I have hard wood floors, so I needed something soft. The Neoprene as pictured above works great.
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Hardware & Technical Desk mounted "sim pit" project
- Thread starter BurnyBurns
- Start date
I have hard wood floors, so I needed something soft. The Neoprene as pictured above works great.
Tested out the final fixation for the Ikea Markus chair I'm using. Works really well.
Fifty quid chair, several hundred quid pedals.
Good sir, I like your style.
Almost...
Still, you're not wrong. The hobby's gaming, not sitting in expensive chairs. Therefore the budget is allocated to maximize the gaming benefit. ^^ That particular chair just so happens to suit my build well, while not breaking the bank like some of the more fancy office chairs tend to. Needed a cushion however to be comfortable for any extended stretch of time.
I've yet to take pictures, but aside from the swing hanger on the chair's base, I've also done a little modification to move the armrests back some 15-20 cm. They collided with the HOTAS when using the mount. Now they're in the perfect place to offer support for the forearm while using the HOTAS. (Edit: And when the chair is fixed, it's not possible to get out without removing the HOTAS mount anymore. Not without climbing over the chair at least. But now everything's properly fixed and in the place it's supposed to be!)
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Luckily found some time to finally do the keyboard holder fixation. The original plan was to use these:
Standard part, easy to attach, adjustable, rather expensive unfortunately. Turns out that I should've tried out angles of similar size somehow before. The holder always ended up in the way of the HOTAS' travel, or at too steep of an angle, taking too much space and making it impossible to still put the whole mount back into the shelve for storage. That's because above angles add substantial height. Either the mount would've sat too high on the cross beam, or too far in front of it, depending on whether I'd have put them on top or in front. In the end, I just wanted to build something cheap, made out of things I had lying around anyway (except for some screws and nuts), which shouldn't require much craftsmanship other than drilling holes and doing straight cuts:
Overall, it now looks like this:
Again, the holder needs varnishing, which will make look it servicably more clean, even though I'm terrible at it. Afterwards, the HOTAS mount will be pretty much done. It'll be some time before I tackle the switch-ability of the pedals and building the detachable racing wheel mount.
Some more details of the whole thing:
Standard part, easy to attach, adjustable, rather expensive unfortunately. Turns out that I should've tried out angles of similar size somehow before. The holder always ended up in the way of the HOTAS' travel, or at too steep of an angle, taking too much space and making it impossible to still put the whole mount back into the shelve for storage. That's because above angles add substantial height. Either the mount would've sat too high on the cross beam, or too far in front of it, depending on whether I'd have put them on top or in front. In the end, I just wanted to build something cheap, made out of things I had lying around anyway (except for some screws and nuts), which shouldn't require much craftsmanship other than drilling holes and doing straight cuts:
Overall, it now looks like this:
Again, the holder needs varnishing, which will make look it servicably more clean, even though I'm terrible at it. Afterwards, the HOTAS mount will be pretty much done. It'll be some time before I tackle the switch-ability of the pedals and building the detachable racing wheel mount.
Some more details of the whole thing:
The armrests of the Ikea Markus chair are set back, to not get in the way of the HOTAS. This was done using two 300mm 40x20 aluminium profiles, through the back of which I drilled wholes (inaccurately) so a couple of M8 screws could go through them (barely... >.<) and fix the profile to the original armrest fixation. Some T-nuts in the profile now hold the armrests using the original M8 screws, with some washers for compensating inaccuracies.
In order to preserve my desk, I've put some stick-on rubber feet beneath the profiles lying flat on the table. Unfortunatley, they tend to "wander away" under the mechanical force of pressing the mount to the table, detaching it and putting it back into the shelf. Does anybody have a better suggestion that prevents the table from being scratched by the bare aluminium while being fixed onto the mount more reliably and not adding any substantial height?
The pedal pit with ropes in "waiting position":
In order to preserve my desk, I've put some stick-on rubber feet beneath the profiles lying flat on the table. Unfortunatley, they tend to "wander away" under the mechanical force of pressing the mount to the table, detaching it and putting it back into the shelf. Does anybody have a better suggestion that prevents the table from being scratched by the bare aluminium while being fixed onto the mount more reliably and not adding any substantial height?
The pedal pit with ropes in "waiting position":
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The keyboard holder is finally painted.
This would conclude the work on the HOTAS mount, I thought. After one playing session though, I'm back to modifying the thing. The vertical profiles are currently fixed to the cross beam using angles on the sides and on top. The top angles will be removed, the vertical profiles lowered to end with the cross beam. I'll cut threads into the profiles' cores and attach wooden plates on top. That'll offer a bit of flat space on which I can fix the exchangable mouspad plate with a bit of velcro. It'll also result in a more clean look of the whole thing, whithout the vertical profiles sticking out on top as much as they do now.
This would conclude the work on the HOTAS mount, I thought. After one playing session though, I'm back to modifying the thing. The vertical profiles are currently fixed to the cross beam using angles on the sides and on top. The top angles will be removed, the vertical profiles lowered to end with the cross beam. I'll cut threads into the profiles' cores and attach wooden plates on top. That'll offer a bit of flat space on which I can fix the exchangable mouspad plate with a bit of velcro. It'll also result in a more clean look of the whole thing, whithout the vertical profiles sticking out on top as much as they do now.
