MoparMike 3 Report post Posted January 27, 2011 I have put the finishing touches on my PVC rig and wanted to share the pictures. After spending a few weeks using it to make sure all the measurements were to my liking it was time to take it apart so that the frame could be painted and floor and wheel mount could be carpeted. The frame was done in a flat black with about six coats and the carpeting is an automotive type that is soft but durable. I pulled a leather passenger seat from a 08' Accord coupe and mounted it to some carpeted 2"x4"s, and using the existing sliders it is fully adjustable and really sturdy. All of the wires from the wheel are routed through the frame for a clean look. I do plan on upgrading from the DFP to a G27 or GT2 and mounting a shifter to the side rail, but for the time being the old DFP is getting me by. Also a buttkicker is in my sights, but I am curious as to how noisy the vibration can be. I might be moving again and would not like to piss off any downstairs neighbors or shake my rig apart. Any input on that would be appreciated. Wires enter underneath the wheel mount and exit underneath the pedals. The case for the pedals was cut to lower the pedals so that my heel could rest on the floor. View from the cockpit, 46" Panasonic plasma w/ Sony and Cerwin Vega 5.1 surround. ETA: I am having issues with resizing the photos and getting them to show at the right size for this site. More are available in my Photobucket album. http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd283/mReaL360/ 1 RoadKill reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted January 28, 2011 Good job Mike, all around attention to detail and an exellent build. How's the rig performing so far in your game? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted January 28, 2011 Oh yeah back to my question for you is that aura bass shaker under the seat like a buttkicker unit? if so how well do you think it works with your pvc chassis vs a metal one. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work. Hiya dragracer, yes, the bass shaker is a lesser version of a buttkicker. Just one of the 50 watt'r ran on a 100 watt sub woof amp. Since it's attached to a the seat via the plastic rig I do feel the results quite well. I normally have the volume cranked almost half way for the game otherwise the wife is complaining I can't compare it to the buttkicker since I've never touched one but I suspect the bk would give more than you'd expect as far as realism, imo. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MoparMike 3 Report post Posted January 28, 2011 Good job Mike, all around attention to detail and an exellent build. How's the rig performing so far in your game? Thanks man. The rig has been great so far, considering when I began with a FF wheel it was clamped to a piece of shelving that just sat on two bar stools, it is the best setup I have ever used. The pedals were altered and moved further towards the floor to cut down on the strain for my ankles from being at such a steep angle. I didn't really notice how much I had tailored it to my dimensions until I let a buddy hop in for a few laps and he could barely reach the pedals. It fits me like a glove. As I was carpeting it I decided to cut an inch off of the wheel mount to move it further away making the wheel distance from the seat a little more realistic, but it is taking a little getting used to. Thanks again for putting up the plans. I have been lurking this site, and others, for well over a year and a half looking at cockpits and rigs trying to make up my mind on what I wanted. Since all are mail order, and shelling out that kind of money for a product you can't test put me off, the DIY route was appealing. I work as a contractor and have built things my whole life practically so it didn't take long for me to see what you had done before my truck was headed to Home Depot. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragracer 5 Report post Posted January 28, 2011 Thanks, I hope the wife dont mind too much since she took my man cave and turned it into her gym and I got stuck with her old gym room as my new smaller man cave, but it should be plenty big for a simrig or two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted January 31, 2011 Bought all the pvc today to build this rig. Gonna start working on it tomorrow! Thanks for the design simul8r! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted January 31, 2011 I read your lumenlab thread. What is the point of thourghly cleaning the PVC? I understanding standing it for primer glue and paint but why should I do such a thorough washing? Like putting it in the dishwasher and washing it. It just seems like overkill to me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MoparMike 3 Report post Posted February 1, 2011 I read your lumenlab thread. What is the point of thourghly cleaning the PVC? I understanding standing it for primer glue and paint but why should I do such a thorough washing? Like putting it in the dishwasher and washing it. It just seems like overkill to me Cleaning the PVC pipe and fittings is to make sure that you get a good surface for the cement to get a good bond. I did not sand at all, but I did clean the areas to be glued with a rag and some diluted alcohol before gluing. I then cleaned the remaining PVC before painting so that the paint would stick properly. You don't have to go overboard with the cleaning, just make sure it is free of dust/dirt and any oils. