U360 Mounting Help....

[DynamiteSJ]

Hi,

I am about to order some U360 joysticks but i would like if someone can help me out.

I would be installing them bottom mounted on 5/8 wood. I would like to know if anybody has pics of them bottom mounted on 5/8 so i can judge how they look... or does anybody got advise or info about it. Pics would be best tho.

Thanks

[DillonFoulds]

Are you getting long shafts with them? I'm looking at mounting some on 3/4" (slightly thicker than what you're doing), and there's no way around top mounting them. Bottom mounting will just be too damn low.

[DynamiteSJ]

i was hoping to avoid the long shafts as i heard the long throw is very long and awkward. would the normal shaft still be playable?

[DillonFoulds]

Perhaps, if you got your hole centered -just right- it would mimic a circular restrictor. You'd still have an extremely short throw, though. Maybe you should consider top mounting the joystick?

[DNA Dan]

IMO if you want that arcade feel you need to top mount the joystick. Most bottom mount CPs were metal or used very thin tops.

Think about what's happening in the bottom mount: the pivot point for the joystick is not in the same plane as the CP top. Rather the plane is now lower by the thickness of your wood, plus any plexi overlay. It's gonna feel like you are stirring a honey pot through a hole in a tree. Not to mention the short stub you get to hold. Increasing the shaft length will help you get a grip, but the mechanical movement plane is still much lower than if you would have top mounted them. Just seems like a longer stick/bottom mounted would feel like you have too much "leverage" on the stick, not to mention the throw issues. Top mounting is relatively easy, but a lot of people shy away from it for some reason or another.

[Ginsu Victim]

I have the standard length shafts bottom mounted in 5/8" wood and they feel fine to me. Heavy spring and circular restrictor added.

They are short, but I like 'em that way.

[javeryh]

I also bottom mount my 360s - I don't want to see the mounting bolts on the top of the CP.  I always route our 3/8" of material form the 3/4" MDF or plywood CP.

[DNA Dan]

javeryh,

What are you using for mounting screws when you do this from the bottom? Are those the concealed bolts with that cam nut you screw into the bottom? I think this setup bottom mounted would feel the same as a top mount routed and recessed. For all intensive purposes they are sitting at almost the same depth from the top. I was planning on doing this from the top, but countersink the plate holes on the U360s and use some tapered head bolts all the way through the material. I also have artwork and plexi to cover the entire setup, so no bolt holes through the plexi are required.

Nice routing job!  How did you get those corners? Chisel?

[javeryh]

javeryh,

What are you using for mounting screws when you do this from the bottom? Are those the concealed bolts with that cam nut you screw into the bottom? I think this setup bottom mounted would feel the same as a top mount routed and recessed. For all intensive purposes they are sitting at almost the same depth from the top. I was planning on doing this from the top, but countersink the plate holes on the U360s and use some tapered head bolts all the way through the material. I also have artwork and plexi to cover the entire setup, so no bolt holes through the plexi are required.

Nice routing job!  How did you get those corners? Chisel?

If I am covering with artwork I use something called a "binding post" which you can get at any Home Depot:



You do have to route out a little bit at the top to get the post flush with the panel.  If you are covering with art you can just cover the post with bondo and sand it smooth.  For some reason I don't trust the long-term durability of the cam nut thing you just screw in from underneath (especially in MDF) - not sure why though - I've never actually tried using them.



This was then end result:



I've also installed U360s with small 5/16" screws!  Then I add blocks from underneath to fill in the space on top of the screws but I attach these blocks to the 3/4" part of the underside of the CP.  The screws keep the U360 from sliding around and the blocks keep the entire thing pressed upwards towards the panel - not sure if I'm making sense here but I added the blocks because I had no faith in the ability of the screws to hold up over time.

As for the routing, yes I used a chisel to get the corners squared because I'm super anal.   

[VanillaGorilla]

Get a mounting plate for a JLF from lizardlick or paradisearcadeshop , or make one yourself. cut a lagre hole in the top of your mdf, and install the mounting plate. This will give you proper height, just like the arcade, and easy studs to mount to underneath. I made my own using aluminum, and it works superbly...


http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=109040.msg1163402#msg1163402






you can then just bondo the plate flush into the control panel top, and it will look great.