birdofprey 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2012 Hello fellow rig builders, this week I have received my PVC materials and I can confirm: it meets the specifications that SIMUL8R recommends. The only difference is the color: by default it is a dark grey instead of white. I've bought some spray color together with the primer to apply before the paint. We'll see how this works out. This is the PVC that I ordered: - 10 meters PVC pipe (5 x 2 m) @ 63mm outside diameter, wall strength 4.7 mm - 20 pieces of 90 degree 'T'-connectors - 8 pieces of 90 degree angles - 7 pieces of 45 degree angles - 3 endcaps, roundtop (flattop was not available) - 1 litre PVC cleaning (Tangit by Henkel) - 1 litre PVC glue (Tangit by Henkel). It says it gives about 4 minutes before the glue can't be moved anymore. So I have more than the piece list requires (just in case ...). Altogether with the shipping I paid 153,35 EUR, using Paypal. I think they also had pipes with 50 mm outside but still 4.7 mm wall strength which should be cheaper but I decided to stick with the larger ones. For anybody that is also looking for such PVC in Germany: the shop that delivered the PVC can be found at www.teichshop-franken.de. They reacted within 3 days. Beforehand I checked the regular OBI, Hornbach, Bauhaus, Praktiker and Hagebau. The two first ones even at different locations. No such PVC there. Wood, screws and a new miter saw were bought this week, so I can now really dig in the work. I have already tested the saw on a few small pieces and it works great. Only thing: the strongties. Man, they're really giving me a hard time. I have checked at least 10 different stores but couldn't find any, only the regular pipe clamps that are probably too weak for the job. I emailed at strongtie.de but they said that they are not available in germany at all. However they were really nice and recommended some other kind of clamps that are used to connect satellite bowls to metal bars on your roof. I bought some and will try if they work out well. Additionally I emailed lowes.com about the cost for shipping some strongie clamps to germany and have already received an answer that they will check with their shipping partner. I hope that 10 clamps can't be too heavy and thus too expensive to ship over here. But we'll see. I already have a seat that a friend of mine was happy to get rid of (he's a car dealer and it was useless for him, hehe). The seat rails came from the internet and the buttkicker was ordered at amazon. I'm already using a G27 and the reverse pedal mount is something that I am also considering to integrate into my build. As SIMUL8R says, I am gonna take my time and build this slowly. I think that's a very big part of the fun and I am determined to take the most out of it. At office times I am a software engineer and always wanted a project to build something with my own hands but so far didn't find anything that was worth the effort. But this is the perfect opportunity. THANKS SIMUL8R!!! Cheers, Ralf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted June 16, 2012 Awesome Ralf, keep us informed of your build when you have the chance. By the way, 4.7mm wall thickness is thicker than what I used...I'm wondering if you have gotten yourself Schedule #80 PVC which is thicker/stronger than Schedule #40. If it is than you pretty much will have one hell of a beast on your floor. 1 braknek reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
birdofprey 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2012 It definetely is 4.7 mm, but over here we don't have any reference to Schedule #40 or so. They just use DIN numbers to specify everything which is one reason why it was so hard to find the material here. Nobody could answer my questions where I could get "Schedule #40 PVC", they just didn't know what that means. But now that I have it I can say that it is absolutely rock solid. I have cut the pieces for the part where the seat gets mounted to (not glued yet of course), and it is quite heavy already. I stood on one of the 19'' pipes and didn't have the feeling it could break (weighing about 200 lbs). So for the completed construction I am expecting this rig to be capable of resisting major earthquakes ... Not that we've been having them here in the last 50 years. Today I have to take a break in the cutting process because the wife cast her veto. But this gives me some time to already think about a modification that I'm planning. I'm a bit smaller than you are and I'm not sure if the measurements will fit me perfectly. So I'm wondering if I could make the 3 longest pieces a bit more flexible by using screws. My 2 metre pipes came with a muff at one end which is about 5'' long. So it should be able to use let's say 3'' of that to push and pull the piece back and forth. I would then have to drill 2 or 3 holes in it and could then secure it in these different positions. Of course it would mean that I mustn't glue the lowest 90 degree fitting of the long sidebar because when the length of this pipe changes then the angle of that pipe also has to change. Otherwise I would have to make the height of the front also variable which