Build Your Own DWI Pad for cheap!!

I was just posting to say I was able to make my own DWI pad in about 3 hours out of parts i had lying around my dorm room. I used an old PC keyboard i had lying around. I took it apart and using a wire I made connections between the contacts on the circuitboard that went out to the keys until i found the ones that did Up, Down, Left, Right, and Numberpad enter. I had Windows Notepad open to see what each connection did. That took about 1/2 hour. I drew a little diagram showing what connections were for what button. I then took apart a childrens toy pad that I had gotten from the thrift store. You put it on the ground and it has large rubber feet-shaped buttons about 4" by 8" you step on and the pad made a sound. I cut the buttons apart and soldered wires from each foot shaped button thing to the right contacts on the keyboard circuit board. I then taped the four foot buttons to a 25" square piece of masonite I had from an old photo project. I layed the square at an angle so it made a diamond shape if you looked at it from above. This was because it was more effective and I could get the buttons farther apart. I made one other button i keep off the square to act as an numbpad enter. I was set to test it. My first placing of the buttons put them too far apart. After readjusting the spacing i (and more importantly my friend who rules at DDR) tried it out and it works great!!. I am sure your question is "how do the buttons work?" "how do the connections work?" Well after taking the kids toy pad apart I found out how they did it and it was actually quite simple. The pad was about 15 inches wide and 3 feet tallwith 12 feet-buttons on it, i only used the button area. They have about a little under a 0.25" inch foam pad placed between the outer layer of plastic. they had feet shaped rubber buttons fused to the plastic. Under the rubber feet shape is where the magic happens. The quater inch foam has 4 holes cut into it each about the size of a dime. They have wire with the insulation stripped off masking taped so the bare wire crosses over the open hole. The same thing is done on the bottom of the foam but so the bottom wires go over the holes in a perpendicular way. So if you look at the holes you see the top wire and bottom wire making a "plus" shape. They do not touch how ever since the foam keeps them apart. When you step on it the foam compresses and the wires touch and make the connection. I was very suprised that it worked it seemed too simple. I mean the thing (the toy) was put together with no soldering and masking tape but I can attest to the fact that it works very well. I have played many games of DWI and never had a problem with the buttons not working. My next step is to make my own pads. I am going to find a place that sells 0.25 inch foam (it's like the kind of foam cheap sleeping pads are made of), I am going to cut my own holes probably 8-10 for each pad) and use bare wire to cross over one side of the hole and then do the same thing on other side. The wires from both sides will be wired up to the contacts on my keyboard circut board. (since I already know what contacts are for what key). I will prolly put some kind of non slippery plastic or rubber, maybe rubber from a truck innertube, over the top to make it usable with shoes (I don't ware shoes on the current pad because I am worried about it tearing the plastic. It is very hard on my feet for extended sessions, and tape the whole thing down to a 33" square piece of masonite. (standard DDR squares are 11") I can add diagonal buttons later if i want. The masonite has a nice rough texure on the back that help keep it from slipping on the carpet. I think whe whole thing not including the keyboard will be around $15 -20. i think. I am ging to have the lumber yard cut the masonite for me. I don't know how much an truck innertube costs but can't be much. I still need to find some of that 0.25 inch thin foam but i'm sure i can find some somewhere. So basically this is a way i know to build a really cheap pad that will work with DWI. I am sure it could be converted to work with a playstation pad as well. I am sorry, right this moment, i don't have pictures but i could easily take some if someone wants some. If you want more info post here or email me at younkin3@yahoo.com.
Cheers all you DWI FR33KS!

-Jim