Q&A about Joystick Building, Parts, and Purchasing

[WolfCrimson]

I see. Well, thanks for the offer, mortified, but I wanna try doing it myself, make a summer project out of it.

[mr.mortified]

Trust me you think it'll be cheap but think about all the tools you need to get, the skills you need to develop and all sorts of things you have to be good at to make a stick that will work and will last. If anything go get yourself a prebuilt case from somewhere and then just wire it up yourself.

[WolfCrimson]

Well I haven't started even planning it yet, I just know I wanna do it in the summer. If it does seem too difficult or costly after I take everything needed into account when I start planning, I might contact you. Do you ship to outside of North America?

[DioBrando]

Yo, Mr.Mortified!!! I am starting and I got so many questions from this noob. Hopefully they are easy for you.

1) I got a MCthullu that came unassembled which I had to assemble on my own. After doing that, I noticed my final product looked nothing like the one in the picture

http://www.lizardlick.com/Toodles-Cthulhu-for-Multi-Console_p_542.html

It has everything except for the two blue things and what looks like a modem port. Would this PCB be usable?

2) Is there any way to tell what kind PS2 Dualshock A I have without opening the controller? I am trying to figure out if mine could be done solderless or not.

3) I still do not understand what it means by common ground and non-common ground in PCB. In fact, I am not quite sure what grounding means. From what I know electrons go from an area of higher electrons to an area of lower electrons. This lower electron area is the ground. Would a common ground be an area that is a ground for all/multiple inputs.

4) Why would a non-common ground be bad in multiple PCB projects?

Edited June 8, 2011 by DioBrando

[mr.mortified]

blue things are screw down terminals

what looks like a modem port is the usb terminal

they're not necessary, it just makes for easier input/output

PS2 dualshock?

go to slagcoin and see

i personally would have recommended DS1's though

to see waht type you have, take a look at the back on the etched part of the plastic and then compare the board you get from inside with one of the boards here

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/pcb_wiring.html#PCB_DIAGRAMS

i don't advise solderless since its not always secure though

common ground means that all the grounds including the one that goes the system share the same ground which makes it better daisy chaining your grounds and more convenient for joysticks since you can use the same ground input for all of your signals on your joystick

contrary to common ground is common line, which means that certain signals have their own exclusive ground and cannot have it shared between signals that do not share that ground

to answer your fourth question see the above logic,

because you can share the same ground for the same inputs, it makes it possible to link all boards together and make them share the same signals you want them to without having any mixed signals

[Colors]

Hey anyone that looks at this post and feels like helping,

I'm looking to buy a PS3 stick, specifically for BlazBlue (dunno if that exactly matters). I don't want to buy something really cheap and crappy, but I don't want to spend $400 either (especially because I don't have that kind of cash to throw around).

I'm preferably looking for something under $150. I looked at the BBCS Tournament Edition Stick, but the only one on Amazon is for $399.99 (http://www.amazon.com/BlazBlue-Continuum-Fightstick-Tournament-Playstation-3/dp/B003O1T008/ref=sr_1_6?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1309308068&sr=1-6). I saw that they have it on Gamestop, but you can't order online for whatever reason, and I'm quite sure my local store does not have it.

Anyways, I want to get a stick that is similar to the BBCS TE one (same or close to same button layout), and about the same price range as the one on Gamestop (http://www.gamestop.com/ps3/accessories/blazblue-continuum-shift-tournament-edition-fightstick/84410).

I need to order online because I don't know of any place local that sells quality sticks.

Help?

[M4g1c4lM4g1]

If I remember correctly...

The BB TE is the same as the SSFIV TE, which will run cheaper because the BB TE is a limited edition item. If you want, you can get a SFIV TE and just replace the art.

[mr.mortified]

BBTE for that much is a ripoff

general price before was around 130

you can find it at around that price

you can buy it for much cheaper

Search around SRK Trading outlet and you can find it dirt cheap

alternative is to get a TE and do an art mod

[Colors]

BBTE for that much is a ripoff

general price before was around 130

you can find it at around that price

you can buy it for much cheaper

Search around SRK Trading outlet and you can find it dirt cheap

alternative is to get a TE and do an art mod

Yeah, as soon as I saw it on GameStop I'm like "There's nooooo way I'm paying that much." I'll look around on SRK and if worst comes to worst, I'll probably get a Street Fighter TE and just swap out the art.

[Axl_M4ster]

what type of paint do most custom builders use to paint over their wooden cases?

i'm using acrylic paint, btw.