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 1, 2011 I read your lumenlab thread. What is the point of thourghly cleaning the PVC? I understanding standing it for primer glue and paint but why should I do such a thorough washing? Like putting it in the dishwasher and washing it. It just seems like overkill to me I don't recall mentioning the use of a dishwasher when cleaning, you must of mistaken another builder who threw all his fittings into his washer when he bought them all dusty and found it convenient to clean them this way. As MoparMike mentioned, the process of cleaning the ends before gluing is done with alcohol, acetone or some kind of cleaning agent that will basically remove any grease, oils that may prevent overall adhesion. Sanding allows for a better textured surface area for the glue to set between both pieces. The process of cleaning, sanding and then cleaning again is actually redundant but is the proper way of preparing PVC/ABS fixtures in basic plumbing. In our application, you could clean just once after sanding but in my case I cleaned twice just to be sure there was no chance of my rig coming apart especially since I was adding a bass shaker. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 1, 2011 I do plan on upgrading from the DFP to a G27 or GT2 and mounting a shifter to the side rail, but for the time being the old DFP is getting me by. Also a buttkicker is in my sights, but I am curious as to how noisy the vibration can be. I might be moving again and would not like to piss off any downstairs neighbors or shake my rig apart. Any input on that would be appreciated. Hey Mike, forgot to mention. Unless, you’re on the first floor I don't think the neighbors would mind but when above I bet money you will be expecting a knock at your door. The bass shaker I'm using does reverb unfortunately well to adjacent walls and what not so I could imagine the use of a buttkicker. Just FYI. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sugarmaker 0 Report post Posted February 1, 2011 Greetings and salutations, This being my first post here i will try to follow the standards. Simul8r, I too am about to embark on an assembly of a modified version of the 2" pvc design. Though i do want more the "feel" of a cockpit i will be adding the angled support on both sides and dressing the frame in MDF. I also will have a removable extension on the right side for my PC to reside, as well as a removable eyefinity stand. The start button from the computer will be relocated to near the G27's wheel and i will find a 1" round momentary switch ( since my towers pwr switch is momentary ) and make an insert label "Start". Will have 3 CCFT for cockpit illumination, along with a switch for them also near the wheel. I am making a run to Home Depot tomorrow morning when i get home from work to start on this project. It will take some time since i have to work on my budget. Will post as the build progresses. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted February 1, 2011 I don't recall mentioning the use of a dishwasher when cleaning, you must of mistaken another builder who threw all his fittings into his washer when he bought them all dusty and found it convenient to clean them this way. As MoparMike mentioned, the process of cleaning the ends before gluing is done with alcohol, acetone or some kind of cleaning agent that will basically remove any grease, oils that may prevent overall adhesion. Sanding allows for a better textured surface area for the glue to set between both pieces. The process of cleaning, sanding and then cleaning again is actually redundant but is the proper way of preparing PVC/ABS fixtures in basic plumbing. In our application, you could clean just once after sanding but in my case I cleaned twice just to be sure there was no chance of my rig coming apart especially since I was adding a bass shaker. Thank you I am doing great but I have one question. (I just finished gluing just about everything together) How did you attach the mdf board to the base pvc(bottom and pedal portion)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 Simul8r, I too am about to embark on an assembly of a modified version of the 2" pvc design. Though i do want more the "feel" of a cockpit i will be adding the angled support on both sides and dressing the frame in MDF. Welcome Sugarmaker, just which 'angled' sides are you referring to? The pipe for which the shifter is mounted on or are you referring to the support pipe to the bottom rail? If it's the shifter pipe on both sides would make it quite difficult to climb into the pod. If it's the support pipe, well it will serve no purpose unless your planning on mounting a very heavy monitor to the front. If its just for cosmetic reasons then I guess extra fittings wouldn't hurt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you I am doing great but I have one question. (I just finished gluing just about everything together) How did you attach the mdf board to the base pvc(bottom and pedal portion)? I used #10 wood screws @ 1 1/2" shanks for the 3/4 MDF's. I used shorter versions for the 1/4. All screwed directly to the PVC. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MoparMike 3 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 Thank you I am doing great but I have one question. (I just finished gluing just about everything together) How did you attach the mdf board to the base pvc(bottom and pedal portion)? You can attach the MDF in several ways. As mine sits on top of the pipe I used 2" coarse thread drywall screws that go through the MDF and into the elbow portions of the PVC frame. They are counter sunk into the MDF and carpeting and painted so that they are hardly visible. Another way would be to use a 2" pipe strap or clamp that would wrap around the PVC and be attached to the MDF from the underside with some short screws. Be aware that this would result in metal being present on the footing of the frame and could scratch a hardwood or tile flooring if not coated in some way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sugarmaker 0 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 Welcome Sugarmaker, just which 'angled' sides are you referring to? The pipe for which the shifter is mounted on or are you referring to the support pipe to the bottom rail? If it's the shifter pipe on both sides would make it quite difficult to climb into the pod. If it's the support pipe, well it will serve no purpose unless your planning on mounting a very heavy monitor to the front. If its just for cosmetic reasons then I guess extra fittings wouldn't hurt. The support, i always have enjoyed over-engineering what i do due to being 260 lbs. Plus the eyefinity setup on a "top" Got half the pvc yesterday. Getting the tees at lowes since hdepot was out. The seat will be from JEGS racing (158$ us) eyefinity will be 3 asus 27" monitor on crossfire 6970's Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 The support, i always have enjoyed over-engineering what i do due to being 260 lbs. Plus the eyefinity setup on a "top" Got half the pvc yesterday. Getting the tees at lowes since hdepot was out. The seat will be from JEGS racing (158$ us) eyefinity will be 3 asus 27" monitor on crossfire 6970's Understood, I just got into eyefinity with 3 20's with 2 5770's crossed. I imagine 27's would be twice the experience. I developed a stand out of the same size PVC and lumber seperate from the rig incase I wanted to go with another setup like projection or in front of a standard TV. I'm curious as to how you are mounting your monitors on your planned rig. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted February 2, 2011 Here's what I have done yesterday and today! Part of the way done Just finished the frame about half an hour ago. I'm gonna paint the frame in a little pit and hope it dries quick so I can fit the boards. Sorry about the bad pictures, they were from my iPod touch 1 P_Walker reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted February 3, 2011 Floor and table top mockup before painting. First coat of paint on the frame 2 P_Walker and sly_p1 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaTaPulT 658 Report post Posted February 3, 2011 Looking good, especially in that shade of red! Bet you can't wait to give it a spin when it's completed. Take care Regards: >>>> Jack <<<< 1 Bostonbrewin reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 3, 2011 Looking good iGuitar, just something I should point out. You might find the angle of the pedal board rather steep to your liking. I would suggest mounting the front portion below the front PVC pipe instead. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
iGuitar93 3 Report post Posted February 3, 2011 okay i'll try that. thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dragracer 5 Report post Posted February 5, 2011 Mines all cut and pressed together, I am waiting on my g27 to come so I can finetune before I glue paint ect. But when I ordered it said 1-2 months out. That made me sad inside lol I was going to go with a GT3 and clubsports but the Fanatec website said the shifters were out of stock so.... maybe I should just order that too and just build another rig. the only thing is with my luck it would all show up the same day anyways not helping my wheel less racing any Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sugarmaker 0 Report post Posted February 5, 2011 Well, 90% cut and test fit. I beefed up the front area because i decided once i got my 27"s in i wanted to keep a "desktop" in front of the wheel for keyboard, mouse, bobblehead, etc.... The dashdesk(lol) will smoothe the appearance transition from wheel to screen imo. Will take pics and post as i start gluing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simul8r 114 Report post Posted February 5, 2011 Mines all cut and pressed together, I am waiting on my g27 to come so I can finetune before I glue paint ect. But when I ordered it said 1-2 months out. That made me sad inside lol I was going to go with a GT3 and clubsports but the Fanatec website said the shifters were out of stock so.... maybe I should just order that too and just build another rig. the only thing is with my luck it would all show up the same day anyways not helping my wheel less racing any Sound's like you have money to burn In any case, I'll be looking out to see what you come up with. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
