New update:
I redid the control column as the old one was based off the cheap plastic guts of a Logitech wingman joystick. This new one is based on a U-Joint from a motorcycle driveline. It is based on the tutorial that I found on Mycockpits.org. Unlike that one, I have it mounted on the floor and used the calibrate utility to set the travel range. This reduces the number of "steps" that the Hall Effect sensors give to the Leo Bodnar board (4096 possible) but even reduced it is still far more than a cheap joystick will deliver with analog pots.
The guts are made with an aluminum plate and four springs connected to the four mounting bolts on the u-joint. This gives me an adjustable self centering joystick, which I can also use to adjust the strength of the resistance of movement. You can see the hall effect sensors and magnets.
Everything is covered up with a boot made of leather-like fabric gathered at the top with black wire.
The length is made of PVC connected to the u-joint via a 3" long steel water pipe that I turned down to fit into both the u-joint and the PVC pipe. (.76" and .8" respectively)
The handle is a mix of the IL-2 and Spitfire grip. It is made of cherry with a channel routed out for the wiring. My CNC made me an inlay to fill the long channel and I will make a plate with labels to cover those by the buttons. I wish I had buttons of Grey or black but the green ones will do for now.
The CNC has been a wonder so far.
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