R-Pod MKII Racing simulator (picture heavy)

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

R-Pod MKII Racing Simulator:

This is a condensed version of my build log for the R-Pod MKII. I will try and show the basic flow of the project and some of the key stages and techniques used to create the final product. It may provide some more general ideas for other home projects people have as it goes into the construction of windowed panels for more interesting project builds.

R-Pod MKII video tour:

Tools and Materials:

Materials:

Wood Strips
Backing board
Hardwood
Screws / Bolts
Seat runners
Rubber sheet
Carpet
Blackboard vinyl
Acrylic
Artwork
Cabling (power strip / USB + hub / DVI / Displayport / speaker)
Velcro
Aluminium plate, strips, edging
Mesh
Leather material
T molding
Paint and Varnish
Desk grommet
Accessories (tow hook / extinguisher / badge)
Glues (wood / epoxy / contact)
Shelf supports
LEDs
Wire Switches Connectors

Tools:

Workbench
Clamps
Router
Jigsaw
Power drill / driver
Foam roller

MKI of the R-Pod was built some years ago when I was first starting out on project builds. This was the basic style and at the time I was very happy with it:



As I completed other projects and my skills became better, I undertook to update them with better designs.

The first thing to source was a seat. I'd found the previous bucket seat I had really comfortable, much more so than a regular car seat so I bought something low / mid range - the Sparco Sprint:



As I wanted to include tactile feedback, Buttkickers and an amp were obtained (these were actually bought for me by someone who left my team at work, as a thank you!):





These were attached to a 4mm thick aluminium plate and bolted onto the underside of the seat. The result was very clear vibration sent through the metal frame of the seat.



The base that the seat would attach to was then fabricated. Channels were made to ensure sufficient clearance for the Buttkickers:



This was then covered in automotive carpet with black T-Molding used to tidy up any exposed MDF edges:



Flexible sheathing and a project box were used to tiy the cabling and visible bolts. Seat runners were also fitted to allow the seat to more fore and aft:



The base was then constructed with a slight drop included towards the front to ensure a more comfortable seating position when my feet were not resting on the pedals:




Next up was the shifter pod to be located to the side of the Rig. After a few hours of sitting and measuring, I came up with the appropriate positioning of the shifter. I then defined the design profile for it:



This was cloned twice to give 3 panels in total:



Working with the panel, I drew out the window sections I wanted to include in one of the sides:



Holes were drilled to allow the windows to be cut out with a jigsaw:



The windows were rough cut with a jigsaw:



Wooden guides were nailed to the lines which defined the windows and a flush trim router bit used to obtain a clean and straight finish:



A chamfer bit was used to create the beveled edges on the outer surface and the inside of the widow sections:



A rabbet bit was used to rout the inside of the panel to allow the materials / inlays to sit in them:



The top plate which would contain the shifter was then cut:



The window for the inner panel was then drawn and cut out:



The remaining pieces for the pod were then cut:



Internal bracing was fabricated to ensure the panels remained stable:



The outer panel is actually made from 2 pieces of MDF - one 18mm and one 12mm. The 18mm was used for the main outer section with the 12mm one used for the inner. In order to allow finishing and leave access to the windows, a further cut had to be made:



This picture shows the access to the windows from the inside:



With the cut out section back in place:



Approaching it like this allows the whole panel to be painted in isolation with the window inserts fitted later - this ensures a really nice and clean finish.

Some of the panels were then filled and sanded with Blackboard vinyl attached to them:



The panels themselves were then filled, sanded, undercoated, painted and varnished:







I designed some artwork and had it printed. This was attached to backing board and covered with 3mm cast acrylic:





Automotive mesh and ribbed rubber sheeting was inserted into the other 2 windows:



For the inside face, leather vinyl was used and hole cut out to access the mechanism on the shifter which allows the selection of sequential of H-Pattern shifting:



The whole unit was then assembled from the inside, out:



Completed shifter pod:

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

The pedal mechanism was then built. I attached these to seat runners to allow for the ability to tune the pedal setup:



The remaining carpet was fitted to the base section at this point:



I also scratch built a dead pedal for the setup (note, the rubber has not been glued in place at this point):



Next was to tackle the front of the rig. Side pieces were cut:



The wheel shelf was built with additional metal bracing used to ensure it remained taut:



Cabling (with redundancy) was run through the base:



The main wheel mount was fitted and the wheel stem bolted into place:



The insides of the front panels were covered in blackboard vinyl and t-molding fitted to the edges:





At this point, it started to resemble a racing simulator:



For a bit of a diversion, I designed a bardge fro the front and had this custom made:



A panel was made for the rear of the rig to hide the MDF sides:



Additional front panels were cut and a monitor mount (which is detachable) was made for the ultrawide monitor I intended to use:





The window sections for the front, side pieces were drawn out:



Additional pieces were cut for the Dashboard sides which extend outwards:



Similar treatment was given to these as with the shifter pod sides:



The inserts were fabricted at this time:







These were then prepared and finished:



LED lighting was fitted to various parts of the Pod:



The badge, LED lighting and a tow hook was fitted to the front:



The dashboard top plate was made and covered with leather vinyl:





The pieces for the monitor shroud were made:



Aluminium trim was used in the construction of the shroud:



The rear right seat panel was attached:



On to the dashboard ... A button box was purchased an broken down:



Dashboard fascia panels were cut and covered in real carbon fibre. 4 neutrik usb ports were included:





These were then fitted to the dashboard:







350 hours later, it's complete!

