NEStalgia Project (Mini NESpi)

[RIP-Felix]

Part 1: The Seed of an Idea    

     Ok, so I was inspired by @hansolo77's NintendoPi project. I wanted to get my hands on an official NES Classic and modify it to house a Pi3 rev. B, without loosing stock function. However that's impossible before the new year - or rather expensive due to the "Bot" buying and resale price gouge market before the winter holidays. Whatever, until I can actually get one to mod, I can always work on the Rasberry Pi, Retro Pi and maybe even print my own from daftmike's MiniNES:thingiverse files...Hmmm

Project Cost to this point = $0, Just the time Planning, Researching Feasibility, Not playing Skyrim, etc.

Part 2: 3D Printer

    "Wait a minuet," you're saying. "Aren't 3D printers Expensive? At least the good ones?" Well, yeah they kinda are. Certainly a commercial model will be out of reach of the casual consumer, but there is a strong open source collaborative approach to 3D printing. As a result the precarious precipice of price exclusivity has transitioned more to a slope of cost versus cons. You no longer need to mortgage your house to afford one. There are a range of printer designs that have produced more affordable solutions. It's give and take, but if your willing to tinker and learn some tricks price is no longer prohibitive. Neither do you need to be a genius. The software required has automated the process of "slicing" the 3D models and converting it to a tool path (Gcode) for you. If you can use Sketchup (my preference) or any other 3D modeling program, you can easily create a tool path your 3D printer can understand, There are very good slicer programs available for free and room fo grow into paid software if needed.

     Now, Ive been wanting a 3D printer for a number of years and I knew it was only a matter of time before my desire to build 3D models overpowered my resistance to shell out the cash. Apparently, $259.99 was my magic number. While searching for deals this black Friday/cyber Monday weekend I was able to find a Monoprice 13860 Maker Select 3d Printer V2 for $259.99 (~$40 discount), about the same price as a PS4 slim. That's not bad at all!  So I took the plunge.

Project Cost to this point = $0 ($259.99 Total)

Part 3: Materials List

And so it begins. I bought the needed materials from daftmike's list:

• $2.62 - Double Rows 2x5 10Pin Female DIP Straight Pin Header Socket

• $36.00 - Raspberry Pi 3 rev B

• $5.17 - Dip Mounting Locking Tact Tactile Switch

• $9.18 - NFC RFID V3 Module Kits for Arduino

• $7.98 - 5x7cm Double-Side Prototype PCB Universal Printed Circuit Board

• $18.98 - JST-XHP 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 Pin housing and Male / Female Pin Head Connector Adapter Plug Set (I'll use these for other projects down the line too, I really only need a few for this project. This is not included in the project price below, but is in the running total).

• $12.99 - NFC Tags

• $8.70 - OSOYOO Pro Micro ATmega32U4 5V/16MHz Module Board with 2 row pin header for arduino (Arduino Pro Mini replacment)

• $6.89 - 10 Wire Ribbon Cable (for front dual usb ports)

• $9.99 - RGB LED Breakout module For arduino

• $13.00 - Touch Lid bin clip latch

• $6.03  - Double Layers Female USB Type A Right Angle 8-Pin DIP Jack Connector

• $5.97 - Super Glue

• $8.99 - 5v 25mm X 25mm X 10mm Small Brushless Cooling Fan

• $84.84 - Filament (Dark Grey, Light Grey, Black, and Tranparent). Each 1Kg Spool cost between $15-$25 and I will use for other projects besides this. When I print the parts for the MiniNES I'll update with the actual cost of the parts then.

Project Cost to this point = $121.51 ($491.29 Total)

Part 4: Printing, Failing, Tinkering, Printing, Failing, You-tubing, googling, tinkering, printing, Making progress, Moding, Buying, waiting...

     Once I received the 3D printer and filament I bought, I tried a print. Like anything new, there is a learning curve. The ABS layers delaminated from one another and I got a crack down the part. More than this I tried to print with a Brim, which helps with bed adhesion, but it creates a lot of cleanup after the part prints since you have to cut it off. I can't use these for the case as it just looks bad. I could glue it but that's not ideal, and if one part delaminated then the whole thing will be brittle. The first NES print colors were way off too. See Below for Pics. So I went to the hardware store to pick up some spray paint and other parts required for my mods. Once I have a good print, I'll sand the finish and spray paint to the color I want (Best match a color blind person can manage, we'll see how that goes...lol). Ensuing was a week long learning curve with Cura (my slicer program) and its related settings for good prints in ABS, which was not as easy as I though it would be.

