Creating a bar system with a DDR mat

[Reincarnate]

So one thing I'd like to do is build a bar system to go with my Omega ITGX pad -- does anyone have any experience with this that they can share?

[Wafles]

2023 Edit - This guide was written about 9 years ago and I would no longer recommend anyone buy from precision dance pads. This guide should work with L-TEK pads too but you will need to measure carefully. It is also worth noting that this is not a very cheap (expect to pay ~$150) or attractive build, but it should be sturdy for even heavy-set individuals. I also think it is worth considering the official L-TEK bar, I own the official bar and it works fine for me, and looks way nicer if you care about appearances.

---

I have built a bar/platform to go with my Omega ITGX as well. Its really pretty simple but you're going to need to have access to a few tools. Ideally you'll want a circular saw, a drill, and a pin nailer (the pin nailer is used to attach the moulding "frame" around your pad, as well as secure the two sheet layers together).

I've been meaning to write this out and put up a guide for a while now and this is the perfect excuse to do so.

Here's a PDF diagram (courtesy of Milistisia, he doesn't post here) for the rough build that I used. Mine had some differences.
http://www.mediafire.com/view/265dl7...a/Pad_base.pdf
(The biggest difference between my build and this diagram is the fact that the ply base and the mdf are both the same size, and I also didn't have access to a pipe bending machine or welding tools like this guy did.)

Shopping List:
1x Sheet of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)
1x Sheet of cheap plywood or something like that. I used Oriented Strand Board (OSB) because we had some on hand. This gets glued/pinned to the MDF, and will hold the T-Nuts more securely. MDF is pretty soft.
2x 3' steel pipe. I used 1". 1" feels plenty thick, but you could do 1.5" if you wanted.
1x 1.5' steel pipe.
2x elbow joins to match your steel pipe diameters, make sure they fit at the hardware store of you'll have to make a second trip like I did.
2x mounting plates, once again make sure they fit your pipe. They should look like this guy on the left here http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HUIL8TPUoS.../Larson_03.jpg
8x bolts/screws for the mounting plates. Make your best guess here.
8x T-Nuts. These are what go underneath the plywood bottom when you drill your holes for the mounting plates. http://www.heico-fasteners.co.uk/uph...ils/t_nuts.jpg
1x Bottle of wood glue. I just grabbed the kind that fits into a caulk gun and used about 1/4 of the bottle. You put this between the ply and the MDF to help create a good bond.
1x pack of pins for the pin nailer.
~16 feet of wood moulding. This is what you put around the pad on the top of the platform to stop it from moving. I used 1/2" quarter round moulding, and this stuff is cheap so I bought two 12 foot lengths of it. In an ideal world you'll have an angle saw where you can cut these to fit perfectly together around the pad like a picture frame. (Note for L-TEK - measure the height of your pad and make sure the moulding is going to work for you)

General Building Instructions
This is self explanatory for the most part but here's what you'll want to do anyway.

First, measure! Be precise. If you cut your MDF short you're gonna waste a bunch of money by having to buy another sheet and recut it.

Second, once you cut the MDF and the plywood it's time to glue. Put the MDF down first, spread a bunch of glue on the MDF and then position the ply evenly on the MDF and apply some pressure for a little while. Clamps would be great, but heavy weights are fine too. I also used a pin nailer to really make sure these were bonded securely.

Next you're gonna want to put your bar together. Connect the joints and put the plates at the bottom. Mark your plates as left and right because the holes wont line up perfectly otherwise. Make dots on top of the MDF where the plate holes are and drill some holes all the way through everything. They don't need to be very wide, your screws/bolts shouldn't be loose at all.

Drill some slightly larger holes into the bottom of the plywood. You're gonna want to find a drill bit thats about the same size as the circular end of the t-nut. Drill in just far enough to get the t-nut in place then hammer the t-nuts in.

Then before you actually mount the bars, put your pad on top of the platform and put your wood moulding around it, straight side facing the pad. Use the pin nailer to secure them in place. Leave a small gap in front for the USB cable.

Then mount your bar and put the screws in. You're done! I'd let it sit for a day before using it just so the glue dries a bit. The convenient thing about this build is that its portable (kind of, it's super heavy, but it comes apart with a screwdriver at least).


End result will be something like this:

Total cost (minus the tools, but including things like drill bits) was just shy of $100 (in 2014, likely to be $130-$150 in 2023). Bar is sturdy as hell and barely budges even given the fact that I'm a hefty 230lb. Ocasionally I have to tighten the screws but its only once every 5 or 6 sessions or something like that.

[CammyGoesRawr]

I use a pool table as a "bar" .