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Some modification and the HOTAS mount is done.
Detachable mousepad...
...for whenever 'space legs' happen to arrive.
Edit: Found two used Dell U2415 to go with the one I already had. Desk now needs rearranging and cable management needs an upgrade, but the "I-won't get-anything-done-today" setup is nearly complete:
Detachable mousepad...
...for whenever 'space legs' happen to arrive.
Edit: Found two used Dell U2415 to go with the one I already had. Desk now needs rearranging and cable management needs an upgrade, but the "I-won't get-anything-done-today" setup is nearly complete:
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And on it goes. This will eventually become the stand for the three Dell U2415.
Saves tons of room on the desk. In hindsight, the portruding feet could've been 10 cm shorter. The inital idea was to angle the outer screens up to 45°, but that hasn't worked out. I'm just too lazy to saw them off for the moment. The angles unfortunately leave too much room, so the outer monitors hang down some millimeters. Il'll think of something to support them.
The "MayCad" program allows for the general planning. But the Maytech profile parts/assecories selection isn't as broad as those for the ITEM profiles + some custom angles and whatnot, that a shop like Motedis offers. Some things therefore can't be modeled in the software 1:1. This also includes custom parts, like the wooden pieces I've used.
This is the plan for the whole rig, retroactively adapted to changes I made on the fly (acrylic plates as placeholders for wooden pieces), excluding the power clamps on the HOTAS mount:
Saves tons of room on the desk. In hindsight, the portruding feet could've been 10 cm shorter. The inital idea was to angle the outer screens up to 45°, but that hasn't worked out. I'm just too lazy to saw them off for the moment. The angles unfortunately leave too much room, so the outer monitors hang down some millimeters. Il'll think of something to support them.
The "MayCad" program allows for the general planning. But the Maytech profile parts/assecories selection isn't as broad as those for the ITEM profiles + some custom angles and whatnot, that a shop like Motedis offers. Some things therefore can't be modeled in the software 1:1. This also includes custom parts, like the wooden pieces I've used.
This is the plan for the whole rig, retroactively adapted to changes I made on the fly (acrylic plates as placeholders for wooden pieces), excluding the power clamps on the HOTAS mount:
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Don't know whether to laugh out loud or drool.You do realise the casters,detatch,right?
Sunk into a 1" baseboard of MDF or similar,the posts provide excellent stability and 'counterthrust'.Of course,as with any modification,there is a downside,in this case the loss of 1" of leg room height,but this can equally be countered in a variety of ways.
I am a great believer in the uses and values of string as applied to 'real world' problems,and i have yet to see anything that surpasses the power of the catenary in the ghost worlds.
[smile]
Sunk into a 1" baseboard of MDF or similar,the posts provide excellent stability and 'counterthrust'.Of course,as with any modification,there is a downside,in this case the loss of 1" of leg room height,but this can equally be countered in a variety of ways.
I am a great believer in the uses and values of string as applied to 'real world' problems,and i have yet to see anything that surpasses the power of the catenary in the ghost worlds.
[smile]
I don't work anywhere close to a source for the required materials, so I just have to bite the bullet and pay up... Kudos to my wife for having patience with my dorky escapades! [haha] Adjustability was at least a latent consideration with the setup. The same HOTAS mount design could be done relatively easily using wood, just screwing everything together in place. The way the mount is build however, I might even exend it for a centered joystick at some point, while having lots of room to adjust height etc..
Feel free to do either or both! I'm aware how silly and dorky the whole thing is.
I do realize they come off, but I ruled this out right from the start - it wouldn't have provided a satisfying solution to what I was aiming for.
Each time I want to play anything with the "rig", I have to flip over the chair, remove the five casters, put the chair back into place, adjust its relative position to the pedals? While still not being 100% sure I won't be sliding back from the pedals or - more likely - pushing the pedals back relatively to the chair? Not to mention that in order to use the chair "as intended" again, I have to again flip it over, attach all casters... In the same vein, I considered replacement casters with the ability to fix the wheels. Notwithstanding that I didn't manage to find such casters, that would've still left me with the problem of not being a 100% sure if the chair stays in place (blocked wheels can still slide after all) or that the pedals don't slide away from the the chair.
The point of the setup is to lower the "entry barrier" to convert the desk into a useful sim 'pit, while also coming as close as possible to a setup where the chair, pedals and HOTAS are absolutely fixed in an ergonomic and comfortable fashion. Crawling around on the floor to each time, de- and attaching the casters, having to find the right seat position again and still having no proper solution to the sliding pedal problem would go into raising the "entry barrier" in my book. Configuring the distance exactly once, then when necessariy, snapping two hooks into place (still a little crawling involved) and being ready to go however? Imo very much a preferrable and less intrusive solution. Having used it now, it's also very, very stable. Due to the ropes' length being set, the chair automatically slides back into its proper place each time and the mere pressure you exercise on the construction by resting the feet on the pedals makes sure that neither the pedals nor the chair budge anymore.