     A number of things about the stock operation of the printer bothered me too. I printed some mods. Y-Axis cable chain to prevent bed cables from catching on a piece of metal at the back, Z-Braces to help stabilize the frame and hopefully reduce z wobble (produces wavy ripples on the surface of a print), O-ring padded adjustable feet to help with leveling and to reduce vibration (which may affect print quality), X-Axis leveling rods to easily keep X and Y axis level to each other (Critical to an even bottom layer which affects both print quality and bed adhesion), a fan shroud that will more evenly and effectively cool the current layer of filament which will improve quality, and some clips to hold wrenches and the scraper (Just to have a handy place to keep them)

     While annoying, this is a necessary opportunity to dial in the settings and familiarize myself with the printer before printing the mini NES. While the mods are not technically necessary, they are somthing I will eventually end up doing anyway. So, I may as well do them now and get a better mini NES print when the time comes. I am still in the process of gathering materials and installing the mods. Next up is a new all metal Hot end, which is supposed to be a big improvement over the stock, giving more precise heat distribution in the extruder for better quality prints, and achieve higher temp for filaments that require it. Also, a Borosilacate Glass bed to give a perfectly flat build surface for an even bottom layer, which improves bed adhesion, surface finish, cleaning and part removal.

I'm currently in a holding pattern until the Glass bed and Hotend arrive. I already peeled off the bed pad that came installed on the printer. That was a PITA!!! The glue used was incredibly difficult to remove. After peeling the pad off, which required an uncomfortable amount of force and strategic planning so as not to bend or break anything, something like 90% the glue residue remained. It took a razor blade, 2-4 floz of Goof off (Mainly Acetone), and about an hour of elbow grease to remove it all. There is no way I'm putting the second sheet that came with it on! I thought about printing directly on the aluminum but there's a drill hole dead center in the bed. I could get some painters tape to print on but I'm procrastinating another trip to the store. Until either the Glass bed arrives or I get some blue painters tape I can't print anything. I still need to print the Z-Brace brackets, I have the Gcode ready to go (it's a 24 hour print with my settings). I ordered the Glass bed and Hotend last night, so it will probably be another week until I try to print the case again.

Extra Stuff Bought:

• $37.75 - Hotend Upgrade
• $5.98 - Flush cut wire clippers
• $19.01 - Z-Brace Parts (O-rings, nuts, 3ft threaded rod, machine screws)
• $41.96 - Caliper and Level (good to have)
• $7.76 - Spray Paint (Charcoal Grey for lower shell and Canvas white for top, This is the only thing in this section that will contribute to the Project Cost)
• $10.83 - Thermal pad
• $11.99 - Glass Bed
• $8.40 -  Blower Fan
• $43.95 - 8BITDO NES30 Pro Controller (I just had to do it)

Project Cost to this point = $129.27 ($678.92 Total)

PICS:

 

 

 

 

 

[tthurman]

Cool

Following

[stigzler]

@RIP-Felix - Awesomeness. 

I nearly went down exactly the same path, but stopped myself as I need to finish at least one project in my lifetime.

Biggest thing I was interested in exploring was finish methods with the two types of plastic (ABS + PLE or something?) That mini NES classic rocks, but the only turn-off for me was the finish. Thre's smoothing compounds and the acetone evaporation method, but they left things looking gloopy + don't think it'd work for angled/faced products. I'd be interested in how just plain sanding would do - also read somewhere that the PLE (?) sands better than ABS

Great project Felix. Keep us posted. 

[RIP-Felix]

4 minutes ago, stigzler said:

...Biggest thing I was interested in exploring was finish methods with the two types of plastic (ABS + PLE or something?) That mini NES classic rocks, but the only turn-off for me was the finish. Thre's smoothing compounds and the acetone evaporation method, but they left things looking gloopy + don't think it'd work for angled/faced products. I'd be interested in how just plain sanding would do - also read somewhere that the PLE (?) sands better than ABS

Well, I was going to try to sand it to a finish and be done with it, but the ABS I ordered doesn't match the colors to my liking (dark grey was too light and light grey is too dark with silver specks). Sigh... So I got some spray paint and after sanding will coat with that. It should fill in the little imperfections and help with the overall gloss.

[Adultery]

What are the chances I can talk you into printing one for me when you're done/figured it out? Happy to pay for it... Some ROI for ya!

[RIP-Felix]

1 hour ago, Adultery said:

What are the chances I can talk you into printing one for me when you're done/figured it out? Happy to pay for it... Some ROI for ya!

