Xbox 360 Tool Control Mat

Wanting to fight cupboard clutter, and inspired by a blog post about making tool control mats with a CNC router , I made a "tool" control mat for a video game club's shelf.

This was my first successful CNC router project, but I'll assume that you have a basic familiarity with how your machine works and your workflow.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Physical Tools and Materials:
CNC Router
1/2 inch end mill router bit (with a 1/4 inch shank)
1/8 inch router bit for a finishing pass (optional)
2 inch thick extruded polystyrene foam

Digital Tools and Materials :
Inkscape or other drawing/modelling program
CAM program such as VCarve or FreeMill
Xbox 360 gamepad vector clipart

Step 2: Modelling

1. Import the vector drawing of the Xbox 360 gamepad by grumbel on the Open Clip Art Library as the basis for the outline of the controller.
2. Delete everything but the outline of the controller.
3. Resize it to the dimensions on the Wikipedia page .
4. Make 12 copies of it (or as many as you need).
5. (optional) Draw rectangles for the game boxes using dimensions from this Wikipedia article and convert these objects to paths (under the Path menu in Inkscape).
6. Measure the shelf where you intend to put your tool control mat, and set the Inkscape page size accordingly.
7. Export to PDF (or DXF depending on which CAM program you're using).
8. Generate G-code for your router from that PDF or DXF file.

Step 3: Cutting and Finished Product

Comments

[bobiebob]

you have 3 xboxes?? (4 controllers for each xbox, makes 12)

[MisterHay]

The video game club that I built this for has four Xboxes, but one is dedicated for just Rock Band and Guitar Hero. The club also owns a Wii and a PS3, but those controllers are stored in a different cupboard :)

[ac1D]

This is a good idea!
You can also make hole for the various accessory (chat pad, headphone, spare battery, recharge cable, dvd cleaner,...)
Just wishing we could get a as good result without all these expensive tool!

[MisterHay]

If you don't have access to a CNC router you could try just printing a controller outline, cutting it out with scissors, and then tracing that on the styrofoam to cut with a knife, dremmel, or drywall router.

That would require a steadier hand, and the results wouldn't be as precise, but it should work.