I'm Building a Pedalboard

  • Thread starter Thread starter Zaphod B
  • Start date Start date
Zaphod B

Zaphod B

Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
I'm in the process of building a pedal board. I'm constructing it from birch-veneered plywood and dimensioned select pine, along with the standard hardware bits and pieces.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to keep the FX secured to the bottom of the board. At present the inside bottom is bare wood.

Velcro? If so, should I be lining the entire bottom with one side of the Velcro, or will Velcro stick to cabinet carpet?

I want to make sure that when I have the thing closed up and propped up against the wall that things don't move around.

Thanks!
 
A little poking around on the 'net shows that there is a product called Veltex that is a fabric specifically made to attach to the Velcro "hook" side. Anyone use this stuff?
 
You can get Velcro on carpet tape strength backing. I use it round the workshop all the time. It'll pull the paint off the wall before letting go.

Get the heavy duty 50mm stuff. I thing 3M do it and it's available in black.
 
muttley600 said:
You can get Velcro on carpet tape strength backing. I use it round the workshop all the time. It'll pull the paint off the wall before letting go.

Get the heavy duty 50mm stuff. I thing 3M do it and it's available in black.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Mutt.
 
+1 on the velcro. that what i use on my homemade pedal board and it's damn hard to even take the pedals off once they're on there.
 
Does the industrial-strength velcro sticky tape stick to bare wood or should I shoot a couple of coats of Krylon on the bottom?
 
It's one of those suck it and see situations. If your in any doubt seal the wood with a few coats of sanding sealer. It's not the wood that's the problem but the dust and debris in the grain. The less porous the surface the better the bond but it is tough stuff. I've used the stuff to fix battery boxes inside guitars and they've all held. Some for nearly a decade.

YMMV thats why we try things out and how we learn.;)
 
muttley600 said:
It's one of those suck it and see situations. If your in any doubt seal the wood with a few coats of sanding sealer. It's not the wood that's the problem but the dust and debris in the grain. The less porous the surface the better the bond but it is tough stuff. I've used the stuff to fix battery boxes inside guitars and they've all held. Some for nearly a decade.

YMMV thats why we try things out and how we learn.;)
Click to expand...

Got it. I have some sealer so I'll do a couple of coats to fill the grain a bit.
 
You can also just glue/staple down some carpet material and and the velcro will stick to that.
 
I'm against the Velco idea, unless there is no cost effective alternative. Even the best velcro will slip under heat and pedal weight. If I was to use a plywood board, I'd drill thru the board and attach the pedals, using the bottom plate hole. Wouldn't work on all pedals, but should work for most.
 
lbanks said:
I'm against the Velco idea, unless there is no cost effective alternative. Even the best velcro will slip under heat and pedal weight. If I was to use a plywood board, I'd drill thru the board and attach the pedals, using the bottom plate hole. Wouldn't work on all pedals, but should work for most.
Click to expand...
Hmm. I have four Boss pedals that don't have bottom plate screws, but the wah pedal does (and it's the heaviest of the lot) and I think my OCD pedal does, too.

One thought I had was to drill through the bottom and secure them with industrial-strength zip ties. The heavy-duty zip ties are very secure. The downside to this approach (and your suggestion) is that it's not very easy to just move stuff around on the board without making a mess.
 
lbanks said:
I'm against the Velco idea, unless there is no cost effective alternative. Even the best velcro will slip under heat and pedal weight. If I was to use a plywood board, I'd drill thru the board and attach the pedals, using the bottom plate hole. Wouldn't work on all pedals, but should work for most.
Click to expand...

Not a chance.

I use the stuff to hold jig bases to cnc router tables under far greater stress than any heat or foot is ever going to put it under. Please prove to the group that it will slip.
 
Zaphod B said:
Hmm. I have four Boss pedals that don't have bottom plate screws, but the wah pedal does (and it's the heaviest of the lot) and I think my OCD pedal does, too.

One thought I had was to drill through the bottom and secure them with industrial-strength zip ties. The heavy-duty zip ties are very secure. The downside to this approach (and your suggestion) is that it's not very easy to just move stuff around on the board without making a mess.
Click to expand...

ZB use the velcro I pointed you to. It will not slip or give.
 
I once did a small pedalboard using female velcro stapled to the board, and velcro male strips at the bottom of my pedals. Worked just fine:)
 
muttley600 said:
Not a chance.

I use the stuff to hold jig bases to cnc router tables under far greater stress than any heat or foot is ever going to put it under. Please prove to the group that it will slip.
Click to expand...
Ok, here's a pic of my Furman SPB-8, where the backing glue has slipped and the velco has slid to the top.
 

Attachments

  • Image(16).webp
    Image(16).webp
    24.7 KB · Views: 140
  • Image(48).webp
    Image(48).webp
    25.7 KB · Views: 141
lbanks said:
Ok, here's a pic of my Furman SPB-8, where the backing glue has slipped and the velco has slid to the top.
Click to expand...

I suggest you use the velcro I pointed Zaphod to. That stuff has held up for years on everything I've put it to. I have two Tannoy M15 hanging from the ceiling in my workshop held with nothing but 3M 50mm velcro. They've been there for 7 years. They are a good deal heavier than your average foot pedal. I use it to hold work boards to the bed of my CNC, I use it keep racks of chisels on the wall and then move them to another part of the wall where I need them to hand. I use it for a bunch of other stuff. It will not slip or give in the application ZB is using it for. On the contrary if he is not careful and gets the pedals too close together he won't be able to get enough purchase on them to get then off.

What are we supposed to see in that pic by the way I can't make it out.
 
muttley600 said:
What are we supposed to see in that pic by the way I can't make it out.
Click to expand...
Its hard to get a good pic of black on black in black with a cell phone, But you can see that the surface of the velcro pad is wrinkled from sliding on the top pic. It was carrying a load. Its not the velcro that failed; it was the backing glue. Hot summer stored on its back and it was holding these...
 

Attachments

  • DSC00414.webp
    DSC00414.webp
    41.1 KB · Views: 131
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top