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Varg
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Joined: 30 Nov 2003
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1360.  Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'm going to be building a pad for christmas for ultramix on the Xbox, and I have a few questions.
1) I will be using Riptide's videos, but he says
"I have modified the design to use
mending brackets as the contacts instead of screws since they have more surface area. There will be two per side of each arrow.
On each side, one will be connected to ground and one to that arrow wire."
Does anyone have a tutorial for this, or at least images? He says he will update during the month, but it's been like that for awhile now...
2) I'm going to be using it for Xbox, what ps to xbox converter should I use?
3) does anyone have a tutorial for lighting the pad? |
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MarKoPoLo
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Joined: 18 Oct 2003
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| 1361. Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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first off i would just like to say....My pad design owns! alright now that im done with that little bit of arrogance....i shall say something of relavence.
i doubt that the static that would/could build up from using shoes would be significant enough to cause a surge like that. i think your right though in stating that it is more probable that it is due to poor soldering jobs. seeing how 99.9% of the time it is a cold solder or to much heat used during soldering that is the cause of any problem in a electronic circuit.
just a side note...looking at my design and its current state i doubt that to be replicated by any other person who whishes to use it, it would be rather costly. this due to the amount of wood that i use. see for me the wood was free so i used as much as i could. hah! why not right? but meh we will see. anyways i plan on having it done by the end of the week so expect it to be posted here as such. (oh god i pray that im done by then or ill have to shoot my self!)
anyways i do wish you guys luck on your own pads. and i wish anyone even more luck if they are attempting to make there own design. for i know it takes a lot and i do mean a lot of effort. all the planning takes for ever!
enjoy
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Death comes swiftly to those who run in fear. I stand waiting.
"Yellow headed, purple dress!" Thus spaketh Gord |
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motster
Basic Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2003
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| 1362. Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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For question #2, this is the one I've seen recommended:
Universal PS2-Xbox & GC Adapter
Compatible
Manufacturer: Game Elements
Comments: Works beautifully, very responsive. These are found right now at most Electronics Boutique and Hastings Books & Music locations, $19.99 each. |
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Shadow_Dragonz
Trick Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Location: California |
| 1363. Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Zeotti wrote: | I definitely suggest building a Riptide pad. There's instructional videos which are 80 percent more helpful than the vague instructions on DDRHomepad. Cutting the wood isn't hard at all IMO, but there's ALOT of measuring when you make the base. After you have the panels screwed in it's pretty much easy going. Making the supports is another step, and screwing them in is also a little bit of work considering you have to make 32 holes just to get supports in  . Well, after that you have the triangles. I just cut a long strip of wood with two triangles *to fit* on that piece so there's no extra trimming. Play around with the triangles getting them to get in the corners with the braces being able to fit around them - sometimes it's too tight of a fit. Afterwards you have the screws, which require 16 holes in every panel. That's 64 holes, and 64 screws to drill into. Those 64 screws have to be flush with eachother as well as just under 1/4 of an inch, which can take quite a bit of tweaking. Wrapping the wire and soldering them to the screws is very tedious, but it gets easy if you use some plyers and you know how to solder. Be sure to get a little less than an inch stripped so you can wrap it around the screws without it ever getting loose. And the acrylic panels - well, I'll see soon, it's gonna be pretty risky/tedious I'm sure. They're the only things I have left to do - really  .
I've spent 8 hours drilling the screws and soldering them/getting the wiring organized. Another 14 for the base of the pad and everything else. That's around 22 hours and I only have about 4 hours left of work. Around 25 hours isn't bad for this pad IMO lol
Although, that doesn't include the metal panels which I made from a previously made DDRHomepad.
I don't suggest DDRHomepad unless you really like cutting sheet metal, cutting pegboard (agh!!!!!!) and cutting MDF Rails (oh god). Riptide's design can take much more pressure/damage since it's made from 2x4s, wiring is great because the contact can be from any of the 8 pairs of screws around the pad. Also, it's quicker to build IMO, less arrow cutting, simpler design, etc,. Wiring is much easier to organize too. One other thing, the panels are much thicker than in DDRHomepad's, and they don't literally have to bend to contact - they feel just like the arcade.
