mounting boxes

[runmikeyrun]

I need a better way to mount boxes.  I have tried several different types of velcro but the pedals keep coming off, and i don't mean off the carpet but the velcro is coming off the box.  I have several different types of boxes with different bottoms (rubber DOD, Boss, and regular painted enclosures) and for some reason all of them peel off.  I am thinking about just getting a huge hunk of foam to stick in the top to hold them in place.  The bicycle chain idea is good but running screws into a carpeted board makes the carpet pull up.  Plus it's a little too permanent, i'm always moving things around.  any ideas that don't require drilling/screwing into the board?

[Rodgre]

I had that problem as well so I resorted to using Contact Cement to adhere the velcro to the bottoms of the pedals. At this point, my pedalboards travel in a custom-made flight case that holds everything snug, so stuff doesn't flop around in travel, but when I was going to gigs with the pedalboard all naked and such... the contact cement did the trick.



Roger

[cat]

Drill holes in the board and put the screws that hold the bottom of the pedals on, through the holes in the board.

Cat

[MartyMart]

Better still , go to a bicycle shop and pick up some spare "chain links" they look like this " 8 "
small 8 , like a double washer.
Attatch one side to all four corners of your pedal, using the original screws.
Then leave them sticking out at 45 deg from each corner.
Screw this directly to your wooden pedalboard top ... DONE !!
They will never come off and it doesn't ruin the bottom of your vintage 808 !!
( I HATE velcro BTW !! )

MM.

[David]

I use the "hook" strip from the 2-inch wide industrial-strength Velcro.  Even the adhesive on this will not permanently bond to a pedal.  You have to help it out.  "Gorilla Glue" or "Liquid Nails" or a construction adhesive will do the job.  In a pinch, a tolulene-based adhesive (read old-fashioned model glue) would work also.

Lately, I've been finding the "bicycle chain" links tempting because it's taking forever for the Ozite carpet I ordered to arrive...

[dosmun]

The foam is mainly what I use.  I am not much for Velcro myself but do use it on a couple peds.  I also use the Chain links from time to time on pedals that I don't change but the foam in the lid is still my favorite for the ever transforming pedalboard.

[MikeH]

I've always used industrial strength velcro.  You can get it at home depot and other harware stores.  This is not to be confused with regular velcro.  It's the wide stuff and it's mega-strong.  You just have to make sure you're putting the velcro on a clean smooth surface.  I usually peel of the rubber from the bottom of my pedals to attach the velcro.  I of course save them and glue them back on if I decide to sell one though.

[$uperpuma]

I'll take the screw method a step further, you'll need to go to the hardware store and get screws that are the same thread... I reattach the bottoms to the pedals on two corners then put the screws through the pedalboard into the other two corners...no velcro on my pretty pedals

[zpyder]

I use velcro myself - and certainly be aware there is a large difference between industrial velcro and whatever-the-other-shit-is velcro.  Industrial velcro usually comes in 2" wide strips either white or black off a spool (if it's in plastic packaging, it's probably NOT what you want).  I prefer white because my pedalboard cloth is black, and that way I can easily see when my white velcro hooks are getting clogged full of black loops.  If you get the right stuff, the adhesive on the back of this stuff pretty much IS contact cement.  I got mine at a local fabric store.  If it goes bad, contact cement will finish the job.  I find the industrial velcro to be a great solution, simple as all hell to move around/redo you pedal order.  The obvious downside is that if you ever want to just take a couple of your pedals somewhere and not use your pedalboard, you have to watch out for antique rugs (though if you have screws/bike chains on the bottom of your pedals I'm not sure that would be any better).  My solution: build a second, smaller, much more portable/casual pedalboard.

As far as pedal cosmetics - no one sees the bottom of my pedals.  And as far as resale/trying-to-keep-my-pedals-pretty-so-I-can-sell-them-for-more-used - I don't even consider getting rid of my pedals in the future... once I have committed to a pedal (that is, not gonna return it/take it apart) I have pretty much signed it's death warrant.  I will eventually destroy it    That's what good shit is for... using until it breaks.

cheers,
zpyder

[PeterJ]

What works best for me is Velcro Extreme - I found it at Home Despot. It's made for odd surfaces and outdoor use. It hasn't pulled off any of my boxes, although I haven't tried it on the foam bottom of my MXR microamp -- I cut a bit of the foam away to stick the "hook" side on metal.

What's great about it is, not only is it strong, but the hooks are taller than regular or even industrial Velcro, so it will fit in the open part of a Boss pedal's rubber bottom and still reach the pedalboard. And it hooks onto regular Velcro loops (so I didn't have to pull all the loop material off my board).

[Voxin]

Agreed, Velcro extreme is the way to go!

[zpyder]

At first I thought that sticking velcro to the bottom of boxes with rubber feet/raised rubber or foam would be a problem.  So far it has not.  For the BOSS-style, I simply cut a big enough piece of velcro to attach to the recessed part as well as cover some rubber.  believe it or not with strong velcro that square inch or so total of rubber face that you can velcro onto is enough to hold the pedal to the board, even upside-down.  Other things with rubber feet - I take the rubber feet off... done.  sometimes you have to get creative

I may have to check out that velcro extreme stuff

zpyder

[Voxin]

Yes, it's the way to go.  The only pedal that I had trouble with was my wah, but what I did was pulled out the old exacto knife and cut a few mms off the rubber feet, then I went to home depot and bought one of those adhesive vinyl tiles and cut a rectangular piece to accomodate the velcro and stuck that underneath the wah so I could get less clearance to mate it to the piece on my board.  As for the Boss pedals, I just stick a big enough piece to cover the bottom and that was it.

[$uperpuma]

I believe the thread measurement for the screws in a wah are 6/32"  (you'll want to make sure) get the shortest ones the hardware store has...then you can remove the rubber feet altogether...makes it easy to velcro