New Mini Darkside Stik

[Tha-Darkside]

In my opinion this is definitely one of my best. The joystick is a sanwa flash and the buttons are 24mm sanwas. Its also VERY compact due to the smaller size & buttons. The whole stick turned out beautifully. The case is made of oak and I also cut the dust cover into an octagon to better match the angled design of the stik. The top and bottom edges are chamfered all the way around and the case is completely seamless.

Mini Baiken (http://www.byrdo.org/images/Arcade%20Stiks/Baiken.jpg)
another view (http://www.byrdo.org/images/Arcade%20Stiks/Baiken%203.jpg)

[TenStars]

that is top draw i dont know how you do it, i' ve yet to even attempt one(gonna start one soon) if i could achive a quality close to that and your other sticks i would be happy, absolutely ace :D

[Kayin]

B

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A

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U

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Seriously that's supremely awesome. Great choice in artwork too. :tup:

[dReW]

great work man. a question tho, have you considered drilling a hole for the cord? that way the stick can actually lay flat on a surface.

[gl0ry]

Your sticks are pleasing to the eye but in terms of actual performance I would want something bigger. That thing is too small.

[Toodles]

While my big ass hands would certainly drawf that stick, its still beautiful. I thought you were being conceited were you first mentioned being an artist Darkside, but your sticks have shown a lot of aesthetic talent, even if the artwork portion isn't your own.
Woodworking looks top notch; You gonna try using dove-tails or hidden dove tail joints in any future sticks? I still hate screws over the the plexi when carriage bolts look and feel smoother. The dust cover add a nice personal tweak to the stick, looks very clealy cut. Have you looked into getting one of the smaller ball tops? The current ball really dwarfs the whole stick, and a smaller ball would make the whole perspective match your other simliar sticks.

Edit: Wait a sec, it *IS* a smaller balltop? I cant really tell from the pics; did you already grab a smaller balltop?

[mukai]

damn son dat shit's hot!

[NapaSelect]

Nice work. Very oriental, but so modern at the same time.

[Etcetera]

It's sexy!
But playing on it would seem akward with 24mm buttons.

[the7thsamurai]

Thats freaking awesome, I like Baiken alot.

[The Mullah]

very nice, and i can now see how you cut your wood to make that shape. i do mine a little more simply. don't worry about it being too small, just playing on such a dinky little thing would be a luagh and it looks great to boot!

[KneelB4Me]

Excellent work Byrdo :tup: Id like one of those, but Im scared to ask how much it would cost. Youre the Jacob of the stick world!!

Really like the Yoshi stick too!

[Tha-Darkside]

I'll try to answer what I can. The stik sits perfectly flush, since the bottom is chamfered it looks like its on the cord but it really isnt. I would seem awkward to play on the smaller buttons but it really isn't, I spent a good deal of time on the layout spacing to sort of "emulate" the feel of regular sized buttons. My hands are average sized and I can play on it perfectly fine, but if you have large hands then I could see the obvious problem. The ball top is regular sized, I have a mini white balltop for it but I wanted to use the regular size to give you a better idea of its size. About using dovetail hinges, I might in the future since I like to experiment with new methods, aside from the top panel there are no screws, it's put together from the inside. The reason I don't use carriage bolts is because I haven't seen any as small as those screws in stainless steel, otherwise over time they'll end up turning grayish brown so I like to use these. I originally started drawing the artwork for this one but once the case was completed I wanted to assemble everything that way I could move on to some other stiks I have "in waiting" so I opted to photoshop the image, rather than rushing my original design.

[gaijin]

God damn it, darkside! Every time I think I'm getting better with my stick designs, you go and do something like this and completely blow me the fuck away. At this point, all I'm doing is chasing your shadow...

Superb work. As was mentioned, the only thing I can see that would make it even more spectacular is if you used a router to dove-tail the joints. As it is, though, I see no screws, anyway. Again, great stuff. I feel both motivated and defeated just looking at it and wondering if I could ever replicate something with so much raw style.

