The impossibility of flush top-mounting a Happ Competition Joystick

[traycerb]

I had 2 considerations when figuring out how to mount my Happ Comp:

1) Needed the full-length of the shaft. (has to do with the way i hold the stick)
2) No bolts visible top-side.

I'd seen everyone bottom-mounting their Happs, but I figured my requirements needed a top-mount, over which I'd throw a laminate cover.  So I routed out the top-side of my CP 3/8" (with my cheap laminate router, and my poor/non-existent skills) and...

...it wasn't until after I fit them together I realized: it can't be mounted flush.    Meaning, there's no place for a screw to hold down the Happ that the screw won't protrude.

As far as I can tell, I'd have to route out a little extra to accommodate the height of the screw.  Is this correct?  Is this my only option?  I'm concerned about running out of thickness on my 3/4" CP.

Sorry I don't have any pics to show my dilemma, but I figure people who can answer this know what I'm talking about.

[Grasshopper]

I know exactly what you're talking about. The only answer I can think of is to sandwich another piece of thin wood between the wood you're already using and the laminate. The thin wood would have holes drilled out in appropriate places to provide space for the screw heads.

[traycerb]

I'm seriously considering just drilling some new holes in the joystick plate (the rest of which is recessed enough that a screw head might fit flat).

I'm sure there's a good reason why I SHOULDN'T do that.  What is that reason?  C'mon people, dissuade me, before I screw this all up   

[leapinlew]

As far as I can tell, I'd have to route out a little extra to accommodate the height of the screw.  Is this correct?  Is this my only option? 

Use a piece of metal with T-nuts welded to it and flush mount that to the wood?

[RandyT]

...it wasn't until after I fit them together I realized: it can't be mounted flush.    Meaning, there's no place for a screw to hold down the Happ that the screw won't protrude.

Either I am totally missing the dilemma, or there's a simple solution.

Just use a countersink bit on the mounting holes and flat-head bolts.  This should get the heads below the surface easily.


RandyT

[TOK]

You should have plenty of room if you route down the thickness of the stick base and another 1/4" to clear a bolt. For mounting bolts, I got the style with the head that sits right down into the contoured area of the sticks mounting holes. I probably would have been OK with even 1/8" of clearance.

You can get the dust-washer under the overlay this way too. Only alcoholics and hackers put them on top, as everyone knows.     

[drventure]

I'd probably do something like

1) Drill holes for bolts using the happ comp as the template for the holes.
2) on the BOTTOM of the CP, drill  slightly bigger holes and tap in some standard t-nuts
3) back on the top, use a 5/8th bit or bigger and +gently+ drill out countersink holes on the TOP of the joystick. This will let the bolt heads sit flat
4) get some bolts like these
http://www.nutsandbolts.com/stainless-steel-phillips-flat-head-machine-screws-c-37_222.html

note the tapered heads. That will let them fit down snug into the countersunk holes you drilled out on the stick itself. (this is assuming you've routed the top so that the top of the happ mounting plate sits flush with the cp).

The happs have a good deal of plastic on the mounting bracket so as long as you don't drill the countersink holes TOO deep, you should be good.

[traycerb]

...it wasn't until after I fit them together I realized: it can't be mounted flush.    Meaning, there's no place for a screw to hold down the Happ that the screw won't protrude.

Either I am totally missing the dilemma, or there's a simple solution.

Just use a countersink bit on the mounting holes and flat-head bolts.  This should get the heads below the surface easily.


RandyT

multiple people suggested variations on this, so I'll give it a go.  i was hesitant because I didn't know how the plastic would hold up to drilling/routing/etc, and whether or not it'd be stable with the abuse a joystick is likely to receive.  I'll give my countersink bit a go and update with results.

thanks to all who responded.  after all the work I've done so far, i was frustrated at this additional hangup, but it looks to be manageable now. 

[Popcorrin]

The only other issue I can think of, is if you need to replace the joystick or you decide to upgrade it.  Since you plan on laminating the panel this could cause issues.

[bkenobi]

I'd vote for flush top mounting a metal plate and then bottom mounting the stick to it.  This way you will only lose the thickness of the metal plate in the length of the stick.  This is basically how the LS-30's were mounted onto a mounting plate.  I have a couple pictures of how I did this, but I still have bolts on the top even though I probably didn't need them (slightly different setup/requirements).

[Cornchip]

  I figured top mounting was a good idea since I was already top mounting the track ball plate. I wasn't thinking future friendly as this is permanent. The CP top does come off, but only after all the buttons are removed. Given the option again, I would use capture nuts and bottom mount. Guess I'm a hacker.   

 Cornchip.

 

[rusolinio]

Only alcoholics and hackers put them on top, as everyone knows.     

LOL.  And those that dont wish crap to build up under their CP...... but i guess you dont care much eh? 

[RandyT]

LOL.  And those that dont wish crap to build up under their CP...... but i guess you dont care much eh? 

The dust washers are still there.  But they are under the overlay of the panel, which is where they are really meant to be.

Of course, this can only really work on metal panels or panels with rigid overlays, so wood panel builders have little choice but to put them on top.

RandyT

[TOK]

Randy is correct... There is even a recessed area in the top of the Happ sticks so the dust washer wont bind under a metal or plexi overlay. 

[drventure]

So THAT'S why the top is shaped that way!

Rats, Wish I'd known that before. I don't think that laminate is coming at now though...

Oh, well, alcoholic or hacker eh? Hmm, I'll go with hacker! 

[TOK]

So THAT'S why the top is shaped that way!

Rats, Wish I'd known that before. I don't think that laminate is coming at now though...

Oh, well, alcoholic or hacker eh? Hmm, I'll go with hacker! 

I did mean that totally in jest. There was a big thread about the washer placement a while back. 

[drventure]

Oh, I know. It was pretty funny actually. I just never thought of mounting the washers underneath. It +would+ have looked better, though.

Well, there's always another cp to build!

[Silhouette]

I hate to derail, but where is that bezel art from? It's absolutely fantastic!

[TOK]

The cab is a game called Power Drive. Its a monster truck game kind of similar to Track & Field, if you can believe it. I got this cab mostly gutted (even the rear door was taken) and headed for the dumpster, but all the glass was in perfect shape.

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9100

Power Drive is playable in MAME, and I don't find it all that fun. The bad thing about the bezel is that its painted from behind and limits the monitor size to 19", which is what the original came with.