The Aussie Pinball Arcade
Aussie Pinball Forums => Archived Threads => Homepin => Topic started by: Homepin on March 27, 2014, 02:30:37 PM
-
I am well aware that these tables have been copied for years and years with all sorts of variations and varying qualities. Similar machines are also done to death on Fleabay and similar sites. I don't expect a massive market for these BUT I will be building QUALITY and these are officially sanctioned by David Hankin himself and will be manufactured and sold as "Licenced product".
The one thing that will be first and foremost 'built-in' will be electrical safety and these tables will meet or exceed all Australian electrical safety regulations.
I have no idea of final sell price yet but I expect they will be only slightly more expensive than the current crop of 'copy' machines out there of mixed and unknown quality but only by a small margin.
A sneak peak of us designing our own monitor in-house:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/randd.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankinrandd.jpg)
-
THONGS to work?surely there is some oh&s in china.
-
THONGS to work?surely there is some oh&s in china.
I deliberately left that in the shot.........
There is OH&S here BUT where it matters and (for a change) using "common sense" - remember that?
-
Did I read that you are doing these with LCD screen and possibly a small number with CRT?
-
did Hankins come out in a multi game?
Will yours come out with a range of games - 60 in 1 ????
-
THONGS to work?surely there is some oh&s in china.
Thongs are Chinese work boots! Haven't you ever heard that before?
%.%. ^^^
-
Common sense?? I'm sure that was deleted from the dictionary with other words no longer used like Respect Etc lol
-
Well done Mike.
I will support your product all day long.
-
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankinrandd.jpg)
What? No cushions on the chairs? poor girls :-(
-
poor posture,
plastic chair(if we can call it that) a little high for the working area)
Common mike, spend a couple of dollars and look after your workers
Red
-
When and IF the time comes that you are looking for distributors in QLD for your products Mike, I would happily put my hand up for your range and show them to all and sundry with Australian pride.
I am sure Mr Hankin is feeling excited and proud that another great Aussie has taken on his designs that have outlasted time and he must be feeling very warm in the heart.
Thunderbirds and Hankins are GO !
-
Does anyone know if hankins came out with multigame option, or was there a deal back in the day where hankin got the license to play various games in his designed setup - I can't remember.
I do believe these are the best looking cabinets though.
-
I believe multi boards are a new thing, by new in the last 10 years.
I believe the Hankins were all Jamma so Ops could put different pcbs in.
I never saw a multi game on site
-
I believe multi boards are a new thing, by new in the last 10 years.
I believe the Hankins were all Jamma so Ops could put different pcbs in.
I never saw a multi game on site
cool I thought that was the case, be curious where Mike goes with this.
-
If my memorys correct, I didn't see a multi game to late 1981, and it was only a 2 or max 3 game updated machine. That was big news at Freddy Fongs Takeaway at Reevesby when I was about 11 or 12 yrs old. How time flys.
Now, most of the 60 in 1 games are cool, but I only play apx 6 of the old school games I remember as akid. They keep me interested til I swear n hope to beat the game yet AGAIN. :D
-
Picked up the stamping die for the corner glass retainers this afternoon. You can see the test parts pressed from (rusty) scrap 1mm steel sheet. This die is a very complex arrangement with springs and rubber bumps and about 15 seperate pieces. It stamps the shape and the four holes in one hit. I don't know what it weighs but I couldn't pick it up on my own without quite a struggle so I'm guessing about 25kg?
The same place will now make a folding die to bend the four flanges down then we will have a small hand operated press to give the brackets their final curve before sending them off to be powder coated or plated. There is a lot more to a simple corner bracket than most realise (me included).
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/tabledie.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/tabledie2.jpg)
-
Common mike, spend a couple of dollars and look after your workers
Red
yes look after your workers… and you can have the same sort of manufacturing that we enjoy in Australia…..none
-
Picked up the stamping die for the corner glass retainers this afternoon. You can see the test parts pressed from (rusty) scrap 1mm steel sheet. This die is a very complex arrangement with springs and rubber bumps and about 15 seperate pieces. It stamps the shape and the four holes in one hit. I don't know what it weighs but I couldn't pick it up on my own without quite a struggle so I'm guessing about 25kg?
The same place will now make a folding die to bend the four flanges down then we will have a small hand operated press to give the brackets their final curve before sending them off to be powder coated or plated. There is a lot more to a simple corner bracket than most realise (me included).
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/tabledie.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/tabledie2.jpg)
Looks good, and agree with you there is alot involved in what appears to be a simple part, as in my last job I learnt alot about dies and the design possibilities and constraints of the tool room and they were using 10 tonne up to 60 tonne presses stamping 1mm through to 10mm plate. When you do your next one where possible consider a 2 stage stamp die that could punch in stage 1 and follow through with bends to save on a manufacturing process. The limits will be - it would be very hard to achieve a 90 degree bend but could achieve lesser angles.
-
It already looks like the specialised machinery,tooling,seperate work stations etc are going to take up a fair bit of room. by the way Mike, iif Nino visits youll have to get all of your employees to wear crocks instead of thongs to make him feel at home. :lol:
-
These tools must take so long to produce and must be so perfect people are amazing what they can do
-
Looks like its all mild steel with maybe an aluminium head.. always nice to see an engineers work
-
Looks like its all mild steel with maybe an aluminium head.. always nice to see an engineers work
Hahaha yes amazing they can get two moulds made with that precision I can't even build a wooden box that joins neatly lol. You will see soon Gav lmfao
-
ill fitting wooden box not here yet.. that has surprised me!
-
The die is cut from solid blocks of tool steel, no aluminium (wish it was - I might be able to actually lift it %.%).
You can imagine what it cost.......... !!!
-
So I'm guessing tool steel is very very solid if so how the hell do they carve out the cavity for the parts then make an identical but inverted mould for the other. I'm scratching my head... And even in china that kind of work would be damn damn expensive wouldn't be to many people offering that service
-
So I'm guessing tool steel is very very solid if so how the hell do they carve out the cavity for the parts then make an identical but inverted mould for the other. I'm scratching my head... And even in china that kind of work would be damn damn expensive wouldn't be to many people offering that service
Next time I visit the place I'll get some videos - the steel is cut using a super fine wire that must be made from 'God knows what' and it "saws" through the steel like butter - amazing to watch.
-
the process of intricate parts is generally (electro-discharge) wire cut in which the wire is generally on a spool and very slowly moved from one reel to another, then / or some milling (manual of cnc) to factions of a mm and then surface ground to hundredths of a mm. Something like that in Aus would be around $10k - $15k depending on the market and work slots available. We were doing small ones right up to 600mm W x 1000mm L x 500mm H ones weighing up to 1.5-2 tonne and costing up to $60-70k. Then depending on the press and feed line (manual or automatic) you could press anything from 1 - 45 parts per minute but they can go up 60 a minute on a modern in feed press. cool stuff. The metal is also high grade tool steel as it has to be a few grades higher than the metal it will stamp out and at times hardened. Aluminium or mild steel components would go blunt in no time but a thick bolster (base plates) can be mild steel if thick enough (so not to deform) to hold all the critical stamping components.
