My new QCF mini stick - custom job

[nasci]

I finally got some time over the holiday weekend to make a new stick for myself and I wanted to show it to you all.

I normally make larger arcade style sticks, and some people have suggested that I at least offer a smaller/sleeker version with no lip to it. Also just to move the buttons a bit closer to the stick, etc, etc. So I'd like to thank the people who offered suggestions, especially ArcadeStickMonk.

This is the wooden case unfinished. I posted this image in a earlier thread.
http://www.quartercircleforward.com/images/beta/beta.jpg

It's about 2 1/4" high 11 1/2" wide and 8" deep. I decided to use a router to make slots/dadoes for the bottom panes. So it just slides into place. By doing that you don't see the bottom panel of the case if you are looking at it from the front or sides, and it just looks a lot cleaner. I also changed the way I paint the case for this one as a test to see if I could get an even smoother finish and it turned out very nice.

Here are some pictures of the stick complete. I made the illustration of chun-li myself in illustrator. It's all vector. It is based off of some CFJ artwork I found online.

http://www.quartercircleforward.com/images/beta/mini-34.jpg
http://www.quartercircleforward.com/images/beta/mini-top.jpg

You may notice that this is an Xbox stick. I used an official xbox pcb, and I un-attached the voice-chat slot off the pcb, and cut a small slot in the back of the case and mounted it there instead, and ran new wires from it back to the pcb. It works like a charm.

Let me know what you think:) Thanks.

[ArcadeStickMonk]

That is really nice work. I absolutely love the design and art.

What are you using for the bottom?

Many use feet, which I dislike because I'm afraid that it will end up lopsided one day.
I've seen others with a felt like material (possibly felt) across the whole bottom/ However, this allows the stick to slide around.

I'm thinking that one big rubber footprint is the way to go. It will stick, and it won't rock back and forth.

[insomnotek]

heh, my stick has 2 mouse pads on the bottom of it. the bottom grips pretty well.

[ShinHed]

Cute :blush:

[Tritone]

That looks so freaking nice! :clap: It is making me even more excited about the stick you're making me. If all the sticks you make end up that good, you're going to have a lot of word-of-mouth advertising very quickly.

[gaijin]

Very nice indeed!

[nasci]

Thanks everyone. I keep on trying to make each one better than the last. I am always looking for ways to improve. Tritone you can always use a mini case if you want.

ArcadeStickMonk I kept on looking all over for adhesive rubber/foam and could not find any then finally just realized that I could buy a roll of foam-rubber shelf liner from homedepot and then spray it with spray-glue and make it adhesive. Up until now I have used feet/bumpers but this was a much better way to go.

[bigbadboaz]

Email sent. :bgrin:

[Shodokan123]

not bad, nice use of brushes on ur art.

Only thing i dont like is the colors are very pastel like... but thats just my opinion.

[nasci]

Yeah artwork is always a tough one. Everyone has a different opinion on colors and stuff like that. I like very simple graphics, or none at all. But if someone wants something different, and they can supply the graphic I'll use wahtever they want. What kind of art do you normally prefer Shodokan? Just curious.

[SoulCaliFreak]

How much would you charge for a sanwa stick with a 1st party dual shock pcb, 6 button stick?

I'm looking to actually get another one, one of your compact if possible.

Not sure on the art just yet. Soul Cal 3, Apocalypse from Marvel, Megatron, who knows. I'd try to do the art myself, but how much would you charge?

[nasci]

I'll PM you on that one since I'll have to ask more questions.

[galfordo]

Great work man. Always nice to check out new and original-looking custom sticks. I like the artwork, and the design looks nice and sturdy.

[nasci]

Thanks alot galfordo. I've been really enjoying coming up with my own case designs and ways to construct them better and better.

Luckily my father is an old-school carpenter and showed me some tricks that helped out a lot with the construction of my cases. Now I think I like making the cases more than the soldering.

Thanks for the compliment on the artwork. I'm very much into making my own illustrations. Right now I am working on one of cowboy bebop.

[Dj_Matrix]

yeah man i really like that artwork style that you do and wouldn mind paying you to make me one someday or learning how to do so... its simplistic but fits so well with a joystick... like your icon is very kool how it is done as well... i like that concept for me i would do a megaman one... not to mention your your sticks are very nice and the little box is kool

[nasci]

Hey thanks DJ Matrix.
What megaman, old-school or a newer one? That would be fun to make. I'd totally do it. I love those games:)

As for learning how to do it, let me know if you want some pointers and I'd be happy to tell you some tools and tips. It's not that hard with the right tools and some practice. I'm sure you would do great at it.

[Dj_Matrix]

oh yeah when it comes to megaman its gotta be the old skool one from the classic series... megaman 8 had some great artwork back in the day... yeah i been playin around with it with pen tool and fillin stuff in... not too good at it yet ive always been a multi color CG guy... like check out my arcade stick and the artwork i did for it...

