Cheapskate scrapwood pedalboard

[neepheid]

Ahh well, now that I use more than two pedals when I'm out giggling, I decided to sort out a pedalboard.  I could buy one, of course, but I found some scrap wood lying around and thought "something to do over the holidays?"

 

 

So of course I make things more complicated for myself than necessary and make angled side pieces.  Just put my power supply on one of the side pieces to mark the height then eyeballed the angle to cut.  Used a scrap piece of wood as a guide and got sawing...

 

 

Then I used the cut piece as a guide to cut a copy...

 

 

There's a slight generational difference between copies (like less than a mm) but it's close enough for amateur hour/school woodwork class, so I put it together and it actually sits flat, no rocking!

 

 

 

I'm not glueing/screwing it together yet - am going to make holes (or slots) in the top for the power leads to come through first.  That's enough for one evening.  More news when it comes!

[MoonBassAlpha]

I'm sure it will rock when you're gigging!

[TheGreek]

I've seen pedal boards that are hard to distinguish from palettes. 

Whatever you build can't be any worse than some of those examples. 

[neepheid]

3 hours ago, TheGreek said:

I've seen pedal boards that are hard to distinguish from palettes. 

Whatever you build can't be any worse than some of those examples. 

 

Thank you for that overwhelming endorsement of my dubious practical talents!

[rwillett]

Looks fine to me  all that matters is that you are happy with it  

[neepheid]

I effin' hate plunge routers.  I hate my cheapo one even more - no soft start so it just goes from zero to finger removal in about half a second and jerks the whole machine so you need to get in position and switch it on before you push it down.

 

Anyway, as usual it took longer to prepare the router (needed oiled as the plunger mechanism was sticking, then inserting and tightening up the cutter, then offering up the piece and setting the depth), and prepare to cut (clamping straight edge as a fence to push the router along, clamping to the workbench, checking with the router off to see everything lines up).  Then the cut's done in about a minute.  Then tidying up, dismantling, putting stuff away.

 

 

 

Slot's a bit wonky, haven't done any routing in ages so the start's a bit bobbly and I hit a knot near the end which also put the router off slightly but TL:DR, it's done...

 

 

 

Guess I'm gonna screw and glue the end pieces on now...

[SpondonBassed]

That looks pretty good to me.

[neepheid]

A little more progress today - the sides are mounted onto the top.  I'm sure you don't need walked through how to drill and countersink some holes, but I did come up with some clamping gymnastics to keep the sides in place while I drilled the pilot holes...

 

 

 

Used an offcut from when I made the sides to create a flat opposing side for the clamp to grip.  Had to slide them along because my clamps aren't big enough to take the full height.

 

Anyway, pilot holes successfully drilled and screws tightened up and...

 

 

 

 

 

I was going to glue and screw the sides on but honestly with three screws per side it feels plenty solid as is.

So next thing is deciding on a finish (probably just blast it with a few coats of clear lacquer that I already have), maybe doing a back panel to hide the gubbins, and getting hold of some low profile feet or something else non slip.  Got my velcro tape this afternoon so we're almost there.

[itu]

But that looks like it will be showed in some woodworking fair! In other words, one really good looking board.

[neepheid]

Well, I managed to get off my butt and spray a couple of coats of clear lacquer on it today.  Also ordered some low profile rubber feet.  I contemplated going to have a rake at B&Q but found exactly what I was wanting (18mm diameter, 5mm high, screw in rubber feet) on eBay so I just pounced on them.  Pics later when the lacquer's touch dry.

 

 

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, neepheid said:

I contemplated going to have a rake at B&Q

 

Glad you didn't.  Rakes can be problematic.

 

 

Edited January 2, 2024 by SpondonBassed

[neepheid]

Oh, sorry, NE Scotland colloquialism/dialect.  A "rake" means a "rummage" or "look around for something".

 

"Can I borrow your compressor pedal?"