I'm not planning to do. There will also have to be a modification to the steering wheel area where I will include a place to fit my 7'' touch screen that I'm gonna use as an additional display and control device. I'm currently writing a software plugin for rFactor to simulate a buttonbox and a Motec-like display unit. I'm not sure if it will work the way I plan but it should be possible. All that's missing to have my perfect simrig is a projector and bigscreen like in the P34 rig (which is extremely awesome by the way), but I will have to think about how to convince my wife, LOL! Cheers, Ralf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ToBeContinued 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2012 I'm new here and I have to say WOW!!! I can't thank ISR for bring a new light on how I race. Now, on to why I'm posting. 1. Simul8r, I know you've been getting this through out the entire thread but we really can not thank you enough for posting the plans for your Rig build. It's amazing to me to think that PVC would look as good as it does and be able to handle the demands of intense racing. 2. My brother and I are looking into building a Rig by the plans you have posted on Page 18. Now my I have a few questions regarding the rig itself. From front to end, how long is the rig? I live in a very small apartment and I want to be sure that I will at least have enough space to accommodate the rig. Also, does anyone have any ideas/plans on how to make the Steering Wheel Base adjustable so you can tilt it as needed? Since this will be my first build (and Rig, So excited!), I'm really going budget friendly until I can get comfortable with the rig itself as well as knowing that I will stick with Sim Racing as a hobby. I'm a diehard Xbox 360 fan so I have been looking into some serious Steering Wheel/ Pedal combo's. But Right now I'm sticking with the MadCatz Steering Wheel (http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Wired-Racing-Wheel/dp/B000BQUV5M/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1339977045&sr=8-4&keywords=Xbox+360+Steering+Wheel). Any/All ideas, tips or just awareness is greatly appreciated. I will be posting pics throughout my build and hopefully introduce some new fresh ideas. Thanks in advance and I look forward to being a long time member of ISR. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted June 18, 2012 Tobecontinued, the rig is appoximately 5 feet long and based on your post I'm assuming you missed by many pages back where I posted directions for a tilt wheel option. Research page 21 please. With regards to the wheel gear (MadCatz). I've seen this wheel mounted on the first Mark I design by another builder and since the wheel was specifically design to be used on your lap it requres a great deal of rake, IMO, to position it (wheel) comfortably towards your chest if your planning on mounting on a table and such, otherwise it would feel like your driving a bus. If you look on the tilt wheel directions on pg 21 it calls for a 6 inch 'U' bolt for tilt adjustments but I'm guessing you may have to go longer if you're using the MadCatz. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimbio88 0 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 Mr.simul8er, Ive recently finished my rig build but dont know the dimensions of the wheel deck with pivot. I know its not the same as the fixed deck. Could you elaborate please sir? Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted June 24, 2012 Mr.simul8er, Ive recently finished my rig build but dont know the dimensions of the wheel deck with pivot. I know its not the same as the fixed deck. Could you elaborate please sir? Thanks The parts, dimensions and instructions are mentioned on pg 21 under 'pivoting wheel deck' - 13" wide x 12" long but the size can generally be up to you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverLion 0 Report post Posted June 26, 2012 Hey all, Finally getting around to this PVC Rig in my list of projects, very excited to get started! Big ups to SIMUL8R for all his testing and hard work. Finding the PVC in Canada was more difficult than I expected...ended up driving to 8 different hardware stores (buying all of the Tees in three of them...I think I literally bought all of the 2" PVC Tees in Edmonton) and they were much more expensive than the US. 10 Feet worth of 2" skd. 40 was $22 at Rona and $25 at Lowes, and the connections were expensive to boot. All in all I've spent about $220 on PVC, Paint and Glue. I'm not overly upset because I had Rona do the PVC cutting as I don't have a tablesaw...turns out they will only let their employees use handsaws to cut PVC so some poor soul is sawing his arm away as we speak Looks like I got the easy way out... I still have to buy MDF, Bolts, and look around for these Thompson fittings today. The only thing I may have trouble with is I forgot to strip the railing below the seat when I got my car seat from pick N pull. So now I have an awesome seat but no rails to adjust it, does anyone have any solutions? I think I saw Nvidia talk about somesort of 'Riley' mechanism which I know nothing about and haven't had any luck researching. Edit: No luck with the clamps at Rona or Home Depot, will keep looking... