My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

Punkly Daft · Trick Member Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: On a DDR Pad

Is there too much ductape around the panel, or this contact big enough?
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geckoinc99 · Trick Member Joined: 11 Feb 2005 Location: Chattanooga, TN

Punkly Daft,
To answer the screw question, he just means that the screws used in the corner brackets to hold everything in should not come in contact with the sheetmetal. If I recall correctly, he cut the corners out of the sheet metal so that there was none where the screws would be. As far as the other screws on the peg board, they aren't as much of a concern since they are only in wood. However, if you're worried about it put some of that duct tape on top of them as well to separate them from the sheet metal.

Second, the plexiglass should be okay because it's also on other layers of material. Plus you're pressing it on a flat mostly solid surface. This supports the plexiglass across the entire surface. Plexiglass gets in trouble if it bends too much. Yours shouldn't be able to bend much at all. I did riptide's pad design which has the plexiglass suspended and a friend of mine that weighs 350 plays on it. Now I do use the thicker stuff, but then there isn't much support. I'm just giving you an idea of what this stuff can handle. Don't worry much about it.

I don't know if the tape will be a problem. Try playing with it and see if it works. If you have problems, cut the excess out with a utility knife. That should do the trick. You just have to make contact at one place.

Good luck with the build. Looks like you're almost done. Just quit worrying about things until they become a problem.

David
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HitokiriX · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Location: Berwyn, PA

Punkly Daft · Trick Member Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: On a DDR Pad

thanks - i'll check out that stuff. I just really dont want to put it all together and take it apart again.

yah - i am the anxious type. just got to find some time to cut the plexiglass.

I'm planning on scoring it and snapping it off, piece by piece.

Has anyone else used a different method to cut it and done it successfully? If so, pleez share it - the scoring's gonna take forever....

And my arrow graphics are 11" x 11" - can kinkos print that stuff? or do i need to slim it to 10 3/4" x 10 3/4" ?
_________________

"One more time we're gonna celebrate
Oh yeah, alright, don't stop the dancing"

-Daft Punk "One More Time"

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

After having some issues getting the plexiglass to score and snap the way it's suppose to, I decided to use my table saw. This worked much better for me. I imagine with some patients and taking your time you could do it with a hand circular saw, but if you have a table saw handy I would use that. I used a 60 tooth blade and set the depth so that it came out above the plexi by about 1/4 inch. Then just go slow and steady when cutting (don't try to force it through).
As far as the arrow graphics go, I would just leave them 11x11. They should be able to set it fit the page. Otherwise it will just clip a part of the picture. As long as you left unimportant stuff away from the edges you should be okay. If you don't want any clipping, then tell them to scale the drawing to fit the 11 x 14 paper. That will get the whole thing. Good luck and let us know how the pad goes.

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

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

ive been cutting my plex using a jigsaw

i used a fine tooth (sheet metal) blade and set up a straight edge so it gets cut straight.

i havent worked on my cab and prolly wont for another 2 weeks or so (exams)

but ill get back into it sooner or later

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Punkly Daft · Trick Member Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: On a DDR Pad

ok - i wanted to go safe than sorry, cuz plexiglass is essentially, very hard plastic.

so, when it is applied to extreme friction, it will heat up and melt. that's why i didn't use the table saw, and im not going to.

I was considering a jigsaw, but i asked my dad for help on this - he knows a TON more about cutting plexiglass than me - he insisted to score and snap.

If I think of any more questions, i'll let y'all know.

_________________

"One more time we're gonna celebrate
Oh yeah, alright, don't stop the dancing"

-Daft Punk "One More Time"

Heffenfeffer · Trick Member Joined: 22 Apr 2002 Location: Las Cruces, NM

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

Jig saw would work well, but just so everyone knows, a table saw will cut plexiglass just fine. I've built two pads now, both using 0.22 inch plexiglass base and 0.093 inch top (graphic sandwiched in between). So I'm cutting eight panels for both pads with different thickness. I've never had plexiglass melt. I'm always left with a nice snow flake like mound. I know a very small amount of melting is going on, but mostly the saw it chipping away (as it's suppose to). I'm always left with nice clean straight edges and I can cut a square in under a minute. Just for the record, here is my table saw specs:

10" blade, 36 teeth (I thought it was more), carbide tipped

Now, maybe the fewer teeth help, plus the carbide teeth might be doing something, but as I said I have had no trouble.

