Main > Main Forum
Pros/Cons mounting above/below CP
WLVRYN:
--- Quote from: GAtekwriter on April 20, 2007, 04:47:07 pm ---
Do you have any pictures of the pre-installed trackball? Maybe when you were doing the custom fitting and shaving? I'm a little worried about how much work this may involve, but to be honest, I just don't think I could handle an uneven CPO so I guess I'll do what needs to be done :)
Jim
--- End quote ---
The only picture I have is the one I posted in the project announcement thread. Sorry. I would check out some of Knievel's threads since he has posted some good pictures of his CPs. You can even check out the custom work section on his website, which has some more pics.
Its not that difficult to rout out the area for the mounting plate. There's a sticky thread in the woodworking forum about making a router jig for your mounting plate that I looked at and used as the basis for my jig, though I didnt follow the steps exactly. I basically took the mounting plate and laid it upside down on a piece of scrap, and traced the outline in pencil. I then added about 1/8" around all the outsides to account for the gap between the bit and the router bushing and redrew the lines in pencil. Once that was done, I used a drill to drill out the corners and then dropped a jigsaw into the drill holes to cut along the lines to make the jig. Then I clamped the jig onto the CP and just started routing (about 3/16" deep IIRC). I also did the same thing for my joystick. All in all it was fairly easy, though the first jig I made I didnt make the outside wide enough for the router to sit on firmly, so I redid it.
After I got the mounting plate in place, I put bondo over the top of it to smooth out the plate with the top of the MDF, and then sanded it flat.
Hope that helps.
leapinlew:
--- Quote from: Apollo on April 20, 2007, 05:12:41 pm ---I am still after all these years amazed at how few BYOACers use wood over metal for their control panels. I wouldn't use anything but 2mm powder coated electro galv these days, never mdf.
--- End quote ---
woods just easier to work with... I've seen plenty of wood CP's at the arcade.
Arcades R Fun:
I agree with leapinlew. It's hard enough for DIY'ers to work with wood let alone metal.
Wood is easy to get at your local Home Depot/Lowes and very forgiving if you make a mistake.
Mounting joysticks top/bottom is very subjective and there are many ways to install them.
But IMO the easiest way is to mount from underneath your 3/4" panel top with #10 sized 1" long wood screws.
This works well for most joysticks that use the black plastic base. It's thick enough that the screw does not go through the top of the panel.
For sticks with metal bases ( like Ultimarc mag stick Plus we add a metal washer spacer).
We have installed dozens of sticks in this manner for over 4 years and never had a problem.
if you are a big fan of the fighter games then a top install might be for you. It gives you a stick handle that's about 3/8" taller on the panel top but requires a whole lot more labor.
Jack
NiteWalker:
I don't like screws alone for mounting joysticks. I feel they'll eventually loosen, especially in MDF. I like to use countersunk machine screws. They sit below the surface so no bolt holes show and artwork can be put right over them. Also the connection is between the machine screws and the nuts holding them in so there's less of a chance for wood failure.
Here's a couple of pics.
The first pic shows the joystick body (Happ competition) mounted and the plexi over it. The second pic if you look at the joystick you can see the machine screws, washers and nuts holding the joystick in place. Very strong connection.
Apollo:
That's a nice looking little hack there NiteWalker, very tidy.