiffyshoes, seems way safer than drilling a hole. Thanks. Peace.

CrotchMonkey

12-18-2004, 12:53 AM

hey guys, was wondering how it is to put sanwa parts onto a pelican. is it much harder than a happ setup?

ParryPerson

12-18-2004, 02:40 AM

hey guys, was wondering how it is to put sanwa parts onto a pelican. is it much harder than a happ setup?

Well, once you gut the pelican, and depending on if you want the feathers to be on it or not, it can be pretty easy. But why shove good parts into a otherwise fine, healthy, living bird?

CrotchMonkey

12-18-2004, 01:01 PM

cause the healthy bird doesnt have japanese parts haha

Toodles

12-18-2004, 01:05 PM

Compared to american parts, putting japanese parts into one of those wooden pelicans would be a ton more work. With american parts, its just swapping them out. Japanese parts are made to work on sheet metal control panels, very thin compared to the wood in most american arcade cabinets and the wood used on the pelicans. With japanese parts, you would need to moify the box somehow, such as routing out the wood or cutting big holes in the wood and mounting plexi over it.

zapatistab

12-20-2004, 01:21 PM

Hi Spiffy, Armad, or anyone who knows the answer!

I have a Hori PS stick (the older one) where the buttons directly make contact to the PCB, similar to a regular controller. I want to add Sanwa buttons in the future. How do I add buttons if the PCB contacts are facing the buttons? My Hori Neo stick had the contacts on the oposite side and I was able to remove the old solder and resolder the Sanwa buttons.

Have either of you or anyone else in these threads acomplished this type of mod? Thanks

Gaijinblaze

12-20-2004, 11:20 PM

Hey dudes.

No real modding involved in this question, but it relates to Sanwa sticks. Anyone ever tried the JLF-TM series of Sanwa sticks?

http://www.sanwa-d.co.jp/p_joy-stick3.htm

The only difference I can see is that there's no PCB, and different microswitches. If anyone has tried it, how does it compare to the JLF-TP sticks (the ones most of you guys are using)?

Thanks.

Edit: According to the site, the JLF-TM sticks are being discontinued and won't be sold after August of next year, so I guess my post was pretty pointless. I don't think that message was there when I wrote this post though.

ryucross

12-29-2004, 03:18 PM

I finally got around to finishing up my pare of Namco sticks and took some pictures (http://himuragames.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=playerproj&action=display&num=1102918265).
Sorry to bring up such an old post, but how did you change to colors on the L1/L2 buttons? I'd imagine you simply repainted them, but they look too clean to be simply painted, like they were meant to be that color.

Don Calzone

12-29-2004, 08:31 PM

I changed the green buttons on my HRAP today to real Sanwas.
It looks like this now http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfolders/upload8/arc004x.JPG
It look a little like a toy doesn't it? Hehe :)

And once again, the clean, well-organised inside is just great:
http://upl.silentwhisper.net/uplfolders/upload8/arc001x.JPG

Nash421

12-29-2004, 09:15 PM

I made some changes to my custom sanwa. Home built box based on blueprint from Darkside. Before, I had the sides slightly raised, but it cramped my hands. Now the top is flat. It's a Sanwa Flash, Octagonal Gate and Sanwa Screw pushbuttons

Main thing was I had alot of trouble playing with a balltop. I switched it out for a bat top and now I can finally play as well as I can on US sticks.

Sanwa Top View (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaTopView.jpg)
Sanwa Back View (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaBack.jpg)
Sanwa Side View (http://i.xanga.com/bunboy421/SanwaSide.jpg)

NiteWalker

12-30-2004, 09:17 AM

Nash421

12-30-2004, 10:01 AM

I just drilled mine with a 1 1/8 inch bit. You can never see the hole if the dust cover is on.

SpiffyShoes

12-30-2004, 06:33 PM

Sorry to bring up such an old post, but how did you change to colors on the L1/L2 buttons? I'd imagine you simply repainted them, but they look too clean to be simply painted, like they were meant to be that color.

I ended up just painting them with some special spray paint for plastics I picked up at Auto Zone. I originaly was just going to swap out the buttons in the red stick with some red buttons from a NES pad but I didn't like the way they felt so I decided to try painting the original Namco buttons. It worked so well that I did it agian for the white buttons on my second stick. You can't hardly tell the buttons weren't supposed to be that color.