The tool room where I worked made 75 of the press tools and serviced 95% of them so somethings are still done in Aus and we made 3-4 new tools a year and serviced them every 40 hours as they would punch up to 15000 units a shift (from generally 3mm thick black steel which is a little more hard wearing compared to oiled steel and these were generally a few grades higher than mild steel)
-
The second stamping die was finished today - it folds the four sides of the stamped bracket:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent5.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent6.jpg)
Yes, Chinese work boots - I know - it's been belting down with rain and my only pair of runners are soaked - I would buy new ones but there is NOTHING available here in size 11......I have given up looking.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent4.jpg)
....and this is what it turns out after stamping:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/bent3.jpg)
The last die is being made now to make the final bend - the curved bend around the corner - then I can run off a batch and have them chromed.
Again a huge amount of work for what initially seems like a very simple corner bracket!
-
I've had three customers ask me about a cocktail table this week. Hurry Up !
I hope there is a run of CRT models. There's no LCD that looks half as good.
Multigame - I have a couple of converted Galaxian boards which are "multigame" - Galaxian, Moon Cresta and UFO. But they are only changed by the operator switching the game off and flicking a switch. The first "muliboard" where the player could select was Ghost Muncher / Uniwars. I wonder if Mike remembers those very cool cabinets !
-
I've had three customers ask me about a cocktail table this week. Hurry Up !
I hope there is a run of CRT models. There's no LCD that looks half as good.
Multigame - I have a couple of converted Galaxian boards which are "multigame" - Galaxian, Moon Cresta and UFO. But they are only changed by the operator switching the game off and flicking a switch. The first "muliboard" where the player could select was Ghost Muncher / Uniwars. I wonder if Mike remembers those very cool cabinets !
I sure do - we used to make the conversions in Brisbane for many of the early 2 and 3 game "multiboards" - the very first one I remember doing was Scramble but I forget what it converted to ???? We used to double up the ROMs and wire a switch to the chip select pins - very bodgy but it worked very well.
CRTs are still a "definate maybe" but not guaranteed at this point. If I do make some they are likely to be 14/15" ???
-
I've had three customers ask me about a cocktail table this week. Hurry Up !
I hope there is a run of CRT models. There's no LCD that looks half as good.
Multigame - I have a couple of converted Galaxian boards which are "multigame" - Galaxian, Moon Cresta and UFO. But they are only changed by the operator switching the game off and flicking a switch. The first "muliboard" where the player could select was Ghost Muncher / Uniwars. I wonder if Mike remembers those very cool cabinets !
I sure do - we used to make the conversions in Brisbane for many of the early 2 and 3 game "multiboards" - the very first one I remember doing was Scramble but I forget what it converted to ???? We used to double up the ROMs and wire a switch to the chip select pins - very bodgy but it worked very well.
CRTs are still a "definate maybe" but not guaranteed at this point. If I do make some they are likely to be 14/15" ???
Scramble board was a generic hardware for Super Cobra and Amigo. Not a muligame, but it was easy to create a daughterboard and hook up the Chip Select lines.
-
The third die was finished a couple of days ago and I had them run off 6 samples for me - I sent 4 off to the powder coaters for our first test machine:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/firstcornerclips.jpg)
I also had a small screen made up so we can screen print the Hankin Logo onto the inside of the glass - again just a test for our first machine as the glass will be screen printed with the original black border for the finished products:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/glasslogoscreen.jpg)
-
this is extremely interesting how a guy on a fairly small scale can establish a mini production-line and build in china. this is wow stuff
Ive always wondered how people can do it
it would have been a nightmare to try and do that here in Aus and probably ten times expensive on start-up costs here
-
this is extremely interesting how a guy on a fairly small scale can establish a mini production-line and build in china. this is wow stuff
Ive always wondered how people can do it
it would have been a nightmare to try and do that here in Aus and probably ten times expensive on start-up costs here
Mike's drive and enthusiasm is going to turn the industry upside down and back on track. So many positives !
The cocktail table project is a "given". I don't deal in video stuff (except selling the old boards), but I get asked at least once a week about "the sit down tables ! There will be a demand for these tables. The Hankin version was the best design ever.
-
I spent this last week scrambling to get the first sample Hankin cocktail table together for the first official Homepin factory visitor - David Hankin who visited today!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hv2.jpg)
David playing a game with one of the staff:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hv4.jpg)
Giving me a few pointers on some of the small things that I needed to be aware of:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hv1.jpg)
All in all a pretty exciting day for me to be able to show such a respected visitor around the facility.
-
good stuff,congratulations ^^^
-
Well done ^^^
-
Great work Mike
That's a very nice looking unit wouldn't mind having a play with that one and the table top looks unreal aswell.
Must have been a great feeling having Australia's only real manufacturer in your factory
-
That's looking great, can't wait to see more pics of it.
-
That is so cool. Having the main man give you the nod on his design.
What did he think?
I had an original Hankin and I have always regreted selling it.
Heavy as, but best cocktail design ever.
-
That is so cool. Having the main man give you the nod on his design.
What did he think?
He was super impressed - he even hammed it up for the camera when he saw his logo "pretending" it was a shock to him:
(yes, the finish isn't what the end product will be like - this is a hand made prototype)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hv7.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hv8.jpg)
-
Will there be a discount for TAG buyers?
^^^ &&
-
or ap members? !@)
-
Thats excellent Mike. wishing you the best of luck with sales. you wont need the luck though, you've really made an excellent product. congratulations.
-
Excellent work Mike, looks great, when will you have the game specs available, ^^^
-
Excellent work Mike, looks great, when will you have the game specs available, ^^^
I won't be selling them individually - they will be sold through authorised agents so it will be up to them to determine how best to promote them. I am concentrating on manufacturing rather than selling to the end user.
-
No worries, all good ()
-
Excellent work Mike, looks great, when will you have the game specs available, ^^^
I won't be selling them individually - they will be sold through authorised agents so it will be up to them to determine how best to promote them. I am concentrating on manufacturing rather than selling to the end user.
Wise decision.
Looking forward to when you announce your authorized agents. I personally know of at least 3 mates (non pinball / video people) who have been constantly asking me to find them a decent second hand tabletop. Now I've got an easy answer for them with a new product.
-
Excellent work Mike, looks great, when will you have the game specs available, ^^^
I won't be selling them individually - they will be sold through authorised agents so it will be up to them to determine how best to promote them. I am concentrating on manufacturing rather than selling to the end user.
Wise decision.
Looking forward to when you announce your authorized agents. I personally know of at least 3 mates (non pinball / video people) who have been constantly asking me to find them a decent second hand tabletop. Now I've got an easy answer for them with a new product.
I get asked at least once a week. It will be great to have a QUALITY machine to refer customers to ^^^
-
cum clean nino,we have have all sused out YOU will be the melbourne distributer.lol.
-
I have had some 1mm adhesive backed foam die cut to fit inside the steel glass clips. This stops the glass from moving and also prevents 'glass to steel' contact (this is also a requirement of Australian funiture laws relating to the use of glass in tables).
It's a bit tricky to fit but my staff have patience in spades <..>
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/glassfoam2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/glassfoam.jpg)
-
It amazes me the HUGE volumes of parts needed when doing a small run (in this case 100 tables initially) - All sorts of parts that you normally wouldn't think too much about but suddenly you need a bag of feet that are so heavy you can't even carry it!! Connectors have to be purchased in reels of 4000pcs to be cost effective and the same with terminals, switches, power leads and pretty well every part!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda1.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda2.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda3.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda4.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda5.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda6.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda7.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/builda8.jpg)
-
Its all coming together nicely Mike. At least your in the right country for the bulk buys. Sorry if I missed it but have you used a homepin designed game board or one from down the road .
