Star Wars Cockpit Renovation

[Bods]

The Star Wars Controller, really wanted to save money here so use this beat up Road Blasters Controller to convert

The Left/Right steering part is already done, the Handles are Star Wars type which is perfect, shame the thumb buttons have been changed but they will do

When I took the cover off it, the bar the handles are on resembles the one in an original Star Wars yoke, just missing a could of holes for stopper bar and bolt

Hadn't really got much of a plan apart from cut the front of the RB off, remove the bar and cut out sides to weld on, as long as it looks just like SW yoke I wasn't to bothered how it was inside. Only trouble was I had no measurements to go on. I then found an original cover from one on ebay, so when that arrived I started dissembling some metal I got from Indyjones off here when picking up a monkey machine, it was from a Konami Police 24/7, huge chunk of metal weight about 30kg in total and wood box on front of it with speakers, it also supported the top metal frame which is why it's so well built.

So I cut all that up with the Angle Grinder, trying to cut through the welds to separate it all, been using the metal for control panels and this, so no cost

Then Plans changed

.

 

[stevebm1]

there is an exploded view of a yoke in the return of the jedi manual,available online,that might be of use to you

 

[Bods]

That is wonderful work with bending those plastics yourself

Sorry to hear you got such poor quality from the so called professionals

Just goes to show sometimes, if you want it doing right - do it yourself

I'm sure you'll now be inundated with requests for replacements plexis!

Cheers mate

It's quite easy to do, anyone can do it, just let it heat up and bend, so useful though, I was using it again yesterday to adjust angle of some plastic, used it remake part of 2p Pusher after cracking the original so it's proper good to have setup

I'm thinking of making some Thunderblade Deluxe monitor covers sometime, they always broken or missing

It's quite poor when a company can't get some sheets from the shop floor to the reception area for collection without damaging half of it, exactly why I do as much as I can now.

At the same time, I am amazed at the excellent work many members here do, some real quality workmanship goes on restoring these machines and that gives you a bit of faith back that plenty of people in the UK still do brilliant work and it's not all shoddy poor stuff that's seen many industries disappear

 

[Bods]

there is an exploded view of a yoke in the return of the jedi manual,available online,that might be of use to you

Cheers Steve

I managed to get this from ebay to assist, so I changed the plan to convert the RB one

What a state this original one is in, I paid too much for it really but good old ebay sellers don't show pics of the inside so got stung really, Think it ended up around £160 which is crazy when it needs total restoration doing and a few new parts so it would end up costing more than £250 I could of bought some for. Also that isn't the cover it came with, that is completely shot, so bent up and original overlay so bad so with this cover it's still about £200

 

[slowcade]

This is probably the most impressive thread I've read this year. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bods]

This is probably the most impressive thread I've read this year. Thanks for sharing!

Very kind of you sir

Hopefully the next part will be even more so, I'm pretty pleased with it

Thing for me is, just how nice everyone really is in this hobby and on this forum. I'll have plenty more restorations and Conversions as I work through my machines so I can certainly post more of this

So I got an original Yoke, so then had to decide if I should carry on with this, really enjoy making things, like the challenge too, so I carry on with my original plan but now have this to really do a better job than originally planned, so I want to properly copy the original so it's built the same inside as well as looking the part outside

Also there is another part to the story after this is done, the Saga does continue

After getting this original, the 1st sides I'd cut out to convert the RB are slightly to small

, also they weren't quite even both side, so stuff It and started again, things have to be right if I do it, get that from my Mum, if we offered to do Ironing she wouldn't let us as we wouldn't do it to her standards

So new sides cut out

Sides just need grinding and filing to the right size and shape

The next part is making the two internal supports, the front part is bent in L shape but then has another tab bent up for the Potentiometer to fit in

I bought a bending tool so doing some bends is not a problem, but it doesn't allow a bent another way on same part of metal, luckily I did buy a small bending tool that just goes on Vice jaws, which only lets you bend a small bit of metal at right angle, but that's what we needed so pleased I had bought it

one thing I also do when using old metal, even though I can bend it, I look for bits that are already bent, cut it out with one bend in already as might as well use it for this and save the flat bits for other stuff

You can't really see it in these pictures but you will later, the main bend already done, so then it's cutting out support for Pot and holes for stopper bar and gear

Use the pre-bent part again for one side of other support

Then bend the other side with the metal bender I bought, like with the Plastic bending machine, once you have something like this, you end up using it for quite a few things, I've been working on some Solar project stuff and used it to make boxes for fans, brackets for the car and plenty more in future I imagine

Starting to take shape, still hadn't worked out how I was going to do some parts

This was the original Controller Cover, what on earth do people do to the things

how do you straighten this out

 

[Mr20to5]

Easily the best thread on the forum for a long time.

