My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

stoli · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Location: Southern NH

For the most part, there is not much original about my pad. With the exception of the screws holding the arrow pads down (instead of the corner brackets) I just combined several other designs that I found links to on this forum. The screws might not even be original for all I know. I'm sure it's been done before. I didn't come across another design that used them so I will be happy to take credit for their success (or eventual failure). I am still working out some kinks but I think they will hold up well. They also work as sensitivity adjusters, which is handy.

Ulala321 - Borders are made up of sheet metal wrapped around wood.

Steve771 - No special tools. Didn't even score the metal (which I plan on trying with my next pad). I used a few clamps, a piece of wood and a rubber mallet. The trick to a nice edge is to properly clamp and secure the metal to the piece of wood you are wrapping it around. You also need to bend it in very small, uniform increments (light taps with the rubber mallet). Any heavy blows with the mallet will cause dimpling. Not sure if I can explain it without a picture but it is like a sheet metal sandwich. You lay the sheet on top of the piece of wood you are wrapping it around, then you take another piece of wood and clamp it firmly on top of the sheet all along the edge that you are bending the metal around. The extra piece of wood prevents the sheet metal from rising off the surface of the wood during the bending processs and helps you get a nice sharp 90 degree bend. This would not work if you screwed the sheet metal down before bending it over the edge since the screws would get in the way of the piece of wood you are clamping along the edge. Essentially, the screws are performing the same purpose (keeping the metal firmly against the wood) but not as uniformly. It was my intent to avoid any screws on the static panels however, which is why I used this clamping method. Clear as mud?

SuRfreAk - I'd be happy to post a few more shots after a month or two of use. It looks like it is going to work real well however. It obviously shows smudges, fingerprints and stuff like that but that all wipes off in a few seconds and from a wear standpoint, there doesn't seem to be much. It looks as if there is a small amount of scuffing and some slight scratching of the surface but I doubt it would show up in a picture. I've used some stuff called Simichrome in the past to buff out large scuffs on a polished surface like this one, but I don't think I am going to bother doing any polishing. After all, it's a dance pad. My goal was to start off with a certain bling-bling factor when I presented it to my daughter. I knew I had accomplished that when her eyes popped out of her head and her jaw dropped. That has since worn off and now it's something you jump around on all day. As long as the arrow pads work properly, I think she'll be happy. I'm sure you will agree that functionality outweighs looks when it comes to this sort of thing.

Stoli
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Yutarou · Basic Member Joined: 01 Apr 2005

Alright, so I looked over that site, and I understand it more or less. My biggest problem will probably be making the controller. I understand the idea behind it, but I'm hesitant to pop open my Xbox controller (I don't have a PS/PS2) just on that. Does anyone have a guide on how to hook up an xbox controller? It would be a huge help.

steve771 · Trick Member Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Location: Nevada

Hey stoli, thanks! Don't dis your instructions, I thought that was very clear. I think I might lightly score the metal and use your method of clamping and see how that comes out. Did you contact cement the top before bending or after? I did find those screws you used... very low profile head and yet it has a wide diameter (relatively). I think I'll go with the same method you did, as with a small compression, I don't think the screwheads will cause any problems and it looks sharper than the corner brace method. I'm going to use aluminum flashing for the stationary pads though... they are kinda shiny, but does anyone have any sort of polish they would recommend for that?

Ulala321 · Trick Member Joined: 28 Sep 2004

Yutarou, you'd probably be better off buying a cheap X-Box pad and ripping the control box off of it and soldering directly to it.

I've read before of someone having problems with their game saying their pad is disconnected from the X-Box/PS2 while in the middle of play.. I'm experiencing something similar. In the middle of any given song, it'll randomly for a split second bring up a box that says "please reconnect controller to slot 1" and then as quickly as it came, it disappears. So, it's not really a huge problem, but more of an annoyance. Either way, does anyone know anything about this and possible ways of solving it?

stoli · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Location: Southern NH

Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

Finally I can post...why is it that after I registered I had to wait 3 hours?

Anyways, I've been lurking here for the past few days. I'm getting into DDR for fun and weight loss, and I'm wanting to build my own pad.

