Turning a slot machine cabinet into a JukeBox

[teamhex]

I bought a non-working slot machine with a stand for $30 on craigslist. I didn't want to use the enclosed stand for a slot machine so I decided to turn it into a Juke Box.

Up until now I've just been running TouchJams on a PC with a touch screen(picture below), but it just didn't look right.
So here's some pictures and a video showing where I'm at. 
I call this stage 1. It will be running with some nice PC speakers.
Stage 2 will be cutting holes in the front and adding an amp for these hi fi speakers I got for free. Not sure if the cones being pushed in a bit is going to mess with the sound, but I could always go another route if it does.  

Pictures
s2.photobucket.com/user/teamhex/library/Juke%20Box

[frankmachin]

This is great thank you for sharing

It would be even better if you posted your parts list. It would help dummys like me. Who have never built a pc.

cheers

[teamhex]

I actually just finished it(minus graphics and "stage 2") so let me post a new video.



The PC is just a Dell Optiplex I got for really cheap at a thrift store. It's specs are way beyond anything you'd need for a build like this, but I should note that this thing also has mobile touch screen games installed.
Angry Birds, Solitaire, Flappy Bird, Crossy Road, and Candy Crush. They work pretty well. I have another video on my youtube page showing some of that before I finished the build.

If I can I'll try to post links in a few hours for the parts used.

[teamhex]

Magnets for the front panel.(More than enough hold)

Magnets



Monitor mount used(Try to find a pole styled mount made for 1 monitor, I had no luck when I searched Amazon though. I just had this laying around)

Monitor Stand/Mount



Computer(Any computer should work, but you want something with good specs if you're running more than this software. Ideally a solid state drive can be used for faster load times of songs, but I used the one that came with the computer. A 2.5" 500GB HDD. To mount it I found some open areas around the motherboard and drilled through the metal case and slightly into the wood back. The power button is a 2 pin arcade button. It's a momentary switch. When pressed it completes a circuit telling the computer to turn on. Any arcade button or similar button would work fine. I used a 1 & 1/8" spade bit to drill the proper sized hole for the arcade button. Then I used some silicone to hold it in place since there was no nut for the backside of it like some arcade buttons. )

Computer



Touch Screen

No link as it's super old. Any touch screen that has USB and a video should work. Stick with newer if possible for better support on the drivers. You may have to buy an adapter if you're using an older one like this. This one was VGA only, so I had to go from Display Port to VGA with an adapter. This monitor has screw holes and brackets. It would help to find one that's like that, but you could still do it with a consumer grade touch screen.



120mm fan

Any 80-120mm PC fan will work. The one that came with the PC was small..I just unplugged it and removed it. I took the top case off of the computer to let airflow better. From there, just cut a hole that's slightly smaller than the fan and use shorter screws to screw it into the wood. The fan gets power from the computer. Molex or Sata power is common on simple fans. More complex fans have a separate fan controller so avoid those for simplicity sake. Please note I did have to use a Sata to 4pin Molex adapter as this was an old fan from a PC build I did 10 years ago.



Surge Strip. Anyone will work, but go with the longer cable if possible since it routes through the body of the wood. 8-12' is ideal. I'm going to install one of these metal brackets on the back to manage the power cable during moving. It just wraps around it like a vacuum cleaner would.

Surge Strip

Bracket To Wrap Cable

[frankmachin]

Nice job and thank you for the parts list and explanation.

A great share helps.

Cheers

[johnnyt]

I found this post (and TouchJams) whilst looking for a Jukebox solution for my own cabinet that I've just finished building. I've just tried the 'demo' version of the software tonight and it looks really good.

My only question is whether you can navigate the software with just a joystick and buttons or whether you need to use the mouse? I saw the setting for adding keys but there doesn't seem to be a up/down/left/right function for navigating around the jukebox?

I'm not sure if it's something that's available or not? Anyone shed any light on this? Is that how you navigate your cabinet?

Thanks :-)

[SoundBawx]

Hey johnnyt.....just a quick note in response to your question about whether touchjams can use joysticks and buttons for controls.

It sounds like your build is already finished but, have you considered the idea of a touchscreen monitor for your build? They have them on Ebay super cheap. You could probably snag a used one starting around $75 shipped to your door. Type in "ELO touchscreen" in ebays search bar if you're curious. You can find them cheap and they are AWESOME. NOTE: Make sure your item/auction includes the power adapter. Some don't and they most units need a proprietary adapter.

Also, if that doesn't interest you.....you can easily use joystick/buttons to control touchjams interface.

There's a great program....freeware called "Joy2key". You can use this to change joystick/buttons to be mapped on windows boot up to mimick keyboard/mouse commands.

Also, you can play around with "Key Mapping" built into the Touch Jams interface. Go to "Options" radio button, select "System", then "Key Mapping". A combination of the built in interface, and "Joy2Key" should give you a fully customized system if you already have a joystick/buttons as your controls for your build. Good luck, and be sure to post some show off pics/videos of your build!