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nerdracer 1 Report post Posted June 27, 2012 Edit: No luck with the clamps at Rona or Home Depot, will keep looking... Hi SilverLion, I am in Canada like you and I feel your PVC pricing pain. Not sure why the same product is about double the price after you cross the border. About the clamps, you can get them from Home Depot, they will be special order. Go to the service desk and tell them you need a special order placed for Simpson strong ties. Give them the part number you are looking for. I believe the part number has been posted in the thread by simul8r. I think it's "PGT20ZR" for the 2" model. Tell them how many you want. Get extras now if you think you'll need them. They will take down the info and will want to call the supplier to confirm the price. Give them your phone number, they will call you once they confirm they can get the clamps and they will tell you the price. You can pay for them over the phone when they call with the price, just give your credit card info. They'll call you again when the clamps come in and you just go back to the store to pick them up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SilverLion 0 Report post Posted June 27, 2012 Hi SilverLion, I am in Canada like you and I feel your PVC pricing pain. Not sure why the same product is about double the price after you cross the border. About the clamps, you can get them from Home Depot, they will be special order. Go to the service desk and tell them you need a special order placed for Simpson strong ties. Give them the part number you are looking for. I believe the part number has been posted in the thread by simul8r. I think it's "PGT20ZR" for the 2" model. Tell them how many you want. Get extras now if you think you'll need them. They will take down the info and will want to call the supplier to confirm the price. Give them your phone number, they will call you once they confirm they can get the clamps and they will tell you the price. You can pay for them over the phone when they call with the price, just give your credit card info. They'll call you again when the clamps come in and you just go back to the store to pick them up. Thanks, I'll definitely be doing this. I went down to Lowes and RONA, neither would order them in for me (Even though Lowes has the product on their website... ). I may actually try contacting Simpson Canada (they have a supplier in Ontario and one in BC) to see if it's cheaper that way. Disappointing to see Canadians getting shafted like this, most American suppliers wouldn't ship to Canada and the one I found that did wanted $76 for shipping Hopefully the wait isn't too long at Home Depot! As far as the mounting rails goes, Nvidia confirmed that he ordered the seat rails from Sparco (thanks dude) but i'll go for a cheaper option at pick n pull. On another note some of my MDF got wet while I was in Rona and it started to rain (Rona somehow 'lost' my PVC I ordered cut), so I may have a problem there. Apparently MDF + Water = Bad news. UPDATE: Went to 2 different home depots and a Rona. None of them would order in the bracket, as it "wasn't in the system". Contacted Simpson directly and they said they would only sell to an 'approved seller' (hmmm....like home depot?). These things are harder to find in Canada than Harper supporters... Ended up buying more regular ties, so i'll have 4 ties and 8 bolts mounting the steering wheel board, Should be enough.Going to pick N pull for seat rails tomorrow and that should do it for dealing with hardware stores Really excited to keep working on this project! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimbio88 0 Report post Posted June 28, 2012 Well I just finished the rig and all I can say is WOW! Everyone I know is impressed with the build. Even my wife approves. Just wanna say many thanks to you Simul8r for the awesome design and sharing it with everyone! Gotta get back to racin' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zallow 1 Report post Posted June 30, 2012 I'm also in Canada and attempting this build. I'm fortunate enough to live very close to the US border and shop there when i need to though. I was able to buy all the pvc needed at an american Home Depot as prices in Canada ARE INDEED absolutely ridiculous. It doesn't surprise me SilverLion spent around $220 for everything. All of the pvc ended up costing me $78.66. Then i bought 2" u-bolts because they didn't have the simpson strong ties. I don't understand why a lot of places don't stock these. They're wonderful fasteners for fence posts, they should carry them. I also bought a miter box which i have almost gone through already. I honestly should've bought a miter saw instead, it's an awesome power tool to have to make straight cuts through practically anything (wood, plastic, tiles of various materials, etc) and it vacuums most of the dust away. Home depot carries many different ones and the 8" or 10" Ryobi model should be more than enough for the casual DIY builder at home. I also bought 2 tubes of the same epoxy they used in the video review ( ) for $10.94. I'm not sure i'll go through both of them, but i like having more for my personal stock for future projects. Here's some pictures of my build: A big thanks to SIMUL8R for giving us the opportunity to build this type of rig and sharing his plans. *high five* 1 Kaiser of Nurburg reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 1, 2012 Well I just finished the rig and all I can say is WOW! Everyone I know is impressed with the build. Even my wife approves. Just wanna say many thanks to you Simul8r for the awesome design and sharing it with everyone! Gotta get back to racin' Pictures please, always great to see a build accomplished especially if one was wife approved Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 1, 2012 A big thanks to SIMUL8R for giving us the opportunity to build this type of rig and sharing his plans. *high five* Interesting zallow, these type of fittings you found across the border at a US Home Depot are usually in black ABS and not PVC but nevertheless it appears you made them work for you using the plans even though they are different in measurements in comparison. Also, I notice you have the left pipe of the top table sticking out at an angle (picture above), may I ask what are your plans with this type of configuration? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zallow 1 Report post Posted July 1, 2012 Right, they only had 2" sanitary tees, no straight ones. I knew right from the start that this was gonna cause me problems but i made it work. The pictures came in handy to see how much gap you really had between the fittings, since, as you mentioned, it threw me off by a good bit on the measurements. I had to get my math going for that front end and the table top. I had a previous setup with 1-1/2" ABS (that was freaking ugly) and my table top was at 22" high from the ground. So i basically tried to make everything fit so i would respect that same height for comfort. I did put an angle on the keyboard holder as i just thought it was a more comfortable fit for me if I end up using it for pc games eventually, but we'll see what happens. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimbio88 0 Report post Posted July 3, 2012 Here it is Sim once again thanks for the plans. Ive thoroughly enjoyed the rig. Awesome design Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mavictb 0 Report post Posted July 4, 2012 Here it is Sim once again thanks for the plans. Ive thoroughly enjoyed the rig. Awesome design is that spray painted or stained? looks very good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 4, 2012 Here it is Sim once again thanks for the plans. Ive thoroughly enjoyed the rig. Awesome design Nice! I can see now why the wife approves. Red always seems to capture the beauty of just about anything. I see you also made the tilt table further adjustable almost telescopical by adding additional holes, nice job. Happy racing jimbio! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supergleep 0 Report post Posted July 4, 2012 First, thanks to Simul8r for his great idea and also to everyone who's posted their versions and modifications for us all. I just re-read this entire thread and am getting ready to build my own Simul8r racing rig. In case anyone else is looking for the Simpson Strong-Ties that Simul8r used, I found some specifics on them and a link to the Home Depot website for them. Looks like you'd find them in the fencing department. http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/pgt.asp http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... reId=10051 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nvidia2349 1 Report post Posted July 6, 2012 almost done? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimbio88 0 Report post Posted July 13, 2012 My rig was spray paint candy apple red. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 14, 2012 almost done? Nice nvidia, keep em coming. I'm enjoying the updates! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 14, 2012 My rig was spray paint candy apple red. I drove a candy apple red 65 Camaro that was coupled with some chrome Cragar wheels back in the days. That ride was sweet, it turned alot of heads as well. Definately a babe magnet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted July 14, 2012 Well, as for me and during spare time I've been working on a new monitor stand out of PVC different from before. I've completed the rig more or less adding some 5.1 speakers, keyboard stand and I'm just about ready to fire up the bass shaker to see how things work together. Otherwise, I and a few of the young boys that come around here have been enjoying drifting on Grid with the PS3 for now. I'll post some pics once I get them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragracer 5 Report post Posted July 15, 2012 I drove a candy apple red 65 Camaro that was coupled with some chrome Cragar wheels back in the days. That ride was sweet, it turned alot of heads as well. Definately a babe magnet Isn't 67 the first year of the Camaro? I believe the Mustang was 64 1/2 then the Camaro followed in 67. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
