My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

ya..and i just tried it out

it was working fine, but after 4 songs it started to have trouble

im going to look at it and see whats wrong..ill get pics really soon

all i need to do is SECURE the arrows down (i tested it with duct tape

)

put all the wires hidden inside the pad

and i think thats about it

and it looks like stoli has updated his site..im looking at it now

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

ok, i got some more pics

this is a pic of the bottom of the arrow

this is a pic of the whole pad

this is a pic of circuit board

arrow right

poor pic of the bottom ground on each arrow panel (the black is a cut up mouse pad..im going to add some foam insulation tho)

what do u think?

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

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

Stoli, you da man! Thanks for completing the pics and directions on your website. It really helps.

With regards to the mousepad corners. Is that to give more rebound to the area around the screws? (as in the weatherstripping by itself wouldn't?) Thanks in advance!

superfanthony · Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 9:40 pm Post subject:

Well, I am offically beginning reconnaissance on metal-pad construction. I am sick of my foam pad, which is worthless. This thread is nearing 200 pages, so please forgive me if I ask a question which has been answered earlier on...there is a lot to look through!

My first concern is, how long before the arrows start to stick, like on my soft pad and on my foam pad. I read in a post that the pads should hold up to 200 lbs. I am right above 200, and I am willing to bet that when Im jumping around on the thing, its probably more than 200 lbs of force dropping on the arrows. Are there other, heavier-duty options aside from the weather stripping? Has anyone made a pad using springs, and what kind of rebound material is used in the actual DDR arcade machines?

Secondly, I would love to have the look and feel that some of you have acheived, but my main priority is to get back to dancing a.s.a.p. I also dont want to go overboard with my first pad, because I know after about a week, I am going to want to build a nicer one. Aside from the obvious cost cutting measures (using stuff I already have & garbage picking for wood and other materials), what can I do to keep the cost down, since this will hopefully just be acting as a temporary solution. The plexiglass seems to be the most expensive material...are there cheaper alternatives, or should I just go with all wood or sheet metal for testing sake?

Are these style home-made DDR pads shoe-friendly?

Thats all I can think of for now...thanks for any help and advice you guys can give me!

Ulala321 · Trick Member Joined: 28 Sep 2004

Stoli, your pads truly make me jealous.

Question, for doing single player dancing on both pads, do you just set them adjacent to each other and they don't move around? Also, do you know if the distance between the two when they're placed adjacent is equal to that of the arcade? I can't quite tell from the picture. Thanks bud!

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

Steve -
Mousepad Corners: You are absolutely correct about the corners. The mousepad is working perfectly. It provides the perfect amount of rebound and at the same time, allows enough compression and shock absorption to protect the lucite. I struggled with deciding how big to make the pieces and what shape to make them. At first I tried triangles but didn't like the way that the Lucite bent when I tightened the screws. The Lucite is a little flexible (which is good), but if the mousepad pieces were cut and placed such that there was more on the corner side of the screw than on the other side (like a triangle shape), then the corners of the lucite panel would rise up as the center of the pad went down under screw compression. The way I have it now, which is essentially an equal distribution of padding under the screw head, allows the Lucite panel to move down without distorting when the screws are tightened. Does that make sense? Another thing to note is there are all different thicknesses of mousepads out there and some are more "rubbery" than others. The 3/16" Fellowes that I found is just right for my design.

Ulala -
Dual Pad Operation: When placed together, the distance between them is about 3" which is 1 3/16" more than an official dual pad (I think - you would have to measure the arcade pad to be sure). The pads are pretty heavy and don't slide easily on the carpet but it is possible that you might need to tie them together somehow. I imagine I would accomplish that by making a small strap that could be screwed in across the top and bottom edges where the 2 pads meet. I just finished the second pad yesterday so time will tell if I need to do something like this.

-Stoli
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Syden · Trick Member Joined: 07 Apr 2005

Do you think it would be possible to use http://www.channelbeat.com/products/parts/dance_dance_revolution_parts/126.html in a home built pad while still following the instructions from your site, stoli?

ch · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:25 am Post subject:

the only problem would be the $200 minimum order from channelbeat.
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CStarFlare wrote:

I approve of the direction this thread is going

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

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

Yes, it seems to be a rather pricey option. Technically, if they are 11" x 11" then they would work, otherwise you would have to make some minor adjustments to the other dimensions on my pad. Also, I can't tell if those are screws or rivets in the corners?