**BTW** Thanks for the help motster |
You said that cutting the wood isn't hard at all, yet you complain about cutting pegboard and MDF  . And sheet metal?!
Okay, for the pegboard and MDF, you could do what I did and just use a table saw . For the sheet metal, just go to a fabricator and get the sheet metal cut down to size  . That's what I call simple! So, I don't believe that it isn't really that bad. And, if there is a problem, you could always ask someone else for help.
Riptide may take more weight, but some people need that extra space, and less weight so they can take it around. Also, if I remember correctly, Riptide wanted the 2 x 4 cut in half for support. For a jigsaw, that can be tedious, and this is the case for people that have not yet had experience using one.
BTW, for ddrhomepad, there is an entire piece of sheet metal for the contact. And I wasn't trying to be rude, just showing something that you might have missed  .
| drovkin wrote: | | ^ I thought I remembered reading through a few previous pages and saw that RipTides was starting to have static problems of some type...is that a problem that you've heard about/forsee in yours? |
I haven't heard of it nor read it. I do not forsee it to be a problem. Um, I did read that Riptide did want to change his design to fit more of the Blue Beefman mod. This was so the contacts would be easier to create, and still have a good amount of surface area for it to connect. As I recall, it was that so you wouldn't have to do all that measuring for the screws which take so much time .
What glue is used to glue down the sheet metal to the acrylic or what glue do you use/recommend? 
Studing I go for finals
Shadow_Dragonz
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Shadow_Dragonz
Trick Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Location: California |
| 1364. Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Varg wrote: | I'm going to be building a pad for christmas for ultramix on the Xbox, and I have a few questions.
1) I will be using Riptide's videos, but he says
"I have modified the design to use
mending brackets as the contacts instead of screws since they have more surface area. There will be two per side of each arrow.
On each side, one will be connected to ground and one to that arrow wire."
Does anyone have a tutorial for this, or at least images? He says he will update during the month, but it's been like that for awhile now...
2) I'm going to be using it for Xbox, what ps to xbox converter should I use?
3) does anyone have a tutorial for lighting the pad? |
1) He has used mending brackets....if you look about 30 or 40 posts back, you'll see that he had stated that  . For my design, I have used, er, going to use mending plates and corner braces. Though I'm going to have to cut sheet metal...into small pieces  . The only problem i'm having right now if decided to put the lights on the middle plates or on the corner brackets . The aggony!
2) Don't own an X-Box
3) Patster does, but it is made for his design....actually, it seems that his site is down. It's possible that he has already moved  . Well, if I ever get a place to host it, I can send the document of the instructions to whom ever needs it, or for future reference.
Shadow_Dragonz
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rk_cr
Basic Member
Joined: 22 Nov 2003
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| 1365. Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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Alright guys, I got the pad working for about 10 catas before it broke down. The problem? The contacts on the top wood are falling off.
I'm using Blue Beefman's design for contacts, that is, voltage through corner brackets and ground wired to the sheet metal on the acrylic. In my case, I decided to save money and avoid the hassle of static electricity by using a piece of plywood for the bottom of the two slices for each pad. Perhaps this was a bad idea, as the glue may have stuck better to acrylic, but I wouldn't really know.
My idea is to find really small screws and use those to secure the contacts instead of glue. The initial glue I used was a pretty powerful epoxy. I was thinking about gorilla glue but decided it was safer to go with epoxy.
Other than this minor setback (as I know it will be fixed in time), I've got one other semi major problem. The soldering on my controller is less than par; while it works, it only works if I have the wires perpendicular to the controller. Anyone got any ideas for keeping the thing perpindicular without having to resolder it?
Other than all this, I've got some small ideas on changing Riptide's design. First, I'm kind of distraught at how much the pad bends in the middle of each arrow - I saw this happening on his vid of him playing, and it happens a little on mine, so I am thinking of just putting a piece of leftover 2X4 in the middle of each arrow with some weather stripping in order to give more support to the whole pad. Weight wise, this will make almost no difference to this beast anyways.
