EtherDragon
12-05-2007, 08:56 AM
First a disclamer - This fix will probably VOID YOUR MANUFACTURER'S WARANTEE because it physically alters the pedal. (Although only slightly)
Still - carying out this fix for the kick pedal is done AT YOUR OWN RISK. And I should also mention that this fix must be performed BEFORE the pedal breaks.
History:
I've had Rock Band for about a week. I play the drum part and have been generally careful with the pedal, knowing that it has had reports of cracking and breaking at the base near the lever pin.
Well, I noticed the tell-tale crack of a peadal beginning to fail. So I figured I would work up a fix for it that wouldn't be too intrusive.
Now - The good news. This fix produces a rock solid kick pedal that will last for a very long time. And it only alters the pedal slightly by introducing two screw size holes in the foot pedal.
Parts - You need a 12" x 6" (or so) peice of 1/4" 3-ply wood.
Two nuts, bolts and washers. The bolts need to be long enough to get through the plywood, the plastic and the washer with enough at the end for the nut to seet properly.
A drill, big enough to pre-drill the bolt hole. (I used my Riobi 18v hand drill)
A piece of paper, a pencil and some scisors
A handsaw. (I used my Riobi 18v reciprocating hand-saw)
A sanding block. (I used my Riobi 18v circular hand sander)
Directions -
1. Trace around the foot-pedal using the paper and pencil then cut out the patern.
2. Trace the patern onto the plywood. IMPORTANT! Make sure you trace the patern so that the toe and heel line up with the grain of the outer plyes! (Wood is stronger along the grain)
3. Cut the plywood with the handsaw to the shape traced from the patern.
4. Sand the plywood down and pay special attention to the edges. AVOID INJURY - sand the whole thing good! Splinters in your foot SUCK! (I'm a bare-foot drummer kind of guy)
5. Place the plywood cutout onto the platic foot pedal and turn the whole thing over (The foot pedal mechanism should now be upside down with the plywood cutout on a flat surface.
6. Use the drill to drill though the heel of the plastic and plywood.
7. Secure the plywood to the plastic with the bolt-washer and nut. Seet the screw firmly into the wood. (The washer is there to prevent further strain on the plastic.)
8. Turn the whole thing right side up.
9. CAREFULLY drill the toe of the plywood through the plastic. (You don't want to punchture the sensor assemply.)
10. Secure the toe with the bolt, washer and nut. Again, seet the screw firmly into the wood.
11. Plug in and rock out!
If I had a digital camera handy, I whould show you pictures...
How it works! - The reason this fix works so well is that the force of foot pressure no longer gets transfered to the weekest point of the pedal - the thin part halfway between the spring and heel pin. The wood bridges the force and transfers it to the rubber stoppers and the heel pin directly. Any wood flexing is transfered to the entire pedal - which as a whole can handle it no problem.
Lastly, this fix can be applied to a new pedal to ensure that it lasts for a long time.
Parts about $4, as long as you already own (or have access to) the tools.
Again - THIS FIX WILL PROBABLY VOID YOUR MANUFACTURERS WARANTEE! SO EXECUTE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Still - carying out this fix for the kick pedal is done AT YOUR OWN RISK. And I should also mention that this fix must be performed BEFORE the pedal breaks.
History:
I've had Rock Band for about a week. I play the drum part and have been generally careful with the pedal, knowing that it has had reports of cracking and breaking at the base near the lever pin.
Well, I noticed the tell-tale crack of a peadal beginning to fail. So I figured I would work up a fix for it that wouldn't be too intrusive.
Now - The good news. This fix produces a rock solid kick pedal that will last for a very long time. And it only alters the pedal slightly by introducing two screw size holes in the foot pedal.
Parts - You need a 12" x 6" (or so) peice of 1/4" 3-ply wood.
Two nuts, bolts and washers. The bolts need to be long enough to get through the plywood, the plastic and the washer with enough at the end for the nut to seet properly.
A drill, big enough to pre-drill the bolt hole. (I used my Riobi 18v hand drill)
A piece of paper, a pencil and some scisors
A handsaw. (I used my Riobi 18v reciprocating hand-saw)
A sanding block. (I used my Riobi 18v circular hand sander)
Directions -
1. Trace around the foot-pedal using the paper and pencil then cut out the patern.
2. Trace the patern onto the plywood. IMPORTANT! Make sure you trace the patern so that the toe and heel line up with the grain of the outer plyes! (Wood is stronger along the grain)
3. Cut the plywood with the handsaw to the shape traced from the patern.
4. Sand the plywood down and pay special attention to the edges. AVOID INJURY - sand the whole thing good! Splinters in your foot SUCK! (I'm a bare-foot drummer kind of guy)
5. Place the plywood cutout onto the platic foot pedal and turn the whole thing over (The foot pedal mechanism should now be upside down with the plywood cutout on a flat surface.
6. Use the drill to drill though the heel of the plastic and plywood.
7. Secure the plywood to the plastic with the bolt-washer and nut. Seet the screw firmly into the wood. (The washer is there to prevent further strain on the plastic.)
8. Turn the whole thing right side up.
9. CAREFULLY drill the toe of the plywood through the plastic. (You don't want to punchture the sensor assemply.)
10. Secure the toe with the bolt, washer and nut. Again, seet the screw firmly into the wood.
11. Plug in and rock out!
If I had a digital camera handy, I whould show you pictures...
How it works! - The reason this fix works so well is that the force of foot pressure no longer gets transfered to the weekest point of the pedal - the thin part halfway between the spring and heel pin. The wood bridges the force and transfers it to the rubber stoppers and the heel pin directly. Any wood flexing is transfered to the entire pedal - which as a whole can handle it no problem.
Lastly, this fix can be applied to a new pedal to ensure that it lasts for a long time.
Parts about $4, as long as you already own (or have access to) the tools.
Again - THIS FIX WILL PROBABLY VOID YOUR MANUFACTURERS WARANTEE! SO EXECUTE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
