CNC Platform
The platform controller can be created from a piece of plywood using a CNC machine.
Wood panels
Using a single piece of plywood and CNC machine, follow the phases below to create the wood part of the Scrapeboard platform controller. This part is like the shell of the platform controller. Metal plates, rubber feet, hinges, wiring, and a microcontroller will be fastened to the wood to create the full controller.
CNC project
Download the ZIP archive (CRC32: B22249A6) or get the individual files from the Git repository.
The CNC project consists of a sequence of vector files, each pertaining to a phase of the project. Each phase corresponds to one bit type and depth, so each can be performed as a single, uninterrupted run of the CNC machine. Follow the phases below in sequence to create the wood panels for the platform controller.
The ZIP archive Scrapeboard_Platform_Controller_CNC.zip contains the following files.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
README.md |
File that links to this wiki page |
Scrapeboard_Platform_Controller_CNC.xcf |
GIMP project containing each run as a path |
Scrapeboard_Platform_Controller_CNC.png |
Preview of what the GIMP project looks like |
01-BOT-Screw_Channel-0.3125dpth_Router.svg |
Vector of the 1st CNC run |
02-BOT-Feet-0.1875dpth_Router.svg |
Vector of the 2nd CNC run |
03-BOT-Wires-0.1875dpth_Router.svg |
Vector of the 3rd CNC run |
04-BOT-Microcontroller-0.5dpth_Router.svg |
Vector of the 4th CNC run |
05-TOP-Pad_Inset-0.125dpth_Router.svg |
Vector of the 5th CNC run |
06-TOP-Screw_Holes-0.125bit_DrillHoles.svg |
Vector of the 6th CNC run |
07-Cut_platform_in_half.svg |
Vector of the 7th CNC run |
Screw_Holes_Drill_Guide.svg |
Vector showing the lines along which the machine screw holes are drilled |
GIMP
Open the file Scrapeboard_Platform_Controller_CNC.xcf with GIMP to view the entire project on one canvas. Each phase is included in the project as a path. The image should be 28" x 28", which is 8400px x 8400px at 300dpi.
Supplies
28" x 28"or larger CNC machine with support for SVG files28" x 28" x 3/4"high grade plywood. Sande plywood has worked well, and oak is also recommended.3/4"straight bit (smaller is OK, but the CNC runs will take longer)3/8"straight bit (no larger than 3/8", but smaller is OK)1/8"drill bit
Phases
Once the CNC machine has been started and calibrated with 28" x 28" x 3/4" plywood, follow the phases below to create the wood panels for the platform controller.
Each phase corresponds to one bit and depth, so that each can be performed by a single, uninterrupted run of the CNC machine. The project is split into phases to be run on the bottom of the platform, followed by phases to be run on the top.
Bottom
Flip the plywood along the Y-axis, and run the following phases on the underside of the controller where the microchip and wiring will be fastened.
Phase 1
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 01-BOT-Screw_Channel-0.3125dpth_Router.svg |
| Side | Bottom |
| Bit type | Straight bit |
| Bit size | 3/4" recommended |
| Depth | 3/8" |
On the bottom of the plywood, route channels for the machine screw nuts which fasten the metal plates.
Phase 2
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 02-BOT-Feet-0.1875dpth_Router.svg |
| Side | Bottom |
| Bit type | Straight bit |
| Bit size | 3/4" recommended |
| Depth | 3/16" |
Carve out areas for rubber feet.
Phase 3
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 03-BOT-Wires-0.1875dpth_Router.svg |
| Side | Bottom |
| Bit type | Straight bit |
| Bit size | 3/8" |
| Depth | 3/16" |
Route channels for wiring. The depth is same as in the previous phase, but the bit diameter is smaller because the wiring channels are relatively narrow.
Phase 4
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 04-BOT-Microcontroller-0.5dpth_Router.svg |
| Side | Bottom |
| Bit type | Router straight bit |
| Bit size | 3/4" recommended |
| Depth | 1/2" |
Route a deep area to house the Arduino microcontroller. This is the deepest channel on the platform controller.