-
would love to hear when the machines are ready and when u are picking / finding agents for your great products.
-
This is what 1,243 glass corner clips in boxes waiting to go to the powder coaters looks like:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/glassclips1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/glassclips2.jpg)
-
4 per table.... 1243 made.
Have you got Bretts calculator?
-
4 per table.... 1243 made.
Have you got Bretts calculator?
Hahaha - you know the deal in China - you order 300 sets (1200pcs) - they over run "just in case there are a few duds" - then when you go to pick them up the invoice is for EVERY single one they can muster up!!!
So you get billed for an extra 43 you didn't order and don't want.............welcome to business in China.
-
Definitely a part that you could sell on it's own (even in sets of four)
Will they be available as a spare part? (once completed of course)
Red
-
Definitely a part that you could sell on it's own (even in sets of four)
Will they be available as a spare part? (once completed of course)
Red
Yes indeed!!!
-
This is the first test screen print (we do screen printing in-house as we are building up to "bigger things") of the volume panel.
Laser cut 1mm stainless steel. We will actually bend it before printing but the new folder won't be delivered until next week and I was impatient......
The print is a little high on the panel so we will correct that when we are ready to screen all panels in a week or so.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/volume_panel.jpg)
-
4 per table.... 1243 made.
Have you got Bretts calculator?
%.% %.% %.% %.% %.%
^^^
-
Looks good Mike - I was going to say put the "Homepin" logo on top of the buttons, and the "Service Credit" and "Test" under the respective buttons as there is more room.
-
Looks good Mike - I was going to say put the "Homepin" logo on top of the buttons, and the "Service Credit" and "Test" under the respective buttons as there is more room.
The panel will be folded where you see the semicircle each side so there isn't as much room as you might think. This panel screws to the inside floor of the table so words underneath the buttons won't be as easy to see. The logo will probably not be visable unless you are laying on the floor?
Also the ink type required for stainless steel is different to that used for plastic so that makes screening the buttons a little more complex although I do have a foil printing machine - we could foil print them I suppose???
-
This is what 100 coin counters look like in the packing from the factory:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ccounters.jpg)
....and starting to strip 100 power supplies for the Homepin rebuild to make them more reliable and safer - well, 99, one was squashed in transit...:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/psstrip1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/psstrip2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/psstrip3.jpg)
-
Awesome
-
The glass clips are back from the powder coaters so today we are fitting the die cut foam pieces to them - tedious but it has to be done:
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/glass_clips4.jpg)
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/glass_clips5.jpg)
-
It is a dirty job, but someone's got to do it ()
-
This mornings job was to set up the screen print and do a test print on the sample stainless steel power supply case. I already have a list of 12 things that need changing in the laser cutting file for this part but I wanted to make sure the legends all fitted where intended.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screened_panel2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screened_panel.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screened_panel1.jpg)
-
Looks like this will be a quality piece of equipment when finished! ^^^ I just hope the market will recognises this. The more I read about it the more I want one. Don't know much about table tops except for smashing out a few games of Galaga (love that game). What game/s will come with the machine or do you buy games to put in it?
-
Looks like this will be a quality piece of equipment when finished! ^^^ I just hope the market will recognises this. The more I read about it the more I want one. Don't know much about table tops except for smashing out a few games of Galaga (love that game). What game/s will come with the machine or do you buy games to put in it?
These will certainly be FAR better built than any other Chinese import machines and will comply with all Australian laws (unlike the others) including the laws on "glass used in furniture" that the others seem to ignore. They will sell for only about $200 more than the others but will have a list of features that easily justifies the small extra cost.
It will be supplied with a 60in1 board (which includes Galaga %.%) but we are beefing up the wiring harness and also using a 16A power supply so pretty well any vertical PCB with a JAMMA connector can be plugged straight in.
-
I love the connector pin out assignments. So easy to troubleshoot in the future. That the bonus of having the design done by a professional ^^^
-
I'm sure it will be fully JAMMA compatible. It's just the screening on the power supply plate that has me a little worried, will it also output -5V ? Not many boards need it, but some do, it would be shame if it wasn't present.
-
I'm sure it will be fully JAMMA compatible. It's just the screening on the power supply plate that has me a little worried, will it also output -5V ? Not many boards need it, but some do, it would be shame if it wasn't present.
A good point. I know the old Scramble platform needed -5V for the sound.
-
I chose not to include -5V as there are only a handful of older dedicated boards that need it. The change in power supply and extra wiring simply can't be justified for the three people who may want to use a board like this.
This product is primarily aimed at the end user who will simply plug it in and away you go!!! However I have made sure it is as "collector friendly" as possible as well within the constraints of the budget. To add -5V would have cost an extra $25 per machine and I felt the remote controlled undercab lighting (at the same cost) would be of greater benefit to the maximun number of users.
-
Is there a way to preorder a machine with the -5V option, with or without the under cab lighting? Or maybe a replacement powersupply that the end user can swap in to include this voltage? Definitely my preference, as I have a lot of older boards, I would like to be able to use them all if I was to buy one of your cabinets.
-
Is there a way to preorder a machine with the -5V option, with or without the under cab lighting? Or maybe a replacement powersupply that the end user can swap in to include this voltage? Definitely my preference, as I have a lot of older boards, I would like to be able to use them all if I was to buy one of your cabinets.
Absolutely - for (about?) $25 extra we would custom screen a power supply and rewire the cabinet to include -5V to the JAMMA connector.
You would need to talk to an agent to discuss the final buy price as that isn't my responsibility - the final sell price is between the buyer and agent.
I currently have agents in Melbourne, Brisbane and Townsville and I am looking for agents in other states - speak up if interested but you need to commit to a 20' container of machines (36 units).
Please email me directly if anyone wants more details sales@homepin.com
-
Is the Vic distributor a member on here.? I have a few referrals backing up
-
Is the Vic distributor a member on here.? I have a few referrals backing up
Patience Grasshopper - all will be revealed soon......still putting the final seal on the deal with a distributor... <..>
-
hopefully all the dealers stick to a recommended retail price.
like Hyundai does etc $14,990 drive away. or $3,400 drive away for your arcade machine or whatever realistic price the market will pay for a top quality product .....what ever, it makes the pricing very very similar across the dealership range and no one undercuts the next bloke down to nothing so in the end the product still has margin and will be worth stocking for all agents. I like the way you are forcing agents to distributors n not nicking sales from your local distributor nertwork like JJP has.
Stern/AMD use a similar policy and its good cause it sends you to your local distributor. Then because price is a given at a already affordable deal, all u need now is good service.
its coming together nicely Mike.
bretto
-
The ball race fans fitted up with insulation and the correct plug:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ballracefans.jpg)
Even though each power supply we are using has inbuilt EMI/RFI filtering we are also using a high quality fully metal encased filter straight after the mains switch, here they are fitted up with the correct connectors ready for final assembly of the power supply unit:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/filters.jpg)
-
I have been in Australia for a couple of weeks so I haven't been "hands on" in that time and so no recent updates. I do have some details of the monitor that we will be building ourselves in house.
It will end up looking "similar" to this one with the metal case and mounting flanges, industrial rack mount style.