The biggest issue is that the square panels are much easier to make than the borders if you follow my design to the letter. So, if you are going to go through the trouble of making the borders, then you might as well save your money and make the squares as well.

-Stoli
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Syden · Trick Member Joined: 07 Apr 2005

I can't see through those frog pajama bottoms, but do you use shoes on those mats?

They look really shiney still...

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

i know that u can, considering that its basically a REAL pad..i have tried it but only for a song, and i didnt like the response, but im almost positive that was my pad.

and i started to make all the wires and circuitry go inside..im almost done now

SuRfReAk · Trick Member Joined: 19 Dec 2004

superfanthony- Arrows on a homebuilt pad don't "stick." Malfunction is a possibility, but in my experience nothing has ever "stuck." Soft pads do this because they are cheaply made with inferior materials. Homebuilt pads are virtually indestructable. My modified ddrhomepad design has held 4 people on the bad at once, all begginers trying to jump on an arrow as fast as they could. I had some worries that it would break from too much pressure, but there's really nothing weight could do to a pad (well, weight within reason). If you just use the high density weatherstripping for your pad, and don't tighten the screws down too far/as much as most people, it will probably work perfectly for a heavier person. There is also some weatherseal (? I don't think it's callled weatherstripping) that says it's for campers and boats or something of the like on the label. It's extremely dense, and I think it would work very well for a heavier person.
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superfanthony · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject:

Thank you, surf. I just want to make sure that the weatherstripping wont eventually stop supporting the weight of the arrows and the steps. I suppose even if it did, though, it would be easy to repair, unlike my foam pad.I hope to get cracking on this in the next couple weeks. I will probably go to Home Depot and price materials tonight after work.

I was just bored, so I played around in photshop with some arrows...

The yellow is a bit too bright, I know.

geckoinc99 · Trick Member Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Location: Chattanooga, TN

Hey gang,
I've tried searching for this answer, so if it's been covered I apologize. Just point me in the right direction. I have my current pad wired for a PS2, but there may be an occasion where I want to run on an XBox. Adapters seem to be iffy on performance, so I was wanting to know if it was possible to wire the pad up with boards from both a PS2 pad and XBox. Basically, connect both circuit boards to the same wires, then plug in whichever plug you need. Since one cord isn't plugged in, the circuit of one board shouldn't mess with the other, should it? I'd rather not go to separate control boxes, but if I have to I can. Thanks for any help!

David
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Shogun · Basic Member Joined: 02 Apr 2005

Bleh I'm having trouble with my blocks. I'm trying to score the steel and break it off at the edges instead of bending it around the wood as I don't think I have enough room for the extra metal. My only problem is that the metal refuses to break. Is there any way I can get this metal cut off as cleanly as possible?

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

geckoinc99 · Trick Member Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Location: Chattanooga, TN

Shogun,
Depending on the type of metal, it could me real easy or real hard. If it's the thicker sheetmetal (26 gauge or so) it will take some doing. If it's like aluminum flashing, then it'll be easy. Basically, you will want to clamp down a piece of straight wood across the edge that you want to make the cut. Then score several times on both sides with a utility knife. Then bend the piece back and forth (I usually use another piece of wood the same length so that the whole piece gets bent at the same time to keep things even). If you can bend it back and forth enough times it should weaken, then snap in a clean line (assuming you scored it very well). That's about the best way that I know of. Worked well for me with aluminum flashing, but thicker sheetmetal will probably pose more of a problem. Good luck.

Oh, one though. Is there a way to go ahead and bend it around and make the other pieces slightly smaller? We're not talking about much here.

David
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Life is very different 3000 feet above the earth with only a wing to hold you up....
Can't wait to be there again. Wanna join me? Visit http://www.hanglide.com

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

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

shogun-i would NOT recomend u cutting off the metal UNLESS you make sure its on the wood firmly, because i didnt attach it with spray glue and the side was up, and it SLICED my foot 3 inches, OW!

so just be careful if u do cut it off..you should fine as long as your not barefoot playing on the metal that is exposed...as for me...oops