Ideas to keep a standalone control panel stationary

[jkonami]

Well, I've been thinking of building a few control panels until I have room for some full blown cabinets.

My deal is, I don't usually like joysticks that are seperate because I don't want the base to move around while I play... so any good ideas out there to keep them still?  So far I have thought:

1.) Make it heavy so weight holds it in place
2.) A clamp for the edge of the desk, so far I prefer this idea

Anyone else?

[Hoagie_one]

when i was a kid and had like 5 systems hooked up in tandem, i used to have the snes jjoystick and the genesis joystick.  i had velcro on the desk so i could change sticks and they'd be generally still.

however, this leaves large strips of velcro on your desk, which as a kid was no big deal, but i wouldnt do it now.

If its gonna be a semi permanant thing, maybe embed two tnuts in the desk that you can actually screw the CP down to the desk via a turn key\screw.

[SteveJ34]

Some mouse pads have a "sticky rubber" bottom in order to keep them more stationary.

These in combination with the weight of the CP might do the trick.

I've not used this idea in a CP project but for a similar circumstance where I wanted to:

1. not mar the finish of a desk
2. have a piece of equipment kept stationary

[RayB]

I have two ideas for you:

1. Find a soft rubbery mouse pad you don't need, and cut two inch circle out of it. Use those as "feet" on the bottom of your controller.

2. Build a wooden box about 3 feet and attache the control panel to the top edge of that. Now add another wooden box on top of that, sort of like an enclosed shelf and you can put your TV in there. Hold on, I just described a BYOA cabinet...

[johnnysmitch]

Some mouse pads have a "sticky rubber" bottom in order to keep them more stationary.

These in combination with the weight of the CP might do the trick.

I've not used this idea in a CP project but for a similar circumstance where I wanted to:

1. not mar the finish of a desk
2. have a piece of equipment kept stationary

^ yeah, that sticky rubber matting works great for keeping stuff in place - they sell it at places like walmart in rolls; people often use it to keep rugs and placemats and such in place.  I remember seeing it at a tradeshow before it first came out - they had a full placesetting on a table, and they had the table hooked up to a motor that would tilt the table back and forth like 30 degrees, and nothing slid off

[dabone]

I use a router pad, (Rubber mesh pad) that they sell at home depot.
Keeps stuff still. Even works on the floor of my van to keep computers from sliding around.


Later,
dabone

[notaburger]

i had a four player one that i made
never slid once when i used it
just sat it on the coffee table
ahhhhh, brings back memories, had a blast on that thing
just make it big
wood is heavy
joysticks help
and the fact that you'll be resting your arms on it
lates

[rchadd]

liquid nails?  

[Darkstalker]

Maybe attaching some suction cups to the bottom of the CP similar to PC joysticks...

[NoOne=NBA=]

I would use a C-clamp assembly, similar to what is used on most of the PC steering wheels.
That will hold the CP down, instead of just preventing it from sliding like the rubber feet solutions.

[jkonami]

I was thinking the clamp from pc steering wheels also, but the rubber mats
might just work  I forgot all about that stuff.  I think that will be better in case I want to angle the control pad or something (without some feat of engineering to make it rotate and lock whilst on the desk edge)

Suction cups are probably the last thing I'd do, I remember playing with some c64 joysticks when I was a kid with suction cups - used to drive me nuts because it was so easy to dislodge them if you moved around enough.  All it took was just the right angle and amount of pressure - not to mention suction cups will give it some slight vertical lift when you are giving it force in  a certain direction.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Crazy Cooter]

The cheapest rubber mats can be found at walmart & target.  Look in the area where they have drawer paper crap.  It's *supposed* to be for holding knives & such in a drawer but works great in a toolbox or for holding a CP on a desk.  It looks kind of like a screen.