So today I figured I’d tackle this weird idea bouncing in my head for weeks – making a dance pad controller outta scrap wood and random junk. Pad Dancing Engineer Board Timber? Yeah, sounds fancy, but honestly, it’s just me messing around in the garage again. Let’s break down how this chaos went down.
The “Why the Heck Not?” Phase
Saw some old pressure-sensitive pads from a busted treadmill dumped near my alley last Tuesday. Brain immediately went: “Dance pad. Gotta make a dance pad.” Because clearly, I needed another project collecting dust. Grabbed the pads before the trash truck did – free parts, best parts.
Dumpster Diving & Garage Raiding
Scrounged around like a raccoon:
- Found warped plywood under the workbench – perfect for the base, warpedness adds “character”.
- Stole my kid’s abandoned foam puzzle mat. Sorry kiddo, dad’s gotta boogie.
- Ripped sensors & wires from the treadmill pads. Looked like spaghetti after a hurricane.
- Duct tape. Always duct tape.
The “This Looks Like Crap” Assembly
Laid the foam tiles on the plywood – instant cushion. Cut holes roughly where the arrows should be. Jammed the treadmill sensors underneath. Wiring looked like a toddler scribbled with red and black markers. Sweated bullets trying to connect USB encoder boards salvaged from last year’s keyboard project. Taped everything down like my life depended on it. Spoiler: it did. Looked like Frankenstein’s ugly cousin.
Testing & Nearly Electrocuting Myself
Plugged the USB mess into my laptop. Prayed. Windows made that angry “device malfunctioned” sound. Panic-sweat achieved. Dug out the multimeter – traced a crossed wire near the “Down” arrow. Fixed it with more tape and sheer willpower. Plugged back in. No smoke! Opened a rhythm game, stomped on the “Up” arrow… and it freaking worked! Mostly. Sensitivity was terrible unless I jumped like a maniac.
Final Frankenstein Masterpiece
Sanded the plywood edges so I wouldn’t get splinters mid-cha-cha. Glued cheap laminate arrows cut from a plastic folder on top. Added grip tape scraps so I wouldn’t faceplant. Final result? An ugly, wobbly dance pad that kinda-sorta functions if you stomp hard enough. But hey – I made it! Zero budget, all trash, pure ridiculous satisfaction. My feet hurt, my back aches, but dang it… I pad danced on timber.