Once my friend with his digital camera gets back home, and I buff up the pad a little bit, I'll take pics and put it up somewhere. Until then, let's just say that this pad worked wonders (until it broke)! Thanks for the help everyone, it's just the home stretch now.
Edit: Oh man, I just read your post SD - looks like we've both got glue woes, neh? Someone'll set us straight in a bit, heh. |
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Jace
Trick Member
Joined: 08 Mar 2003
Location: Sacramento, California |
| 1366. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:11 am Post subject: |
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My uncle is worried that solder wont stick to stainless steel unless I heated it up alot. The problem with that is that the steel is already glued to the lexan/peg board. He suggest buying certain clips that are bolted on to the steel which work similar to soldering. Need suggestions,
He also suggested copper foil sheets, but I heard that those wear out/burn or fry? |
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motster
Basic Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2003
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| 1367. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 6:34 am Post subject: |
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Yes, the sheet metal/steel will dissipate heat quickly (the bigger it is, the more quickly it cools down). You might solder to a "sliver" of sheet metal, then either nail/screw/glue that down to the main bits.
To solder directly on to the metal, "scrape" the surface as much as you can so it's rough. This will help the solder to "stick". You can hold the iron on the metal for a few seconds to get surface temperature up, then quickly touch the wire/solder/iron to the metal.
It can certainly be done, just be patient :-) I'm considering using a very short screw for soldering to, then getting it quite flush with the metal so as not to crack the acrylic when pressure comes down.
You know, I talk about this an awful lot, I should just go build the damn thing ;-) |
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MarKoPoLo
Basic Member
Joined: 18 Oct 2003
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| 1368. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 8:30 am Post subject: |
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i used contact cement. it works wonders. anyways it explains how to use it on the can/container. but yeah it is reallly good and it works wonders. i used it to glue my metal to my acrylic. anyways hope that helps.
enjoy
_________________
Death comes swiftly to those who run in fear. I stand waiting.
"Yellow headed, purple dress!" Thus spaketh Gord |
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Little Firefly
Trick Member
Joined: 08 Jun 2003
Location: Heading away from the white light... |
| 1369. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:36 am Post subject: |
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ok while we are on the subject of glueing metal to the polycarbonate, would it be ok if i cut apart a soda can and used that in the screw contact design rather than sheet metal? I figured it is cheep (acctually i got a bunch of cans for free one day, math teacher said she was getting a coke and asked if we wanted anything  ), and hyper thin.I was just wondering if it would conduct well.
O and i am planning to soder wires to the sides of the screws, so that they are all even on the top, and there won't be any little sharp soder bits that could damage the lexan.
And about cold soder joints, they are all i can get after a month of practicing. I got one good one  If i scrape away the unshiney bits, it comes out looking like a regular soder joint. What effect would cold soder joints have on the responsiveness of the pad?
*long post*
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motster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2003
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| 1370. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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Here is my tutorial on soldering. This hasn't failed me after several hundred points of soldering on many different projects.
1. Expose the wire by stripping installation (just enough wire to meet the contact point, not so much that it might lay over another trace/point on the circuit board)
2. Verify your contact point is clean and scrape off any covering (sometimes there is plastic on top of the point to protect it).
3. Dip the wire tip into a tub/tube of flux. You want enough flux that you can basically see it on the wire, but not a big glob.
4. Get some solder onto the tip of the iron, enough that it's visible and not wholly absorbed onto the iron tip.
5. Touch the wire tip to the contact point, and briefly (very briefly) touch the iron tip to the place where the wire meets the contact point.
The flux on the wire will cause the solder to quickly travel down the wire and onto the contact point. What's left should be small "bubble" or "hershey's kiss" holding the wire in place. You can give it a slight tug if you want to verify the connection, but NOT TOO MUCH because it can lift up some copper traces.
This is the technique I have used to install various types of chips into various types of appliances (for various reasons ;-)) and it has not yet failed me.