SpiffyShoes

12-30-2004, 06:56 PM

Quick question. I'm top mounting my sanwa joystick like in arm's pics on his site and I heard the hole for the stick has to be a bit smaller or the dust cover will expose the hole when you move the stick. Which size do I use to drill the lexan?
Thanks

7/8" is usually good or you could go even smaller if you wanted. I know some one who drilled their hole 1-1/8" and you could see the hole under the dust washer when you moved the joystick.

NiteWalker

12-30-2004, 10:27 PM

Thanks spiff. I'll have to go get a 7/8 bit. Not one in my box.

Ni8wing

12-30-2004, 10:31 PM

Does anyone know if the sanwa joystick and buttons fit exactly into a dreamcast agetec joystick? I mean do they fit inside the agetec exactly? Like you don't have to do any extra drilling or anything? I just turned it into a ps2 joystick and its awesome. My once dreamcast agetec joystick is now a PS2 first party joystick! Yay!

SpiffyShoes

12-31-2004, 07:24 AM

Nope they don't fit. The buttons in the Agitec are slightly smaller than the sanwa ones so you would have to enlarge the holes in order to get sanwa buttons to fit. It's not that hard to do just takes a few minuets using a file. The Sanwa stick doesn't fit perfectly in the agitec either so you'd have to drill some new holes for mounting the stick but you could counter sink them under the metal plate so they aren't visible.

LTK

12-31-2004, 07:15 PM

SiLLiEMutAfuKA

01-01-2005, 12:47 PM

Totally noob at sticks, I want to learn how to 'not' top mount a Sanwa stick, as in the other way, uh...bottom mounting or something? I want it to be like this guy's stick (http://www.trabusproject.com/images/joystick/index.php?i=2), as in the bolts/plate doesn't show, or is that just artwork covering it? Help or tutorial would be definetely appreciated, thanks.

:pleased:

Edit: Also, I want to know about the solderless hack if it HAS to have the ribbon circuit board to work, because mines just has the film strip connecting into the terminal.

The Great Sephiroth

01-01-2005, 01:07 PM

Is it safe to bottom mount a Sanwa onto 1/2" MDF + 1/8" Lexan or should I top mount instead? Or can I mount it onto the Lexan itself (the Lexan is supported by the MDF)?

shinobi00

01-01-2005, 06:26 PM

Is it safe to bottom mount a Sanwa onto 1/2" MDF + 1/8" Lexan or should I top mount instead? Or can I mount it onto the Lexan itself (the Lexan is supported by the MDF)?

If your going to mount on the lexan you still need to cut the giant hole to bottom mount it. if you specifically wanted to do that I guess you could, But I would just top mount it. I used 1/2 particle board so 1/2 is cool, but the shaft is going to be alot shorter than it would be if you top mounted. I don't mind the short shaft really but it's up to you.

SpiffyShoes

01-01-2005, 07:12 PM

Hey, I've been browsing this forum for a couple of months now, finally decided to make my own joystick considering that I found a Series A PS1 Dual Shock controller. Since I suck at soldering period, I'm going to use SpiffyShoes tutorial for the solderless hack, which seems to be really simple. My main concern is making the box, which I have a couple of questions about.

What is the difference between top and bottom mounting the joystick?
What is the difference between screw and clip type of buttons?
Which would be easiest to work with?
What size and type of wood would work well?

I'm really sorry if these questions have been answered, but my mind is very hazy right now after reading this entire thread along with a good portion of the official custom stick thread.

Top mounting a joystick is where you mount the joystick above the wood with a mounting plate. And bottom mounting is when you mount the joystick below the wood.

http://www.retroblast.com/photos/joysticks/u_tstik_comp.jpg

In that picture the joystick on the left is top mounted and the two on the right are bottom mounted. If you plan to bottom mount your sanwa then you want to bottom mount it on 1/4" thick wood 3/8" max. Any thicker and the joystick is going to start feeling short. You just rout out the area where you plan to mount the joystick if you want to bottom mount it.

Screw Type buttons use a nut which screws onto them to secure them onto the joystick. The clip in buttons just clip onto either a thin piece of metal or the plexiglass.

If you have a 30mm spade bit for your drill then the clip on buttons are the easiest to work with but the screw in type have a more solidly reinforced mounting method as they help hold the plexi down.

