Puck Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 (edited) While looking around for a replacement for my aging and now hard to find Steelseries SX pad, I realized a couple of things. One, the dang thing is expensive @ ~$60 + shipping. Two, its not really Steel, its flimsy Aluminum. Three...why the heck pay 65-70 bucks shipped when I think I can do better for less. Some may say its silly to spend 60+ bucks on a mousepad, but if you've never played a fast paced FPS on a polished metal slick mousepad with fresh Teflon feet, you don't know what you're missing! An hour or two of shopping and a chunk of cash later, I ordered the materials to make me and my GF a pair of some pretty badass mousepads. Instead of Aluminum, they will be polished 304 Stainless Steel - one of the best metals you can get for corrosion resistance, lifespan, strength, and durability. The backing will be Neoprene rubber, and the size will be almost identical to my SX - considered a "large" pad @ 12.5x10". Even considering how expensive 304 Stainless is (there is a reason why nobody mass produces a true stainless mousepad!), I will not only end up less then the cost of an SX for a better piece, but due to ordering limitations I was forced to order enough extra materials to make one extra one. Of course you guys will want pictures and stuff, but once its complete I will probably list it in the FS section (FOR MEMBERS ONLY) for around $45 shipped, with some Teflon tape as well to make your own mouse feet. Keep in mind that is basically just materials cost, and after shipping it I will be lucky to break even on that last piece... Edited May 22, 2012 by Puck Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muchoman1 Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 While looking around for a replacement for my aging and now hard to find Steelseries SX pad, I realized a couple of things. One, the dang thing is expensive @ ~$60 + shipping. Two, its not really Steel, its flimsy Aluminum. Three...why the heck pay 65-70 bucks shipped when I think I can do better for less. Some may say its silly to spend 60+ bucks on a mousepad, but if you've never played a fast paced FPS on a polished metal slick mousepad with fresh Teflon feet, you don't know what you're missing! An hour or two of shopping and a chunk of cash later, I ordered the materials to make me and my GF a pair of some pretty badass mousepads. Instead of Aluminum, they will be polished 304 Stainless Steel - one of the best metals you can get for corrosion resistance, lifespan, strength, and durability. The backing will be Neoprene rubber, and the size will be almost identical to my SX - considered a "large" pad @ 12.5x10". Even considering how expensive 304 Stainless is (there is a reason why nobody mass produces a true stainless mousepad!), I will not only end up less then the cost of an SX for a better piece, but due to ordering limitations I was forced to order enough extra materials to make one extra one. Of course you guys will want pictures and stuff, but once its complete I will probably list it in the FS section (FOR MEMBERS ONLY) for around $45 shipped, with some Teflon tape as well to make your own mouse feet. Keep in mind that is basically just materials cost, and after shipping it I will be lucky to break even on that last piece... sounds good, i need to replace my cloth mousemat, and was thinking of getting a metal one, how big is the difference between the two as far as speed, cause i got the razer goliathus speed edition. looking foward to seeing how this pans out, never heard of custom making a mouse mat before and i have a nice sheet of stainless steel left over from the kitchen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 Slickness is the goal here right? I can't imagine a metal pad being all that comfortable or accurate (compare to textured pads). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaporX Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 At CES we got a chance to talk to the folks at Steelseries and they told us about their glass mousepad. To be honest that got us thinking so when we got home Doug bout a small glass cutting board. It worked PERFECT! Now personally I think the clear is not all that cool but it is a simple matter to spray paint the back to give it some color and you have a mouse pad that should last forever that is super easy to clean. Plus they are suprisingly cheap. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coors Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 Glass with a plastidipped backside sounds like it would work nice. I'd do it but I just use my desk surface. Haven't used a mouse pad in years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wevsspot Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 At CES we got a chance to talk to the folks at Steelseries and they told us about their glass mousepad. To be honest that got us thinking so when we got home Doug bout a small glass cutting board. It worked PERFECT! Now personally I think the clear is not all that cool but it is a simple matter to spray paint the back to give it some color and you have a mouse pad that should last forever that is super easy to clean. Plus they are suprisingly cheap. Thats an amazingly creative idea. Where did he buy the cutting board at? It's can also be dual purpose. Great for lapping heatsinks and cpu IHS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 With a laser mouse the tracking is still perfect, and it's very slick. With a low quality mouse or optical then it might not be as accurate. I can put my G5 on minimum DPI and its still smooth and accurate. My worry with glass would be longevity, since if it gets any sand or dirt on it the surface would start scuffing, which would add a ton of friction. Quality stainless would resist scuffing, plus you won't have to worry about it breaking . Teflon coating was my other choice, but the lifespan is horrible...anyone who has kept a mouse through multiple feet knows that. That's why I lapped and polished my steelseries SX, because the Teflon coating was all worn out in the center after about a year and a half, and gunky residue was everywhere. Teflon coasted aluminum or plain old sheet steel would be way cheaper then stainless, but from my own experience it won't last long with heavy use. I'll keep this thread updated when stuff starts coming in. I'm considering hue-ing the stainless to different colors like bronze or blue just for aesthetics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
olokul Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I picked up an Icemat about 5-6 years ago and still have it, dont think ill ever get rid of it. At the time you could not find them for sale in the us and ordered it from Denmark $40 for the pad and $40 for shipping. Everyone thought i was crazy for spending $80 for a mouse pad but it still works just as good as the day i got it and if it gets dirty i just take it to the sink and wash it. About every other weekend i go to lan parties and its always fun cause i still pack it up in the orignal box and throw it in my backpack with all the other cables and accessories that are needed. Once at the party someone always askes whats in the box and when you pull out a galss mouse pad.... the look on there face is priceless. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I spray painted the backside of a glass checkers board (actually it was shot checkers, but whatever ) with black spray paint and we use it as a cutting board. It looks AWESOME and I would bet it'd work great as a mouse pad too. I forgot that most laser mice tend to track extremely well even on polished surfaces. I still love my Warpad though. It's by far the most comfortable pad I've ever used. I really want to see pictures of what you crank out though! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puck Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I picked up an Icemat about 5-6 years ago and still have it, dont think ill ever get rid of it. At the time you could not find them for sale in the us and ordered it from Denmark $40 for the pad and $40 for shipping. Everyone thought i was crazy for spending $80 for a mouse pad but it still works just as good as the day i got it and if it gets dirty i just take it to the sink and wash it. About every other weekend i go to lan parties and its always fun cause i still pack it up in the orignal box and throw it in my backpack with all the other cables and accessories that are needed. Once at the party someone always askes whats in the box and when you pull out a galss mouse pad.... the look on there face is priceless. Is there any scuffing on it? How often do you have to change your mouse feet? I'm OCD about my mousing, so install new Teflon on my G5 at least once a year. It's gotta be at least 5 years old and still works flawlessly...best mouse I've ever used. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waco Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I just swapped out my G5 recently for something I can't tell you about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fogel Posted May 22, 2012 Posted May 22, 2012 I used a glass mousepad for awhile. I don't like resting my hand on raised hard services. Either a thin cloth mousepad (like Steelseries QcK) or no mousepad ...I guess I just don't like raised surfaces in general, but hardmats exaggerate it. Still gonna watch this thread ...mostly because I am curious. I just swapped out my G5 recently for something I can't tell you about. Thanks for the non-info info? In other words, thanks for wasting our time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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