SIMUL8R Mark II PVC plans - bottom of pg #7, donations accepted 53 53

[simul8r 114]

Just want to post some improvements that I have made to my rig. I recently got a G27 and also wanted to have the mouse and keyboard on a more comfortable place for me. Given the space constraint on my left side of the room I had to put them on the top right part. I decided to then place the keyboard below the steering wheel and do a two step mount on the right for the shifter and the mouse. This is the final product of it. Once spring hits the painting will begin.

Awsome Alvin, with the keyboard below do you find there is enough room for your knees when climbing in and out?

[Alvin Nieves 2]

When I was mounting it I was concerned about that,but it ended up well. The board is 13" x 21", 2 90 degree elbows and one T to hold the board in place. What controls the clearance is the pipe that goes down and the rake angle of the board. Since the seat has a rail in it it can accommodate many drivers. The pipe that goes down is 3.5 inches long and the rake angle was adjusted by trial and error. One thing though is that the keyboard cannot be seen completely from my position at least. One solution could be making the board longer, but I don't know if that would interfere too much with the clearance.

[RandyInLA 0]

Thanks for the great info, Simul8r!  I started reading this thread yesterday afternoon and picked up all the PVC parts I needed on the way home from work.      Can't wait for my G27 to arrive at work tomorrow.  Perfect timing!  Will look great sitting next to a PlaySeat Evo my co-worker has in the office!

 

For those living in the Los Angeles area, I found a bunch of car bucket seats for sale on Craig's list from mostly the same guy.  He says in his posts that he's going to have them at the Long Beach Hi Performance car swap meet this coming Sunday, Jan 27.  Sounds like it might be a great time/place to pick up a proper seat or two.  Aren't there bucket seats that pivot left/right?  Would make entering/exiting the rig easier.

 

After reading through all 24 pages, I am surprised no one has mentioned that you can buy black PVC from Home Depot?!?  I don't know if it's a new product line for them or not, but every piece I purchased at the 8801 S. La Cienega Blvd Home Depot in Inglewood, CA was matte black, not gray.  No need to sand or paint!  There were some 10' long lengths of tubing that were shiny black, but all of the connectors were matte, so I chose matte tubing for continuity.  Aside from the cutting tool I bought and the glue, the PVC totalled $64.34.  I went with the 1-1/2" variety with approx 3.5mm walls.  They seemed to have all the right black connectors and tubes in 2", 3" & 4" sizes too.  Will let you know of the 1-1/2" stability after it is finished.  The cutting tool I chose looks identical to this one but is blue, handles tubes up to 2-3/8" OD and was under $25.  (Couldn't find the exact tool on the Home Depot site)  I made a perfect test cut with zero plastic shavings mess.  Also comes with a built in reamer to smooth out the ID after cutting.  It won't hurt your wrist after making all the necessary cuts like the previously mentioned hand-held cutting tool a few pages back.  

 

I've seen mention of using the 22-degree (or was it 22.5 degree?) fittings instead of the 45-degree ones.  I saw them at the store, but that was before I read about them in the thread so I didn't pick any up.   Do people find that it puts the pedals (Logitech G27 set) at a more comfortable angle?  And about the inverted pedal setup, is that a lot better than stock, or just presents a cool factor?  If inverted, would 45-degree fittings still be preferred?

 

EDIT: I found out the next day that I had actually purchased 1-1/2" black ABS tubing and fittings, not PVC.  

Edited January 26, 2013 by RandyInLA

[RandyInLA 0]

My G27 wheel kit arrived this afternoon so I started cutting the tubing and mocking it all up.  The pipe cutter I bought is AWESOME!  Was able to cut up all the pieces with no hand/arm muscle fatigue at all.  

 

I've been tweaking the front end design a little so the wheel and pedals are adjustable without using any wood or clamps.  Was able to mount both the wheel and the shifter to 1-1/2" pipe instead of wood.  Will have pics and details after I am finished with it.  It all feels very sturdy pressed together.  Can't wait to finalize the layout and glue it all together!  Crossing my fingers I can find a decent bucket seat at the auto swap meet on Sunday.