"Ach, I'm nae sure far I pit it, I'll hae a rake and let you know"

[fleabag]

Welcome to the club

 

[neepheid]

Four coats of lacquer on.  That'll do, it's not a piano.

 

 

I'll let it cure for a bit before doing velcro tape.

[rwillett]

It looks good and you still have the same number of fingers , thumbs and appendages* so I’d chalk that up as a success  

 

Rob 

 

(*I am making a certain assumption about fingers, thumbs and appendages)

[neepheid]

1 minute ago, rwillett said:

It looks good and you still have the same number of fingers , thumbs and appendages* so I’d chalk that up as a success  

 

Rob 

 

(*I am making a certain assumption about fingers, thumbs and appendages)

 

Just counted them now - yup, all twelve fingers are still there.

 

What?

 

[PaulThePlug]

Very nice...

Need to get my 'aris in to gear and sort something for this 'little' lot...

The slot makes all the difference... mine might have to have bit holes for the power plugs and connecting leads as i don't have a router...

I think it will look kinda cool with such diddy pedals

Edited January 3, 2024 by PaulThePlug

[rushbo]

26 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said:

I think it will look kinda cool with such diddy pedals

 

The Nebulous pedal is just dropping off to sleep, but the Future Chorus pedal is thinking about the lovely board that Mr ThePlug is going to make for them.

[PaulThePlug]

Stay Tuned...

[neepheid]

Well, that's it done, rubber feet arrived so I made a final push today.

 

First step, feet on:

 

 

Then back inside to get things mounted up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that's basically it!  There are a couple of tweaks I'd like to make - the white interconnect between the comp and the Monomyth is nonsense too long, will get a shorter one at some point.  Also have an idea to make a back panel for it, just to hide my wires etc. (although that beam of red light coming out the top of it from the PSU is quite cool also!)

 

There's probably room to add a mini/slimline pedal should I ever need to and the PSU has two spare ports so there is a little scope for future expansion.  Got a bag coming for it (ordered last year, before anyone asks).  All in all, I'm pretty pleased!  Also the Monomyth has a headphone out, so I have even less excuse now not to give my basses a random noodle.

Edited January 5, 2024 by neepheid

[neepheid]

As a little Brucey bonus, I made a battery cover for my compressor pedal - to stop it rocking when the footswitch is pressed...

 

 

 

Ply, bit of sawing, bit of chiselling, found an M3 machine screw, hacked it down to size, job done!

[PaulThePlug]

Lacquer has warmed the wood up a treat... or was that the utterly buttery?

[rOB]

Great work.

[Chienmortbb]

Nice work. Mine is half finished, although it has done oodles of gigs.

[neepheid]

Heh, found a piece of 5mm hardwood ply in the shed.  Back panel is go!

 

 

 

Now, about that logo.  I thought of doing a cheeky sendup of a famous logo and I decided upon doing something Moog-like.  Found a font that someone had created in the sprit of the Moog logo, asked for permission to use it, got it, then got to work using it to create this:

 

 

How will I get this onto a piece of ply?  With another cheapskate move - the old homemade carbon paper technique - scribble f loads of pencil on the back, tape it down then trace over it with a pen...

 

 

 

Admittedly, it was super faint so I had to go over it again with the pencil to have a useable guide.  Next question - what now?  Paint?  Sharpie?  Scrub this off and create a waterslide decal?  In the end I did none of those things and went back to a craft I used to partake of as a child - woodburning.

 

First pass with the big round tip on the iron yielded this:

 

 

Then moved to the fine tip for the corners and the little musical note thing inside the 'p'.

 

 

I'm really pleased with how that came out!  Time for a wee mockup (some paper straws keeping it up where it will be when attached)

 

 

 

That turned out way better than I anticipated.  Really pleased with it.  All that's left to do is lacquer the back panel then attach it.  Will probably use wee panel pins and just nail it on, like the backing panel on an Ikea wardrobe.