I'm not trying to tell others what to do, but rather make sure that a possible cutting method isn't being overlooked because of some beliefs. I'm sure with the right setup you could get melting (maybe a 120 teeth blade), but as long as you go slow and use something similar to above, then you should be fine. It can't be happening by accident for me every time. Whatever cutting method you use, good luck on your project. Just remember to take your time and measure twice.

Oh, if you would like an easy way to smooth out your corners on cut plexiglass, a trick is to take a propane torch and let the heat melt the edge some. You don't want to put the actual flame to the plexi, but run the heat across the edge (don't leave it in one spot). Practice on a scrap piece till you get it. Makes a nice soft edge without scratching the plastic.

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

Synaesthesia · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 7:39 pm Post subject:

The way I cut my Lexan was a combination of score-and-snap and using a hacksaw. Basically, I used the hacksaw to get a cut started in either end of it before snapping it off (after scoring). Because of my lack of the ability to make metal flat and some measuring errors, I had to cut away pieces of each Lexan square with a hacksaw to get it to fit in each respective area. To smooth out the hacksawz0rz'd edges, I used what I think was a wood shaver to make it relatively smooth.
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vicman617 · Basic Member Joined: 26 Jul 2005

so i know this is completely off topic, but i dont wann go looking through all the posts just to find the answer to this question, and im probably gonna get falmmed for this, but what the crap ever happened to patsters site, i looked at it like 2 years ago, and now im finally building a pad, but i cant find his site anymore. did he relocate it? does it even exist anymore?

Punkly Daft · Trick Member Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: On a DDR Pad

pang · Trick Member Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Location: Sydney

Patster's original site is gone, but here is an webarchive with some pics (not all the links work though):

http://web.archive.org/web/20040429121236/http://home.comcast.net/~patster/
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Clicky

mindless2 · Trick Member Joined: 24 Oct 2005

I've mirrored that .doc file, and I would mirror the vids, but sadly they are not avaiable
http://agprojects.net/files/misc/DDR_Platform_Lighting.doc

VoijaRisa · Trick Member Joined: 10 Dec 2005 Location: Lawrence KS

Hi everyone. I got addicted to DDR this past summer and wore my soft mat out last week. So I figured it'd be time to take a stab at making my own. I've read all the tutorials out there, and most of this thread, but one thing I haven't really seen covered is whether or not it's possible to make a wireless pad.

The soft pad I have is a Pelican PS2 Wireless and I've saved the control box after I cut up the pad. I would assume there's not really any difference. The circuit board still has the same hook ups as the ones I've seen in other pictures from soft pads.

But has anyone tried this yet?

I plan on building my metal pad next week when I'm home from college for Christmas break.

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

VoijaRisa,
Wireless pads have a couple of problems that makes most savy players stay away. One, it's an extra set of complications now that you have added a wireless transmitter plus it's a set of batteries that you have to change out. Nothing would tick me off more than to have the batteries die while I'm in the middle of one of my best performances. Secondly, and I know this is a problem with some but maybe not all, they tend to have a delay in the sending of the message. I tried to play on one and I was always behind. It was very annoying. These things alone make it not really worth having. I've never had a problem with a cord and prefer knowing that I have a good connection. You may be different, but realize it won't be easy. Plus, there's the extra expense in getting a wireless controller that will work for DDR. If you fry the board with static electricity, then you're out one controller, so keep that in mind. I believe the wireless soft pads go for $30-50. You might be able to wire up a standard controller, but you would have to find one that works for DDR.
I believe someone on the forum here tried a wireless and ended up getting so frustrated with it that they went back to corded. My opinion is that I wouldn't want any inaccuracy or something to get in the way because once you hit those 8-10 footers you can't afford it. Good luck with your decision.

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

Punkly Daft · Trick Member Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: On a DDR Pad

yah - i'd have to agree with gecko. Just go corded. It's much less hassle than trying to install a wireless transmitter, battery pack, etc. Plus, the tutorials only deal with wired pads, so don't go too far away from the original designs.
_________________

"One more time we're gonna celebrate
Oh yeah, alright, don't stop the dancing"

-Daft Punk "One More Time"

HitokiriX · Trick Member Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Location: Berwyn, PA

slvrshdw · Trick Member Joined: 05 Jan 2005

ok, since ive actually TRIED a wireless pad ill respond....

if you already have a wireless soft pad and dont care about it, use it...
if not, dont i repeat, DO NOT, buy a wireless pad cuz they are a pain in the @$$

the batteries werent really the problem, i just couldnt get it to work, PERIOD. if u want to tho, go ahead. i just didnt want to mess with it. if my experiences its not worth the time
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