[RandyInLA 0]

Bucket seat FAIL at the Long Beach car swap meet!  How disappointing!!!  Ended up buying a nice Drift Black PVC Leather Red Stitch Fully Reclinable Racing Seat + Slider via eBay.  It's supposed to arrive this coming Friday.  More than I wanted to pay, but at least I know it wasn't involved in a deadly crash and is bodily fluid free

 

Now that I have most of the front end glued together, I'm noticing the whole rig is light enough to move around during use.  I thought of adding sand in the tubes to weigh it down more, but maybe a little cement would be better?  ie.put just enough in to let the cement seek out the bottom most part of the tubes to lower the center of gravity, rather than filling completely with sand.  Have to wait for the seat to come in before cutting/gluing any more, so maybe it'll feel better once I have it completed.

[alexg 0]

I started building the rig though the 45degree connectors was backordered (I was told by the hardware store that I usually buy my stuff from).

 

A couple of weeks later, I was told that 45 degrees are not available for schedule 40 pvc pipes, I called several manufacturers locally and was told that they don't make 45 degree connectors for 2" schedule 40 pipes. So now I have to re-engineer the build, the only available connectors for me are elbows (90 degrees), T connector and straight couplers.

 

Can somebody tell me the height of the steering wheel mounting? (from the floor to the top pvc?)

 

I will try to build the rig with just 90 degrees and T connectors. 

[simul8r 114]

EDIT: I found out the next day that I had actually purchased 1-1/2" black ABS tubing and fittings, not PVC.  

Yeah, that's what I figured.  Same diameter but different makeup.  They don't flex as much as PVC and will shatter easier under extreme load but I've seen others use it and has worked for them.  However, the ABS fittings are not has clean looking compared to PVC.  FYI, ABS and PVC can be glued together.  Good luck.

[simul8r 114]

Now that I have most of the front end glued together, I'm noticing the whole rig is light enough to move around during use.  I thought of adding sand in the tubes to weigh it down more, but maybe a little cement would be better?  ie.put just enough in to let the cement seek out the bottom most part of the tubes to lower the center of gravity, rather than filling completely with sand.  Have to wait for the seat to come in before cutting/gluing any more, so maybe it'll feel better once I have it completed.

I suppose you can fill it up with cement but wouldn't your weight alone while sitting in it be enough?

[simul8r 114]

Can somebody tell me the height of the steering wheel mounting? (from the floor to the top pvc?)

 

I will try to build the rig with just 90 degrees and T connectors. 

From top of table to floor it's about 2 ft, good luck with the build.

[Alfalfa 1]

Been a while but I have been slowly working on a new viewing display for my rig. Here's a quick tease of what I copied from Remco Hitman's idea of super FOV using a 720p projector. Immersion is thru the roof IMO compared to my previous 3 LCD monitor setup. Once again Remco, thank you.

 

http://youtu.be/vOlCY_kXgXI

 

Dunno if I missed it... can you post a "Behind-the-scenes" shot (i.e., I want to compare your setup to Remco's, and see how big a cutout you need for the PVC rig). Thanks!

[simul8r 114]

I've been wanting to make a better vid of the setup just haven't the time.  I'll make the effort to snap some photos to show for now.

[RandyInLA 0]

... They (ABS)  don't flex as much as PVC and will shatter easier under extreme load but I've seen others use it and has worked for them.

After realizing I had ABS, the next time I was at Home Depot, I tried flexing some 1-1/2" white PVC and it seemed stronger, more brittle to me than the ABS. Maybe the walls were thicker?  Thought maybe the whole rig would be more stable in PVC. Good to know the ABS is considered stronger

 

However, the ABS fittings are not has clean looking compared to PVC.  FYI, ABS and PVC can be glued together.  Good luck.

I actually like the indentations made in the ABS fittings. Seems more pipe-like to me. My chair came in today and I absolutely love how it matches the color/texture of the ABS. Very, very pleased.

[RandyInLA 0]

I suppose you can fill it up with cement but wouldn't your weight alone while sitting in it be enough?

 

Seems my weight would keep the backend stable, but do nothing to stop the front L/R corners from lifting off the ground or tweaking the overall shape of the frontend. A co-worker stopped by and had a great suggestion. Rather than add all that weight to the frame with sand or cement, I'll lay a 3/4" piece of plywood underneath, the same shape/size as the rig, and attach the tubes to the top of the wood.  I can paint the wood black and even attach a black floor mat on top of it.  I've seen other DYI rigs that had plywood connected on top of the pipes, but I think I'll like seeing the pipes on top of the wood instead.

