Ragtop

Beautiful! Looks great. Thats tempted me to have a go at the CMSP too, looks like a fairly simple one until you get to the display!0

Strix, take a look at this thread, there's some useful information, particularly Fael097's posts towards the end. I'm tackling the lighting panel next so I'll be with you on this rocky road! Here's a pic of my current progress BTW ;P

Looking great dude, jealous of you guys who can build Dzus rails and panels that nicely!

Some real progress! Thanks for the painting advice guys, it looks like that'll be underway tomorrow! Progress tonight has been HUGE, so I'm in a great mood! I managed to find a seat which will be an indefinite solution to an ACES II replica. I'd love to do it but I think in the long run, this is less work, more comfortable and less expensive, so I think I'll just look into covering it with some black fleece to look a little more authentic, but for now, I'm a happy camper! Next was a solution for the stick base, which came in the form of an MDF plinth for the TM:WH to sit on. I looked into extensions but I don't like the way they make the spring so loose, I'd need to increase spring strength etc which for me is a crime on such a beautifully made stick. I need to finish the floor, but that'll get put in when it all comes out for painting. I used the cabinet my PC used to live in as my monitor stand, and it also makes a great place for the pedals to sit, so again, I was lucky with the fit of that one! I can't wait to get it all painted, I think it's going to make such a huge transformation to the entire installation, so keep checking back for when that happens! But for now, as always, some images!

Thanks guys, I'll hunt down some MDF primer later on then!

How weird, I came on here to ask you a question! Haha. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to wire up switches! I was really nervous, as I've NEVER done anything like it. I literally pushed in the wires, fitted the little spade adaptors, and pushed them on. There was absolutely no setting up required for the computer to see them, and I used Helios to bind the switches to the sim. Now, my question for you! Haha. A few bits about your pits paint job. First, I assume it's all MDF? Did you prime it first? Brush or spray cans? I'm about ready to paint but I don't want the wood to absorb all the paint and go soft and get ruined, so I want to find the best way to paint it.

Thanks again Gadroc, I actually found a thread of Tigersharks' in which Fael097 covered exactly what you just said, so it looks like that'll be an easy enough job. I did consider using a common ground, of course I had to for the SPDT switch, but I decided against it for now as I'd have had to solder in order to do the earth wires. I might look into that when it gets a bit more spaghetti, but for now it's not so bad. What pot would you say is best, 100K Ohm?

Electrical Panel Wired up the electrical panel just now, and amazingly (I'm a total newbie to electronics, much like carpentry!) it works! Initially I had a problem with the switches not sending a release to the sim, as I was trying to set it directly in the DCS controls. However the ever helpful Gadroc suggested using Helios to assign the switches, which works absolutely flawlessly. I'm going to get the rest of the panels cut out now and screw them down, but this will be the only wired panel for the time being. I'd like to get the Lighting panel done but I'm going to need to figure out using potentiometers with the BU0836X. Any guidance on that one would be awesome. I need to make a decision with regards to the fuel panel, buy another Bodnar for the other side, or just use long wires under the ACES II when I build it to reach the one in the right console.

Haha the first thing I thought was, I had that chair! It's sitting right next to me, looking rather sad as my new Herman Miller snarls at it :P HOWEVER! Your idea is awesome! Looks like a truly affordable way to get a very good and comfortable flying position! Kudos to you sir :)

I don't do that personally, but Bootcamp installs all the typical USB drivers, so it stands to reason that you'll have no problems.

I'm not the sort of person who just posts things for the sake of it, and as much as this thread is primarily a commendation, I'd like it to serve a small purpose. Before I ordered my BU0836x I was a little skeptical because I had heard a lot of people saying "Leo Bodnar doesn't reply to emails, I've been left in the dark" etc etc. Understandably I was a little apprehensive about sending off fifty quid of my hard earned to a man who seemed to be a ghost :P Please, DO NOT feel apprehensive. I ordered mine yesterday at 1PM, and it arrived while I was at work today. Thats 24 hours to post something halfway down the country. In summary, I'd like to simply post compliments here to Leo Bodnar for his amazing BU0836X, his incredible service and hopefully to put any apprehension out of the minds of prospective buyers. Now, just to figure it out :P

Progress is a little slow at the moment! I've been too lazy haha. I'm going to go and get some more wood this afternoon to finish off the blank panels and sides, and the consoles will then be ready for paint! I also ordered my Leo Bodnar board just now too, so I'll be able to start with wiring some panels up!