Try it, let me know what you think. Comments appreciated! |
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MarKoPoLo
Basic Member
Joined: 18 Oct 2003
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| 1371. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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cold solder joints do not effect the responsiveness of the pad. what they affect is the circuit itself. which means the wires in which you soldered to the circuit can come/break off. also it can cause the solder to be less conductive. which is also a bad thing. cutting the solder to make it look like its not cold is not a good idea either. its just hiding the mistake, it doesnt make it go away. sorry man. anyways i wouldnt worry about it to terribly much. as long as you dont fry anything your still good. anyways hope that helps.
i dont know how the screw contact design works so i cant help you there. sorry.
enjoy
_________________
Death comes swiftly to those who run in fear. I stand waiting.
"Yellow headed, purple dress!" Thus spaketh Gord |
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MarKoPoLo
Basic Member
Joined: 18 Oct 2003
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| 1372. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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hey why dont you just use solder with flux already in it? its a lot easier if you ask me. pretty much it looks like a 'wire' of solder with a hole in the middle. the hole is actually the flux. this stuff is good and is cheep. plus its ideal for soldering components to circuits. also you dont want your solder to look like a bead. it actually means its a cold joint. so my electronics teacher tells me. you want it to look more like....um....a mountian? sorry its hard to explain over text but yeah mountain is as close as i can explain....anyways i dont think you should worry too much about a cold solder. if it sticks and its working then your good. just note that if it stops working you should probably start your trouble shooting there. anyways it is much more important that you do not fry any of the components on the board. this is a very bad thing. also it will lead to the pad never working, ever.
good luck
enjoy
_________________
Death comes swiftly to those who run in fear. I stand waiting.
"Yellow headed, purple dress!" Thus spaketh Gord |
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motster
Basic Member
Joined: 14 Dec 2003
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| 1373. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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Markopolo,
Yes I definitely use solder with flux in it already, but the extra dip/dab seems to make it much easier for working on the small points (or for those new to soldering).
Yes, a "mountain" is what I was trying to represent by saying "hershey's kiss"  That's how it was once described to me so it stuck...
Regarding cold solder joints, one way you can usually tell is by the "look" of the solder after it's applied. If looks drab and grey and "mottled", it's often no good, versus the "shiny" look of normal solder points.
I agree for sure on the overheating, that's why I like this method of mine; you only touch the contact point for a split second or so. |
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Zeotti
Basic Member
Joined: 06 Dec 2003
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| 1374. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Shadow_Dragonz wrote: | | Zeotti wrote: | I definitely suggest building a Riptide pad. There's instructional videos which are 80 percent more helpful than the vague instructions on DDRHomepad. Cutting the wood isn't hard at all IMO, but there's ALOT of measuring when you make the base. After you have the panels screwed in it's pretty much easy going. Making the supports is another step, and screwing them in is also a little bit of work considering you have to make 32 holes just to get supports in . Well, after that you have the triangles. I just cut a long strip of wood with two triangles *to fit* on that piece so there's no extra trimming. Play around with the triangles getting them to get in the corners with the braces being able to fit around them - sometimes it's too tight of a fit. Afterwards you have the screws, which require 16 holes in every panel. That's 64 holes, and 64 screws to drill into. Those 64 screws have to be flush with eachother as well as just under 1/4 of an inch, which can take quite a bit of tweaking. Wrapping the wire and soldering them to the screws is very tedious, but it gets easy if you use some plyers and you know how to solder. Be sure to get a little less than an inch stripped so you can wrap it around the screws without it ever getting loose. And the acrylic panels - well, I'll see soon, it's gonna be pretty risky/tedious I'm sure. They're the only things I have left to do - really .
I've spent 8 hours drilling the screws and soldering them/getting the wiring organized. Another 14 for the base of the pad and everything else. That's around 22 hours and I only have about 4 hours left of work. Around 25 hours isn't bad for this pad IMO lol
Although, that doesn't include the metal panels which I made from a previously made DDRHomepad.