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/industrial_monitor.jpg)
It is an industry standard 19" - 4:3 aspect monitor. The metalwork will all be stainless steel housing a genuine Philips/LG LED glass screen. The contrast and viewing angle of this new generation LED backed glass is amazing. This picture doesn't do it justice.
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/steep_angle.jpg)
Some drawings of the metalwork
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/screen_frame.jpg)
We are using an input board that has both VGA and DVI inputs so these monitors will be usable for many other applications as well as these tables.
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/dual_inputs.jpg)
These will be available for seperate purchase BUT I have no idea of price at this early stage. More info when I get some samples together in the next week or so. For those asking about CRT I have to report that CRT is DEAD!!! Simply no longer available.
At this stage there are three containers of these tables shipping as soon as I can complete them. One each to Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.
Still available for NSW and SA at this stage.
-
Hi
Maybe you have already advised this and I have just overlooked it but since your building the monitor in house, will it have the timings stored for the older horizontal scan rates 15/24K so all the old games can be connected without having to use a converter?
Thanks
Daniel
-
I'm having huge problems accessing AP - maybe it's the "Great Firewall of China" who knows?
Anyway here are a few update pics. The first is the raw plastic form that we are making in our vacuum forming machine for the monitor bezel - it will be trimmed out on the new CNC router table being delivered this week.
The second pic is the first proto of the power supply unit - all mains is kept inside this box for safety reasons. The finished item has a slightly different lid and we are assembling 120 of them at the moment.
The third pic is a sample metal part produced by the combination of metal forming dies for the coin mechanism mount. There are still a few issues with the dies and they are being tweaked at the moment. All should be right to go sometime this week.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/escution.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hps_proto.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/coinmechbezel.jpg)
more to come if I can upload them.......
-
Some more:
A very small view of the 250 legs back from the powder coaters and ready to go...the assembled volume control panels and our rebuilt power supplies ready to assemble into the power supply units.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/somelegs.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/volpanel.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/lotsaps.jpg)
-
The volume control panels shown earlier being assembled:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/assemblevol.jpg)
-
Love all the pics and info, They are going to be bullet proof. great stuff Mike.
-
Homepin,
I have an original Hankin stored at my cousins that came out on the wrong end of a pub fight, I was wondering if you were considering making individual parts available so those of us can finish off our original tables?
I am enjoying seeing all of the updates, they are going to look great.
-
I am looking at "perhaps" supplying the cabinet in flat pack form???
-
We screened the serial number plates onto 0.5mm aluminium sheet and I took the liberty of numbering the first two. I'm not a fan of "special" serial numbers but for this project 0001 is my own table and 0002 will be David Hankins.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screen1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screen2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screen3.jpg)(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screen4.jpg)
-
For those interested in a table I have three containers heading to Australia that we are building right now. I expect them to be available in about 6 to 8 weeks. I will release more details about where you can find them when a few details have been firmed up.
The power supplies are about half assembled at this point:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ps1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/ps2.jpg)
-
]
For those interested in a table I have three containers heading to Australia that we are building right now. I expect them to be available in about 6 to 8 weeks. I will release more details about where you can find them when a few details have been firmed up.
So, still no details on who your vic distributor is?
Mike , you are keeping all your cards too close
-
Any indication on the potential price for these?
-
Lmao Pete. just have 1 guess who the vic distributor will be and I bet your right. And if not i'd be surprised. !@#
-
Wayne?
He is the distributor for everything else (JJP,'PPS)
-
The best would be APR!
-
I'd be thinking more like Nino. And I'd be very surprised myself if it wasnt.
-
Wayne had an announcement on his Facebook page
-
Just saw it Marty :D
-
I was joking :S
-
I will have an announcement soon for the official distributors for my Licensed, genuine Hankin tables. Things are still a little tied up right now with paperwork and these things tend to grind on slowly. I will not be selling individual tables direct to buyers as I am concentrating on running a factory and making container loads at a time, I will leave the selling to others who know a lot more about this than I do.
I can say that I have currently sold three containers one each to Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. I am in negotiations currently for NSW.
We all love to see instant information especially in this day of "instant internet access" and that's why I post plenty of progress updates when I can. This shouldn't be taken as a sign or signal that certain people ARE or are NOT agents for any of my products.
I can announce here that "Mr Pinball Australia" is MOST CERTAINLY NOT an official distributor of my Licensed, genuine Hankin tables. His Facebook page appears to show a product that I am familiar with and it is certainly of a high quality standard when compared with the numerous other fakes and copy Hankins out there. This is of course dependent on exactly which COPY Hankin table he intends to sell rather than a picture of one that shows a poorly screen printed glass and all too typical Chinese lack of attention to detail.
I have no doubt Mr. Pinball will find buyers for his copy product just as many eBay sellers do. There are also those that place quality and value on having a recognised brand and these people show a distinct pride when displaying such things. Not every buyer wants a copy Rolex, many people buy the genuine thing although often it is impossible to tell the difference! That is not the case here, my genuine tables will make the Chinese copies look very shabby indeed and I can assure all that David Hankin himself had a long talk to me when he visited the factory as his reputation is also on the line with my product - I will NOT let David down!
I will leave the quote of Aldo Gucci to sum things up:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/gucci.jpg)
-
Hmm, a somewhat sneaky and well worded post that by Mr G. The only word he left out of his post was the word 'licensed' otherwise you'd think he was the Australian distributor let alone the Vic distributor. It got me.
-
Very nice wording Mike. No clues at all ^&( . I still think Nino for Vic and Brett for Qld. And if they are all the best to them. I just wish I had the funds to do the same in N.S.W for you.
-
Quite a few differences in build design and quality. I guess if you want the "Rolls Royce" we just have to wait a bit longer.
-
Quite a few differences in build design and quality. I guess if you want the "Rolls Royce" we just have to wait a bit longer.
Maybe not - Mr Pinball doesn't say they are available now - perhaps the genuine ones will be available at about the same time?
-
Some buyers of these tables are operators and they have asked me to include a few things that it seems a lot of the others are leaving out (cost cutting I suppose?). The most requested thing is a solid door locking system. The usual single metal tab really isn't good enough and most know you can pop a door open in seconds with bare hands and even faster with a screwdriver.
The pics here show our initial prototype setup with a 2mm stainless lock tab and full three way door locking mechanism. We are using 4mm rod end bearings held in place with nylock nuts. There are some changes to this setup for the finished product - the lock screws on the right angle brackets are moved further towards the edge as I decided to use the flanged nut and it's a lot larger than a standard nut. Also the main tab that bolts to the lock in the middle is even stronger with webs in the corners.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/DOORLOCK3.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/DOORLOCK2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/DOORLOCK1.jpg)
-
Good to see operators are requesting your tables, Mike. Gives confidence in the construction and security to allow them to be operated. I know ALL the tables leftover from "the old days" had broken panels and cashbox drawers from constantly being broken into.
-
Finally a couple of sample coin mech bezels were ready for me to inspect today. The small family business I have making these had a lot of problems making the dies for them because the draw is VERY deep one end but quite shallow the other. It took quite a lot of modifications to the moulds to get them sorted but at last they are ready to start spitting them out. They are stamped from 1mm steel sheet but it is a particular grade that allows easier drawing without tearing. They assured me that they would have 300pcs finished and powder coated within a week.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/esc.jpg)
-
An update that's been a while coming.
Lately, even when using a VPN, in China it is impossible to access Google and Youtube so I can't upload
videos and do many things which can be very frustrating!!!