Top
Run the following phases on the top of the controller platform, the side of the platform which players will be standing on.
Phase 1
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 05-TOP-Pad_Inset-0.125dpth_Router.svg |
| Side | Top |
| Bit type | Straight bit |
| Bit size | 3/4" recommended |
| Depth | 1/8" |
Shave a wide, thin layer of wood off four sections of the top of the platform, one section for each of the four metal plates. The metal plates will be inset in the routed off areas, so that they will be flush with the remaining cross section of wood between the plates. The depth of the inset is 1/8", corresponding to the thickness of the metal plates.
Phase 2
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 06-TOP-Screw_Holes-0.125bit_DrillHoles.svg |
| Side | Top |
| Bit type | Drill bit |
| Bit size | 1/8" |
| Depth | 1/2" |
Drill holes for machine screws that will be used for fastening the metal plates. The holes go along the perimeter of the insets from the previous phase. Corresponding channels will be routed on the underside of the plywood, so nuts can be fastened to the machine screws. The holes closest to the corners of the plywood are offset away from the corner to avoid removing wood under the plywood at the corners.
If the CNC machine can drill through the metal plate, and the metal is safely clamped to the wood, the metal can be placed on the inset, so the drill holes can precisely go through both the metal and wood.
This phase's SVG file does not show anything on screen in GIMP (unless Edit Path is selected) because there are no segments in the path, just points corresponding to the drill holes. The file Screw_Holes_Drill_Guide.svg shows the lines which the drill holes run along.
Phase 3
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| File | 07-Cut_platform_in_half.svg |
| Side | Top or bottom |
| Bit type | Jigsaw bit |
| Bit size | Small |
| Depth | 3/4" (Fully through) |
Cut the plywood into two halves along the X-axis, dividing it into the front half and back half. This allows the platform to fold along metal hinges.
If the CNC cannot be used like a saw, this step should be performed using a table saw instead. A possible alternative would be to use a thin bit and cut twice, once on the top and once on the bottom, but the bit should be extremely thin to make sure the cut doesn't reduce the size of the platform.
Mounting
The metal plates, microcontroller, wires, rubber feet, and hinges can now be fastened to the wood panels.
Metal plates
The details on how to fasten the metal plates are available in Improved Platform. However, the platform has been updated to use 1/8" thick aluminum sheet metal. Therefore, instead of countersinking the wood under the metal and pulling the metal inward, countersink the metal itself, which is now thick enough to be countersunk for the machine screws.
Microcontroller
This version of the platform controller is designed to be used with a built-in micro Arduino fastened to the underside of the plywood. The circuit is same as described in Electronics. In this version, all the components are mounted to a protoboard, which is mounted to the plywood in the channel created in bottom phase 4 and wired to the metal plates.
This is an image of an earlier prototype. In the final build, the channel is larger, and the microcontroller board is rotated 90 degrees to the right and mounted to the left side of the channel.
The USB-C port of the microcontroller is what connects to the computer running Scrapeboard. Insert a USB-C cable (to USB-A, unless the computer uses a different port) to the port and run it through the channel going out the front of the platform. The cable should be looped and clasped to the wood with small screws, otherwise it may pull out of the port during gameplay.
Wires
Use the channels created in bottom phase 3 to run four wires to the screw terminals contained on the microcontroller, one wire for each metal plate. It is recommended to use 20 gauge wire, rather than the 16 gauge wire previously used. The wires are now much shorter because they don't need to reach outside the platform. There are instructions on how to strip the wires and attach them to the metal plates in Improved Platform.
Rubber feet
Rubber feet should be fastened in the channels created in bottom phase 2, one foot in each channel, making 16 feet total. The platform folds along the X-axis, and the feet should be staggered so that when folded, each foot will fold in next to it's corresponding foot on the opposite side of the X-axis. For example, if fastening a foot in the top half of the top left channel, the foot in the bottom left channel should also be fastened to the top of the channel. This way, the feet won't collide when the platform is folded.
Hinges
Small hinges should be fastened along the X-axis on the underside of the platform, so the front half of the platform will fold onto the back half of the platform.
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|---|
| Improved Platform |