[mr.mortified]

what type of paint do most custom builders use to paint over their wooden cases?

i'm using acrylic paint, btw.

I generally use spray paint

and sandpaper

and spray paint and sandpaper

Its generally 1 coat primer to see if its all smooth

smoothen it out, prime it again

run through that with like 200 grit paper to be smooth

then run 1 light coat over the primer

wait for 15 mins, run a light coat every 10 mins for a total of 4 coats

let that dry for 2 days

lightly wet sand with 400 grit till even

apply same painting process before wetsand

let dry for 2 days then wetsand

apply gloss clear coat

light for first coat, then 2 coats of that

dry another 2 days

wetsand with 1000grit paper and sand even.

apply 2 light coats of gloss

dry 2 days, wetsand again with 1000 grit until even

take out automobile rubbing compound, rub the shit out of it

take out automobile swirl remover, get rid of those ugly scratches

tada you now have a godlike painted case

it only took you a day to build and about a week to paint

you end up with an effect like so

Edited June 30, 2011 by mr.mortified

[YukiBlue]

Okay, I have a TE Round 1.

I know the basics of how to change buttons + Gate. But say I want to change the Faceplate, where would the best place be to get a design sent to?

[mr.mortified]

faceplate?

did you mean the art or the button layout itself?

[Axl_M4ster]

I generally use spray paint

and sandpaper

and spray paint and sandpaper

Its generally 1 coat primer to see if its all smooth

smoothen it out, prime it again

run through that with like 200 grit paper to be smooth

then run 1 light coat over the primer

wait for 15 mins, run a light coat every 10 mins for a total of 4 coats

let that dry for 2 days

lightly wet sand with 400 grit till even

apply same painting process before wetsand

let dry for 2 days then wetsand

apply gloss clear coat

light for first coat, then 2 coats of that

dry another 2 days

wetsand with 1000grit paper and sand even.

apply 2 light coats of gloss

dry 2 days, wetsand again with 1000 grit until even

take out automobile rubbing compound, rub the shit out of it

take out automobile swirl remover, get rid of those ugly scratches

tada you now have a godlike painted case

it only took you a day to build and about a week to paint

see i know that process. the sanding, painting/coating, wetsanding and increasing the fineness of the grit with each 'next step' in the process...

but i was looking for more of a 'what type of paint is used' in other words, acrylic, enamel, etc...

what specific name brands of aerosol paint cans or airbrush paint type of questions.

though i did not know about the automobile rubbing compound or swirl remover.

in my case, no pun intended, i painted it with artists acrylic paint and i painted it with a paint brush.

the reason i didn't use a paint can method is because i wanted to paint a particular design over the entire visible areas of the wood case.

the design i painted over the wood case was a faux black marble stone with grey veining design.

i don't think a design like that is even possible with a paint can.

i know it is possible to do something like that with an airbrush...but i don't have a airbrush+compressor, or the skills to do it...by that method.

so i did it with a brush+acrylic tube paint.

only problem was that its near impossible to do certain techniques on a 3D object using the paintbrush method.

namely the gloss varnishing step.

the priming+sanding took a day.

the black marble stone+grey veining took a day.

the varnishing took 3 weeks!!!!

since to do the grey veining, using that type of paint, using paintbrushes, AND to make it believable looking...its going to have some relief to it, which i'd have to sand down, but before sanding down i'd have to put on a good number of thick varnish layers...because if i didn't i'd be sanding down the grey veining and erasing it. so to smooth everything down, i would have to build up a layer high and thick enough of clear varnish that would 'fill in' the space around the veins...so when i started sanding down...i could smooth it down without the design of the veining being erased along with it.

so i did that.

hammered that out...

but my problem was that the final varnish coats.

see, if i applied it too thick, brushstrokes from the brush applying the coats of varnish would be left. big no no.

but if i applied it very thinly that no brushstrokes would be left...runs, drippage, and streaks from the varnish running would appear.

ugh.

hellish.

i committed countless wetsanding and coatings of the varnish.

see, there wouldn't be that problem if the varnishing by paintbrush was on just a flat 2D object...like a canvas painting for example.

but since i was dealing with a 3D object that needed varnishing from all angles/sides...this was a serious problem. i must've applied varnish and wetsanded it like 50 times, lol,lol.

i was ready to commit suicide.

but i finally managed to get it moderately ok.

the varnish i mean.

unfortunately i could not ever get it 100% perfect in regards to the surface being completely free of tiny 'blemishes' or flaws.