Here is the new CNC machine cutting the "wings" for the first batch of tables.
http://www.homepin.com/pics/cncworking.avi
After about 20 minutes this is what you end up with:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/cutparts.jpg)
...and this is what is left:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/whatsleft.jpg)
Then each part goes through my patented slot cutter (not really, just a bench I made with a large router
mounted underneath and a guide on top, works a treat)
The T-moulding being fitted:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/tmoulding.jpg)
....and a bunch of finished parts waiting to be screwed to the cabinets, there are about 24 pieces here:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/finishedwings.jpg)
The power supply units assembled and tested waiting for the lids to be folded:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/poiwersupplieslots.jpg)
The power supply lids folded and ready to be taken to the assembly floor to screw to the power supply units:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/powersupplylids.jpg)
Cutting up some of the parts for the metal coin box:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/coinboxparts.jpg)
.....and spot welding them together (note my camera caught a spark bouncing off Swins arm - I reckon I should enter it in a photo comp):
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/spotweldingsparks.jpg)
I just had a call from the powder coaters to say the coin boxes are finished and ready to pick up.....
More to come including some excellent news about an "add-on we are now including in these tables as we swing into
the final assembly stage of our first batch.
-
Waiting,waiting,waiting,waiting,waiting!!!!
-
Waiting,waiting,waiting,waiting,waiting!!!!
It won't hippen overnight BUT it WILL Hippen......
-
Moving along now mate so many bits and pieces just for a table top
-
Rome was not built in a day. But all roads lead to Rome. %.%
-
Exelent work Mike. Its great to be seing them made like the originals if not better. keep up the posts and excellent workmanship.
Bren
-
Well, just when you thought that this product couldn't get any better........I can now announce that every Hankin table manufactured by Homepin will include the brilliant electronic, 4 way/ 8 way selector designed by David from AVD in Brisbane (and © AVD) - used under licence by Homepin.
To explain simply, in "off" mode the board allows the normal switch actuations to pass untouched and so the controls operate in "8 way mode" - at the press of a button the smart circuitry kicks in and only allows the FIRST switch actuation and dissallows any second switch input.
Games such as Pacman and Donkey Kong are VERY difficult to play using an 8 way control and games such as Zaxxon and Scramble are IMPOSSIBLE to play with a 4 way control.
This normally doesn't matter if you only have a single game board installed as you can set up the controls mechanically for what the board requires. When you start dealing with XXXin1 boards however, where the games are usually mixed 4 and 8 way games it becomes a bit tricky. That where this interface board saves the day!
The board plugged into the test rig:
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/4x8.jpg)
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/4x8credit.jpg)
....and a video of the board in action on the test bench (I simply have no idea how to link Youtube video correctly so if a mod would like to tidy this up please do):
http://youtu.be/xs064faIMPQ
&feature=youtu.be
-
What a brilliant idea and execution.
-
i don't know what any of that means but hell it sounds impressive......still waiting!
-
i don't know what any of that means but hell it sounds impressive......still waiting!
Same here lol but yes it sounds impressive.
-
i don't know what any of that means but hell it sounds impressive......still waiting!
Try playing Pacman with an 8 way controller.. its impossible..
But then we also need Trackball to be able to play Centipede properly
-
nice,can't wait. $#$
-
i don't know what any of that means but hell it sounds impressive......still waiting!
Try playing Pacman with an 8 way controller.. its impossible..
But then we also need Trackball to be able to play Centipede properly
Impossible! now I'm confused lol my pacman plays fine maybe not a 8 way?
Peter
-
That is the greatest addition ever Mike
^^^
Will you have them for seperate sale? Im making a 4 controller panel to hook up to a projector. They would be perfect for that
&& &&
Bren
-
Assembling up the 4/8 way interface boards today:
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/4_8_way_assemble.jpg)
The coin boxes are all powder coated and looking pretty - modelled here by my PA:
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/coinbox.jpg)
All of the control panels for the first container have been fully assembled - now to move on to the next batch (if you look closely you can see the 4/8 way selector switch to the left of the player one joystick):
(http://www.katanatrading.com/pic/panels_lotsa.jpg)
-
Those control panels nearly look as good as mine and Matts %.% %.% %.%
-
Impressive to see them all lined up and ready for assembly ^^^
-
Brochure now available for download:
http://www.homepin.com/hanktable.html
-
printed
-
price?would be nice,distributers?
-
price?would be nice,distributers?
I agree and I have asked the distributors for details so I can put them on the website but they want to wait until the stock is almost on their floor before making things public - I guess they don't wish to field lots of calls when they have no product to sell???
I am unable under Australian law to quote a retail price as that is a matter for each individual distributor to determine - it is even a grey area to "suggest" an RRP these days so I won't.
-
thanks,we shall just have to wait. ^^^
-
I haven't been able to upload pics for a while as my ISP had some issues but it seems they have corrected them now.
The packing boxes:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/packing1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/packing.jpg)
-
Everything right down to the artwork on the shipping boxes is professional. Well Done !
-
This is from a couple of weeks ago when we screen printed the glass tops:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/screenedglass.jpg)
....and the finished, tested and packed goods:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankinspacked1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankinspacked2.jpg)
....and me looking quite knackered but pretty pleased that we are shipping out the very first container of goods fully built in the Homepin factory!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankinspacked3.jpg)
-
Can you just drop one of those babies in adelaide on the way through from china i know a few wharfies that can hook me up,
Seriously though its good they are on the way hope it all goes smooth for you with distribution.
-
wow @@*
-
what a mamoth effort guys,thankyou homepin and hankin.a lot of happy people await your product.
-
Great work Mike, congratulations on the first container load of a new product ^^^
Obviously you must feel elated after such a huge effort to see this project come to fruition. Never doubted you could do it in style.
-
Questions now are, apart from Pinball Shed, who else are distributors and what they will cost. With no RRP from Homepin, wonder if the end prices will differ between distributors. Time will tell.
-
They look great Mike. Congrats on getting the first batch ready to roll.
-
What a fantastic achievement ! Now all that needs to be done is some promotion and feedback on such a quality product. Hearing from buyers of low quality and problematic units, this table is going to blow the opposition out of the water !
Wekk done !
-
Well done Mike and co.
-
Note the delivery name and address.... ^^^
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/davidsmachine.jpg)
-
Note the delivery name and address.... ^^^
Nice one!
-
Mr Hankin is going to be very pleased !
-
Hankin Tables are starting to ship!
The first container load left last week. Here are a few shots from the first batch.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/NearlyFinished.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/assemblecabs2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/assemblecabs.jpg)
....and then loading the container:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/loading.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/insidecontainer.jpg)
.............and the first container load leaves the factory - - HURRAY!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/byebye.jpg)
-
Good on ya mate..
-
I'm used to seeing container UNLOADS, not LOADING ! Well done, must be a relief to have the first shipment on it's way.
-
Well done Mike. Can't wait to buy one from Tony.
-
love the pics of the production line. well done Mike ^^^
-
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/A5_Flyer_small.jpg)
PDF downloadable here:
http://www.homepin.com/pics/A5_Flyer_web.pdf
-
Great work Mike.
Must be a great feeling watching product leave the HomePin Factory,
-
David and I inspecting and discussing the new table at Pinfest 2014.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/david_mike_table.jpg)
-
I'll bet David was thrilled to see the table. Great job having it ready for the public to view. There's so much junk out there at the moment and people can have the choice to buy quality units with endorsement !