Haha I couldn't comment first hand, all of this gear is vintage! :P It's a shame when good brand names go downhill, seems all too common nowadays. Definitely agree on the will to build part, unless you're in the right frame of mind it's very easy to make silly but costly mistakes!

Emmer - "PRIVATE PILES! YOU ARE A DISGUSTING FAT BODY!" :P

Grayson; My toggle switches I got at Maplin Electronics, they were a little pricier than I would have liked (£2.49 each) but they're built well, so I guess its buy high, buy once. The tools I have been using are modest but doing a fine job. The real go to's for me have been and old Black and Decker jigsaw of my dads, which I think is a LOT older than I am! Also his B&D power drill has been very useful for starting off my inside edge jigsaw cuts. Funnily enough just now my GF and I were saying that the thing I absolutely couldn't have done without are the two ancient G Clamps I've been using alongside my dads workmate stand. I've gotta say, Black and Decker stuff is top shelf, in both quality and reliability, all the tools I'm using have been in his shed since he was my age! Strix; A good suggestion and one I've considered, however I don't like the nuts showing through, I wanted to cover them, like the real A-10 panels. I'm still toying with different designs so it remains to be seen where I settle.

Yeah I am using MDF, but I think I might try 3mm plywood instead, you're right, 6mm for the top panel is a little thick, the switches don't protrude as much as I'd have liked.

Looking great! You're done a real service for the DCS community Dimebug, you should be proud. :thumb up: Strix thats some awesome progress! I've got one panel half done in my build thread haha, yours has come along very quickly! What USB board have you used, does it work well with potentiometers?

I use it as a PDF in iBooks, and it's very comfortable. I have a 3GS and while I think the 4 would be a better experience, the 3GS is still very usable. At the end of the day why not just try it? The app is free and it'll take you 2 minutes to sync it over and have a go.

Thanks a lot guys. Deadman that's very useful info, thanks. It'll be a long way off before I tackle anything as intricate as the CDU. But when I do, I'll bear that in mind. Thanks again.

Good Progress! Today has been a productive one! Lots completed and a real step forward in the progress of the consoles. First I made a cover for the Dzus rails, for a number of reasons. The first being that I needed to space the panels up a little bit higher to be flush with the throttle, as I wanted all my panels to be the same height. The second reason was to allow me to have a flush surface to mount my panels on. The softwood rails were ok but not completely flat in places, but this is a perfectly angled surface meaning I'll have no wobbly corners when I build and fit more panels. Next I went out and bit the bullet on some switches, a little pricey, but they are perfect for the job, so I guess I'll be happy in the long run. I measured up a panel and got drawing, then cutting. I also cut a top panel which will have all the labels and so on, once I figure a way to get them on there accurately! The stacked height of each piece works out exactly so each panel will be the same height, which is nice! The one thing that did frustrate me a little is that the switches weren't quite as tall as I'd hoped, so they don't quite reach through the top cover. In the future I'll look at making a 2-3mm acrylic cover instead, which will eliminate this problem. Tomorrow I'll give the panels a lick of paint which I think will really make the difference. I need to finish the side cover for the consoles and they'll be ready for some grey coat aswell. Anyway, less words, more pictures!

Dzus rails completed I managed to get my Dzus rails sorted this afternoon, I still need to plane the outside edges, then the next step is to start working out measurements for panels! I'll be doing some research on that tonight so if anyone can throw any useful numbers my way that'd be great, but of course I'll be searching around here aswell.

That thing is a work of art, the skill of people on here never ceases to amaze me!

It'd definitely be a help for me, although my panels will not be to the mm, your dimensions will give me a great idea of how to scale to fit my own pit.

FINALLY figured out a system for my pseudo-Dzus rails, I just need to plane the angle into the angled edge so panels sit flat on it. This system gives me 16mm to play with for the panels, which means I can make both a switch panel and a top panel with the markings and cutouts on which will look much closer to the real deal. My challenge now is finding the right switches for the right price. I need full size toggles, like the TM:WH has in it, but I'm struggling to find them for under £2-3/$3-5, which seems a little steep to me. UK guys my ears and eyes are open if you can help!

I've managed to find a few useful bits based on the sizes, some of which is yours, so thanks a lot for the research you've already done. It's a big help to the community. I'd still like to know the manufacturer of the TM:WH toggles, I can't seem to find them anywhere on the internet!