1 The screws used to attach the Lucite panels were found at a local hardware store. They are called TR WSH NEEDLE PT. Sheet Metal Screws, Size 8 x 1 1/4" ($4 for a box of 100). I thread a 3/8" length of "Super Blue Silicon Fuel Tubing" which I found at a local Hobby Shop for $1 per foot on to each screw. The outside diameter of the tubing is 1/4". You could also use generic rubber tubing from your local hardware store. It is cheaper but more rigid and does not provide as much cushion, but will work if you can't get the silicon tubing.
Update (12/15/2005): After a lot of barefoot use, I noticed that the salt from the sweaty bare feet causes a little oxidation to occur on the screw heads. Not a big deal really, but it detracts a little since the chrome finish on the rest of the pad has kept it's shine. I could not find this type of screw in stainless steel so I have tried putting a few coats of clear spray paint on the screw heads to keep them shiny. Hopefully it will work well. I do this by sticking the 24 screws tightly together in a piece of styrofoam and spraying the heads a few times.
2. Remove the protective coating from the top of the bottom piece of Lucite and place your graphic on top of it. Prior to this I have trimmed the graphic to fit and used a hole punch to put holes in the corners where the screws will go. Remove the coating from the bottom side of the top piece of Lucite and place that on top of the graphic. Put a very small amount of lubricant (I use dishwashing liquid) on the outside of the tubing and drive the screws in until they are just about 1/8" shy of touching the Lucite. The purpose of the lubricant is to help the tubing move down though the holes in the Lucite. Do not use much at all as the excess will just collect dirt. I would not recommend oil. If the tubing mushrooms against the screw head on the way down, move the screw in and out slightly to help the tubing slide down inside the holes. The idea is for the tubing to be sitting on the screw exactly as it started out in the picture in Step 1.
3. Remove the protective coating.
4. Finish screwing each of the 4 screws down so they are just contacting the Lucite. I recommend keeping them here (just enough to keep the Lucite down snug against the mouse pad but not enough to compress the pad. After stomping on the pad for a few days, if it is not sensitive enough for you, you can tighten the screws to compress the mouse pad a little. This moves the metal contacts closer together and increases the sensitivity. The switch pads may be a little stiff at first but should loosen up quickly after use.
Update (12/15/2005): Don't crank the screws down too tight or you might crack the lucite.
5. Repeat the above process with each of the remaining switch pads.
6. The controller I use is the Mad Catz Retro available at Best Buy for $4.99. There is not much room inside so not recommended for first time solderers, but it mounts well to the front of the pad and looks nice. To break into the controller, insert a sharp knife under the face, along an edge (after removing the two bottom knobs) and gently pry it up. It is held on with 2 sided tape.
Update: I just built a couple more of these pads and could no longer find the Mad Catz Retro controllers (12/15/2005). Instead, I decided to cannibalize a Mad Catz Beatpad and use the controller off it. They cost $20, so it is a little more expensive but much easier to work with. See Step 11 for details.
7. The controller is held together with 6 screws on the top. The circuit board is fastened inside with an additional 2 screws. This and the previous picture were actually taken after I reassembled the controller and was testing it out - that's why the blue arrow lights are on. Obviously you will want to make sure the controller us unplugged while you are working with the insides.
8. This picture is upside down (arrow buttons are on the right). I use the wire from a telephone wire because they are smaller than the Cat 5 and are multi-stranded and easier to work with. I solder onto the connections and route the wire in such a way that the buttons will still work when I put the controller back together. This is not terribly important but it helps to troubleshoot if something doesn't work right. The seventh connection (common wire) is attached to a point on the underside of the board.
9. A close-up pic of the arrow connections. NOTE: If you use this controller, you will find a clear, plastic, X-shaped piece that holds part of the button assembly to the circuit board. You will need to remove it to expose the solder points on the X and O buttons. If it breaks during removal, it's no big deal and is not required when you reassemble the controller. I was able to gently pry it off and re-use it. I believe it's only purpose is to diffuse the light from the 4 LEDs that help light up the buttons.
10. All wires are spliced to the Cat 5 wires coming out of the pad. They are then covered with shrink-wrap tubing and the controller is reassembled. If you mount the controller to the frame as shown here, make sure the screws don't go down into the channel that the wires are running through.
11. Update (12/15/2005): Here is a pic of the MatCatz Beatpad controller that I used in place of the Retro. The Retro has been discontinued and it is no longer available at Best Buy for $4.99. The Beatpad costs $20 but is much easier to work with. The contacts come with a black substance on them which I cleaned off with sandpaper and steel wool so the solder would stick. There is printing on the other side of the board that indicates which controller buttons (arrows) go with each tab. I also added two buttons (red and black) to act as "Start" and "Select". They are hard to see in this pic so refer to the pics on the home page to see the buttons that I am talking about. I carefully drilled through the top and bottom casing using one of the existing channels (circled in black marker in the pic) to allow two screws to secure the assembled controller to the pad. I also had to drill a hole in the bottom casing for the wires and 2 holes in the top casing for the additional buttons.