Since Nintendo owns the design patent on its NES, and is currently profiting from it with the NES classic, I'm not about to try and sell these! I actually care about Nintendo as a company, and while I hated the Wii U, I'm hopeful about the Switch. When I can get my hands on one, I'm getting the NES Classic too.  I thought this would be a fun build and help recapture some fond memories of the past. I also thought you all might like to see how it goes.

I'd give one to you at cost, but I don't want to spend the 20 ish hours it takes to print, then figure out how to ship it to you, recover the shipping cost, or deal with the overall hassle. That aside, I have too many projects currently started (My arcade is down with PC issues, I'm building my dad a PC, I need to fix that leaky toilet...seriously...All the usual excuses).

However, there are print shops all over that will do this for you, if you're really interested. And since they are pros, they will get you a much better print that I could (Probably). Or, if you like modding, circuit projects, or just building things and ever need something and don't have one, a 3D printer is nice to have. As you can see though, my total cost is climbing (So it may be cost prohibitive). The stock printer does nice prints though, with room to improve with mods later down the road. You may have to let the wife get those shoes.

[hansolo77]

I'm glad I inspired you.  But remember, I myself was inspired by KustomKid with his project.  So put the credit where credit is due.  I think you were more inspired by that other guy who made his own mini NES with the RFID tags.  I haven't updated my thread in awhile.. spent most of my vacation doing other stuff.  I should update it though with some more pictures now that I have it nearly completed.  Maybe on my day off.  This is neat though, and I'm following your progress.

[Adultery]

Understood, no worries. I just really want an NES Pi case.

Wife got me a Picade kit for xmas, I'll make due.

[RIP-Felix]

Part 5: Trial Run - Use the Reject for Target Practice!

     OK, so I decided to try and salvage my botched first attempt at a print of the Mini NES case. As you can see from the pictures after part 4,  the case was warped from poor bed adhesion, cracked from improper settings and temperature, and the colors were off. I do not intend for this to be the ultamte solution, it's still brittle and an overall inferior part than what I want to end up with, but it does allow me to hone in the procedure when the actual part is printed. Now is the time to make mistakes and learn from them.

     First thing I did was grab the super glue. Yeah, I know that ABS is soluble in acetone, which would be the ideal glue to use, but it's too runny and hard to keep in place. As it was I had trouble with the super glue running on me. I had to weigh down the shells with some bar bells to get the layers to lay flat against one another for the glue to bond. Some c-clamps would've come in useful for that, but I don have any and had to make due. I used the book and weight method instead. Fast forward to the next morning.

     Next I went at the case with sand paper. There was only so much I could do, the filament tracks on the first layer were so wavy and grooved (Top and bottom surfaces of the case) that I couldn't get them to smooth out completely. They were laid down like this [uuuuuuuuu]. While they did adhere to one another laterally, there were rounded grooves on the bed surface interface...

_____

Interruption - a UPS truck just arrived with a package, let's see what it is (yea presents!)...unboxing...OH AWESOME!!!!..It's the NES30 PRO controller (that was fast, I ordered it only 3 days ago! Pics included...Also, just as I am unboxing and taking pics my z-brace brackets finished printing (24hr print time) - It's so exciting! And yes, I broke down and went to the hardware store for some blue painters tape so I could use my printer. I also needed a part for that leaky toilet which I fixed yesterday.

Now what was I talking about?

_____

...Also, the aluminum bed actually bends upward in the middle from thermal expansion, creating a concave, dome like surface (called "crowning"). The first layer is 0.3mm thick (actually it's intentionally 3x thicker than the layers above to help mitigate this phenomenon), but as the extruder moves over the surface the distance between the nozzle and the build plate can vary from 0.1mm - 0.3mm. The flow rate is constant, so this squashes the filament in the middle, making fat overlapping and wavy lines. This can be remedied by tweaking flow rate, first layer speed, bed temp, extruder temp, first layer fan settings, a flat bed surface, and other tricks/mods I have yet to master or receive in the mail. Moreover, I did not achieve perfect bed adhesion (even with the brim). So it bowed up in the middle, meaning I the corners of the top and bottom shell sanded off first, before the middle even started to sand. I got impatient and stopped sanding before the middle section grooves were completely flat. Sorry no pictures before I painted...