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Thanks for the feedback. @Teknobry, it gets a lot of usage now it's done!

A detail I forgot to include - a Dashboard mount for DashMeterPro which provides all sorts of useful, in-race information:

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Thanks very much for the comments, much appreciated! It was just as much an exercise in pushing my limited woodworking and design skills as much as I could as anything else. I wanted to go all out, not cut any corners and come up with something I could be really happy with. It plays great too

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Thanks peterwalkley Looking for accessories for this project was great fun tbh.

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Cheers @Valo, that's appreciated

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Thanks for the comments

@norm, I agree - it definitely needs more screen area. I may go triple screens once my current project is complete and I can afford it.

 

[ThereIs0nly0ne]

Meh, once you try VR triple monitor just doesn't cut it any more

Awesome build though! Keen do something like this myself, but with a VR slant.

Thank you. Yes, I will be investing in a VR headset at some point soon, predominantly for the CP-1 space seat (for Elite Dangerous and Star Citizen) ...



... but very interested to see what the experience is like in racing sims too.

This is awesome! Nice work. I'll be taking some tips from this when we get a bigger house and I have space for one.

Just out of interest, where do you tend to race? I used to do quite a lot of sim racing all over the place, just wondered if our paths have crossed. It's something I want to get back into.

Thanks. I venture online pretty infrequently so it's mainly offline. I do occasionally play Assetto Corsa and R3E online.

If I may suggest one small modification...

https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/P-23870.aspx

Excellent idea!

Amazing!

Is this for PC games or console?

Cheers. It's for PC simulations mainly but it could also be used with a console. I do have it set up for some more arcade style games but it's mainly Assetto Crosa, R3E, Dirt Rally, Stock Car Extreme, Rfactor 2 etc.

Wow that is excellent!

What paint did you use for the shifter pod panels? Looks a fantastic finish.

Thank you. There are doubtless many other ways of achieving similar results but this is one which I'm happy with. Preparation is always key for a good finish.

Tools and product used for this are as follows: P38 car body filler, sanding block, sandpaper (40/80, 180 and 300 grit or thereabouts), water based undercoat, water based blackboard paint, water based polyurethane varnish, paintbrush, small foam roller and tray.

The first step is to address the cut and beveled edges of the MDF as this soaks up paint and firs up horribly. Other people have recommended various other options such as sealing with PVA glue and using various 2-pac paints - by all means use/try these. Taking some P38, mix thoroughly and apply fairly liberally to the cut edges. This stuff dries very fast so you will need to work quickly. I would suggest working on larger pieces in sections and re-mixing/applying more as necessary rather than trying to cover the entire piece in one pass.



Take the sanding block (a sensibly sized piece of MDF will do) and sand the initial inconsistencies using 40/80 grit sandpaper. Once done, use 180 grit to achieve a smooth finish 40 or 80 grit will leave lines/marks in the finish so using the higher grit for a second pass is important. You should achieve a result like this:



Inspect for blemishes/inconsistencies and apply some more filler and sand again if necessary.

Apply some undercoat using a brush or roller - I tend to use a brush as it's faster. This will likely show up some additional inconsistencies so again apply small amounts of filler and sand (the holes from the wood strips from the router guides can be seen in this picture):



Repeat the undercoating process a further 1 or 2 times, sanding with 300 grit in between.

If part of the piece isn't going to show, I don't bother painting is as it also gives me somewhere to handle the piece throughout the finishing process. Sand the undercoat with 300 grit to achieve a nice smooth finish. The paint may be fairly inconsistent at this point but it's certainly nothing to be concerned with:



Next, using a foam roller, apply 3 coats of blackboard paint sanding lightly in between the first 2 coats using the 300 grit sandpaper:



You should now have a nice smooth finish on the piece which is ready for varnishing;



Application of the varnish is moderately tricky. The varnish itself is milky in colour and has a tendency to bubble slightly when using a roller. It's critical to use this sparingly. Pour a little varnish into the tray and use your roller to pick a small amount up. Roll it on the raised area of the tray a few times until it's consistently saturated on the foam. Working on the outer edges first, apply the varnish, checking for bubbles as you go. Most of the bubbles will disappear but if the varnish is too thick, some spots will remain - these will remain opaque if not addresses. To resolve, simply draw the roller over the area a few times. I tends to use a single stroke across the edges to ensure consistency and remove nay potential patchiness. The piece should look a little like this after the first coat:



So there's some initial patchiness to the finish here. Further consistently applied coats will resolve this. A third coat will be better still:





The varnish application is actually a quick process once you get the technique down and I usually only leave to dry for around 30 minutes between coats. It leaves a lightly textured finish which I do like. You may not! Once done, the panel is complete and the inlays can be placed in the windows and glued and screwed into place. There is now a single panel to work with:



A fair amount of work is involved but the finish is relatively good in my opinion.