CLEAR dust washers?

[RayB]

Does anyone have a simple solution to making CLEAR joystick dust washers? My CP is thick wood, so if I put the dust washer under the CP, there will still be a fairly deep hole that could collect dust and junk, and I also don't want to cover up my artwork with the washer on top.

Occurred to me a CLEAR one would be the solution. Do these already exist? Are there some other parts that could work as a dust washer? Or do I have to cut my own out of thin plexi?

[SirPeale]

If you do it right, you can have the dust washer right under the top of the CP where it belongs.

It'll require a router with a straight bit, and some plexiglass.

Cut a piece of plexi about the same size as the joystick. 

Mark where you want your joystick to go.  Including center and mouting holes.

Place the plexi on top of the wood and trace with a pen or pencil.

Adjust your router to the thickness of the plexi.  I recommend 1/8" plexi.  Route out that area, keeping about 1/8" away from the border you traced.

Get a hammer and chisel.  Go around the traces and remove the rest.  This will insure a perfect fit of the plexi.

If you have a compass you can trace a circle where the dust washer will go.  Get a piece of boxboard (like a cereal box).  Stack the plexi, the boxboard and the dust washer.  Adjust the router to the that height.

Route out the circle you just traced.

Line up your joystick bottom.  See where the holes for the bolts are?  Mark them, then route an area for T nuts.  Well, you can either route or use a spade/forstner bit.  You just want to go down a little bit, about 1/8".  Then drill out the holes for the bolts.

Tap in your T nuts in the recesses you just made. 

Place your plexi in the recess.  Drill your 1 1/8" hole thru, *from the bottom*.  Remove the plexi.  It should now have a hole in it.

Gluing the plexi in is optional, but you can if you wish.  Lay the dust washer in the recess, and cover with the plexi.  Then install the joystick bottom.  Bolts go thru, up into the CP, completely invisible to the outside.

When you have your overlay on top it will hold the plexi in place.  Polyurethane glue will hold it if you want, but use it *sparingly* as it expands a *lot*.  You don't want it bleeding into the area the dust washer is.  If it does you can move the washer around a bit to break it up, then tap it out the hole.  And of course remember to clamp it down firmly.

I hope I covered everything.  I've done it now with several CPs, and next time I'll be sure and make a photo tutorial.  Any questions, feel free to ask.

[NoOne=NBA=]

Oscar has pics HERE of how to do that.
His version uses a Multi-Williams overlay to cover it, but you can use whatever you like to cover that area.

[Trimoor]

That sounds needlessly complicated, Peale.
I suggest you simply use a holesaw with a center bit on thin plex.

Use any cheap holesaw; the plex is so soft it wont matter.  If you have problems with cracking, put it in reverse.
Pry the piece out of the holesaw and file/sand/polish the edges to taste.  Use a larger drill bit to enlarge the center if needed.

I should try this myself......

[spidermonkey]

Nintendo

[Hiub1]

Let's see some pics of this! I have gone into a CP building madness, and would love to try to implement this if it looks good.

Thanks, Fred.

[SirPeale]

That sounds needlessly complicated, Peale.

It sounds much more complicated than it actually is.  It took me about an hour to do from start to finish, and that was with actually trying to figure out the right way to do it. 

Oscar's way goes over the entire CP, but I didn't like it because there was a much better chance of cracking it.

[RayB]

It sounds much more complicated than it actually is.

[NoOne=NBA=]

But now you know how to do it properly too.

[RayB]

I think that a simpler method, than routing, is to just cut out the whole wood panel, leaving just a "frame" left, and then adding a sheet of metal on top.

[NoOne=NBA=]

How does that get you a moving dustwasher just under the graphics though?

[RayB]

How does that get you a moving dustwasher just under the graphics though?

Most joysticks have a recessed top where the dust washer will fit, for below-the-panel setups. Do you understand?

[NoOne=NBA=]

You know, you're right!

Hadn't ever occurred to me, since all my panels have been made from 1x.
The only other issue with the metal panels is that you'll have exposed screwheads.

[Trimoor]

For the screwheads in metal panels, I suggest you get a threaded rod instead of bolts, and either epoxy or weld it to the bottom of the panel.  No more screw heads.

[missioncontrol]

For the screwheads in metal panels, I suggest you get a threaded rod instead of bolts, and either epoxy or weld it to the bottom of the panel.