I don't suggest DDRHomepad unless you really like cutting sheet metal, cutting pegboard (agh!!!!!!) and cutting MDF Rails (oh god). Riptide's design can take much more pressure/damage since it's made from 2x4s, wiring is great because the contact can be from any of the 8 pairs of screws around the pad. Also, it's quicker to build IMO, less arrow cutting, simpler design, etc,. Wiring is much easier to organize too. One other thing, the panels are much thicker than in DDRHomepad's, and they don't literally have to bend to contact - they feel just like the arcade.
**BTW** Thanks for the help motster |
You said that cutting the wood isn't hard at all, yet you complain about cutting pegboard and MDF . And sheet metal?!
Okay, for the pegboard and MDF, you could do what I did and just use a table saw . For the sheet metal, just go to a fabricator and get the sheet metal cut down to size . That's what I call simple! So, I don't believe that it isn't really that bad. And, if there is a problem, you could always ask someone else for help.
Riptide may take more weight, but some people need that extra space, and less weight so they can take it around. Also, if I remember correctly, Riptide wanted the 2 x 4 cut in half for support. For a jigsaw, that can be tedious, and this is the case for people that have not yet had experience using one.
BTW, for ddrhomepad, there is an entire piece of sheet metal for the contact. And I wasn't trying to be rude, just showing something that you might have missed .
| drovkin wrote: | | ^ I thought I remembered reading through a few previous pages and saw that RipTides was starting to have static problems of some type...is that a problem that you've heard about/forsee in yours? |
I haven't heard of it nor read it. I do not forsee it to be a problem. Um, I did read that Riptide did want to change his design to fit more of the Blue Beefman mod. This was so the contacts would be easier to create, and still have a good amount of surface area for it to connect. As I recall, it was that so you wouldn't have to do all that measuring for the screws which take so much time .
What glue is used to glue down the sheet metal to the acrylic or what glue do you use/recommend?
Studing I go for finals
Shadow_Dragonz |
1. I don't own a table saw, I own just a jigsaw. MDF fiberboard is a doggy to cut because it's... well, compressed fibers of wood. The pegboard dulled out my blade and there's so much sawdust from it, it's hard to breathe even. Wood is easy as hell to cut, but compressed forms of fiber are another story with a jigsaw.
2. It's a waste of time to get the sheet metal cut at a fabricator unless you really hate spending an extra 20 minutes getting it cut. Although it doesn't take very long it's still tedious and very annoying. Have you even tried cutting it yourself considering how you brought up getting them to cut it to size?
3. No, it's not really tedious to cut the 2x4s in half, considering you only make about 5-6 cuts. One down the middle, and 4-5 cuts along the side. Took me all of 10 minutes. The 4 33" 2x4s I had cut at Home Depot, and I imagine if I had a truck to carry 2 2x4x8s it would be simple to cut the wood myself.
4. I'm aware there is one large sheet metal contact, considering I BUILT A DDRHOMEPAD.
Only thing that's tedious and risky to cut in both designs is the acrylic. I had them cut to 10 7/8 at Home Depot and trimming can be a real hassle. Seems simple, but after a while of cutting, the bits of melted plastic all over the place really get to you. |
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Shadow_Dragonz
Trick Member
Joined: 16 Mar 2003
Location: California |
| 1375. Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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| motster wrote: | Yes, the sheet metal/steel will dissipate heat quickly (the bigger it is, the more quickly it cools down). You might solder to a "sliver" of sheet metal, then either nail/screw/glue that down to the main bits.
To solder directly on to the metal, "scrape" the surface as much as you can so it's rough. This will help the solder to "stick". You can hold the iron on the metal for a few seconds to get surface temperature up, then quickly touch the wire/solder/iron to the metal.
It can certainly be done, just be patient :-) I'm considering using a very short screw for soldering to, then getting it quite flush with the metal so as not to crack the acrylic when pressure comes down.
You know, I talk about this an awful lot, I should just go build the damn thing ;-) |
I think you should too
| motster wrote: | Here is my tutorial on soldering. This hasn't failed me after several hundred points of soldering on many different projects.
