Return of the Star Wars Custom

[dapperdan]

A few weeks ago I made a custom Star Wars and posted some pictures of it. About a week later I was trying to clone 2 hard drives in my computer and got them mixed up and wiped out my entire main drive - Lucky I had a backup from 2 weeks ago but it did not include all the time I spent on the artwork for the Star Wars Custom. I had to start all over and in the process I made some changes and thought I would share them.

This time I did a full Custom including the Reel Glass. Also you will notice that I put Red and Green Stripes on the side of the 7 and Star Wars Logo so you can eye shoot now if you want.

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot-01.jpg

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot-02.jpg

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot-03.jpg

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot-04.jpg

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot-05.jpg

[minnesotabrad]

Nice work as always.

[Zeron Stargate]

She looks good......

What Base machine did you use?
It looks like it would work for me.

I am starting to lay out some rough graphics
for a Nextel NASCAR Ryan Newman
started on the belly glass below ( rough draft )
just for ideas pieces from everywhere
http://www.gvtc.com/~stargate/Ryan%20Newman%2012a.jpg

This is gonna be one for me and it will be my first
custom. I don't know how far I'll get. I already have
the plotter printer and the film and Corel and Illistrator
so the vector thing is covered. I just don't have any
artistic talent. I can take somthing and change it but
give me a blank paper and foget it.. I'm lost

Tommorrow I'll start laying out the template for the reels.

[dapperdan]

I use the new red pulsar

http://www.barncow.com//slots/newredpulsar.jpg

[Tony Junior]

Beautiful, as always, DD!

[Zeron Stargate]

Thanks ... Milt has them.... http://store.yahoo.com/stealthhome/newpupa.html

[johntofva]

WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!! Something to be proud of.

[dapperdan]

Here is a video of the machine in action.

http://www.barncow.com/ebay/starwars-slot.wmv

[Lddrizzt]

Nice job Dapper!
But I don't recall that music from the movies tho.

[dapperdan]

Most people don't know this but the music is a favorite to C3PO. This is usually what he listens to when he needs to unwind.

http://www.barncow.com/temp/headphones.jpg

[Lddrizzt]

Oh ok, never mind then.

[luckydog]

It sound like the music would go good with a Flash Dance Custom.

[gork]

dapperdan,

I really like and admire your custom work. It's really fantastic looking. I have a question though... Have you ever experimented with using translucent or opaque masks on your artwork, overlaying with colored plastic gels, etc? It seems to me that these kind of details are the big difference between custom graphics and the "real deal" --

I would like to get into making some customs but I'd like to try to figure out this problem first before I put down the money for a printer capable of doing it For me backlit reels and graphics are most dramitc when the light only comes through the graphic and not the background. If you have any ideas on how to accomplish this, I'd be very curious! I was thinking that it might be possible to cut a vinyl backing with a plotter, but welcome anything that might make it easier!

BTW the star wars is awesome!

[AkaReaper]

I've conversed with Dan via PM a couple times, and I can tell you this much. With what he is working with, he does a great job. I can say this from experience as I owned a print shop, and still have a few machines I do work with once in awhile.

To accomplish what the manufacturers do will cost thousands. About 20k to be exact. So, there has to be a trade off. Not to mention regulations in handling the actual solvent based inks they use and such. As for lit reels, its possible using projector overlay, however, you'd have to find someone with a vinyl plotter to create a cut overlay with an opaque film to cover the rest up. You could do it the same way with the backlit film too.

My party rental season is almost over, I hope to acquire about 6 machines from the guy in kalamazoo MI that got the container in last month. I'll go from there and see what I can do. Won't sell 'em, just want some special machines for friends. One thing is for certain, with Palm Imports back into the custom biz, and others along with Japan allowing importers to select only American branded machines, customs won't bring much money in anymore.

[dapperdan]

....Have you ever experimented with using translucent or opaque masks on your artwork, overlaying with colored plastic gels, etc? .... For me backlit reels and graphics are most dramitc when the light only comes through the graphic and not the background. If you have any ideas on how to accomplish this, I'd be very curious! .....

I have thought about doing this. I use to work at a printing place in the graphic department. We use a machine to create negative film for the printing presses. I thought about creating a mask inside the computer and then printing it to film and putting it behind the backligh film. This way it would only allow certain parts to shine through, so yes it is possible.

My most recent trip though to Las Vegas and the Gaming Convention I saw that they are getting away from this. Almost every glass I saw just had the light from behind without using masks and alot of them were printed on inkjet printers (you can tell by the little jaggies if you look real real close).

One trick they are doing though and I want to try it out, is to remove the white substance on the back of the backlight film (sort of like scraping it off) so the light really shines bright through that area, you can actually see the bulb inside the machine if you look close.

Right now I am only using the Red Pulsar machine which does not backlight the reels so I don't have to worry about all the translucent colors and masks on the reels themself since they are only lit from the front.

[gork]

Maybe they "print" the white onto the film as well as the colors. There is a fairly inexpensive printer that can do this -- Alps MD5000 (It also can be configured for dye sub). I think it would make a fantasitc custom machine printer. You could use it to put down a layer of colors, then white backing, then print a black mask on the back of the film. The printer holds seven dry ink cartridges, and it has a lot of unique features such as front/back alignment on the paper and aligned overprinting (The printer will keep the sheet in the printer between prints and you can send multiple passes onto the same page). It even can print metallics!

The only drawback to this printer is that it is discontinued -- HP bought ALPS printer technology and canned it (Apparently people don't want cheap printers that are more capable than inkjets). So you have to find them on eBay now. I also would wonder how the solid ink would hold up to being backlit. It may not be very transmissive, but you know, pigmented inkjet inks work, I guess...

[dapperdan]

The ALPs MD5000 sounds interesting. I looked at a few web sites about it and I could not find how big of a page you can print on it. Does it print wider than 8.5 inches?

[gork]

The MD-5000 user's manual does not indicate the maximum paper size. It does have an option for custom sizes, but I would assume that 8.5" width or only very slightly larger is the maximum.. Have no idea on length.. I don't actually have one of these printers, but I remember it from someone I met who used one to print decals. Maybe one of the ebay sellers can tell you?

The thing was canned in 2000. Kind of shows you what a useful device it was that people are still selling them for retail prices and comparing them to other consumer photo printers six years after they were discontinued. It's a shame that nothing else in the consumer realm will do the same things for the same money. Shame to HP!

[AkaReaper]

Dan, you might be able to "polish" out the white on the back using a dremel and buffing nub.

[cobot]

Hi,
I know of a Company in Australia that can print translites exactly as you want them, I used to work for a company that had them made and the are spot on, if you can send me the JPG on a CD rom I can get as many as you want printed for roughly AUD$100.00 each as well as nearly all the pinball translites ever made.
I just got my first Star Wars pachinko, a very interesting machine it will compliment me existing Starwars pinball and arcades machines.
My email is bumperaction@rock.com