Control panel construction question...

[arzoo]

I

[javeryh]

MDF is good for painting but not staining.  It also makes a mess when cutting it.  Plywood is likely cheaper and looks nice both stained and sealed and painted.  It's really up to you - there's no right or wrong.  If you are putting artwork and some clear formica/plexi on top I might be inclined to go with MDF because of the smoother surface.

As for the joystick mounting, there are lots of ways of doing this too depending on whether or not you want to see the hardware. 

I went with a vinyl covering for my CPs (over both metal and plywood) and exposed carriage bolts.  It's just one way of doing it and I think it looks very "clean" ...  Here's a pic:



You can clearly see the carriage bolts in the picture on the right.  They are screwed underneath with a nut in the picture on the left in the upper corner.  You can see bigger construction photos on my website.

[Farmboy90]

I second everything above.  It will all depend on how you want it to look.  If you are covering yours with something like plexi or artwork then you should bottom mount the sticks and use flat headed tapered slotted screws and lock nut them from underneath.  Countersink the holes and you will have a perfectly smooth surface for your artwork or plexi or both.

[BobA]

Agreed with most things but in my area a good smooth plywood is more expensive than mdf  Plywood does not split like mdf and is lighter and stronger.

[arzoo]

Thanks for the replies. So, is the consensus that wood screws into 3/4 plywood (from below) will not be adequate when mounting the joysticks?