1. Expose the wire by stripping installation (just enough wire to meet the contact point, not so much that it might lay over another trace/point on the circuit board)
2. Verify your contact point is clean and scrape off any covering (sometimes there is plastic on top of the point to protect it).
3. Dip the wire tip into a tub/tube of flux. You want enough flux that you can basically see it on the wire, but not a big glob.
4. Get some solder onto the tip of the iron, enough that it's visible and not wholly absorbed onto the iron tip.
5. Touch the wire tip to the contact point, and briefly (very briefly) touch the iron tip to the place where the wire meets the contact point.
The flux on the wire will cause the solder to quickly travel down the wire and onto the contact point. What's left should be small "bubble" or "hershey's kiss" holding the wire in place. You can give it a slight tug if you want to verify the connection, but NOT TOO MUCH because it can lift up some copper traces.
This is the technique I have used to install various types of chips into various types of appliances (for various reasons ;-)) and it has not yet failed me.
Try it, let me know what you think. Comments appreciated! |
Thanks for the info
| Little Firefly wrote: | ok while we are on the subject of glueing metal to the polycarbonate, would it be ok if i cut apart a soda can and used that in the screw contact design rather than sheet metal? I figured it is cheep (acctually i got a bunch of cans for free one day, math teacher said she was getting a coke and asked if we wanted anything ), and hyper thin.I was just wondering if it would conduct well.
O and i am planning to soder wires to the sides of the screws, so that they are all even on the top, and there won't be any little sharp soder bits that could damage the lexan.
And about cold soder joints, they are all i can get after a month of practicing. I got one good one If i scrape away the unshiney bits, it comes out looking like a regular soder joint. What effect would cold soder joints have on the responsiveness of the pad?
*long post* |
1) I believe you could do that... 
2) Just like other people have posted, it can fall off . But it shouldn't affect the dance pad as a whole, if it's working already.
| Jace wrote: | My uncle is worried that solder wont stick to stainless steel unless I heated it up alot. The problem with that is that the steel is already glued to the lexan/peg board. He suggest buying certain clips that are bolted on to the steel which work similar to soldering. Need suggestions,
He also suggested copper foil sheets, but I heard that those wear out/burn or fry? |
ddrhomepad used foil sheets for his first design. What he found out was that the sheets eventually wear out and cause double, triple, and/or missteps. But if you don't mind replacing the foil, then it would work.
| MarKoPoLo wrote: | i used contact cement. it works wonders. anyways it explains how to use it on the can/container. but yeah it is reallly good and it works wonders. i used it to glue my metal to my acrylic. anyways hope that helps.
enjoy |
Thanks . I'll give that a try. Any idea if Elmer's Untimate Glue would work?
| Zeotti wrote: | | Shadow_Dragonz wrote: | | Zeotti wrote: | I definitely suggest building a Riptide pad. There's instructional videos which are 80 percent more helpful than the vague instructions on DDRHomepad. Cutting the wood isn't hard at all IMO, but there's ALOT of measuring when you make the base. After you have the panels screwed in it's pretty much easy going. Making the supports is another step, and screwing them in is also a little bit of work considering you have to make 32 holes just to get supports in . Well, after that you have the triangles. I just cut a long strip of wood with two triangles *to fit* on that piece so there's no extra trimming. Play around with the triangles getting them to get in the corners with the braces being able to fit around them - sometimes it's too tight of a fit. Afterwards you have the screws, which require 16 holes in every panel. That's 64 holes, and 64 screws to drill into. Those 64 screws have to be flush with eachother as well as just under 1/4 of an inch, which can take quite a bit of tweaking. Wrapping the wire and soldering them to the screws is very tedious, but it gets easy if you use some plyers and you know how to solder. Be sure to get a little less than an inch stripped so you can wrap it around the screws without it ever getting loose. And the acrylic panels - well, I'll see soon, it's gonna be pretty risky/tedious I'm sure. They're the only things I have left to do - really .
I've spent 8 hours drilling the screws and soldering them/getting the wiring organized. Another 14 for the base of the pad and everything else. That's around 22 hours and I only have about 4 hours left of work. Around 25 hours isn't bad for this pad IMO lol
Although, that doesn't include the metal panels which I made from a previously made DDRHomepad.