I saw a pad several pages back that looked like it had the top of a flat pad on it. It looked like the owner gutted the soft pad and used the contacts on his homemade pad. Is this a viable option? This would be easier on me and give it a nice professional look. That, or I'm wrong and his pad has something else on it.

I plan on going with an Xbox and DDR Ultramix 1 and 2 if that matters.

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

First off, quit complaining. When you say "contacts" do you mean the he soldered to the circuit board of the soft pad, or used the actual sensors in his pad? The second option is a no-no, I thought about doing it myself, but the sensors are too cheap to last more than a month or so.
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Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

bet · Basic Member Joined: 11 Jan 2005

Since you guys build your own pads maybe you could help me fix mine. It is a tx-1000. I have only had it 2 days and the back arrow is not working. What could possibly be wrong? What can I try?
Thanks
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Ulala321 · Trick Member Joined: 28 Sep 2004

Shogun, no worries bud. Actually, it's recommended that you buy a cheap soft pad and rip off the control box and solder to the contacts on the circuit board inside. Then, you can just put the circuit board back in the control box. I'm told that this not only is easier than using an X-Box controller or some other such thing, but that it helps prevent static build ups that might fry your circuit board. You should totally go with a cheap soft pad that you can rip up. I encourage you to stick it out around here, you can learn a lot! I came here knowing nothing, and now I have my own home built pad. It's got a bug or two, but it's getting there and it's great! So, with that, stick around bud!

To reiterate:

Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

Aflac · Trick Member Joined: 28 Mar 2005

Stoli:

Just a couple quick questions, when you created your X and O panels, how did you wire them? Did you wire them just like DDRHomepad did to his arrow solders? And is the controller mounted and soldered onto/into your pad the same way DDRHomepad did on his? Thanks!

And another question directed to the forum:

Is it a good idea to use aluminum/brushed aluminum sheet metal for the metal on the pad (not including the contacts)? Personally i have a liking for the brushed steel/brushed aluminum look and i really want to incorporate this on my pad; however it occured to me that this type of metal will not stand up well to the pouncing and pounding of DDR. does anyone have some input on this?

stoli · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Location: Southern NH

Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

stoli · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Location: Southern NH

I did it because a lot of the pads I looked at had them. I suppose you could do without the O, but the X gets a decent workout between songs.
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Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

Negated Void · Basic Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005

In some form, yes. Some people have them as simple pushbuttons or attached to the controll box, but you'll probably need them for various things like selecting songs.

--Matt

Ulala321 · Trick Member Joined: 28 Sep 2004

Lonfelk · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2005

Hey!

I've recently asked a question and noone answered it yet, it got lost in this thread, so here it is again:

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- Metal squares: Better to screw them from top of the sheetmetal to the base of the metal pad or from the bottom of the metal pad right into the plywood that makes the square? --> I want to know if one is safer than the other, safer as in I'm worried that the sheetmetal would detach from the square if its secured from the bottom instead of the top.

- Trick bar: How would you do that? Put it in the back border (in some holes you would do) and secure it with brackets? --> Just wondering if it would be a nice upgrade.

- Pad base: Would it be better to (assuming I want it to carry alot of weight, so it can't possibly brake if someone big stomps on it):
1) metal squares and arrows directly on the plywood base (refer to: http://2legacy.com/ddrpad/)?
OR
2) put 2x4 supports for each metal square/arrow (supports are between the base and the metal square/arrow - just like riptide's)?

--=-=-=-=-=--

Thanks so much to anyone who would answer to at least 1 of these questions.

~:Lonfelk:~
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SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

We've already been over the first two questions. The first is one or two pages back, a couple of long posts. As for the second, it's been discussed many times, but the problem is that the base cannot support the horizontal pressure that you place on the bar. I was thinking about 4x4' underneath the pad, with 3 vertical supports, but so far the only working homebuilt bars (that have been posted) are triangular (with an outreaching support). As for the last question, it doesn't really matter, the pad will be plenty strong. Personally I'd use 2x4 or 1x2 rails underneath the pad, like ddrhomepads, then mount it on plywood. Nothing's going to break from someone stomping on it...there's really nothing that could break/snap from downward pressure.
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