[454Casull]

Very nice. I wish I had a decent table saw (more like a decent fence, but the table saw probably doesn't do bevel cuts well anyhow).

[azmun]

I think the idea of using 24mm sanwa is really great and innovative. Some say they may be too small. But you don't hear them complain about the size of Happ competition pushbuttons which are probably about the same size.

[Dj_Matrix]

yeah that is a super awesome stick... i made one mai self from oak and it is quite nice and i love how u cut the dust cover to become conhesive with the design of the stick...2 thumbs up man

[SoulCaliFreak]

I believe that is your finest stick EVER!!! PERIOD!!! Reminds me of Vince Carters first dunk in the dunk contest, the reverse windmill that you'd just never seen before? The oak with that dark finish is absolutely awesome.

I've bought 3 sticks from you already, and they just keep getting better which means I may put yet another order in down the line. Your stuff is amazing Byrdo.

Hope you can make it up to the May 28 tourney and bring a couple sticks up with you. Perhaps some inventory you'd like to sell. KrayzieCD was wanting to really buy your New Ditty last time at any price, and there'll be a TON of out of staters bringing some major cash for the tourney, so maybe you could deliver on the spot!!! Just an idea man. I'm going to try and dump the first two sticks you made for me at that tourney, but I'm going to try and put a new graphic on them that doesn't have Seneca_22 on them. We'll see, cuz I'd have to come up with that on my own this time.

Again, great stuff Byrdo, I don't know how you continue to top yourself.

[Shazay]

Damn, that stick seems too good. Nice work :tup:

Baiken! <3

[The Mullah]

darkside - can you please post a picture of the inside of your stick, i'm very interested to see. my guts suck

[dReW]

when you hook this up with an xbox converter, which buttons are mapped to what?

[gaijin]

darkside - can you please post a picture of the inside of your stick, i'm very interested to see. my guts suck

I thought he didn't do that? Post inside pics, I mean. I've never come across any that I know of, anyway.

I must admit that my interest is also piqued when it comes to the inner workings of a darkside stik, but at the same time, not knowing and having to guess about certain methods is part of the mystique and allure that makes his sticks so unique...

[Tha-Darkside]

I never really care to take pictures of the insides because it doesn't seem too appealing to me, plus I sort of 'seal' the bottom with a matting so removing it would mean that I have to cut holes into the cushion to unscrew the bottom. I try to keep my wiring pretty clean though and this stick has a see through bottom aside from the patches of matting, so whenever I get my digital cam back from my friend I suppose I could snap a pik of it.

As for the button mapping on xbox, it depends on the converter but the layout is mapped pretty much like the controller aside from the right 2

X Y BLK
A B R1

other times I'll mapp it like this (below),
but like I said not all converters
map the same in regards to the trigger
buttons, this is normally a problem
with dreamcast converters though.

X Y WHT
A B BLK

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Here's the guts of the stick I bought off of Byrdo. Guess he was experimenting with JLWs at the time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/ArcadeStickMonk/Controllers/DSC00526Medium.jpg


Who can tell me what's unique about the restrictor?

[platinum_pinoy]

Goooodddd Dammmmmnnnn. Shit man, that stick looks expensive. And looks so tiny! haha.

[Christ0pher]

GODDAMN!!!
Showoff :xeye: :tup:

BTW I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Samurai Champloo stick except now it feels weird to use my other sticks. And the idea of putting plexi at the bottom was genius. It looks really sexy being able to see the insides like that.

Quick question that hopefully you or anyone else can answer. I wanted the insides of the stick to show a little more so I removed some of the padding but some glue (residue) has been left behind, how can i get it off? Is there any type of chemical that I can use or should I just get something that I can scrape it with.
Thanks

[DarkChylde]

Try "Goo Gone" at your local hardware store. That stuff will eat through almost any adhesive residue. Or if you have it on hand, nail polish remover with acetone will also work.

