IKEA Gorm / Hejne Pedalboard. Totally by Hand. Under Two Hours. About Twenty-Two Dollars.

Yeah - a one-off. And for no better reason than I benefited from similar posts and wanted to ensure there was one more entry out there to find. There are already a million and one variations of this out there on Pinterest and beyond and a million of those are probably better than this one but, still.

I started with the IKEA Hejne (formerly Gorm, I guess) shelf.  These come in a pack of two for $14.00. So, $7.00 to start for one pedalboard. This starts with a footprint of 30-3/8" x 18-1/2".

What sets my board apart, I think, is the gripping surface. I hate velcro on the bottom of pedals. I don't like zip ties. I don't gig and, I bet like 94% of you, never play anywhere outside my own basement. I like to swap pedals out and change order frequently. I found that a "nubby" doormat will allow any pedal with feet (like the Electro-Harmonix I love) to nestle in and remain pretty still throughout play. I don't need anything to stay immobile and don't need to pack or move this board. So - to finalize my supplies I also bought:

• A rubber door mat - I got one at Meijer for $7.99 in dimensions just smaller than the shelf
• A small pack of L-shaped braces for $1.39
• A tube of Liquid Nails (LN-700 specifically for adhering rubber to wood) for $2.79
• Spray Paint (I used Rustoleum 2X Ultra Cover Rustic Orange to match Orange amp tolex) for $3.00

Using a handsaw I already owned, I cut one of the five slats loose. I eyeballed this and cut as flush with the edge of the fourth slat as I could.

This left little "L-shaped" crosspieces attached to the ends of the single slat. I used a smaller handsaw to trim the shorter of these sides flush with the edge of the single slat so that it could nestle together perpendicular to the larger board forming and angled whole.

I then affixed the single slat to the larger board using the L-brackets. Were I to do again I would probably add a third, larger bracket in the center for more stability. This fit together at approximately a 90-degree angle, so the "feet" didn't sit level on the floor. I simply took a straightedge against the floor, scribed a straight line across the bottom of the feet and made another cut along this line to level everything out. I then carried the whole thing to the back yard and applied one coat of spray paint. All that took less than an hour. Let sit overnight.

Day Two: I sprayed another coat of paint and let dry for another day.

Day Three: I took my door mat and a box cutter with a fresh blade and sliced it into four rectangles that would fit on each of the slats. Preferences for coverage will vary but mine ended up about 28" x 2-1/2", I believe. I then applied the Liquid Nails to the back of the rubber and lay on each of the slats. This stuff is pretty liquid but won't squish out and make a mess. You have maybe 20 minutes with which you can mess with positioning and then, wait one more night.

That's it. Simple stuff. You could spend a little more money and a little more time and make additional improvements such as holes for cables or attaching a power strip or source underneath. Or you could just be satisfied because the point is to play.