Faith in the C of ukvac restored.

Massive thanks for sharing and kudos for doing so much yourself.

 

[Bods]

Thanks Neil, your all too kind tho

Not sure if I didn't take some photo's or just can't find them, maybe I just forgot while concentrating on some parts of the work.

The cover is so bad, why try and straighten it when I can just make a replacement

The first corner I bent, didn't use the thin metal to pack it out, the folding machine does a good job, but it does quite a curved bend, so for some parts I put some thin strips of metal to pack out the contact area which gives it a tighter bend more like the original, so it bugs me when things like this go wrong, the 2nd one I used them and get a lot cleaner look to it, the artwork will cover it though so didn't bother making another, can't find pics of it next to the original

It does take me a while doing these jobs, soon as I try and speed up I forget something or make mistake, also things I'm not too good at I keep putting off, like the welding still need lots of practice so was one reason to get this done, have lots of welding to do on the cars, had to do some on the CRX last year as it failed the MOT so it was crash course on some old car panels and just went for it, didn't go too bad but it was mainly area's not seen back of sill and end of sill at wheel arch, had to plate inside area as it's rusted away, thing working on the cars as well, I'm not sure how a professional would attempt the same repair, but all was good as it passed straight away. The next parts I need to do is back arches so need to get good at welding for that to patch some metal in, damn rust

So the cover, like the Perspex bending, it's getting it in the right place, it's not perfect but that's how things usually go, if you did another you can make the 2nd better but it's ok. Another good thing doing all these jobs, I use lots of this wood and metal that's come from old machines taking up space, parts I've bought over the years and wondered what am I going to do with it, amazing what gets used a few years later

 

[iamjimmi]

I can't believe you've built a Yoke housing!

Outstanding effort!

 

[Bods]

The sides shaped I drilled the holes in them both for the bearings, got to be both in exact place with hand shaft going through them, don't have drill for exact size of hole either so had to do it close and file down

One of the problems with these controllers is USA made, so bolts, bearings, shafts etc all in imperial sizes, you can buy the rebuild kits and get most of the parts needed but that's going to cost probably £90 with shipping and Tax, so trying to source as much here for future maintenance without the cost

Something else I really want is a Sandblaster setup, stripping the paint off everything is such a time consuming job, getting the powder coating off I use heat gun because it's usally so thick sanding it would take days, cost a fortune in sandpaper too, heat it and scrape off to get rid of most so sanding the little bits then is really quick

This rear part of the the RB controller is pretty similar to the star wars one, the metal is slightly thinner which is why I think it has metal over the top so its a U shape where are SW is only L shape, the other difference is RB is Opto so the hole had a bush in with the shaft for encoder wheel, the extra metal on end is for the opto pcb which was missing anyway when I bought it years ago. Time to cut off the extra metal no longer needed, using the original to assist

 

[Bods]

so I need 2 holes for the Pot, small hole for the tab to keep from turning, also both holes slotted to adjust the gears. Trouble is the hole there now is right in the middle of where the 2 I need go, had to cut that out and weld in a new piece in so I can re do the holes in correct places

Certainly need to improve on my welding

by time I've ground it off it's ok, only gotta hold the Pot anyway

 

[namfreak]

That is lovely fabrication!

If your school metalwork teacher could see you now...…….

 

[Bods]

Yeah I think they would be quite shocked to be honest

Don't have loads of tools to do the jobs, metal folding machine I got off ebay, a 20ton press, bought a pillar bench drill which helps, then just basic stuff like angle grinder, jigsaw, files, , drills, sanders and one of the most useful tools, the dremel type things which I buy cheap £11 ones from ebay or aldi when reduced, get some of the little fibreglass grinding discs from china and your sorted

Used this metal to make it based on the RB controller metal, about same thickness but when I got a SW yoke, that is a lot thicker, but in some ways it's good it's thinner as it's lighter, which is a good thing for a reason I will show later on

The back of the RB controller has same type bump stops as SW thought it's only got 3, other side you can't fit 4th in because of how it's made, the box with the handles, metal plate at the back is twisted where the 2 bump stops bolt in, they get some abuse for sure, and it's not thin metal plate

That made me wonder if this is good enough being same thickness so decided to strengthen it with another bit and weld it together, can't work out if there are pics missing, sure there was more of some bits

 

[Bods]

My original Idea was to just use the RB back part as the shaft for Left/Right steering was welded in place, but after getting the original SB one, I could copy it fully with the correct sizes, so I cut the metal off it and got a collar made to fix the shaft into

The Collar in the middle is one of the 2 things I didn't do, haven't got the tools for that as lathe required, so that was a trip to my Dads garage, he enjoys doing some of the work. The metal I had from a Sega Outrun2 steering, its the metal tube that goes over the steering shaft, not far off the size of the original but we left it a bit longer.