-
I'll bet David was thrilled to see the table. Great job having it ready for the public to view. There's so much junk out there at the moment and people can have the choice to buy quality units with endorsement !
Yes, David was very pleased with it. I will quote his exact words after I had shown him through the machine:
"It is far better made than we used to do them, very neat"
Interestingly there were a few other "similar" machines for sale by another company at Pinfest and they used a standard computer screen - this stretched the picture and looked ridiculous IMO. Even the seller said to me "we couldn't get 4:3 monitors so we had to use these" - I replied that I was well aware of that and that is why we made our own monitors!
These other machines (which DID have a few good features) were on sale for $2400 whilst the genuine Hankin tables are being sold for $1750 including 2 x chrome gas strut stools, undercab lighting (that everyone raved about) and 4/8 way joystick switching. It's a no-brainer really!
-
I'll bet David was thrilled to see the table. Great job having it ready for the public to view. There's so much junk out there at the moment and people can have the choice to buy quality units with endorsement !
Yes, David was very pleased with it. I will quote his exact words after I had shown him through the machine:
"It is far better made than we used to do them, very neat"
Interestingly there were a few other "similar" machines for sale by another company at Pinfest and they used a standard computer screen - this stretched the picture and looked ridiculous IMO. Even the seller said to me "we couldn't get 4:3 monitors so we had to use these" - I replied that I was well aware of that and that is why we made our own monitors!
These other machines (which DID have a few good features) were on sale for $2400 whilst the genuine Hankin tables are being sold for $1750 including 2 x chrome gas strut stools, undercab lighting (that everyone raved about) and 4/8 way joystick switching. It's a no-brainer really!
Bet the other seller was glad you had a machine to display?
-
You had your own monitors made, now ive asked this before and maybe ive missed the answer but does that mean that the monitors id and scaler firmware support 15 and 24K Horizontal frequencies for the old games that would be fitted to a cocktail like this? Or is it limited to 31K and up?
-
You had your own monitors made
No, we made our own monitors IN HOUSE!
I purchased the glass screens from LG and the driver boards from a local company. The wiring looms were made up by a small local family business and the stainless steel metalwork was all fabricated in the Homepin factory.
Assembly was also done by Homepin staff in the Homepin factory
We probably won't be offerring them for sale at the moment as, apart from our own use, I supply several companies with these for use in their products and we can't build enough of them currently.
-
Ok my mistake you made them IN HOUSE
So the question still is do they support 15 and 24K?, if not can you have your local supplier of the scaler boards change the firmware to do so?
-
Ok my mistake you made them IN HOUSE
So the question still is do they support 15 and 24K?, if not can you have your local supplier of the scaler boards change the firmware to do so?
The driver boards are fully automatic sensing what input is being provided as well as sensing if the input is from the DVI or the VGA. They also "wake up" on signal input and "sleep" when the signal is missing. They sense all formats.
I don't have the capacity to make enough to sell and certainly not to ship them from Shenzhen as they are just too fragile with no casing and the packing required would make the shipping far too expensive.
As you probably already know these are simply not available. Another supplier that was at Pinfest has tables made in China and their supplier was also unable to source 4:3 monitors as they just are not made by the mainstream manufacturers any more.
If you have a need for them in Shenzhen I'm happy to discuss your requirements.
-
Im not asking to buy them separately, im simply trying to ascertain if they will accept 15 and 24K sync inputs, as output from nearly every game when this original design cocktail was made. I wish to buy a cabinet as soon as i can find a distributor and want to know what it can do and what it cant. Do i have to add a scan converter to have old gameboards run or not?
"They sense all formats."
Does this mean they do accept 15 and 24K formats or is it they sense all formats 31K and above?
-
Im not asking to buy them separately, im simply trying to ascertain if they will accept 15 and 24K sync inputs, as output from nearly every game when this original design cocktail was made. I wish to buy a cabinet as soon as i can find a distributor and want to know what it can do and what it cant. Do i have to add a scan converter to have old gameboards run or not?
"They sense all formats."
Does this mean they do accept 15 and 24K formats or is it they sense all formats 31K and above?
I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of every feature of the board. I know they suit our purpose and that's why I chose them out of several available to me. I didn't bother investigating features that we don't use and have no need for.
I would not suggest that you buy one as it seems you have very specific requirements and this product is not aimed at buyers like yourself.
Almost every machine will be left as is from what I am seeing of those buying.
Perhaps it would be better for you to build up your own machine?
-
It will be supplied with a 60in1 board (which includes Galaga %.%) but we are beefing up the wiring harness and also using a 16A power supply so pretty well any vertical PCB with a JAMMA connector can be plugged straight in.
You clearly do aim it at buyers like me, you do state pretty much any jamma board can be plugged in which is what i want to do ( plug my old jamma games in) clearly this is a feature you might have bothered investigating if your stating you can plug almost any jamma game in considering 99% of jamma games are 15K.
Knowing what the machine can do i would have thought would be your main requirement, if you state you can plug pretty well any jamma board in then surly you would know if the machine can actually support pretty much any jamma board.
What im asking is a very simple question, it either can or cant support the old 15K games (99% of all JAMMA games). You either dont understand the question or simply dont care to find out the answer..
So yes thank you, i will buy elsewhere
-
So yes thank you, i will buy elsewhere
Please do.
-
wouldn't you think if it plays most Jamma boards the question you ask has already been answered Dann36
He doesnt know a certain spec but its been tested to play these boards
I guess the fact it has been tested to work with these boards gives you the answer you are seeking wouldnt it?
weather if he knows the specific or not is just a formality if the product works
regards Rich
-
Mike, did you answer the question about the 60 in 1 board being used. Is it all licenced, or just a generic one from down the road ? Not that it mattered, just curious as I know you would improve anything that comes through homepin.
Bren
-
Mike, did you answer the question about the 60 in 1 board being used. Is it all licenced, or just a generic one from down the road ? Not that it mattered, just curious as I know you would improve anything that comes through homepin.
Bren
It would be a nightmare to attempt to licence a XXXin1 board so I supply the tables only - a 60in1 board is thrown in free.
-
I understand the red tape involved. Much easier that way :)
-
wouldn't you think if it plays most Jamma boards the question you ask has already been answered Dann36
He doesnt know a certain spec but its been tested to play these boards
I guess the fact it has been tested to work with these boards gives you the answer you are seeking wouldnt it?
weather if he knows the specific or not is just a formality if the product works
regards Rich
I dont see where it says it plays most jamma boards, could you point that out to me as yes that would have answered my question.
I can see that the assumption has been made that it plays most boards due to a beefy supply but i haven't read anything that says most boards or for that matter any old jamma boards were tested to run on the monitor in 15K.
-
hang on you said it in your own reply that is he is claiming it suits all boards
You clearly do aim it at buyers like me, you do state pretty much any jamma board can be plugged in which is what i want to do
-
Mike,
Tony delivered my cocktail yesterday amd I set it up tonight. Thanks a lot.
It's #17
-
A photo or video of these new tables would be great.
