How to mount a happ joystick perfectly

[noobofthecentury]

Actually I bought 2 joystick
a sanwa and a happ

on my CP My wood thickness is 1/2 inch MDF plus 1/8 plexiglass
I do not have a router, will that effect the feel of the stick?
how thick does it need to be to have it mounted perfectly (including the plexi)?

I keep reading that you need to have a router to scrap of the place where you going to mount your stick.

and is 1/2 inch MDF too thin? seems like everyone is using a 3/4.

note: I am only building the control panel, not an arcade machine

thx guys

[metaHipster]

First be sure you've got a template so you know where you will be positioning your joystick compared to your buttons.  I use one I've printed out on paper to mark my desired holes.

At this point, there's two ways to mount a joystick - from below and from above.  Most people choose to mount from below since then no screws are exposed on the top of your CP.  Also this means you simply have to drill a 1 1/8" hole (just like you would for buttons) for your stick to poke up through - no need to cut a big hole for the joystick assembly.  While you're right that many people who bottom-mount use a router on the bottom of their CP to rout a rectangle in which the joystick plate can fit, the primary reason for this is to ensure the stick has as much length as possible sticking up through your CP.  You can always do it later if you feel your stick is too short. 

I haven't honestly used 1/2" MDF but it sounds worth a shot if you've already got some laying around.  And if you're not using 3/4", you probably don't need to worry about routing a rectangle for the joystick to fit in from below -- just predrill and shoot some wood screws through the mounting holes from below (make sure they're not longer than 1/2"!   

As for CP vs full arcade machine, doesn't make a difference - all the above would apply.  Note that the first attempt at any Arcade controls I did was 3/4" countertop material and I didn't use a router on bottom mounted (magstiks) joysticks.  Worked just fine though the sticks did feel a bit short poking up through.

my 2 cents

[BobtheAddict]

I agree with MetaHipster, make a template out of poster paper so you know where everything goes "Drill holes, joystick, Buttons, ECT". My first cabinet I used 3/4" MDF and I did not use a router to route the joysticks. it came out pretty good except the joystick was a little short. Since you are using 1/2", you should be fine.

[noobofthecentury]

thx you so much for the reply guys

[Bluedeath]

I used 3/4 on my desktop controls i didn't route anything just prepared the holes for the bolts and the buttons, the happ super fits perfectly on MDF withiut routung by using the "wood" (bottom one on the shaft)  position for the E-clip.