I don't suggest DDRHomepad unless you really like cutting sheet metal, cutting pegboard (agh!!!!!!) and cutting MDF Rails (oh god). Riptide's design can take much more pressure/damage since it's made from 2x4s, wiring is great because the contact can be from any of the 8 pairs of screws around the pad. Also, it's quicker to build IMO, less arrow cutting, simpler design, etc,. Wiring is much easier to organize too. One other thing, the panels are much thicker than in DDRHomepad's, and they don't literally have to bend to contact - they feel just like the arcade.
**BTW** Thanks for the help motster |
You said that cutting the wood isn't hard at all, yet you complain about cutting pegboard and MDF . And sheet metal?!
Okay, for the pegboard and MDF, you could do what I did and just use a table saw . For the sheet metal, just go to a fabricator and get the sheet metal cut down to size . That's what I call simple! So, I don't believe that it isn't really that bad. And, if there is a problem, you could always ask someone else for help.
Riptide may take more weight, but some people need that extra space, and less weight so they can take it around. Also, if I remember correctly, Riptide wanted the 2 x 4 cut in half for support. For a jigsaw, that can be tedious, and this is the case for people that have not yet had experience using one.
BTW, for ddrhomepad, there is an entire piece of sheet metal for the contact. And I wasn't trying to be rude, just showing something that you might have missed .
| drovkin wrote: | | ^ I thought I remembered reading through a few previous pages and saw that RipTides was starting to have static problems of some type...is that a problem that you've heard about/forsee in yours? |
I haven't heard of it nor read it. I do not forsee it to be a problem. Um, I did read that Riptide did want to change his design to fit more of the Blue Beefman mod. This was so the contacts would be easier to create, and still have a good amount of surface area for it to connect. As I recall, it was that so you wouldn't have to do all that measuring for the screws which take so much time .
What glue is used to glue down the sheet metal to the acrylic or what glue do you use/recommend?
Studing I go for finals
Shadow_Dragonz |
1. I don't own a table saw, I own just a jigsaw. MDF fiberboard is a doggy to cut because it's... well, compressed fibers of wood. The pegboard dulled out my blade and there's so much sawdust from it, it's hard to breathe even. Wood is easy as hell to cut, but compressed forms of fiber are another story with a jigsaw.
2. It's a waste of time to get the sheet metal cut at a fabricator unless you really hate spending an extra 20 minutes getting it cut. Although it doesn't take very long it's still tedious and very annoying. Have you even tried cutting it yourself considering how you brought up getting them to cut it to size?
3. No, it's not really tedious to cut the 2x4s in half, considering you only make about 5-6 cuts. One down the middle, and 4-5 cuts along the side. Took me all of 10 minutes. The 4 33" 2x4s I had cut at Home Depot, and I imagine if I had a truck to carry 2 2x4x8s it would be simple to cut the wood myself.
4. I'm aware there is one large sheet metal contact, considering I BUILT A DDRHOMEPAD.
Only thing that's tedious and risky to cut in both designs is the acrylic. I had them cut to 10 7/8 at Home Depot and trimming can be a real hassle. Seems simple, but after a while of cutting, the bits of melted plastic all over the place really get to you. |
1) Yeah, wood is easy to cut. Just some people do find it tedious. And yes, pegboard does create a lot of dust .
2) I got my sheet metal cut at a fabricator. It didn't take too much time...though I got enough metal to make 2 dance pad. I figured that I would make another one at some point, and here I am doing it  ...well, the design is done. I have not cut sheet metal yet, but I will be. I'm going to have to cut very small pieces out for my contacts and then glue it down to the acrylic. If I have a table saw I can use, and the right blades, then I dont' think that it will be a problem. It could become tedious if I had to use the jigsaw.
3) I was figuring that the 2 x 4 would be cut by a jigsaw. Getting exact strait cuts is a little difficult when using one. Since you have a guide, or usually have one, on a table saw, then it would be a breeze on one.