If your going to use sanwa screw buttons then you need to mount them on 1/4" thick wood or you could use thicker wood and then use a router to thin the wood around the buttons.

IF you plan on using the clip in type buttons then you need to get a 1-3/16" (30mm) and a 15/16" (24mm) spade bit or frostner bit.
Once you've drilled the holes for the buttons use a file which you can buy cheap at a hardware store to widen the holes in the wood just a tad to allow room for the clips. Don't widen the hole in the plexi just the wood.

Most hardware stores don't carry the 30mm bits but you can buy them online.

You can get the spade bits here.

http://www.toolstoday.com/displaytools.asp?num=3&pdescription=Spade+Bits+w%2F+Spurs+%2D+6%26quot%3B +Long

Or frostner bits here.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=523-015

Duelist

01-02-2005, 12:09 PM

^ Quick question. Would I be able to drill into the Lexan using the aforementioned Forstner bits? Thanks in advance.

SpiffyShoes

01-02-2005, 04:19 PM

As far as I know they should work fine for lexan or plexi.

*InVeRs3*

01-02-2005, 11:48 PM

where can i buy sanwa sticks?

supermin

01-02-2005, 11:53 PM

www.himuragames.com

go there for sanwa parts.

Don Calzone

01-03-2005, 11:11 AM

Dudes... How the heck do you unscrew the ball on a regular sanwa-stick? I've tried to unscrew the green fckr on my RAP but shit, I don't know how to do it, and I'm to afraid to start using violence when I've opened the whole thing. The last thing I wan't is a broken stick right now, though, that green ball is annoying as hell!
Thanks.

SpiffyShoes

01-03-2005, 11:15 AM

The same way you put it on. Open up your HRAP and look inside. On the bottom of the shaft should be a notch perfect for a flat head screwdriver. Use your screw driver in the notch to keep the shaft from turning while you unscrew the ball top.

The Great Sephiroth

01-03-2005, 08:59 PM

angryliberal

01-03-2005, 11:18 PM

ok, stupid question, but i just got my sanwa pushbuttons, which of the prongs is the ground and which is the main, or does it not matter, i'm not sure, anyone?

*InVeRs3*

01-04-2005, 01:05 AM

Will a sanwa stick fit in my p360 hole?

LTK

01-04-2005, 02:03 AM

Top mounting a joystick is where you mount the joystick above the wood with a mounting plate. And bottom mounting is when you mount the joystick below the wood.

http://www.retroblast.com/photos/joysticks/u_tstik_comp.jpg

In that picture the joystick on the left is top mounted and the two on the right are bottom mounted. If you plan to bottom mount your sanwa then you want to bottom mount it on 1/4" thick wood 3/8" max. Any thicker and the joystick is going to start feeling short. You just rout out the area where you plan to mount the joystick if you want to bottom mount it.

Screw Type buttons use a nut which screws onto them to secure them onto the joystick. The clip in buttons just clip onto either a thin piece of metal or the plexiglass.

If you have a 30mm spade bit for your drill then the clip on buttons are the easiest to work with but the screw in type have a more solidly reinforced mounting method as they help hold the plexi down.

If your going to use sanwa screw buttons then you need to mount them on 1/4" thick wood or you could use thicker wood and then use a router to thin the wood around the buttons.

IF you plan on using the clip in type buttons then you need to get a 1-3/16" (30mm) and a 15/16" (24mm) spade bit or frostner bit.
Once you've drilled the holes for the buttons use a file which you can buy cheap at a hardware store to widen the holes in the wood just a tad to allow room for the clips. Don't widen the hole in the plexi just the wood.

Most hardware stores don't carry the 30mm bits but you can buy them online.

You can get the spade bits here.

http://www.toolstoday.com/displaytools.asp?num=3&pdescription=Spade+Bits+w%2F+Spurs+%2D+6%26quot%3B +Long

Or frostner bits here.

http://woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=523-015

Thanks for the info, just one more question. Does it matter what size wood for using the clip type buttons? Could I just use 1/4" MDF to top mount the joystick and use clip buttons?

SpiffyShoes

01-04-2005, 08:55 AM

Random question: How long is the stock Sanwa stick shaft (ball top included) from the top of it to where it meets the very top of the base (right where it's about to be bottom mounted or where the top mount plate is going to be attached)? Just wanted to know so I can get an estimate on how much of the shaft will stick out depending on mounting board depth... Oh, and include the diameter of the ball top too.