these minor flaws in the gloss varnish coating is completely invisible in 90% of the angles that you look at the wood case from....but you can see it from certain angles where the light reflects off the very surface since it has a polished mirror type finish to it(mimicing the polished sheen of black marble stone),..but thats only like 10% of the possible angles you can look at from thanks due to its mirror type finish.

ie, you can see your reflection in it.

the flaws really don't matter too much since i'm trying to recreate the look of marble stone...and stone isn't 100% perfect and free of flaws anyway.

it looks just like marble stone btw.

its done, i just need to put a final coat of spray varnish on it.

i would post pics but i don't have digi camera.

well, anyway.

i'm now about to work on my other wood case for my other stick and i just asked since i'm not doing a complicated design on it, just a even coat of paint, i wanted to know what was the most commonly prefered spray paint brand to lay on a wood case.

is acrylic spray paint what i want or enamel based?

Edited July 1, 2011 by Axl_M4ster

[YukiBlue]

Where would I go to have a faceplate created/Bought. (With or without a premade design) As in, The full 8 Button Face, with the holes there. (I dont know terminology for this, Sorry)

Because I hate the SFIV Redness on my TE.

[mr.mortified]

Easy enough to photoshop one for yourself.

d3v has some good templates up on his site.

http://www.d3vlicious.com/

Almost everyone ends up using his templates.

as for printing it out, you have 2 choices, you can either get your local print shop to create a laminated print for you in which you glue it on your metal control panel or you get a plexiglass replacement from arthong and get him to print out the work for you

http://www.tek-innovations.com/arthobbies/

a lot of people have experience with art and he does good work for those plexis.

I think he's a bit backlogged right now though

[YukiBlue]

Much love, Thanks.

[Manta]

Hiya peers, my mayflash joystick just died on me (Began spazzing out inputs if I didn't hold it rock steady and I'm looknig for a budget stick from the UK,

So far I found this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hori-Arcade-Fighting-Stick-PS3/dp/B000MWE3BI

But I need an opinion before getting something.

[Airk]

I've never used one, but overall, I haven't heard good things about Hori's 'lower end' sticks. Actually, I've not heard good things about ANYONE'S lower end sticks, but Hori's are apparently difficult to mod/repair when they break. I can't find any mention of that specific stick on SRK though, so take that with a grain of salt.

Hey, you just said you needed an opinion, not information.

[Manta]

Funny, the reviews I read about the FS3 seemed to say it was a decent stick for the money. And I will be comparing it to the Mayflash black...thing.

[Airk]

Well, that stick may well be newer than my info, so take with a grain of salt. Plus, if your previous stick was crud, this one is likely to be a step up. Some people's (read: SRK's) standards for what constitutes a "good stick" can be a bit higher than some people's.

[RaveSage]

Hiya peers, my mayflash joystick just died on me (Began spazzing out inputs if I didn't hold it rock steady and I'm looknig for a budget stick from the UK,

So far I found this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hori-Arcade-Fighting-Stick-PS3/dp/B000MWE3BI

But I need an opinion before getting something.

I owned one of those FS3s. The buttons are pretty stiff, the joystick is really constrictive and if you ever decide to mod it, it's a huge pain in the ass. Your mayflash might have connections touching each other or something. If you're going to buy a new one anyway no harm in opening the thing up and looking at it to see if there's an simple issue going on.

[Manta]

I owned one of those FS3s. The buttons are pretty stiff, the joystick is really constrictive and if you ever decide to mod it, it's a huge pain in the ass. Your mayflash might have connections touching each other or something. If you're going to buy a new one anyway no harm in opening the thing up and looking at it to see if there's an simple issue going on.

I have opening it up, everything looks okay again, then I put it back together and everything went from bad to worse.

[Airk]

This thread seems to have some info about that stick you're considering.

[mr.mortified]

this is what happens if i'm not on my own thread for one day

anyways, you could always just replace your pcb?

i know gremlin would have some some custom toodles pcbs

but that's generally a tech talk answer

if you're going for a stick, i don't really suggest the FS3 because its harder than most to mod

if you really wanted a good way out, get a TvC stick and mod it with a toodles pcb

it will probably cost you even less and if anything breaks, its an easy fix

I don't suggest you buy an entry level stick

note how an SE sells for 99 pounds?

have fun with this instead

http://gremlinsolutions.co.uk/products/qanba-q4raf-arcade-fighting-stick.htm

sanwa + dual mod for the same price

cheap sticks means general inconsistency

i had a rant about the FS3 earlier in this thread i think so find there

Edited August 4, 2011 by mr.mortified