Japanese Namco P1/P2 button repro interest thread

[level42]

Hey guys.....

I realize these are very rare babies and not many people would need them but I am looking if there are more people interested for reproduced Namco P1/P2 buttons like this:





I cannot find them available ANYWHERE and the only place I have seen them are on actual Japanese Namco cabinets like Tank Battalion and my Namco Galaxian.
Puckman also used those buttons.

I have nothing firm just yet, I am looking into options. At this moment I think 3D scanning and printing might be the way to go because of the low volume and difficult shapes.

The buttons are insanely cool, but also insanely complex in construction.
The most difficult parts are the clear button itself and the Namco bezel around it. Other parts are metal parts that should be relatively easy to reproduce.

The actual switch should still be available, or you could use your old one. They are very similar to the usual door-switches at the cab doors and/or coin doors.

SO.....let me know if you are looking for these !

I will be going to a local 3d scanning and printing shop to see if it will be at all possible and how much cost there will be in them.

I might need someone who can digitally restore (in 3D) the shape of especially the bezel because as you can see mine has some cigarette damage that need to be fixed before printing.

[Wurstkopp]

Cool project! Tank B. needs love, count me in for a pair.

Btw: I could do the photoshop part with the numbers and the kanji...

[Alpha1]

Count me in, I'll take 4.


I need 2 joysticks too!

[level42]

Preliminary pics...what on earth was done to that button, look at those bubbles....did they try to clean it with acetate ??


https://www.flickr.com/photos/level_42/sets/72157644445580086/

[level42]

Started sanding this button.....seems to work, the bubbles on the left are already gone and the big area has already reduced a bit (more of the right most character is already visible).


Untitled by Level_42, on Flickr

[level42]

Wow, this is going much better than I expected, looking really hopeful !

[Etienne MacGyver]

Nice !

told you they can clean up pretty well after seeing robin's zacc CPO

reminds me, i need to scan something, and drill something.

do you have a new shaft already ?  i might have some place that can turn the new shaft to size to repair "our" mistake 

[level42]

No shaft yet. Actually I bought a Midway Galaxian joystick from ebay that I plan to use on the Namco Galaxian.

Going nice is original, but you know about my control fetish......it's got to be perfect and I don't like microswitches, if I can avoid them......

The original is microswitch and judging by the construction of it there will be a lot of play/distance between the left and right action.

I completely loved the original stick on my Bally-Midway Galaxian, especially with the welding-mod which reduced the up/down play to zero.

So, no need for any work on the original joystick parts (yet) , so you can focus on the bezel

Here's the button now, almost done, just the edges. In the process of enthusiastically sanding I managed to break the "stands" of one side of the button. This stuff has become quite brittle. No big problem, two neat parts, can easily be glued back together and will be invisible once installed.

Of course I will now start to use finer sandpaper and then use my micro-mesh kit in the hope to get a nice and shiny surface again




I will go to the local 3D print shop to see if they could repro these. I think scanning the button would not be the best way to do it, the measurements and shape look simple enough to make a 3D drawing which will be much more accurate.

[Etienne MacGyver]

i guess wet sandpaper will be the next step

place the sandpaper on a piece of glass, thats pretty "vlak" (straight surface) and keep that still and move the button in a rotating motion over it will do the trick i think

if you are a real dare devil you can Always flame polish the finish

[level42]

LOL I actually used that sanding method (well on a table) after I noticed I had created quite a dent in the surface where the bubbles used to be
Looks almost perfectly flat now, as with anything, it's a compromise

[level42]

Hey guys.....remember this ?




now looky here y'all.....

[level42]

You see still a bit of stains because of water which is trapped between the button and the insert but that will dry up.

Is it perfect ? No. Is it an amazing improvement ? Hell yes !

The last step I did was using my Micromesh kit.....it is AWESOME !

I used it twice, I might give it a third run.

Can't wait to do this on the other button which is much nicer to start with anyway but that one is undergoing some "treatment" at the moment which will save the specs of the Namco button for prosperity

[anunaki]

great result Andre

[level42]

In all honesty.....the top layer of the button has become quit a bit thinner......but life is compromises....

[Q*ris]

Micromesh... Uh, never heard of that before.
Does that means very very fine grain sandpaper (like 6000) and anti static fluid?
The result is top notch!