Modding Flat Pad (hardwood covering or lucite)

glfelt · Basic Member Joined: 03 Feb 2006

Hey. Sorry, I tried to search but the connection just times out every time. I'm looking to mod a flat pad. What I'm wondering is would it be better to use the wood and hardwood floor covering method on this site, or a wood and plexiglass/lucite mod.

How expensive is a few square feet of lucite? I can't find it online. I'm not too awfully new to DDR, but I'm new to console DDR. I like to do a bit of freestyle (nothing too fancy, just lots of spins and slides, etc.) and I certainly can't afford anykind of actual hard pad.

Also, is it appropriate to use shoes with a modded flat pad?

Thanks for your help.

sonic66 · Trick Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006

But as far as using shoes, i think thats the whole point of modding a soft pad so you can use it like in arcades so i would go with the wood and lucite. As far as expence, i dunno.

But Ive got a question myself. I thought of using a wooden platform to raise the whole pad up, then get sheet metal to go over the unused sections to give it a tighter fit, and then put the lucite on the arrows. The only problem i have seen with this mod is that im conserned about the pressure on the pad if you put lucite on it and will make the arrow be constently held dowd. But the only thing i wanna know is should the lucite on the arrows go down and have like a spring contraption to move it back up or should it stay put?

glfelt · Basic Member Joined: 03 Feb 2006

That's the same dilemma I was facing (without the sheet metal). I ended up doing this (probably won't be helpful to you, considering you seem to have bigger ambitions):

Supplies:
I got a sheet of 3/4" MDF (like a really dense particle board).

I went to the sporting goods section at Wal Mart (you could go to any department/sporting good store) and bought high density foam, weight room flooring. It comes in big square pieces that interlock like puzzle pieces. This foam is anti-fatigue and withstands lots of weight without denting or losing it's firmness.

While I was at Wal Mart, I bought some heavy weight transparent vinyl (in the crafts/fabric section) It's only a few bucks a yard, and you only need a yard and a quarter or so. The vinyl is much longer in length than the hardwood floor protector that is in the faq, so you needn't overlap material.

Oh yeah, and white duct tape for style. Available in the painting section.

Steps:

I put the foam on the board, and used an xacto knife to cut it to size (it cuts really easily). Then I duct taped the foam to the board.

Then I placed the soft mat on top of the foam and used packing tape to tape it down (duct tape would probably leave a gross residue if for any reason you must remove it.)

Then I unrolled the vinyl and covered the mat, tucking it under and using a staple gun to attach it to the underside of the board.

Optional steps:

I covered the bottom of the board with duct tape for added grip on carpet, careful not to cause the surface to become uneven.

I also ran strips of the white duct tape over the top of the vinyl (mat facing up) along the natural creases of the mat. The white duct tape makes it so it isn't quite so ugly, and if you're going barefooted (which is extremely comfortable due to the foam) It really helps you find the buttons without looking down.

My new modded mat allows me to play barefoot, stay comfortable, and execute slides and other maneuvers arcade style.

Also, because of the vinyl covering, it's also safe for use with shoes.

Anyway, that's what I did.

sonic66 · Trick Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006

cool thanks. When i get the time (and my mom's money

) i can use it as an example

FreedomIsntFree · Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:33 am Post subject:

really, no home pad can compare to the use of a machine. If you have a machine near you, go to it. The thing that makes a machine so different is that compared to most pads, the arrows are farther apart and also you cannot slide your foot around on them leading to much better accuracy. Even if you are just starting and dont want to look like a n00b at your local machine, you should take notice that most DDR players are generally nice guys and you can learn a lot from them.

glfelt · Basic Member Joined: 03 Feb 2006

Which is interesting and everything, but the machine isn't cheap. Everyone likes the arcade experience every now and then, but posting in the controllers forum to tell us to go the arcade seems pretty pointless.

All I'm saying is that this pad is cheap to construct, very durable, and extremely comfortable.

sonic66 · Trick Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006

Well the closest place that even KNOWS what DDR is is like 2 - 3 hrs away!! Soooo unless i make a special trip (tourney, vacation, etc.) i can get the tru experience. There WAS a dancing machine at like a mini arcade place with the diagnal arrows, but i wasnt into DDR then and its closed down not so till there is a place near that gets one, im outta luck. BUT cheap, affordable, inexpencive... u talk a parent's language