Removable joystick - solution found by Phreakmods

[Yvan256]

Has anyone ever made a cabinet or control panel with removable joystick, for a portable control panel? It would also make it easier to store in a flat area. The target is to have the whole CP 3.5 inches tall without the joysticks.

Or if not removable shafts, a foldable joystick of some kind? I thought about a system were you could rotate the whole joystick assembly 90 degrees to the left (usual setup with buttons are on the right), making it flush with the top of the CP. Seems more complicated than a removable shaft, but if the shaft can be removed, how does it stays in place while playing?

I also want to use bat tops, so any suggestion to use a ball top to lower the profile won't do. It only lowers the profile by about 0.25 inches for a 35mm ball, so it's not a trade-off I'm willing to make.

[LeedsFan]

You could have a stick top mounted to the panel such as say a U360 or a Seimitsu stick. But they would have to use the plug connector on the pcb. (For Seimitsu sticks it would have to be something like an LS32-01. The "01" denotes use of PCB with plug-in connector. A standard LS32 without PCB would not be any good).

Removing them would just be a case of removing 4 screws from the top plate and then unplugging the connector. But that may become a PITA over time. It's not something I would do but then again I cannot think of an easier way to have a removable joystick.

[mgb]

It sounds like you're looking for a setup where the stick base stays put but the shaft is removable. That would come in handy in a number of projects.
I'm not really sure how you'd pull it off but a good starting point may be to think about how a disconnect on an airline for tools work (can't think of the proper name).
One piece has a ball bearing and the other has a collar that you pull back to release it.
Hopefully that makes sense an maybe a starting point.

[Yvan256]

Found someone who's actually already done something like that, with a Sanwa JLF too (that's what I plan on using).

Phreak Mods: The Link. 

[mgb]

Thats a very cool mod. The new shaft looks kinda cool too, very heavy duty looking.