[RandyInLA 0]

My racing seat arrived today! Very excited to move forward on this project. The sliding rails came with no instructions as to which way each rail sits, where they attach (entire bottom of seat is covered in cloth and fake leather) or what these four 1/2" thick washer-like thingies are for? Not sure if these photos are viewable from my FB page or not, but thought I'd link to them anyway. This $85 seat was purchased from ebay seller: arksen-motor. They have a few different styles to choose from. I chose this one because the red stitching matches the touches of red on my G27 controls.

After mounting my wheel and actually trying to race with it, I found it very rock solid when pushed forward (does not rotate around the pipe) or pulled left/right. However, the slightest pull towards me and the wheel came off into my lap. I went back to Home Depot and found some 8" x 5" metal plates right next to the ABS pipes and was able to attach one of those to the pipe and then the wheel on top of that. I drilled out two holes in the metal plate and secured the farside of the wheel to it with two M6x1x20mm bolts. (need to find those same bolts but with handles for easy disassembly) End result: the wheel is now rigidly attached directly to the 1-1/2" pipe and will not budge! I think this is an advantage over the larger pipe sizes; Can mount the wheel directly to the pipe, resulting in a cleaner looking attachment. I plan on taking pics of how I mounted it soon.

Still working out how to attach the pedals. I changed the front end design so the pipes take up the same shape/size as the pedals and are thus hidden beneath the pedals. But now the 6mm bolt holes are directly above the pipes. And not in the center of them, but just to the inside edges. I want to make multiple holes in whatever mounting bracket I end up with so I can remount the pedals towards the driver or away for different users. Will try to mount some metal straps to the pipes and attach the pedals to the straps. The pipes will be taking the brunt of the force, with the straps simply holding the pedals against the pipes. ie.they won't have to be too thick to withstand foot pressure.

So far, I'm up to $149 for the seat and ABS! That's a good $200 cheaper than the cheapest Playseat on sale! VERY happy!

[simul8r 114]

Ok, here's a few quick shots of my setup so far ala super fov.  I'm planning to have the screen stand by itself and not planted on top of the rig's table since it tends to shake while gaming.

 

 

[Alfalfa 1]

Duuuude... even your projector ceiling mount is PVC!!! LOL!

 

Thanks very much for the pics! Much (MUCH) appreciated!

[simul8r 114]

DIY to the bone, baby.     Had extra parts and other scraps collected, so, made use of them.

[simul8r 114]

@RandyinLA - What I was trying to convey about the comparison of ABS vs PVC is that PVC is more forgiving.  If you take both types of pipes and tried crushing the two - the ABS will shatter first before the PVC.  PVC offers more of a flex and therefore forgiving that's why it's suited for pressurized usage compared to ABS.  In otherwords water pressures vs sewage drainage.  Also, the PVC fittings have more of a deeper fit compared to ABS, if I remembered ABS has half an inch depth compared to the PVC 3/4 inch.  Therefore more connective surface area for a stronger, tighter connection especially while glueing.

 

I think the plywood idea is best vs filling up the pipes with cement as you quoted.  Under the pipes instead of above since this will still provide that 1-1/2 inch of leg room.

 

Thats a nice looking seat you have there, looking forward to see how you mount it.

[Talacadac 0]

Hey everyone!  I am new here and have been inspired to build a Mark II rig...A very special thanks to you Simul8r!  I have all of my parts and am going to start today.  As others from Canada can attest, the supplies up here ar much more expensive.  The T connectors are $4.50-$5.00 each and the pipe can run you $1.80 - $2.00 a foot!  I was lucky enough to find the pipe for $12/10ft.  I will be at $180 for supplies and then a seat.  I could have grabed a dodgy one for $20...however I decided to splurge on a nice bucket from a civic I believe...it was $100.  Will post some pics and perhaps some video links...has anyone else had luck with added security devices for their rig?...as in something nice for their wife?...She just may want to kill me when this turns up in the basement!

