My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

mametrix_reloaded · Basic Member Joined: 13 Aug 2003

Just thought I'd make my first post to say I'm building my pad and I have a new source for RipTide's videos. They can be found here. ftp://ddrpad:[email protected]

Just my part to give back and help relieve the load. They are on a 2Mb connection, but are throttled so they can stay there once the leeching begins. As with others, if you get a cannot connect error it means the server is full and you should try again later.

enjoy.

Of course while you're looking you might as well check the entire site, Mametrix Reloaded .

Blue Beefman · Trick Member Joined: 31 Oct 2002 Location: WI

Well I always read this topic everyday, so yeah you can still ask questions.

I am almost done with a pad I am shipping to NJ then 3 more to make atfer that
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He is the Painkiller

nekura · Trick Member Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Bellevue, WA.

Blue Beefman, I've been unable to find more info about your contact design other than you use brackets versus screws. I read this entire thread, and was going to read the older threads, but they no longer exist. I noticed earlier in this thread, Joe said that you and him were going to create an FAQ concerning your pad design... but that never happened, correct? Is there any intention on still making one? Thanks for your time.
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ITG Freak

DrSatan · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 2:12 am Post subject:

I'm currently building some homepads mostly off riptide's design and using some things from blue beefman's... I'm just about done. All that I have left to do on this one is really to solder. All of my sensor stuff is done.

I'm just thinking of some ways to improve the design for future pads.

One of the things that i thought about is that the corner braces in the arcade pads do not have anything under them, other than hold in the arrow. While they are quite a bit more sturdy than the ones you usually get at the hardware store, I'm trying to figure out a way to reinforce them w/o cutting wood blocks. One thought that popped into my head is using hex nuts right under the bracket, so it would push up on the screw holes, and have the screw go deeper into the 2x4. It would require some longer screws and i'm not sure if hex nuts have the proper threading, but just an idea.

If the corners could be mostly hollow, it would greatly lessen binding issues, and issues where the arrow could pop out, not to mention time saved for skipping making 16 precise triangle wood blocks, time for adjusting the plexiglass to fit properly, so on and so forth. An open-bracket design would be great if it could work right...
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"We are all born mad. Many remain so."

riptide · Trick Member Joined: 14 Aug 2002

Whiteman · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 3:26 am Post subject:

hey guys, I have been planning fora while to build a pad for home.. the people that own the local arcade are selling our DDR machine and we dont want to be without it or a sustitute for it for too long...

Anyway i have looked into a few of the designs and have decided that i might try using an idea similar to the pictures on this site http://www.rufus3.com/ddr/mmb.html its one of those metal pads that you buy in a kit form....

Anyway i will be using mostly stuff from riptides design, btw, great work on those videos it really made it so much easier to understand.

Anyway back to the point, i am thinking of using a desgn similar to that on that web page... i know it probably cant be lit but we dont really care we just want to play DDR on a nice sturdy pad and i was thinking that this design would make for an exelent strong pad...

As i had to take into consideration some of the larger people that will be using it...

Anyway if anyone has any ideas or comments they would like to hear i would love to hear them.

DrSatan · Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2003 12:02 pm Post subject:

I did realize that you would still have to cut off the corners, but my point is that it wouldn't have to be as precise and the need to retrim it would be significantly less. One problem though about the machining screws is that they don't hold well in wood :\ One thing that i thought of is sacrificing a few screws to forcefully modify the threading on the hex nut. *Sigh* If only i could find some hex nuts for wood-type threading...
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"We are all born mad. Many remain so."

riptide · Trick Member Joined: 14 Aug 2002

I don't think you completely conveyed what I was thinking. I don't want to put the machine screws through the wood. I want to put a support into the wood using wood screws and that support would either receive the machine screws itself or you could use a nut with the support to bind the corner brace to the support.

So the support has two functions... one is to replace the wood block, and two is to serve as a transition from the wood to metal to allow machine screws to be used.... I just need to find something like that.
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- RipTide
riptide (at) digitaltorque (dot) com

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My pad design: http://www.wubros.com/ddrpad/

GumshoeSleuth · Basic Member Joined: 28 May 2003

You may have said this before but i dont feel like sifting through 43 pages so.... How much did it cost you to make your metal pad? If its under 100 i may consider it.

SpaceMan · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2002

YAY! mY pad is finally finished. It's not the best looking pad, but it's responsive enough to get less than 70 greats on "Era (nostal mix)". All I'm having trouble is PAing stuff now. Would it be better if I put the timing to 0 instead of +2 on DDRMAX?

GumshoeSleuth · Basic Member Joined: 28 May 2003

Iv pretty much decided to build a pad but cant decide.

Which would you recommend?

DDRhomepad
riptide
bluebeefman

I dont plan to use any lights. I just want one that is responsive and is simple to fix if ( or should i say when

) something goes wrong.

Any advice would be appreciated and does anyone know the price to build the riptide? I think ddrhomepad and beefmans costed around 130ish.

Cyd · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2003 2:09 am Post subject:

Yeah, I did read that wrong. It does seem to be more complicated though. It would be very convienient to just put a nut under the braces and then screw it into the wood.

My pad is done now and I do like how it is working, I'm just looking for ways to improve on an excellent design.
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Got 'Sudden' Onis?
UTAHDDR.COM. DDR and UTAH, and the 2 together

DrSatan · Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2003 2:22 am Post subject:

Sorry, I made the post above with my friend's account [cidarom]... I didn't realize that he was still logged in.
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"We are all born mad. Many remain so."

riptide · Trick Member Joined: 14 Aug 2002

The problem is that I don't think you're going to find a nut that will receive a wood screw. Pretty much any nut you're going to find is going to be designed to accept a machine screw.
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- RipTide
riptide (at) digitaltorque (dot) com

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My pad design: http://www.wubros.com/ddrpad/

Andreq · Trick Member Joined: 11 Apr 2003 Location: Quebec foreva

ddrgeek · Basic Member Joined: 16 Aug 2003 Location: Knoxville, Tn

does anybody know what kind of wood that pratster uses for the bottom of his pad??

Weston · Trick Member Joined: 17 Feb 2003 Location: Minnesota

3/4 inch plywood. This is also the metal panel wood size.

HoWSeR · Basic Member Joined: 13 Aug 2003 Location: Newfoundland

Im making a all metal pad, i have all the measurements i need to make the pad except the buttons. anyone have an idea the measurement from the first steel plate to the last peace of lucite?

any help on this would be helpful

measurements i have so far are (33 x 33 x 1) (L x W x H)
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How many broken mats does it take till you make a metal one?