[True_Tech]

Here's the guts of the stick I bought off of Byrdo. Guess he was experimenting with JLWs at the time.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/ArcadeStickMonk/Controllers/DSC00526Medium.jpg


Who can tell me what's unique about the restrictor?
you can switch it between square and octagon?

[ArcadeStickMonk]

How would that work? With one plate I mean.

No, but you're on the right track.

[TheRealNeoGeo]

ArcadeStickMonk
It is octagon. When you buy it in store it is more like 4 round corners (square).

[Christ0pher]

Try "Goo Gone" at your local hardware store. That stuff will eat through almost any adhesive residue. Or if you have it on hand, nail polish remover with acetone will also work.

Thanks I'll try that out.

[ArcadeStickMonk]

ArcadeStickMonk
It is octagon. When you buy it in store it is more like 4 round corners (square).Right.

Because Byrdo is out of his mind. Just right the fuck out.
I love it.

[Tha-Darkside]

GODDAMN!!!
Showoff :xeye: :tup:

BTW I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Samurai Champloo stick except now it feels weird to use my other sticks. And the idea of putting plexi at the bottom was genius. It looks really sexy being able to see the insides like that.

Quick question that hopefully you or anyone else can answer. I wanted the insides of the stick to show a little more so I removed some of the padding but some glue (residue) has been left behind, how can i get it off? Is there any type of chemical that I can use or should I just get something that I can scrape it with.
Thanks



Glad you like it, it takes a little adjusting to but once you get the hang of it everything else falls into place. I got used to it in about 15 minutes, it's crazy how compact it is for being a high performance stik. The cool thing I noticed is that the smaller ball top made me restrict my movements even more since it reacts so fast. Goo gone will remove the residue you could even use a dab of rubbing alcohol, either way the residue is easy to take off so there no need for scraping. Also the bottom is lexan, rather than plexi, that way there's no worries of it cracking.

ArcadeStickMonk: Out of all the stiks I sold I actually miss that one the most, I swear that thing has such a perfect layout for any 3-4 button game. The octagon was part of my 'tweaking' and even though the JLFs are the current talk of the town, I think the JLWs are great as well. In fact I'm planning on getting several more for some upcoming projects because their throw is so short it makes them ideal for 3d fighters. Oh yeah, there are balltop versions in JLWs too.

[The Mullah]

Thanks Darkside, i'll look forward to it! i'm curious to see one of your newer sticks with buttonsm ounted only in lexan. how does it feel to play on compared to when its mounted on metal plates?

on my current stick i used a big blob of blue tac to hold the wire in place temporarily while i figured something out to hold it properly lol That glue shit looks quality!

[Tha-Darkside]

Thanks Darkside, i'll look forward to it! i'm curious to see one of your newer sticks with buttonsm ounted only in lexan. how does it feel to play on compared to when its mounted on metal plates?

on my current stick i used a big blob of blue tac to hold the wire in place temporarily while i figured something out to hold it properly lol That glue shit looks quality!

Mounting in lexan feels the same as if it were mounted in metal, the main reason is because the buttons are still framed by the wood so it keeps the lexan from bending or even being pliable. Using a drill press with the proper size bit makes a huge difference too because everything fits very snug and it saves time on having to secure a button when the hole is cut too big. Before I would use a hand drill with a 1 1/8 hole saw then just grind the rest for the buttons to fit but if you grind a little too much then your forced to add some sort of other support to keep everything stable and prevent the buttons from slightly moving. I usually pin the cord between 2 screws or to the mounting bolts now. As you experiment more and more you'll learn to refine things here and there, I would say experience is the key for anyone's improvement though. None my methods are the same for each stik design nowadays mainly because the space inside most of the really compact designs forces me to adjust with any room I'm given just to make stuff fit, while still considering comfort and functionality. My friend still hasn't given my camera back so once I get it I'll post up a pik.