-
David Hankin inspecting his own table (serial #2) that was on display at Pinfest. His comment to me was "these are better built than we used to make them" - I was pretty chuffed as well as humbled by his praise.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/david_mike.jpg)
-
I am seriously amazed at the response to these tables - we just can't build them fast enough and currently are two containers behind despite me employing two extra staff just to build these!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES3.jpg)
-
Well done Mike, kudos to you & the crew, cant wait to see one in the flesh ^^^
-
As long as you don't get too distracted, we still want our Thunderbirds nextJuly
;)
I am seriously amazed at the response to these tables - we just can't build them fast enough and currently are two containers behind despite me employing two extra staff just to build these!
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES1.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES2.jpg)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/PACKINGMACHINES3.jpg)
-
As long as you don't get too distracted, we still want our Thunderbirds nextJuly
;)
These are being built on a totally different factory floor and by a different team - at this stage anyway. We might swap them over when we start assembling the pinball cabinets shortly and the Hankin table assembly can move to floor five...the other staff are still working on R&D at this stage.
-
Great news is that just Aussie sales? Or are you selling OS to ? Well done.
-
I have a few customers holding off on eBay junk tables in anticipation for these. Hopefully some members that have the tables can provide us with a review @@*
-
Just wondering
this project is working well
you have said in the past, that you are not cutting the wood with a computer controlled saw. do you think you will change your mind?
Thunderbirds will come with a DMD, now you are getting custom LCDs for the cocktails, do you think future pinball projects will come with a LCD?
-
These tables are made in-house using our own CNC wood cutting table (pictured here cutting the table "wings") and so will the pinball cabinets. We had to make our own LED monitors for the tables as the correct ratio ones (4:3) are simply not available off the shelf anymore but the parts are available.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/cutparts.jpg)
Just wondering
this project is working well
you have said in the past, that you are not cutting the wood with a computer controlled saw. do you think you will change your mind?
Thunderbirds will come with a DMD, now you are getting custom LCDs for the cocktails, do you think future pinball projects will come with a LCD?
-
These are absolute top quality. Gas struts to assist lifting the top, effective under cab lighting, amazing packaging and good instructions to set up. Best review from my 4 year old - this machine is awesome! He can't stop telling his friends about it. Here is a pic of the kids on my #3 (http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10/12/6718d8fb8cef87082bfa6b073fcbee65.jpg)
-
Hey do your guys struts hold the top up? Mine don't at all.
There was a pic posted earlier with one with the lid open and unless I held mine up it would drop and close.
-
Mines the same
-
This became an issue in the first batch. The monitor was never intended to be mounted on the lid and the struts worked perfectly. Once the monitor was mounted in the lid we discovered that about 5% of the struts were slightly under spec and would only just hold the lid open due to the weight of the monitor and the glass. We thought we had weeded out the less than perfect struts but I am aware that this can still be an issue in some machines.
It isn't that often you need the lid up in any case?
We have moved to "ratchet style stays" with newer runs.
If it bothers you please advise your retailer and (in time) they will be able to supply replacement ratchet stays BUT this will require some work on your part to fit them unless you return the machine to have them fitted by the etailer.
Hey do your guys struts hold the top up? Mine don't at all.
There was a pic posted earlier with one with the lid open and unless I held mine up it would drop and close.
-
Mike, you are right mate. I wouldn't open the lid much at all. I have told Tony about it and I can install the ratchel style ones if he gets them in the future.
Thanks for the great game. Now waiting for the next game in 2015
-
I will be sending a supply of the newer style stays to my retailers that took delivery of affected machines no charge but it makes sense to leave it for the next container due to the non urgent nature of the issue.
Mike, you are right mate. I wouldn't open the lid much at all. I have told Tony about it and I can install the ratchel style ones if he gets them in the future.
Thanks for the great game. Now waiting for the next game in 2015
-
You have done well Mike those tables look great far better than the black box ones that are all over the place.
WELL DONE
Can't wait the see the next machines off your production line bet they will be even better
-
Bench testing a new batch of Power Supply assemblies thanks to Sid's handywork. He made the panel with all the meters so the testing person can see at a glance if all the outputs are correct and also adjust the 5V rail within specs. Makes things very easy.
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/pstest.jpg)
-
I didn't realize manufacturers used quality control anymore great to see your not using the old slap it together and let the warranty sort it out
-
Word spreads quick in this industry..needs good quality control
-
I didn't realize manufacturers used quality control anymore great to see your not using the old slap it together and let the warranty sort it out
+1
Attention to detail and safety requirements are covered in this design. Impressive test bench. I love test benches &&
-
I might have missed a post I'm not really sure but are these tables available in victoria as yet and if so where ? If not when will they be arriving.
I played a different manufacturers version today and really enjoyed the trip down memory lane but would love to check out this one before purchasing.
-
Mike & Karen's website have a link but the distributor last I heard, didn't have any stock as yet.. Early 2015 I think :)
-
I might have missed a post I'm not really sure but are these tables available in victoria as yet and if so where ? If not when will they be arriving.
I played a different manufacturers version today and really enjoyed the trip down memory lane but would love to check out this one before purchasing.
The container has just cleared customs in Melbourne yesterday - there will be an announcement straight after Christmas I am told.
-
:)
-
I have seen one of these machine they look very good. ^^^
-
The Melbourne container was unpacked yesterday
-
I'm guessing there new temporary home may be in thomastown, but this is based on hunches and no fact at all.
-
I'm guessing there new temporary home may be in thomastown, but this is based on hunches and no fact at all.
I truly have no idea at this point??
-
Another container was loaded this morning - this one is for A.Hankin & Co Newcastle so you NSW buyers won't have long to wait now.
The truck has been loaded and is on the way! Tables should be available from A.Hankin & Co in about a month.
Labeling up the cartons for customs
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin1.jpg)
Starting to load
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin2.jpg)
We always use this forklift driver as he is very careful and does a good job - charges about AU$30 to load a container
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin3.jpg)
Nearly full
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin4.jpg)
Ready to shut the doors and apply the seal (a "use once" padlock that will be cut off in Australia with bolt cutters)
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin5.jpg)
The seal applied
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin7.jpg)
....and another 20' leaves the Homepin factory gates watched over by the security guard
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/hankin6.jpg)
-
Well done Mike. Must be statisfying to see your hardwork come to fruition.
-
With this container being delivered to A.Hankin & Co, it is clear that these are Hankin licensed tables. Are other manufactures allowed to manufacture and sell Hankin replicas? I'd have thought not, but... ^.^
-
With this container being delivered to A.Hankin & Co, it is clear that these are Hankin licensed tables. Are other manufactures allowed to manufacture and sell Hankin replicas? I'd have thought not, but... ^.^
I'd suggest that unless there is a current patent, they can copy them, but not use the "Hankin" logo anywhere on the machine. I've seen a few cheapies that are a couple of weeks old and already have dead multigame boards, cheap joysticks and structural issues.
-
With this container being delivered to A.Hankin & Co, it is clear that these are Hankin licensed tables. Are other manufactures allowed to manufacture and sell Hankin replicas? I'd have thought not, but... ^.^
Even though the "design" of these Hankin tables was originally done by Hankin they really couldn't do a lot to stop others from copying the machine.
As Nino points out nobody can use your registered business name, particularly since Hankin & Co are still actively in business and would stomp on anyone who was stupid enough to use their name.
There isn't a lot to stop people from calling their product "Hankin style" or "Hankin inspired" as they are not claiming their product actually "IS" a Hankin table but rather one that "looks like" a Hankin.
The biggest difference here is that these genuine tables are just that, GENUINE - they bear the original Hankin logo and I have promised Hankin that I won't compromise on the quality. They are very protective of their good name and have refused others in the past from using it for various products.