STICK: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/Ne0M3gA/joystick.jpg

ART DOWNSIZED:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/Ne0M3gA/joystickbackroundthumb2.jpg

yeah im planing on buildin a small sanwa with blue buttons and stick prolly and i think i want to put megaman on it in that style...

also that style would be great for one of my cd covers mainly cuz its cheap to have printed

[buyproduct]

Not trying to dis you or your work. Did you use a sqaure to line your borders up? The wooden border piece on the left top of the stick looks like it was cut crooked and some of the border pieces dont look like they have the same width. Is this because the picture was taken at an angle. There does not seem to be much slope on the top case either. It looks to flat. I think your other sticks look better. I am sure these will get better too.

looking at the box again I see that the those borders are actually the depth of the wood you used to build the box. Did you put these pieces through a planer? That could account for the uneven look.

[nasci]

You did a real nice job on that. I'm impressed:)

I'm the opposite, I'm better with laying out vector graphics than with my photoshop skills. I got a pretty good wacom tablet setup going, but other times I hand draw things, then trace them on a light-table onto a new piece of paper so it is totally clean looking, then scan it. Then take that and use adobe streamline to trace it into vector art, then bring that into illustrator and clean it up some and color it, etc.

If you can do work like what you just showed me, I am sure you can figure it out in no time. Or if you like I could do it for you, and maybe I'll hit you up for some art next time.

[gaijin]

Slick artwork, Dj_Matrix! I dig it!

[exKA2]

nasci that chun li artwork is nice, quite a sweet stick

[ChainZ]

Is the chun-li stick angled...or is it flat on top?

[nasci]

It has a slight angle to it, not flat. It's about 3" in the back and 2.25" in the front. So there is a nice 3/4" slope to it. Anything more than that felt too drastic.

I could have gotten the case even smaller if it was a PSX pcb:)

[koopatroopa]

nasci what kind of saw are you using
today after conversing with a cabinet maker he recommended using a chop/miter style saw and hitting the sides at a 45 that way you can make that seamless??
im thinking ma next project im gonna take ma time and build over a few weeks
and how do you mount your pcb bc if you are worried bout space you might be able to throw the start/select buttons on the back and mount the pcb to the top
for ref look at ma guts on the other thread

[nasci]

Right now I am using a table saw that I bought just for this. The table saw has a miter setting to it, but it is not that trusty so I normally opt to not use it. I actually am planning on buying a chop saw soon, but I am saving up for it. I think once I have one of those... a new case design will come out of it:)

As for the pcb, I actually mounted the xbox pcb horizontally by building a little holder for it. It it was a psx pcb that would give me a ton of room, but with an xbox pcb it's just huge still. Huge. Main reason why is becasue of the triggers. On a psx pcb you cna easily remove them, but if you remove them on an xbox pcb it breaks it. Some people grind them or cut them down to get extra room. I've also done this before, but sometimes even the jiggling around from the cutting or dremeling rips a circuit loose and you'll loose a button.

[koopatroopa]

yeah i got this huge dewalt chop saw from ma uncle cuz ma dad just had to rebuild the motor
it cuts like a dream
nice freebie
man all this positive feedback has me excited abot a new project
neil i was curious if any of your stick art was drawn and if so what process do you use?

[Street_Solder]

great stick!I sure wish I was that good with a saw to make such a beautiful devise of pwnage.

[nasci]

Thanks Street_Solder.
I have always been into fixing and making/repairing electronics but power tools was a new one to me until this year for the most part. Luckily my father is a carpenter so I got lots of pointers.

[Dj_Matrix]

Slick artwork, Dj_Matrix! I dig it!

hey thanks alot man... i kinda wanna open up a custom art thread that i would make ppl art for cash or somethin for their sticks... but i need a portfolio online first

You did a real nice job on that. I'm impressed:)

I'm the opposite, I'm better with laying out vector graphics than with my photoshop skills. I got a pretty good wacom tablet setup going, but other times I hand draw things, then trace them on a light-table onto a new piece of paper so it is totally clean looking, then scan it. Then take that and use adobe streamline to trace it into vector art, then bring that into illustrator and clean it up some and color it, etc.

If you can do work like what you just showed me, I am sure you can figure it out in no time. Or if you like I could do it for you, and maybe I'll hit you up for some art next time.


thanks nasci.. yeah it took me along time to get the feel i wanted on my art... doing my own art is hard because i never feel im satisfied enough for myself cuz i have to look at it everyday... but yeah i wouldnt mind makin some art for your sticks and having u make me some too =)

[nasci]

you got a deal:)

[Dj_Matrix]

okai sounds awesome i like makin art and your awesome at makin sticks unlike me... im just average and have like no tools.
but yeah ima start lookin for some megaman picks i like and get some ideas rollin for some other art work... lemme know when u got any ideas of somethin you would like on a stick

[nasci]

sounds like a plan. i think some megaman art would be fun to do.