[RandyInLA 0]

@RandyinLA - What I was trying to convey about the comparison of ABS vs PVC is that PVC is more forgiving.  If you take both types of pipes and tried crushing the two - the ABS will shatter first before the PVC.  PVC offers more of a flex and therefore forgiving that's why it's suited for pressurized usage compared to ABS.  In otherwords water pressures vs sewage drainage.  Also, the PVC fittings have more of a deeper fit compared to ABS, if I remembered ABS has half an inch depth compared to the PVC 3/4 inch.  Therefore more connective surface area for a stronger, tighter connection especially while glueing.

There are a few things I'd like to do differently if I ever make another one. I made a few mistakes when gluing and added two extra T-connectors where I didn't want them. DOH! Can't simply cut them off because they are butted up against another connector, hence, nothing would be left to glue another tube to. If I do build another one, I'll have a go at PVC. I must say, though, it is very solid, now that I've added the two long side tubes. I went with one on the left side as well as the right (the one the shifter mounts to).  I didn't use glue to connect those two tubes.  I drilled holes in the connectors and tapped them out for 6mm bolts.  I ordered a bunch of 6mm bolts with handles on them so I can easily connect/disconnect the side tubes.  This is mostly for ease of storage, taking up less space when not in use.  It's easy to get in and out of because the seat pivots forward/backward on its base and can lean all the way back to the floor.

 

I think the plywood idea is best vs filling up the pipes with cement as you quoted.  Under the pipes instead of above since this will still provide that 1-1/2 inch of leg room.

 

The cement idea was more of a joke I'm off to Home Depot today to have them cut me the basic size/shape 3/4" plywood I need. I'll then use a jig saw to round the corners. I'm building all of this in my cubicle at work.

 

 

Thats a nice looking seat you have there, looking forward to see how you mount it.

Thanks! Instead of tubes that go across the seat, L to R, I made them go long-ways, from F to B. Then I only connected the back lower tube to the main frame. This allows me to tilt the chair a little back while driving and all the way back for storing under my cubicle desk. Originally, I envisioned laying the seat all the way forward for storing, but the back doesn't lean forward/backward freely, like most seats. It has a big knob on the L & R that I have to rotate to adjust the back angle. Also, it doesn't go all the way forward because of the side protrusions. They bump into one another when trying to collapse forward.

Only one of the rails that came with the chair would slide. The other one seemed to have sand inside or had a broken piece of metal stuck in ti. Tried fixing it, but those buggers are pretty tightly made and there isn't any room to see what might be going wrong on the inside. So I ended up removing them and, for the time being, I can't slide the seats back and forth like I wanted. The tilting is a blast though! I can see myself taking a nap or two in that thing.

[simul8r 114]

@ Talacadac - You're welcome and I hear 'red' is a good color as a wife appreciation factor.

 

@ RandyInLA - Wait a minute....in your cubical at work?  Are they hiring?....lol

[RandyInLA 0]

Yes.  In my cubicle at work  This is the main reason I had to make the pedals, wheel & seat adjustable, so I could kind of fold it up and slide it under one side of my desk when not in use.

I mounted it to the 3/4" plywood and semi-attached the pedals over the weekend so I could finally test it with F1 & GT5.  I'm not sure the wood added that much stability to justify the added weight.  Was a bit of a huff-n-puff to push it all the way to the other side of the building so I could race split screen against my co-worker and his Playseat.  Even though he smoked me in every single race, I think mine looks cooler. 

 

Will take some pictures soon.  I'm still waiting on the M6x1 bolts with knobs to arrive and there are a few parts I have to dremel off before I consider it finished.  Thinking about picking up a 5-point black harness with red text/logo of some sort.  They seem pretty cheap on ebay.  Oh, yeah, and I have to add a cup holder! 

[Talacadac 0]

Well...here it is. No paint, lots of screws...and surprisingly my wife and daughter think it is very cool...they both want to give it a go! Thanks again Simul8r for the plans...without them this would not have happened.

 

 

[simul8r 114]

@Talacadac - You're welcome! Good job and I see you went with the solid table wheel mount.  How's it working so far for you and the family so far?

[cookie 4]

Hi guys here is my take on SIMUL8R PVC design, with modifications for the 3 monitors , I am running simvibe  chassis mode and 4 ButtKicker mini , the design is very sturdy and turned out very neat .