Homepin-Hankins are NOT an exact reproduction of the original but a representation of them updated using modern build methods and materials, some not available back "in the day". Last time I was in the Hankin office just before Christmas, David Hankin said to one of his sons (Martin) in front of me that "these tables Mike is making are far better built than we used to make them" - that made my chest swell I can tell you.
I negotiated for quite some time with David Hankin and when he could see I was passionate about re-creating a quality piece of arcade equipment that would last and not make some cheap rubbish simply to make a fast buck he was satisfied. After personally visiting my factory in Shenzhen David was more than happy to handshake on our deal and after seeing the reports coming in from buyers of the first few containers A.Hankin & Co decided they should also begin selling these again. In fact, I believe they intend to put some of them into their existing pub sites as well.
Yes, I also supply them with a cheap 60in1 board because that's what the masses want but it can easily be swapped out for any JAMMA board you like and I have built in enough power supply capacity to run even the most power hungry original board. I could have used a small cheap power supply but chose to make the power available for the few that want to upgrade the machine.
Most buyers will probably just leave it like it is and the feedback is that kids love all the games that they have never seen before.
-
finally saw one of the new Hankin cocktails… well done Mike the cabinet/wood/metal work finish is a high standard
and the under lighting looks great as well
(you should be proud of this project ) I look forward to seeing your pin
-
I managed to sneak a peak finally at one of Mikes Hankin tables this afternoon too.
I was lucky enough to help a good mate (non pin person) buy an original Hankin off a member a while back (good bloke too)... *%*
I would only allow my mate to get a well looked after (non hacked) original to ensure it was safe and would suit his needs.
Having checked Mike's tables out they look and feel outstanding. Nothing cheap and nasty and is well thought out and well built.
For all my other non-pin friends & families who always ask "can I get them a sit down cocktail machine like what used to be at the fish n chip shop", I can confidentially point them in the right direction.
Well done Mike and his crew abroad.
-
I'm not an arcade guy but these look so good that I am tempted.
Now...I can't wait to see what a Homepin pinball machine looks like.
-
Another special day for me today:
(http://www.homepin.com/pics/number200.jpg)
-
Another special day for me today:
Congratulations Mike weĺl done.
-
Brilliant !
How many more do you thing will be built in the next year or two ?
-
Well done. Keep celebrating the milestones Mike ^^^
-
Brilliant !
How many more do you thing will be built in the next year or two ?
We shipped out 5 containers this past 7 months so if that keeps up, probably 7 or 8 containers this coming year??? About another 250~280 -ish?
Obviously depends on demand but as "all things retro" seem to be in fashion, it's looking promising.
-
So I have a question for the old hands:
How did it work with cocktail arcade tables back in the day (early 80s). Were there dedicated cocktail tables in Australia made by the developers of the actual games (Atari, Nintendo, etc.) or were all the cocktail tables here made by Australian manufacturers like Hankin? Would operators buy a local machine and then get the boards from overseas or did the tables come with a game already installed? What if an operator wanted to swap out a game? Were there restrictions about what tables could have which games installed in them? Were there cocktail tables where you could select and play more than one game?
Sorry, a lot of questions, but I didn't pay much attention when I was growing up as I only played pinball.
-
So I have a question for the old hands:
How did it work with cocktail arcade tables back in the day (early 80s). Were there dedicated cocktail tables in Australia made by the developers of the actual games (Atari, Nintendo, etc.) or were all the cocktail tables here made by Australian manufacturers like Hankin? Would operators buy a local machine and then get the boards from overseas or did the tables come with a game already installed? What if an operator wanted to swap out a game? Were there restrictions about what tables could have which games installed in them? Were there cocktail tables where you could select and play more than one game?
Sorry, a lot of questions, but I didn't pay much attention when I was growing up as I only played pinball.
The places I worked for and indeed my own small runs all used dedicated tables and uprights of one type or another. There were no such thing as multi boards. There were many manufacturers back in the day and during the peak rush many machines were air freighted direct from japan mainly in the thousands (mainly genuine Taito Space Invader uprights). The airfreight costs were recovered in just a few weeks. I even air freighted a "Choplifter" directly, stupidly declining the sellers offer of this new game "Pacman" ^&^
One place I worked for in Brisbane built their own tables and used very high quality Sanwa monitors. They were a very nicely put together "no-name" table and I was pretty happy being involved in the construction of them in the heyday.
When you rotated games from site to site usually you would change the machine for a new one. Later, when things settled a bit it became easier to swap boards because they all changed over to JAMMA edge connectors.
-
My first experience was the unloading of a container of video games - mainly second hand. Car games like "Wheels", "Demolition Derby" and these huge boxes.. I had no interest in the boxes, but I could not wait to play the car games. The boxes were some of the first "Space Invaders" uprights. They were the only original "Space Invaders" I ever saw - both the blue and red cabinets. Then the cocktail tables took off - but I never saw an original cocktail table with the exception of Atari Asteroids. But the Taiwanese cocktail tables were container after container. There where white tables, brown tables, woodgrail tables - all with bootleg Space Invaders. They all had strange names and were written in Japanese with Yen coin acceptors. Not one original table - all copies. I'd say we had well over 200 tables. The last tables were color CRTs. I still have two of these. I have an original shipping box of one of these tables.
Boards - very rarely originals. They were bootlegs from Taiwan or later, Korea. My Dad actually visited one of these factories. They were churning out Galaga and Donkey Kong faster than burgers at Mc Donalds. The old cocktail tables were replaced with colour CRTs and then rewired for the non jamma games. Eventually, some would be converted to video poker game (MA1). Lots of stories to tell with those machines !
I still have an original box, from the Atari Factory. It had several PCBs. I' should check out the label as it probably had the list of games on it.
It was really rare to have original boards in games in the early 80's, but I sold a crapload of bootleg boards on eBay a couple of years ago and even sold an original Space Invaders board for over $300 to a guy in Brazil !
Upright cabinets - rare to see originals. Dad and I reverse engineered an old Atari Breakout cabinet and scratch built 30 cabinets on the mini production line in his workshop. I did not do very well at school during these years (1984-86). But I had a lot of fun !
-
Thanks for the info.
So sounds like a lot of the early cocktail tables we had in Australia were from Japan, running space invader copies, galaga etc. When did the Hankins start appearing and what games were they running?
-
A Hankin cocktail table is now located at the Surfers Paradise Timezone for anybody that is interested. I went there to play pinball but ended playing 5 games of Galaga instead. First one I've seen and looks to be a well made machine. Well done Mike!
-
Congrats Homepin - you sure have yr fingers in a lot of pies - & seem to be kicking goals! I have to ask - why is the guy in the container wearing a mask?
-
Congrats Homepin - you sure have yr fingers in a lot of pies - & seem to be kicking goals! I have to ask - why is the guy in the container wearing a mask?
It's an "Asian thing" - a lot of them do on cold days and also so they don't breathe in germs - some of them are a bit "precious"....... :lol
-
Congrats Homepin - you sure have yr fingers in a lot of pies - & seem to be kicking goals! I have to ask - why is the guy in the container wearing a mask?
It's an "Asian thing" - a lot of them do on cold days and also so they don't breathe in germs - some of them are a bit "precious"....... :lol
if I was like that there, I'd wear to full ebola kit seen in movies like out break which is just as ridiculous