Wico joysticks and wood control panels

[jcroach]

Hello,  I just purchased a Wico leaf joystick, but it hasn't arrived yet.  I understand these were origionally designed for metal control panels. 

I'm designing a wood control panel.  Most likely from 1/2" or 3/4" MDF.  I don't have a router readily available.  Will it be essential that I route out my control panel to set this joystick closer to the surface? What's the maximum percentage of the width of the control panel that I can take out and it still be structurally sound? 1/4? 1/3? 1/2?

I've also seen some longer joystick shafts.  Who makes these?  Anyone have any advice on venders? What length shaft wuld I get for a control panel made out of 1/2" wood? How about 3/4" wood?

Any advice you all could give me would be appreciated.

[Goz]

You can try ponyboy he has a BUY/SELL/TRADE thread for new WICO balltops and I beliee had some 4" long shafts instead of the std 3.5" shafts.

-Goz

[quarterback]

Hello,

[jcroach]

Are you saying you understand that the specific joystick you've purchased was designed for a metal cp or are you saying you understand that ALL Wico leaf joysticks were designed for meatl cps?

If it's the latter, then you are not correct.

[RayB]

It's not that bad using them as short sticks. You might have to make the hole on your CP a big bigger, but so what.

[quarterback]

I think I'll wait till it gets ina nd see how it feels.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I usually rout my 3-1/2" ones in 3/8" on a 3/4" CP.
That leaves them 1/8" shy of where a set of Robotron sticks would be; but leaves them with a slightly shorter throw--as measured by overall travel of the balltop itself.

If you mount the 3-1/2" ones directly to the bottom of a 1/2" CP, you'll be 1/4" shy of where they would be on a Robotron.

The sticks mounted in metal panels always seemed a little too tall to me.