Edit:
The steel plates arrived and the monitor mount's joints are now finally stabilized and well supported. The screens don't noticably hang down a couple of millimeters anymore - a flaw that bugged the heck out of me.
Two plates per joint. Have a look at that expert cable management (WIP)!
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Monitor mount taking shape:
Had to partly disassemble it again yesterday, adjusting the height of the monitors, adding two missing screws to the VESA mounts and starting the proper cable management. Which excludes the tape seen in my last post above. The vertical beams are so "unnecessarily" high, as to double as TrackIR and webcam holder. The Dell U2415 screen model sports a rather thin bezel which is gtreat for multi screens, but results in the webcam's or TrackIR's feet sticking into the picture if they're placed on the bezel.
Also, the finished HOTAS mount on its own:
Chunky, but practical.
Edit: cable management is now done:
Edit 2: Everything in motion.
[video=youtube;CGrXGEtGz6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=CGrXGEtGz6w[/video]
Had to partly disassemble it again yesterday, adjusting the height of the monitors, adding two missing screws to the VESA mounts and starting the proper cable management. Which excludes the tape seen in my last post above.
The vertical beams are so "unnecessarily" high, as to double as TrackIR and webcam holder. The Dell U2415 screen model sports a rather thin bezel which is gtreat for multi screens, but results in the webcam's or TrackIR's feet sticking into the picture if they're placed on the bezel.Also, the finished HOTAS mount on its own:
Chunky, but practical.
Edit: cable management is now done:
Edit 2: Everything in motion.
[video=youtube;CGrXGEtGz6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=CGrXGEtGz6w[/video]
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After some use, I'll backtrack here and correct myself: It's too heavy, big and clunky for comfortable storage. That's why I've reconfigured the HOTAS mounts to be essenially Monstertech mount clones. The crossbar and keyboard mount have been removed and the wooden plates have been replaced with premade metal plates. Makes them lighter and gives them an overall lower profile, which outweights the advantage of having a fixed configuration of stick and throttle mount for me.
At last I've also figured out how to go about having exchangable flight/racing pedals without having to do botched woodwork again and without requiring impractical fixation. The pedal pit will be modified to allow pedals sitting on two T-slot profiles to slide in, without any additional fixation:
The predrilled holes of the MFG crosswinds dictate the distance of the "rails". The Logitech G27 pedals have been deconstructed and fixed to the mount in inversed position. Mostly because I find that way of mounting racing pedals cool and wanted to try it out... The two mounts fit sideways into an Ikea Kallax shelf's "cell", so I can easily pull them out and stow away the one I'm not using.
The chair fixation has also been improved to snap to the armrest fixation, which spares me the need to fiddle around on the floor, but I've no picture of it at this point.
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The exchangable pedals are finally done.
Chair attached to pedal pit, no pedals inserted. It attaches now to ring bolts at the armrests instead of using a swing hanger on the central beam at the floor.
Racing pedals:
Flight pedals:
Chair attached to pedal pit, no pedals inserted. It attaches now to ring bolts at the armrests instead of using a swing hanger on the central beam at the floor.
Racing pedals:
Flight pedals:
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Really good... I walked into a metal workshop factory asked the owner if they could build ,what your doing..
this guy, could not get his head around what I was saying / asking for .... "SIM PIT' ? what's that , Pads for joysticks ?
So glad you have pictures
Ps I taped two of my wheels up on my chair .. stops the roll back on carpet
That is defeating the point of building it your self.
Still waiting for Nasa to get back to me on my request for interstellar ships//
[video=youtube;j6zseFi070E]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6zseFi070E[/video]
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No, I just photoshopped everything - you got me!
It's also "defeating the point" of where they spend about half a year building it themselves in the workshop the might or might not have with the tools and skils they might or might not have in the time they might or might not have.
Kids, don't drink and post!
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No, I just photoshopped everything - you got me!
It's also "defeating the point" of where they spend about half a year building it themselves in the workshop the might or might not have with the tools and skils they might or might not have in the time they might or might not have.
Kids, don't drink and post!
Its not the destination that counts but the 'Journey'.
When I was a kid we didn't have a choice but build it because it didn't exist.
When I was a kid, I didn't have the money, perseverence or otherwise means to afford building this setup. But I also didn't work a full time job, didn't have a better half etc. etc..
What the journey and destination is and what counts or not, is everybody's personal business. sutex is not you as a kid. Judging by the amount of premade alu extension rigs and other sim rigs that are being commercially sold, a whole bunch of other people aren't either.
It may just be that the "journey" for some people is to play something in the little spare time they have left, rather than to construct something, just so they can get most enjoyment out of playing something. If I wasn't so restricted on space and therefore needed a non-standard "rig", I'd even go as far as to say that buying a sim rig would've been more cost effective. If not in materials, then definitely after factoring in the time I spend building this.
I personally enjoyed the building aspect very much, but all the more power to people who for some reason don't want or can't dedicate the time to a DIY solution and still want to enjoy a sim rig. If they can buy it? Good on them.
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When I was kid we had to use sticks to play Army
Pwah! they don't know they are born today.
Pwah! they don't know they are born today.