just contact each supplier - its not like there are that many. copy/paste your request, shoot off a couple emails & see what they come back with. its not that much legwork. i’m sure most will be willing to negotiate - but as with all negotiations - each deal is somewhat unique to each builder.
Cool thanks man, i was planning on doing that, i guess i was also interested to see whether anyone had any particularly good experiences with similar bulk orders.
I’m actually having a look through the Japanese Sanwa catalogue, i’m wondering would my best bet be to order straight from the source, and cut out the middleman?
You won’t be able to order straight from Sanwa or Seimitsu with such a small order. I’ve done orders myself that were much larger than yours and unless you’re going to approach them as a distributor, they won’t ship to you since they don’t take international orders.
~Paik
Thanks for your response man. OK, what sort of sized order would i need to place in order for them to deal with me? Also, i could probably get a contact in Japan to order domestically, would that be the best thing to do in this case?
Honestly, I think your best bet is to go with a established seller like Akihabara, ponyboy, or others. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble. The size of the order you’ll need is probably more than you’ll honestly ever use by yourself. I bet the very minimum you’d have to order is 50 joysticks and several hundreds of buttons (in quantities of 50 per color).
~Paik
Hey I just ordered a Sanwa (JLF-TP-8T) from lizardlick, what is the difference between this stick and the one on the HRAP2. I noticed that it says the HRAP2 has a Sanwa (JLF-TP-8Y-SK)???
HRAP2 one just has a shaft cover, everything else is identical.
Thanks
Anyone know where I can purchase a grey replacement ball-top for a Sanwa JLF-TP-8Y-SK, similar to the one pictured below? I’ve been looking around and hit just about every color of the rainbow… but no greys.
Also, what model Seimitsu button should I look for when MODing an HRAP3 (including the start/select buttons)? Should I use screw-ins or snap-ins?
www.lizardlick.com just got some gray ball tops in, you can try akihabarashop.com also if you can wait longer.
Hi, total noob here with some dumb questions that might not even pertain to this thread. 
First, I’d like to thank Paik4Life for creating this thread, it’s cleared up a lot of questions I had.
I’m planning on building myself a custom stick for the upcoming release of Melty Blood VerB, and I want to use Sanwa parts, as they seem to be the standard for Japanese fighters.
I noticed that an earlier picture in this thread showed a metal bracket around the buttons, and I was wondering if that’s neccesary, or if I could just make hole in the wood to put the buttons through.
Also, can I just make a hole to fit the joystick through (planning on using the JLF) and if so, how large should the hole be?
And finally, for Sanwa parts, how thick should the wood I’ll be working with be?
Thank you!
I am planning on swapping the stick from my T5 hori stick, but there’s been something that’s really bugging me. I got a 5-pin connector with my LS-35-02 and I know it could work with a JLF, what are the color codes for the wires? I have seen the seimitsu PCB pic on the first page and was wondering if that is the correct color code with the JLF as well.
Thanks,
PS: Paik, I fixed My HRAP2! Yaaay!!
You don’t need the metal plate for the buttons. That’s just how they were meant to be used, but they work find without them. The joystick holes is traditionally 24mm.
I assume you mean LS-32-02 (Which is actually the LS-32-01). I posted BOTH the JLF and LS-32-01 wiring diagrams on the first page. They are under the joystick installation section. Both were done by TheRealNeoGeo. Please go there. Also remember that the wiring diagram is specific to the way your PCB is oriented. If the connector points up, down, left, or right they will all have a different wiring scheme hence the multiple pictures provided in the JLF diagram.
~Paik
Paik, thank you very much for the helpful information!
I just have one more question: about how thick should the wood I’ll be installing the joystick/buttons through be?
I don’t want to make the joystick, drill the holes, and then find out they won’t fit.
It doesn’t matter how thick the wood is really aside from making sure it’s thick enough so it won’t flex. A lot of people use 3/4" or eve 1/2", but it really depends.
When you mount the joystick, if you want it mounted correctly, you should have the joystick 8-9mm below the top panel of the joystick. This was stating in the joystick installation section of the first posts. But a lot of people ignore that to make it easier on themselves.
~Paik
The GT-O is for the JLW… is there no way to get a circular gate on the JLF?
I’m a HAPP man myself, but I’m building a stick and want to keep the size to a minimum… but HAPP parts are so freakin long/big. I’m thinking of going with Sanwa even though I don’t like the buttons, but if I can’t get a circular gate I’ll just have to bite the size bullet and stick with HAPP.
hey what size drill bits do i use for sanwa buttons
the 30mm ones and the 24mm ones what number size drillbits???
Nope. Sorry. Well, almost anything is possible with enough modding, but to answer your question, it’s basically no.
30mm and 24mm…hence the sizes that are given. This information was also included in the first posts that I wrote under button installation. Please read before asking questions.
~Paik
Ah, thanks Paik. Well in that case, what is the difference between the JLF and the JLW? I saw where you outlined the difference between the JLF and the Seimetsu LS32, but didn’t see a comparison between the JLF and JLW. Unless I overlooked it. =p
What makes the JLF the more popular choice over the JLW?
JLW is an older design that uses typical microswitches with levers. No PCB. I really like the JLW with circular gate, personally. But it’s really just preference. JLF is just a “better” and more compact design.
~Paik