My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

[Daku Wan]

[joshuass]

After tweaking and retweaking I have gotten my pad in better shape that it was in before. I also have some tips I think you people might be interested in.

For my arrow pads, I used 2 plates of 1/4" acrylic from home depot. At first, I had them taped together because I hadn't printed any arrows out. Once my arrows were done I found that the best way to join the two pieces of acrylic togther is as follows:
1. Drill 4 holes in both plates with a #25 bit (one in each corner about 1" diagonally inward from the tip).
2. Thread the 4 holes in the bottom plate (I used a 10-24 NC tap)
3. Redrill the 4 holes in the top plate with a slightly larger bit (#11) that will allow a 10-24 machine bolt to slide nicely (not sloppily!). The bolts I used were 10-24 1/2" flat head machine thread screws.
4. Countersink the holes in the top plate enough so that the screw head wont interfere with corner braces.

By tapping and screwing the plates together, each arrow plate is a lot stronger/stiffer and looks 10 times better (the screws are hidden by the cornerbraces).

Also, contrary to what I posted earlier, tinfoil works but only if you do not tweak too much. The tinfoil wears out around the screw . I had to wire up the screws because too many had worn out. (Check my previous post)

I am very pleased with how it turned out. Just thought I should share.

[Nephus]

here's a lighting idea I was thinking about using for my first metal pad, but I figured I'd run it past everyone here to share or see if it's a bad idea.

If you carve a shallow design into a clear plate of plexi or lexan, and then set a widely spaced row of bright LEDs to one side of it (the edge), the light shining through would slightly tint the uncarved areas, but show up brightly in the design. It would create a floating neon effect. I was thinking about carving the design into the lower plate of plexiglass, that way the upper plate, which would take most of the abuse, wouldn't be weakened by the design carved into it. The LEDs would be inset into notches carved into the metal plates surrounding the arrows.

So what do you guys think?

edit: something like this should allow for a thinner and more durable solution to lighting than having neon tubes under the buttons.... not to mention cheaper. The whole setup should be able to run off a couple AA batteries snapped into the bottom.

[zambi]

Well, I haven't posted here before, but I hope you guys wont mind helping out a noob

I have constructed the 5 non-arrow panels, and they look very professional, I went ahead and screwed the corner braces in (im following ddrhp's design) and they look pretty horrible, some are crooked and probably will screw the arrows up. I think Ill switch over to Riptides design, since from what i can see you dont screw the braces into the sides of the non-arrow pads in his design. Can you think of any problems if i unscrew the braces and follow riptides plan?

EDIT: in reply to someones post a ways back, i managed to get 12x24 elxan (4 pcs) for less than 40 bucks at home depot.

[Tyris]

zambi =>
I know what you mean about the corner bracket things in the DDRHP design...
so I found that the best way to replace these is to get 4 flat pieces of metal about 2 inches square (you can cut the edges a bit to make em look better), and then another 8 piecse that are triangle with a bend on the hypotenuse (long edge)
Use the 4 flat pieces as the middle 8 brackets, (they screw in vertically so much better =D), and the 8 bent pieces for the 8 outer brakcets... I'll upload a pic if you dont understand what i mean
_________________

-Tyris
master of http://www.square-cubed.com and http://nintengu.net

[zambi]

Yea, if you could upload a pic that would be great, i dont really understand what you mean.

I also have a server that i could host anyones pics/movies on, if you want me to just send me an IM on AIM (zambiarhodester) or a PM here

[Didjivibes]

It seems as though aligning the corner braces is a common problem when building a homepad. If you've ever seen 'The New Yankee Workshop' on PBS with Norm Abrahms you are familiar with the use of a jig. Simply put, it is a helper tool which is custom made to fit a specific purpose. You can make them with extra wood and supplies. You can see a pic of a basic jig here.

I will take some pics later to show the use of a jig to align your braces although it should be self-explanatory. Depending on how you built your pad you may or may not need some clamps for use with the jig.
_________________

Didjipad DDR Homepad
"Soft without hard cannot strike. Hard without soft wastes energy."

[Jopo]

i have looked at both of these tutoirals

http://www.digitaltorque.com/mydancepad/
(this guy has weather stripping between a piece of sheet metal behind the plexiglass and little mending brackets, 2 for each side of button, on each side of the button is one bracket with voltage from controll, and the bracket beside it is the bround, and when the metal touches it in creats the signal)

and

http://www.angelfire.com/d20/ddrhomepad/

(this guy just has two pieces of sheetmetal with weatherstripping in between, one piece is ground, the other is voltage, when they touch, they make the signal)


whitch one of these methods is better?

how thick should the plexiglass be?

and what kind of weather stripping should i use?

[killthefifi]

i was gonna build the pad but i noticed some missing things on the pad.
1. no trick bar
2. no x or o buttons
3. no start/select buttons
4. no led's like the arcrade ne thing would be nice
plz help me! i would love to have one with all of the accecories!
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i'm a barbie girl in a barbie world! and i'm not gay! even though i look pretty in barbies dresses! O.O

[morgan_rhys]

[morgan_rhys]

[morgan_rhys]

Ok, to round out my trio of posts...

How far do your arrow buttons depress?

Mine go down about 3/8" of an inch at present, and I am wondering if that is about average or if I should try to lessen this. This is my first pad, AND I am new to the DDR world (played for the first time about 3 weeks ago, and got hooked! ) so I don't have a whole lot of reference.

[Didjivibes]

My arrow panels depress less than 1/8" before the button fires. If yours don't bother you then there is no need to change it but the less pressure you have to use is probably better.
_________________

Didjipad DDR Homepad
"Soft without hard cannot strike. Hard without soft wastes energy."

[killthefifi]

thx morgan_rhys for the anwsers and.............

a couple of more questions..
1. how does the wetherstripping and foam core work pushin g the pad back up
2.where do the wires go?
3. is there ne way i could earn all of the money?
_________________

i'm a barbie girl in a barbie world! and i'm not gay! even though i look pretty in barbies dresses! O.O

[morgan_rhys]

[Didjivibes]

[morgan_rhys]

[Didjivibes]

Thanks for answering with such a detailed breakdown of your cost. I was wondering because I like to know if I can possibly get materials for cheaper. Do you have pics of your pad on the web?
_________________

Didjipad DDR Homepad
"Soft without hard cannot strike. Hard without soft wastes energy."

[morgan_rhys]

[killthefifi]

thx and what design did you use for your pad?
_________________

i'm a barbie girl in a barbie world! and i'm not gay! even though i look pretty in barbies dresses! O.O