4) I never said you didn't build a ddrhomepad dance pad  .
I agree that cutting and trimming the acrylic is a hastle. I didn't realize that it would really take that long to trim down the acrylic for the panels . I never had a big problem with the little shavings of melted plastic on the ground, though my dad did when he had to look at it every time he came in and out of the garage. It was cleaned up fairly soon after that .
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Here's a post from Patster:
| Patster wrote: | 1. Use a 30-35 Watt soldering iron and make sure you let it warm up pretty good. Mine was the cheapest one from Radio Shack.
2. A clean surface is best.
3. Hold the tip of your iron as flat against the metal as you can, and apply a generous amount of solder to the tip. You will get a big molten blob that doesn't stick to the metal...be patient!
4. Keep holding that iron against the metal for more than 30 seconds; around this time, if you move the tip around, you may notice that the molten blob will start to catch on the metal surface.
5. When you feel like enough solder is tacking to the sheet metal, plunge the end of the wire you want to attach into the molten blob of solder and coat it with solder.
6. Carefully remove the soldering iron from the blob and let the blob solidify without moving the wire. (You can just give the molten metal a quick puff of air by blowing on it.)
The wire should now be held rather securely. If you can pry the solder off with a utility knife (or pliers), then you didn't do step 4 long enough. Go back and repeat the process.
|
That was soldering to the sheet metal, not the controller.
---
Would anyone mind explaining what the flux is and exactly what it does?
I think that I'm actually beginning to run out of questions .
Thanks for all the help/information.
Shadow_Dragonz
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Malcore
Trick Member
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Janesville, WI |
| 1376. Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| I built my home metal pad this last summer, but I had a problem with the game pads burning out. I think I read somewhere that people are using cobalt flux control boxes to hookup their home made metal pads to their psx/ps2's. Anyone have any information or a link to where I can do this myself. Thanks in advance. |
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hooded__paladin
Trick Member
Joined: 10 Nov 2003
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Snof
Trick Member
Joined: 09 Jun 2003
Location: UCSC |
| 1378. Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Varg wrote: |
*snip*
mending brackets as the contacts
*snip*
Does anyone have a tutorial for this, or at least images?
*snip*
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| Snof wrote: | Ok, for anyone who wants to see a picture of the contacts done with mending brackets, I finally took some pictures.
Here are the mending brackets:
Arrow Well
Here are how the metal strips are placed on the bottom of the arrow panel:
Panel Bottom
There are a couple other images in that same directory (/DDRPad).
I'm not sure how reliable that hosting is, I've never used that webspace before, hopefully it works. And sorry about the blurryness of the arrow panel, the camera decided to focus on my guitar instead. |
That's from page 51 of this thread I believe, later on that page I think I explained a decent amount about how to do them my way, riptide also chimed in at some point with alternative that can make it a bit easier. For more info on using mending brackets try reading right aroun there, maybe pages 50-53 or something, there was a decent amount of discussion on the topic. Also try searching for posts that contain "mending", you'll get mostly people asking about them, but some answers.
In other news, I'm considering switching to screw contacts with springs instead of weatherstripping. The advantage of the screws is that their height can be very easily adjusted, whereas with mending brackets it's much harder, in my opinion at least. Although I've never done it with screws, so maybe I'm just talking out of my buttocks. I'll soon find out though, since I'm probably building a second pad starting soon after x-mas.
Please pardon any speeling and grammatical errors, I'm not in the mood for proofreading at the moment. |
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Zeotti
Basic Member
Joined: 06 Dec 2003
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| 1379. Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2003 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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Well, I greatly underestimated trimming the acrylic panels, and after 6 hours of working with a constant headache from the plastic fumes, I'm finally done . Tomorrow I will be soldering to the PSX controller and putting the sheet metal pieces onto the acrylic. That's it! Then, I'll test it out and play for hours! I'll get the arrow graphics sometime next week, i'm in no hurry thats for sure.
I'll get a Pic as soon as I get it finished tomorrow! It'll be even better with the graphics on! |
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