Joysticks with no bolt showing . . .

[hog1991]

Ok, I have been going back and forth on this.

I am mounting in 5/8 MDF and will have an overlay and lexan.

SO, what is the best way to mount the joysticks without the bolt showing.

A) Countersink the bolt head into the top?
B) Use Insert nuts and go in from the bottom
C) just use wood screws from the bottom?

As always, any help wold be appreciated.

Thanks,
hog1991

[Sprucemoose]

I just used screws from the bottom on my cocktail cab, but it wasa on 3/4 MDF, not 5/8.  The joysticks never came loose and I never had a problem with them.  I think with a standup cab I would countersink the head of the bolt.  You can get a lot more tork of the joystick while standing up as opposed to sitting in front a smaller cocktail CP.  Just my .02

[shmokes]

I think countersinking would give you the best results all things considered.  You've already got all the hardware you need and it's stronger than just using wood-screws, though Oscar recently said he's got a control panel using woodscrews from the bottom that is still holding strong after three years of pretty heavy play/abuse.  I think I'm going to countersink with carriage bolts, though, as I'm using a laminate on my control panel that is ridiculously expensive so I don't want it to break...ever.

[jginiso]

SHMOKES : What are you using for your laminate solution?

[mpm32]

use skateboard bolts.  They have a flat head and countersink flush with the surface by themselves.  I used the same thing on my panel.  Well, mine wern't made for skateboards but they are the same thing. No bolts showing at all.  A carriage bolt has a round head.  If you countersink it you - A:  reduce the thickness of the wood by the depth of the countersunk hole and B: since the carriage bolt head is not flat, you will still have a hole.

[HeadRusch]

he wont have a hole showing if he covers it with an overlay of some kind...

[armad1ll0]

C) just use wood screws from the bottom?

it also depends on which stick you choose to use. For 5/8, you should route the bottom so that the stick will mount basically at 1/2" (competition) or 3/4" (for ultimates)

Some sticks also have 8 holes so you can use 8 1/2" #8 screws to be sure. 4 should have no problems in MDF though. Just don't keep on mounting and unmounting the darn thing.

[Lilwolf]

I would keep the bolts on the outside.  Closer to the real things.


And whatever you end up with... remember that you WILL need to take that joystick out for some reason in the future.... so countersinking a hole... and covering it up will SUCH big time in the future.

[shmokes]

SHMOKES : What are you using for your laminate solution?

A wilsonart metallaminate.  Home Depot's price for most Wilsonart laminates hovers around $160-$170 per square foot.  Price for the Satin Brushed Natural Aluminum laminate: $6.12 per square foot.  A single 4'x8' sheet is $195.84 !!!

[MameFan]

Tips:
1) If screwing into MDF.. be sure you predrill pilot holes or you will end up splitting the MDF weaking it.

2) If you are routering out from the bottom and pusing the stick upwards, I would suggest buying a caulk-tube size of what's called "Subfloor Adhesive", and the numbers on it around here are "PL400".  This stuff is amazing. I used it to glue down 3/8" plywood in the rafters of my garage, and within an hour of applying, you could not remove the plywood from the 2x4's without a crowbar.   After a few weeks/months, it literallly is stronger than the glue used in the plywood and the plywood itself.  A good amount of that between the top of the joystick base and the underside of the wood (ensuring it doesn't ooze into the shaft/open area), would secure the joystick without needing any other attachments, so long as you let it dry long enough.  

Of course it makes it a pain to ever remove, but I'd use some of this in addition to your screws, and also use in the pilot holes before you screw it in place.

This is not the same as a bottle of elmers wood glue. This stuff comes in caulk-like tubes and is very thick and dries very fast. They have separate levels for gluing styrofoam to concrete (PL300), paneling to walls (PL200), and this stuff (PL400) that is the strongest.  It's about $1.69 per tube. Heres a link to it: http://www.stickwithpl.com/PL/PL_products/PL400.htm

It's so strong I'd say you could safely hang an entire sheetrock ceiling without a single screw/nail... so long as you could cure it in place long enough.  However they actually make a PL100 glue for allowing you to hang sheetrock with fewer nails.

[Nikodemz]

I went the countersink direction myself. I'm using 1/2 MDF, for a temporary cp, and machine screws which have a flat head so they are flush with the CP after being countersunk. THis was the best solution for me since the thing was going to get a lot of wear the first few days (my brother is in town) before I get a chance to cover the thing. Machine screws are great because they have a flat head but other wise behave just like small carriage bolts.

[armad1ll0]

I hate feeling the bolds on top.

Authentic, my butt... it just doesn't feel good. Many control panels even have the dust disk under another layer so that it's very slick.

[skirge66]

I used inserts myself, the 1/4" inserts are 5/8" deep though and you will need to cover the holes just like if you countersink carriage bolts or the likes...I'm happy with the results personally as my holes are all covered with formica