The Ball has a 1-1/4" diameter. The shaft from the Top of the Sanwa Hub to the bottom of the Ball Top is 1-1/4". So from the top of the Hub to the top of the Ball Top is 2-1/2".

ok, stupid question, but i just got my sanwa pushbuttons, which of the prongs is the ground and which is the main, or does it not matter, i'm not sure, anyone?

It doesn't matter which one you solder the ground to and which one you solder the active wire to.

Will a sanwa stick fit in my p360 hole?

If you used an Ultimarc J-Stick it would fit in your P360 hole otherwise probably not.

Thanks for the info, just one more question. Does it matter what size wood for using the clip type buttons? Could I just use 1/4" MDF to top mount the joystick and use clip buttons?

It doesn't matter what size wood you use for the clip in type buttons. I would use thicker wood than 1/4" MDF if I could help it. Oh and I didn't think about this before but if you use a bat top on your sanwa instead of a ball top you can bottom mount it in 1/2" thick wood.

LTK

01-05-2005, 03:52 AM

Would I have to use a 30mm size hole to put the screw type button into the board?

SpiffyShoes

01-05-2005, 07:08 AM

Yes, a 30mm hole is required for both the screw type and clip in type buttons.

NiteWalker

01-05-2005, 08:21 AM

Is there a difference performance wise between the screw in and clip in types? Sorry if it's been asked before.

SpiffyShoes

01-05-2005, 09:45 AM

Nope, they feel and perform exactly the same.

LTK

01-05-2005, 03:30 PM

Damn Spiffy, you have been one big heap of info. Much thanks, I'd probably be lost without ya. Now to get started on my box.

NiteWalker

01-05-2005, 04:20 PM

Awesome. Thanks. I think mounting the screw in types will be a lot easier.

aZnNYoo

01-08-2005, 02:50 AM

I was checking out the sanwa website...and i found OBSN-30 RG ( http://www.sanwa-d.co.jp/p_p-button.htm )that Rodkeys sells at his site, but I also found the OBSN-30(http://www.sanwa-d.co.jp/p_p-button3.htm)...whats the difference?

SpiffyShoes

01-08-2005, 08:00 AM

NiteWalker

01-08-2005, 10:02 AM

Sanwa won't ship to usa address? Even with a bulk order??

Duelist

01-08-2005, 12:21 PM

Question. Is there perhaps an alternate way to top mount a sanwa stick like on modeverything.com (http://www.modeverything.com/) without the use of a router? I don't happen to own a tool like this, and after shopping around for prices, would be too expensive for a one-time use like this.

aZnNYoo

01-08-2005, 07:37 PM

The microswitches on the RG buttons last 5 times longer than the ones on the regular buttons. They are also allot more expensive. Rod from Himuragames can get them for you if you ask him to. He can usually get you just about anything from Sanwa's website if you ask him for it.

So how long does the microswitches on the regular buttons last, because I'm trying to get white buttons but it looks like Sanwa only sells white regular buttons.

metrock1

01-08-2005, 08:22 PM

I don't know if it has been mentioned before but when changing the ball top be careful not to damage the shaft with knicks and such. I have 1 with it damaged and from the changing of parts and movement of the stick the plastic acuator under the e clip will catch on the knicks cuasing stickiness. I have tried to change out my springs a few times but then I found out that was a bigger problem.

On a second note does any one know a good replacement spring for sanwa type sticks. I found some at home depot but they were long and I cut them to size. That did not work well due to when I cut it I could not get the cut end flat like the stock spring. It points outwards and makes performance crappy. Can any one sovle this prob for me or direct me to a replacement spring.

zapatistab

01-10-2005, 04:34 PM

metrock1

01-10-2005, 10:07 PM

I just put a spring in my Sanwa and it works fine. you have to cut the spring just right.

So were did u get the extra springs from.....

zapatistab

01-12-2005, 01:08 PM

I searched the forums, but couldn't find a specific answer. Do Sanwa buttons fit into Playstation ASCII sticks. Specifically the older one that says ASCII across the top of the stick. I have access to one right now, but don't want to waste my time if I can't put Sanwa's in them. If money wasn't involved I would just find out for myself. Thanks.