[The Mullah]

xbox pads are the easiest to secure inside because of the plastick plug stuck to the wire. theres an 'insides' thread now i'll post up a pic later today so you can see my amazing wiring job...

oh and i think i saw someone stick once who mounted on lexan, it might have been yours, it had wodden piece running across the top to brace the lexan. looked good.

edit: posted my pics. it's like a bowl of spaghetti in there! :confused:

[platinum_pinoy]

Hey Darkside, here's a challenge for you.

Make a stick...out of plexiglass.

I am sure there are different thicknesses of plexiglass.

I am not going to buy it, btw. I just thing it might be a fun idea to play with.

[Darkside3024]

That stick was nice. I loved the artwork on it.

[fivehit]

i'm going to make a stick out of plexi.

well, not all out of plexi, but the top is going to be all plexi. sorta like this stick (http://forums.insertcredit.com/viewtopic.php?p=75907&highlight=arcade+stick#75907).

[Tha-Darkside]

Hey Darkside, here's a challenge for you.

Make a stick...out of plexiglass.

I am sure there are different thicknesses of plexiglass.

I am not going to buy it, btw. I just thing it might be a fun idea to play with.


I've actually thought of doing that, except I'm waiting until I can buy a specific tool for the joints because I want to only have just the components showing without any brackets or supports being seen. I want it to be COMPLETELY see-through on all of its sides. Making a prototype version might be fun though, since it could help me iron out any potential problems. We'll see, once I'm done for the semester I'll have plenty of time to experiment in the summer. I've also got another design slightly linked to this idea that I'll reveal in due time.

[Darkside3024]

Hey Dark. What kind of paper did you print the artwork on?

[platinum_pinoy]

I've actually thought of doing that, except I'm waiting until I can buy a specific tool for the joints because I want to only have just the components showing without any brackets or supports being seen. I want it to be COMPLETELY see-through on all of its sides. Making a prototype version might be fun though, since it could help me iron out any potential problems. We'll see, once I'm done for the semester I'll have plenty of time to experiment in the summer. I've also got another design slightly linked to this idea that I'll reveal in due time.


Oh, shit. I am excited to see this. I guess since it is gonna be completely see through, there isn't gonna be any artwork?

[ARetardedMonkey]

You could always etch the plexi..

[Tha-Darkside]

You could always etch the plexi..


Exactly! I've been trying to work out any potential problems in my head and the main thing to consider is scratches, plexi scratches way too easily and doesn't take shock too well in case of an 'accidentally' bang or drop so I wouldn't use that as the main material. Secondly, etching is a perfect route for the art especially if the linework is filled in, or even using an exacto method would work as another option. I have a pretty good idea of how I'd like to do it, but I just don't have the cash to spend on all the extra tools that I'll need to carry out my plan. Also, I just got my camera back today so I'll post of pik of the wiring sometime later on for those that were inquiring. Oh yeah, I print everything on heavyweight matte paper.

[The Mullah]

yay, thanks darkside.

[TheRealNeoGeo]

Tha-Darkside
Please post in my thread: ***The Inside*** if you take an inside pic of the wiiring :).

[TheRealNeoGeo]

Tha-Darkside
Did you take the pic of the inside?

[supabeast]

That stick really is a piece of art. You're inspiring me, I've been thinking about building myself a stick, now I'm thinking about how phat I could make it look with some really crazy laminates.

[Shoryuking]

Wow! darkside that stik owns! the "new ditty" stik i bought from u would dwarf ur new one easilly. top notch stuff man!

[Tha-Darkside]

For those that wanted to see the inside, there's a link to a pik. You're right Shoryuking, the one you have would look like a beast next to this one. You going to that Albuquerque tournament at the end of the month?

Supabeast: It's an honor to know that my work has inspired you, good luck and have fun with your own project.

Mini Baiken Interior (http://www.icestormcity.com/paradox/inside%20copy.jpg)

[The Mullah]

thanks for the picture darkside. looks quality inside too.

[Shoryuking]

yeah im goin with the el paso and las cruces crew to albuqurque. u thinkin bout heading out there too? if so maybe u can meet up with us 4 some random games

EDIT: post up in the el paso forum!