Panel Sagging ACK!!!

[jlampc]

I finished my Panel for my Virtual-on cab. It has a spinner, trackball and pistol grip joystick. The Joystick is from the original Virtual-on cabinet. I constructed the panel out of particle board. The problem comes from the joystick, It weighs about 15 pounds...no lie. I could kill a man if I hit him with it. The weight has caused a sag in the panel its self. Has anyone had a problem with their panel sagging?? If so how did you fix or reinforce it. It looks ok but just keeps getting worse ....
 

[RandyT]

I constructed the panel out of particle board.

Particle board is not good just because of this.  It has no "grain", so it has no strength in any particular direction.  Also, if there is any place that moisture can get in, it will.  Once the moisture (humidity) softens it up a little, any force whatsoever can start to warp it.

The solution is just simple framing.  Use some 1x2's to frame some support for it, then glue and nail it down.  The smaller the unsupported areas, the less problems you have with bowing.

RandyT

[RayB]

Do you have room to screw on a strip of 1/8" steel?

[Minwah]

I agree with Randy.  I would try to create a frame around the edge of the panel, and then if there's room have some cross supports between your controls.

How thick is the CP?

[spystyle]

Could you post some pics ?

I'd say put 2X4 support beams on the left and right sides of the joystick.

What joystick weighs 15  LBS ?

[Minwah]

What joystick weighs 15  LBS ?

Apparently the one on here: http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=V&game_id=10341

[jlampc]

Do you have room to screw on a strip of 1/8" steel?

I have room for a strip of steel....

I was thinking the same thing. My big issue was how long....ITs kind of hard to go completely across.. the control layout won't allow it. I'll get some pics up when my dsl is reconnected at my house (long story)....
The rest of the panel is ok just the top.....sags

[jlampc]

I agree with Randy.  I would try to create a frame around the edge of the panel, and then if there's room have some cross supports between your controls.

How thick is the CP?

The panel was made from 3/4 inch particleoard..

[jlampc]

Could you post some pics ?

I'd say put 2X4 support beams on the left and right sides of the joystick.

What joystick weighs 15  LBS ?

The Joystick is completely nutz...The lowerframe is made of Steel almost an 1/8th af an inch thick....its bolted to the primary fame using the same steel.. th bottom has a eurathane bumpstop...It kind of looks like a Super heavy duty version of the tron stick...
http://www.beercade.com/video/tron/cp%20underside%206.JPG
Same basic shape but made of heavier steel.

Great joystick....can take abuse like anything....
feels like a tron stick.
 

[Blakey]

I have room for a strip of steel....

A strip won't do you much good, try flexing a ruler with it held the way you would usually use it, and then turn it 90

[Lilwolf]

Another idea is to create a wood skeleton cp under it.

Take off all your joysticks / buttons / whatever.

place your nice new control panel over a new piece of cheap plywood.  1/2 inch or something strong.

place old control panel on the plywood.

outline the control panel panel.. and draw all buttons on plywood.

next remove the control panel (so we are only talking plywood now).

take all the outline lines in by a bit to make sure that if you cut along it, it will fit inside your cabinet (in an inch if the control panel currently sits on 3/4 plywood.... ie, at the end, that piece can fit in the cabinet.

next...

add space around each button and each joystick so that you can really fit each controller... horizontal buttons need space for both the microswitch and the cables.

you should be liberal to this opening up areas to make it easy to work from under the areas.  You are really trying to get a few strips from edge to edge... And basically add stability where it makes sense

next cut them out...

wood glue the parts together.  

put it back together...

Note:  I had this in the past with a chopped up metal control panel where they kept adding buttons after a few kits added... and after a while, it was to weak to hold up... so they did this..

[RandyT]

I have room for a strip of steel....

A strip won't do you much good, try flexing a ruler with it held the way you would usually use it, and then turn it 90