Nash421

01-12-2005, 01:49 PM

zapatistab

01-12-2005, 01:55 PM

So were did u get the extra springs from.....

I got mine at Orchard Supply. They are tight, but I like it. I have a tendency of moving my hands too much with the standard Sanwa spring.

zapatistab

01-12-2005, 01:59 PM

I found some springs at Home depot that look to be the same circumference. Believe it's 2.5 size springs. it's a 2 pack, but the springs don't compress at all(ie the coils are tight). Are those the ones you guys used?

Yes, I'm pretty sure. I don't look at sizes, I just take the stock Sanwa spring with me and compare.

Nash421

01-12-2005, 10:40 PM

Quick question about the HRAP's. How is the PCB in there? If I wanted to use a PS2 series H PCB in that, would there be room?

armad1ll0

01-12-2005, 10:51 PM

there's room but there's also no need for a new PCB

Duelist

01-16-2005, 04:32 AM

SpiffyShoes

01-16-2005, 07:43 AM

Yes you don't need a router. It can be done using all hand tools if that is all you have. It takes more physical labor and takes more time but if your planing on doing this only once or twice is worth saving the money. You can use a wood chisel for making the indention for the mounting plate and for cutting the square hole you can use a hand drill to make the starting holes in the 4 courners and then use a compas saw to cut out the square hole.

coN

01-16-2005, 06:38 PM

Namco mod i did for a customer... (Shitty pics i know)

http://www.blackcracker.mydnsmachine.net/stick/NAMCO%20MOD1.JPG
http://www.blackcracker.mydnsmachine.net/stick/NAMCO%20MOD2.JPG

Sanwa 360 Optical and Sanwa buttons.

Toodles

01-16-2005, 07:13 PM

Howd you mount the flash in there? I thought Arm said it needed the two carriage bolts to attach it securely.

coN

01-16-2005, 07:34 PM

Howd you mount the flash in there? I thought Arm said it needed the two carriage bolts to attach it securely.
You do? Since when? Thats completely off. The method i used worked fine for me and ive been doing it for every Flash modded Namco ive done. I got smaller screws with washers from the underside to secure it. Then the Flash kit containing the sensors went on, then the restrictor plate.

The stick wont come loose at all...

SpiffyShoes

01-16-2005, 08:42 PM

Yeah thats the same way I mounted my P360 sanwas in my namco joy sticks. Nice job, I was thinking I might do a blue one too. And then maybe a black one if I ever get around to getting some more of these lovely joysticks. Red, White, Black, and Blue are the only colors I think sanwa makes both ball and Bat Tops for.

coN

01-16-2005, 09:16 PM

And then maybe a black one if I ever get around to getting some more of these lovely joysticks.
Ive done a black one. Looks great. Like i said, im too lazy to upload, but the black buttons are Seimitsu.

armad1ll0

01-18-2005, 12:42 AM

Howd you mount the flash in there? I thought Arm said it needed the two carriage bolts to attach it securely.

That's one of two methods. The 2nd one is SpiffyShoe's idea.

Spiffy came up with the simple but clever idea that you could get the screws under the microswitch PCB.

zapatistab

01-21-2005, 02:49 PM

Here is a pic of my latest Sanwa Mod using an older Hori PS stick. I wouldn't call it a full mod. I replaced the spring in the Joystick and I am going to put brand new Omron Microswitches (Same brand that is used in Sanwa Sticks) and the stick is not wired yet. This is the first time I used the Bat Style stick top and I like it. The hardest part was the buttons. I used the screw on type and there was barely any room to insert them. I couldn't align the microswitches because of it. I will post a pic of the insides once it's all wired up.

LTK

01-21-2005, 04:46 PM

THChardcore

01-21-2005, 09:11 PM

Can I use the same mounting plate for a jfl as I do a jkw? Thanks

ryucross

01-21-2005, 09:24 PM

Okay, I recently got a Namco Stick (the PS1 version), and wanted to put Sanwa buttons in it. I'm fine with the joystick, but I want to switch the joystick ball to match the color of the buttons that I'm going to get. Will the ball tops from himuragames work, or do they only work for Sanwa joysticks?

