My first pedal board...

[stratamania]

This "link" shows how one guy did it.

http://christopherhopper.com/2013/06/jason-rodgers-pedalboard-and-the-bike-chain-link-method/

 

[Cagey]

I guess the link remover tool is the key.

 

[bagman67]

YOu can get a cheap Chinese link remover tool for about $5US, or you can go nuts and spend $15 for a fancier branded one that may be a little better.  I'd go with the $5 tool if I'm not also going to regularly work on bikes.  Buy a single bike chain or get one from the recycling barrel at your local bike shop and you're in business.

 

[pabloman]

Look for "pedalboard supplies" on Amazon.  You can get a bmx chain for about the same price though. The chain breaker is the easiest way to go but you can hammer the pins out with a punch, grind them off with a Dremel or rig something up in a vice and press them out.

 

[Cagey]

There's one of those old-timey hardware stores at the end of my street that sell all sorts of things you might not find easily anywhere else. One of the things I noticed the last time I was in there was brass and aluminum sheet stock in various sizes, as well as brass and aluminum dowel, flat stock, angles, channels, etc.

So, what I'm thinking is a length of 1/4" or 3/8" wide flat stock cut down to two strips slightly wider than the the footswitches, drill some holes in it to mount the switches, with more holes in the additional length to screw it down to the pedalboard. Accomplish the same thing as the chain links, and aluminum will match the panel it's mounted on.

Already got the tools and fasteners for all that.

 

[pabloman]

I pulled the bottom panels off the MFC and expression pedals and used them as templates to drill holes in the panel they're all mounted on to match the devices the bottoms mated to. Went to the local hardware and got replacement screws that matched the original bottom attachment screws but were 1/4" longer. Left the bottoms off everything, and just screwed through the mounting panel into the devices. Those things are going nowhere.

The two Boss FS-6 pedals don't have bottom panels, but they're pretty lightweight so I simply mounted with velcro. Hate it. Every time I move the thing, the footswitches separate from the board. Supposed to be "industrial strength" velcro, but I don't know what industry they tested it in. I have to be able to remove those anyway, since they require batteries, so I think for my next trick I'm gong to get some snaps and rivet one side to the mounting board and the other to some leather strips and strap 'em down that way.

I would get rid of the FS-6's all together. I would just mount four toggles right into the board. You could just hardwire them for your application (N.O./N.C.). If you need to be able to change their configuration you could mount a mini toggle off to the side for that. There's a company called "Simple Switch Effects" that makes an FS-6 clone for about $25 bucks. Check them out on Reverb. You buy those and gut them......or just mount those to your board.

 

[BigSteve22]

There's always the bicycle chain link method. You just screw one eyelet to the bottom plate of the pedal in each corner then put a screw through the other eyelet into the pedalboard. There's info all over the net about it. I'm pretty sure I've even seen them sold just for this purpose.

Nice! I like that. Certainly easier than making individual plates. Thanks! :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

I would get rid of the FS-6's all together. I would just mount four toggles right into the board. You could just hardwire them for your application (N.O./N.C.). If you need to be able to change their configuration you could mount a mini toggle off to the side for that. There's a company called "Simple Switch Effects" that makes an FS-6 clone for about $25 bucks. Check them out on Reverb. You buy those and gut them......or just mount those to your board.

That would be easier, but toggles wouldn't work very well. The FS-6 units are set up as unlatched switches with last valid state indicators. I'm not really switching something (like channels or reverb circuits) so much as sending a pulse to change states. They're effectively sending MIDI messages to the AxeFx, but without actually sending messages. The MFC is essentially just polling those switches looking for a transition.  If I used toggles (or any latched switch), it would be possible for more than one switch to be closed at a time, and the controller wouldn't know what to do about that. I could reprogram it to look for latched switches, but it wouldn't make sense for the application. I'm using them for scene changes, and you can't have more than one active at a time.

 

[pabloman]

Right, so you would just use a momentary switch that's all.

 

[BigSteve22]

While not entirely different from velcro, the 3M Dual Lock "Reclosable Fastener" is a far superior version of it. I used it on my board and have been very impressed. Both sides are interlocking plastic stems, no "fuzz". Surprisingly robust. Even holds my Helix securely in place with no slop. Worth a consideration!

After much consideration, the final decision on how to actually attach my pedals to the board goes to: 3M Dual Lock SJ3560. Much thanks to Vann for the suggestion and the links.

Although not exactly inexpensive, I realized the cost of just the few pedals I have is well over $500,  so what's another $30 to keep them safely attached? And "safely attached" doesn't even begin to describe it. Comparing this stuff to velcro is like comparing 10d nails to thumb tacks, but with the same ease of installation. Definitely the best choice for my application. 

Being fairly proud of my new discovery, I showed the Dual Lock to my son, the Environmental Engineer. First words out of his mouth: "Oh yeah, that's that 3M stuff, we use it all the time!" Guess I should have started my search a little closer to home. (They grow up so fast....)

 

[Verne Bunsen]

:icon_thumright: After years of dealing with the weak fuzzy stuff, I was quite impressed with the 3M Dual Lock. Easy and secure, can’t beat it. Glad you found it fit the bill!