Main reason it had to be done on the Lathe is the end of it to match the original is turned down so it goes through the metal plate and comes flush with the other side, with the extra plate welded on as well that part at length it was turned down to was perfect.

Drilling the holes in the right places wasn't fun. wanted to match them up to the original Shaft that goes inside, so you could replace it with the rebuild kit should I ever need one. Getting the holes on the collar to match the shaft inside wasn't easy, but I managed to get them close enough the original shaft fits, then drill the holes in the RB one. Then the paint was stripped off the collar and welded in place

Next was welding the 2 sides on, it took quite a while filing down the inner metal so it all sits flat, need more pratice at welding bits like this, done some on the outside as well to make sure it's strong, also those first so I could then make sure it's at 90 degree

 

[frothmeister]

Awesome dedication to this resto Bods. Well played dude. Keep it coming

 

[Bods]

Welding the 2nd side I messed up a little, The little return bits top and bottom I'd filed down too much, which wasn't issue after being welded but I was supposed to weld the outside 1st again, then check it's 90 degree again but forgot and welding inside, so that side is angled in very slightly so when the back support fitted its pushing back out again so it's very slightly curved not that you can tell.

My welding doesn't look brilliant but main thing it's strong enough, buy time I was doing the last bits it did get a bit better, to be honest I'm just happy I can do it all myself and you don't see any of it when finished, so when I'd got it all together like this I was over the moon to see it taking shape

Must of forgot to take photo's being so worried about welding I just got on with it

 

[Bods]

The Bar the handle go on was fixed welded in for the RB but seems they used the same one as SW had which was handy, holes for the button wires already there and hole for the bolt to hold in the stopper bar, had to very carefully cut the metal from it, which did leave some areas with holes were it was welded in. also there are no slots for the clips each end, hole for Gear bolt or for the stopper bar to go through.

so first was flat the top for the stopper bolt

Then try and mark out to drill the hole for stopper bar, not easy holding things like this to drill, probably should of looked up more info, it didn't go too bad but was slightly out when putting the bolt in place, so it's at slight angle going out other side

So now the orginal stopper bar fits, I forgot to buy some metal bar for this when I bought some other bits or rod from local place, though turns out it was good I didn't buy it from them, morons again local

 

[Bods]

When my Dad made the Collar for the other bar, I got him to turn down the little bits of metal left from the welding and also slot each end for the clips. they weren't quite wide enough so I put some metal tube in the end so it would fit in my bench drill and used that to file the slots a bit wider and deeper, really need to get a lathe sorted out

Still didn't fit through the bearings as easy as it should so used some emery cloth to make it fit and polish it up

 

[Bods]

One thing I forget to do is think ahead, should of got some bolts bought off ebay, metal rods to repair and make missing parts, also needed something to repair the hole in the handle from a bolt going through where the original bolts broke off and rest stuck in the threads

Reason for this, trying to buy anything local just results in lots of wasted time not being able to buy half the stuff, it any of it. also again dealing with idiots in Leicester. I popped in a few places one morning for some UNC bolts, hadn't got anything suitable but sellers on ebay have the items. found some low melt alloy repair solder on ebay, no places local think to stock it so I popped in place that sell bearings and other things to see if they have any alloy rod, no only steel, so after thinking about other parts that need repairing on the original SW controller I went back in for some 6 and 7 mm rod.

Forgot about this stopper bar when I got home, had to buy some from ebay, with postage I get half the amount for the price, oh well don't need much. Spent the rest of that day welding in the rod I bought to fill holes, then came to drill the new holes and tap treads, got first hole done, then broke my 3mm tap cutting threads, so that now holds me up as I can't do the rest, managed to grind the tap and use it again.

tried to drill the next hole, wouldn't drill, as my dad said you might have trouble drilling the welds, but I checked and it wasn't the weld part, was drilling the new metal rod, well couldn't drill it, so I tried with lots of drill bits, then changed drill speeds but couldn't even get a hole started. Blunted about 5 drill bits and broke a tap. Then I found out why, the metal rod I bought local, the total idiots must of sold me Stainless Steel. I never asked for Stainless, even told the cretin what I was doing and need to weld this in and drill and tap threads. So I tried to drill into the fresh bar encase the heat from welding altered it and you just could not drill it at all. Just totally give up with these places in Leicester. cost me a day messing about and then had to find some rod I had and redo a days work again

The 8mm Steel rod arrived from the ebay seller really quick, no surprise I get standard steel and not stainless so had no issues drilling this

Just the hole to do for the gear and tap threads to secure it

 

[LewisGamer]

That’s some incredible work right there!
Well done!