Another question, how hard is it to switch out the old buttons for the Sanwa buttons? I know you would have to desolder it from the PCB (can anyone give me a hint on how that's done? I don't want to fry the board), but would I have to connect the buttons with wires or the same way as the namco buttons (soldering the prongs to the pcb).

Thanks.
The Sanwa balltops fit perfectly fine on the Namco shafts. As far as the button swap, you pretty much have to desolder the spots on the board. I used a combination of a solder sucker to get large globs and desoldering braid for getting the smaller amounts up. What I then did was take a Dremel tool with the smallest drill bit I had (1/16" I think) and enlargened the holes as Sanwa uses larger prongs than the console Hori or ASCII buttons. You can try removing the board and then running wire, but I don't know how that would fit.

True_Tech

01-21-2005, 10:54 PM

i'm completely new at this and i'm thinking about making my own sanwa stick in the near future what exactly should i read up on and where and how much am i looking at spending on parts and tools?

edit: also who here sales pre soldered ps2 pcb's and for how much?

one more edit:what would be the easiest way to mount the buttons/stick using darkside's sanwa box blueprint?

i'm trying to do this the easiest way i can so i don't fuck it up

LTK

01-21-2005, 10:56 PM

Any tips on how to solder the prongs to the PCB? I'm not the best soldererererer out there, and I don't want to mess up the board.

Phix

01-22-2005, 08:49 AM

Hi there i was wondering if any one had modded a Hori fighting stick Ex with sanwa buttons as the buttons are awful :sad:
if not would it be a simple case of swapping them out ??
Cheers Phix

zapatistab

01-22-2005, 10:38 AM

The easiest method I have found modding with Sanwa's, is to use a Hori Stick and add a Sanwa Stick and Sanwa Buttons.

If you have a Hori Stick that the buttons are attatched to the PCB, you will have to remove the old solder and the PCB will come right out. Sounds easier than it is, but it's all about just doing it. You never get the feel of it until you actually do it yourself. The only problem is the holes on the PCB are not big enough for the Sanwa buttons. You can use a Dremel to make the holes bigger, or carefully use a drill bit. I call this the short cut method, but you can solder small solid wires to the buttons and they will fit through the PCB holes. Then just cut the excess wire. Of course you want to solder them to the board first.

The Hori stick I just modded had the push button type buttons, so I was able to remove the PCB and attach the wires directly to the main PCB. This probably doesn't make sense, so I attached a pic. I screwed up on the ground wire, but it doesn't matter because this stick is going to be for personal use anyway.

All of this has been discusseds already through out this thread, but people seem to have alot of questions about it, so I thought I would put in my two sense.

As far as adding a Sanwa Stick and Buttons to a custom box, I've never done it. Here is an attatchment from modeverything.com, how to mount a Sanwa. Click on top mount J-Stick it's to the right of the page. http://www.modeverything.com/

I've also seen someone insert a thin metal plate into the middle of the custom box, and mount the stick and buttons that way. If you search this thread you should find it.

I know I've repeated alot that is in this thread, but I sometimes don't like doing research myself either.

SpiffyShoes

01-22-2005, 02:36 PM

one more edit:what would be the easiest way to mount the buttons/stick using darkside's sanwa box blueprint?

i'm trying to do this the easiest way i can so i don't fuck it up

The easiest method for mounting sanwa buttons in wood is to use the clip in type buttons. Get a 1-3/16" spade bit to drill the holes in the wood and the plexiglass. Then use a file or something to make a little room for the wings/clips to expand in the wood. If you use this method though you have to use some bolts to hold the plexiglass down.

Mounting the buttons and plexi without bolts on the front of your joystick is much more work but looks nicer. For this method you should use the screwtype sanwa buttons and some T-Molding. You will have to use a router to thin the wood around the buttons down to about 1/4". Again use a 1-3/16" spade bit to drill your button holes in the plexi and the glass. To mount the T-Molding on your joystick you need to use a router to make a groove in the wood along all the edges that you plan to put the molding. Since you want to have the molding help hold the plexiglass down make sure to get a size that is slightly larger than the wood you are using. Also make sure to offset your groove when you are routing it.

You can buy T-Molding from www.T-Molding.com

And you can get a 1-3/16" spade bit from
http://www.toolstoday.com/displaytools.asp?num=3&pdescription=Spade+Bits+w%2F+Spurs+%2D+6%26quot%3B +Long