My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

ch · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 5:15 pm Post subject:

maximum compression = you can compress it all the way down with little to no force. in the store, see if you can squeeze the package sideways all the way together. if you can, thats the stuff. if its far too resistant, thats not it.

i tried with the black stuff, thinking id be heavy enough to weigh it down. i wasnt.
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090310025322668

mtwieg · Posted: Tue Feb 01, 2005 5:30 pm Post subject:

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

As with anything in this world, epoxy's price varies with quality.
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HitokiriX · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Location: Berwyn, PA

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

To make a border on a ddrhomepad, should I just screw into the rails on the bottom, or directly into the plywood on my non-arrows? The only reason I ask is that plywood is very thin, so it's easier to miss with the screw/have the screw come out of the top or bottom of the wood.
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ch · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:26 pm Post subject:

doesnt really matter. i would screw them in from the bottom.
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090310025322668

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

Wait... what? I'm talking about a border that goes around the outside of the pad, not under it (to pull all the arrows to 11 inches square).

Oh, and the "rubberized anti-slip mats" that people were talking about a couple of pages back, to prevent scratching on hardwood floors, do those come in huge rolls, sold by the foot?
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ch · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:41 pm Post subject:

right. and you asked if you should screw it into the bottom slats or into the side of the plywood. if you can, pre-drill and screw it into the bottom slats. i think they would be better equipped for that. if they dont reach the edge, tho, you will have to do the plywood. be very careful about not splitting the wood and predrill pilot holes.

and the squishy stuff is sold in 12' wide rolls for carpeting by the foot. i think.
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090310025322668

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

When you said "from the bottom," that meant to me, "screw in from the bottom up." Ok, then that's the same stuff I found, but I think my home depot carries 24" wide only.
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ch · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:50 pm Post subject:

well my pad has one large piece of plywood for the base, and i was thinking that you had done the same thing. but i overlooked the part that said ddrhomepad. sorry.

i also cleverly disguised my mistake. can you tell?

well now you can.
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090310025322668

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

Yeah, I used plywood for a base too. I just drilled up from the plywood into the rails, so both my pads are turned into a single doubles platform.
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5thDementian · Trick Member Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

For my border, ok, how do I explain this?

Ok, I had the five square panels all attached and I had all the Stanley corner braces attached. With me so far? Ok... then I had a 33" piece of wood that I put on one of the sides. I used (I think) 2" long drywall screws and screwed two screws through the wood into each square. Each side has two panels so I used 4 screws. THEN, I took short wood screws (about half an inch, maybe 3/4) and screwed them from the inside through the corner brackets and into the border (doing this helped make sure the corner brackets laid flush with the pad. Then, I did the same on the other side (again, a 33" piece of wood).

For the top and bottom, I used 35" inch pieces because the side borders were an inch thick, so it needed to be 33"(to span 3 eleven inch panels) plus two inches (two borders, each an inch thick). I attached them the same way, but ALSO put bought a bracket that wrapped around the corner:
http://www.secondattempt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=148

All in all... building the border BEFORE doing the arrows was an EXCELLENT decision, because it MADE the arrow panels come out square.

Any other questions?

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SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

That's why I was thinking about adding a border- makes an easier job of cutting out the lucite. I don't have a table saw, only a skil saw, so it's a lot easier for me to clamp 4 pieces of lexan together, instead of cutting each piece a different size. Your pad looks pretty spiff. Once I get off my lazy butt and get out the digital camera, I'll post some pics of my pad (I'll probably polish it first...)... then eventually get to Lowes to take pics of materials, as I'm designing my next pad(s)...
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slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

ok..

i got my pad working ok except that i dont have any start/select/A/B buttons (xbox)--im going to make some kind of controll box..

AND
the arrows get stuck in the down position so when i try to hit them they dont really work..i dont have alot of weatherstripping on them. its really thin and it doesnt come up..BUT if i change it to either thicker/more weather stripping, wouldnt that make it so it would be harder to press the arrows down?..i really need some help..other than that its all good..and relatively cheap

ch · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2005 6:39 pm Post subject:

unscrew the screws holding the arrows down a little bit. it you cant do that, move the bottom contact down a little bit (it you can)
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090310025322668

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

If cartoonhero's suggestion doesn't work, change the thickness of the weatherstripping, but try adding more first, so you don't have to buy another package (though they're not that expensive). Weatherstripping doesn't affect the sensitivity as much as you might think. Even if it is a little less responsive, at least it works.
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mikieson · Trick Member Joined: 14 Nov 2003

I have built 2 pads and used them for just over a year. They worked pretty well but I came up with a new design and decided to build 2 new ones. Well I dont know what the problem is. The possitive and negative contacts touch and it wont register. I have checked all the wires, contacts, circuit board...ect....
You can stomp on the arrows and sometimes it will register and sometimes it wont. I have glued the contacts on but I dont think that would have anything to do with it.
Some arrows will work better than others. Just about to give up. Had better luck the first time I built than now....Any suggestions?

mtwieg

5thDementian · Trick Member Joined: 12 Oct 2004 Location: Kalamazoo, MI

Re-strip the wire.... touch just the wires together and see if that works. I'm wondering if you have glue on the wires and it's not connecting.
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mikieson · Trick Member Joined: 14 Nov 2003

I used real thing single thread wire....the solid kind thats not stranded. I wonder if its not enough to carry the current? I did glue to one side of each contact but on the other side there isnt any and the wire is touching there. Dont know? I thought about touching the wires together but forgot in my rage....LOL.... I dont want to trash them so i will try some other things. By the way. I use circuit pads out of soft ddr pads.