My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

[LordPyrex]

[Heffenfeffer]

[Didjivibes]

I used heavy duty Olfa scissors (yellow handle) that have serrated cutting blades to cut the sheet metal I bought. If I remember correctly the thickness was 26 guage aluminum flashing. No rough edges at all. I bought the scissors at an art/craft store.
_________________

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

[Type-Z]

Thanks for your reply Heffenfeffer, but I do have a jigsaw, but that doesn't work as when I start to cut it, the blade falls off after cutting an 8th of an inch. Doh. I've bought like 3 different pairs of snips from Home Depot already. It's getting kind of annoying as none of them can cut past the length of the blades. I asked my uncle about it, maybe he'll have an answer for me in a couple days.

[SHSbrando]

just got my pad done, and it works like a charm. First AA on kind lady, nothing to impressive, but it shows it works. Ill be posting some pictures here in the near future.[/img]

[SHSbrando]

http://www.angelfire.com/games5/shsbrando/

[8BitHero]

awesome man, i cant wait to finish mine, is that ddrhomepads design? if so did you do the screw mod and what weatherstripping did you use.

[SHSbrando]

Yea, mine is ddrhomepads design, except using the rails, i put a piece of plywood under it, and cut little indentations to let the wires in. The weather stripping i used is just 7/16's thick. When i went to put all the screws in, the arrows were to tight against the plywood, so i had to loosen them so that they still held the arrow enough in place.

[D r S a n e]

I haven't had the patience to search this entire thread, but can we buy pads from you guys, and if so, how much would it cost (is living in Ottawa a problem)?

Also, how hard would it be for a 13 year old with lazy parents to make his own?

Edit: If you got an adapter, could you plug it into the computer?

Post Edit: OH OH OH! Could I use some parts from my soft pad, for instance, the curcuit board? That would be so helpful! That way I wouldn't feel like I wasted $40 for nothing.

Post Post edit: Does http://www.angelfire.com/d20/ddrhomepad/ ever say how to actually put the controller wires into the metal pad?

[SHSbrando]

Im gonna try to answer your questions.

I haven't had the patience to search this entire thread, but can we buy pads from you guys, and if so, how much would it cost (is living in Ottawa a problem)?

-it costs around 100-130 to build one (only took me 60 bucks because i had a lot of the materials) and takes around 2-3 days to build one. I wouldnt build one for someone becuase i would be afraid of the buyer not being satisfied with it for some reason. Now thats not to say that someone would though, i bet there are people who would do it for you. The other problem would be shipping and matience fees. So you would be paying like 200 all together or somewhere around there. It is in the price range of a RO o a BNS, but homebuilt pads are VERY easy to repair.

Also, how hard would it be for a 13 year old with lazy parents to make his own?

- Its not very hard to build your own pad. The only tool you really need is a jigsaw and a pair of tin snips. (i built mine by myself, but i like to build things and i am also 16)

If you got an adapter, could you plug it into the computer?

-Yes, i play on DWI, its just that the refresh rate is bit different, and takes time to get used to it.

lightbulb.gif OH OH OH! lightbulb.gif Could I use some parts from my soft pad, for instance, the curcuit board? lightbulb.gif That would be so helpful! That way I wouldn't feel like I wasted $40 for nothing. laugh.gif

-Yes, it is actually easier to build a pad off the soft pad circuit board because the sodering points are HUGE. Plus everything is labeled for all of you who dont know wtf you are doin. The only problem with using a pad circuit, is that you will have to make buttons for the X and START, (instead of using the actual controler) but if you look at RipTides design, it shouldnt be a problem.

[8BitHero]

Ok I finished my pad based on ddrhomepads design and used riptides graphics for the buttons. I think Im in love... Im a total newb (gotta start sometime) I was doing ok on 2 and 3 footers on my soft pad (dont make fun of me hahah) and I played 4 footers all night on my metal pad and was doing decent a-c grades. I love my metal pad and cant wait for my CF to get here to compare

[TheRiven99754]

This is just an idea for a possible handle-mod. Since the back-two metal squares in riptide's model ( as far as I know ) don't have wiring or anything important in them, couldn't you add something like the track things they use on computer desks to allow an 'arm' of metal or some other material to reach of the bottom left and right spaces to the back, with something sticking up at the end allowing a bar with a handle to be placed on it? Sorta confusing in text, yeah. lol



Um.. Yeah, its ugly, and I cut the bottom off. but oh well. The pad itself is self-explanatory, but the rectangular shape inside would be able to slide, and turn at the end so that the end point with the spot filled with grey ( the point sticking up ) would be able to have a bar with a handle attached or something.

Maybe it could work with the right materials, but I dunno, just an idea.

[SHSbrando]

Yea i was actually thinking about putting wheels and a handle on it, maybe they could both like flip out of the side or something. But yea it would make it a lot more convienient and easier to carry around

[8BitHero]

[D r S a n e]

Okay thanks you two! I showed this stuff to my dad, and we are building one! We have some of these materials, so it should only cost about $100. Awesome.

Do you know where I could get a USB adapter converter?

And, for the arrow decals, should I print them off, or order them in, or draw my own, or rip them off my soft pad?

(I don't know if the last person was saying if I could use the soft pad wiring or not. )

Edit: That site is for an XBox Control Box, and the arrow template won't load. Do you know how I could build a control box, that would be sweeeet..

[8BitHero]

I believe his arrow template is in PSD format which requires photoshop. I used the graphics from riptides design which is the 4 japanese symbols for north south east and west. I just threw the pics on a CD and took em to staples and told them the dimensions I wanted them printed in and they did it for about $7 total.

When you say usb adapter converter you mean xbox->usb? not quite sure because later in the post you mentioned the xbox cbox is not what you need i believe.

Dont use the soft pad wiring just the board thats in the plastic box on the pad.

[D r S a n e]

Bah...a controller box sounds too complicated...

Yes, PS2, as in an adapter for playing it on Step Mania with the metal pad.

The decals are 11" x 11" right? So I'll see what I can find that looks good.

(The download was .zip, so it doesn't need photoshop, at least not yet...the link itself didn't work)


What would you recommend for the best site for me to make my metal pad?

[8BitHero]

[D r S a n e]

http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/jedijeff/arrows.html

Huzzah!

Now I just put it on a C-D and bring it to staples, right? After I get the measurments of course.

~-~
EDIT:
~-~

Wait a second.

That $135 is American, right? How much would it cost in Canada? I looked at all the materials, and It shouldn't even cost over $100 in Canada. Uhoh... Bad for me, I may not be able to do this anymore. (Why I can't I use the ground wires from the soft pad again?)

[8BitHero]

Yeah $130USD,


the 'rails' are refering to the wood 1x2 boards that are along each side of the pegboard in the picture. yes ddrhomepads design only involves 1 wire. those pics you linked to are someone elses design not ddrhomepads.