I'm having a difficult time finding either arrow keys or a Directional pad for an electronics project I'm working on. I can't seem to find any on every electronics online store I've searched. Anyone have any ideas? I'd prefer not to scrap existing hardware for it.
Why would you prefer not to scrap existing hardware? You can buy cheap D-pad USB joysticks for only a few dollars, they'll more than likley be cheaper than anything else you'd be able to find online as far as raw components go, it's not something that has much of a market outside of companies that buy in bulk.
For making more than a few, check into having membrane switches custom made. If you do the layout yourself, they are cheaper than you would probably guess. I had a run of them printed for just a hundred machines, and I think the whole run was less than $2000.