     Then I washed the parts with soap and water, dried thoroughly with a hair drier, taped off the black trim and cut to fit with an exacto knife, and went out to the garage to paint them with my color blind biased choices in spray paint. As you can see the bottom is too dark, and the top is too light (it's maybe passable?). I screwed up and Glued the black trim pieces to the top shell before painting (rookie mistake) thinking it would be easy to just cover them with painter tape and peel it off later. You can see some bleed through. The pictures don't show it, but the black trim has a matte finish compared to the rest of the case and if I paint them black, it will fill the lateral groves in the the trim with paint (they are supposed to be there).

Lessons learned:

• The trim pieces need to be printed in Black ABS, sanded and carefully heat glazed or enameled. Then they can be glued on, but only after painting. Further, the plastic underneath the trim should be covered with painters, tape so it doesn't get coated. That way the glue will bond the plastic pieces to each other without a film of paint to interfere.
• The Charcoal Grey is too dark and with how light the canvas white came out, has too much contrast to look right. The Canvas white does have a nice cream yellow to it that approximates the right color, even if it is too light. I will keep the canvas white (which is close enough) and just not paint the bottom shell. That will save me the trouble of painting the cartridges too. The ABS dark grey I have is about the same shade of grey on a PS1, old computers, and other 80's tech, so It should work ok. I will have to pay special attention to the bottom shell when sanding to get a smooth finish. Then to remove the matte, I will have to use either a heat gun or enamel to glaze it. I'm leaning toward the enamel since I don't have a heat gun and refuse to use a lighter. There is stress pent up between the layers of ABS due to contraction during cooling, which is why the corners of parts tend to curl up off the print bed (warp). I'm afraid relieving this strain while heating will warp the part. This is actually what causes earthquakes in non plate boundary regions like the US east (Left over pressure from processes millions of years ago that built the Appalachians). I know, I'm a geek.
• Super glue is not the whole solution for fixing of filling cracks and defects. Actually, while trying to glue the cracks and applying pressure, I caused more cracks (part was brittle). While super glue works to hold the part together and attach the trim, Ideally a good plastic filler makes sense. Bondo for example would be good for pocks, grooves, and the concave top and bottom. Since the bottom will not be painted, though, I can't use bondo or super glue on the exterior. The print needs to be flawless (or as close as possible with my printer). The top too for that matter, but since I can use bondo, sandpaper, and paint to cover the imperfections, it's not so critical. The glass bed, spot on settings, and new hotend will be put to good use (when they arrive and I fugure out how to install/tweak them).

Purchases:

• $5.98 - Painter's Tape

Project Cost to this point = $129.27 ($684.90 Total)

Next up - software...

EDIT:

Disastrous z-brace results. I got way worse warping with the painter tape and hair spray (extra hold for extra hold supposedly) than with the crappy bed pad that it came with. I really need that Glass bed to get here, then I can try ABS juice, which is some filament dissolved in Acetone that you clean/prepare the Glass with before printing. The worst part is the thing was terribly brittle. I'm obviously not getting adequate adhesion between layers. They peel like an onion! Many cracks just from the stress of cooling. My flow rate must be too low. Temp (235C extruder, 120C bed) was the best combo during testing various parts designed for this purpose. I'm going to have to get smart about how to dial in the settings so I don't keep doing this. I tried a single layer wide spiral rectangle with different flow rates every 5mm in height (z), I did the same for temp. I thought.I had them dialed in, apparently not. I have another test to try that should work definitively for flow rate. Still dialing setting in...more learning...

...Ok looked into it further. Even though I thought I had a good temp, I'm not getting the ABS hot enough, the layer adhesion means either I'm running too fast (not it) or temp is too low. I'm going to try bumping temp to 245-250C. Also, ABS is notoriously difficult to print with because it contracts as the part cools (intentionally so it will pop out of an injection mold easily). Unfortunately this means it pops off your surface if ambient temps get too low. There are 3 solutions that work best in combination:

1. Lower part cooling fan speed or disable it altogether for ABS. Will require testing in conjunction with results from below.
2. Enclose the printer to prevent cool air drafts (cardboard box works in a pinch). The heated bed will raise the ambient temp in the box and prevent lower layers of ABS from warping or delaminating. Apparently temps should not exceed 60C in the box or the stepper motors can overheat. Eventually, I will probably build a custom enclosure with a Polycarbonate sides/door and fan controller for exhaust fans to prevent >55-60C internal temps, but that's down the road.
3. ABS juice + Glass = good bed adhesion (too good at times. It may break the part trying to remove it). However, apparently Elmer's Glue sticks work even better and as the part cools the part may even pop off by itself without prying. I think I'll try that instead.

[hansolo77]

Good stuff here.  All the issues you're having with the 3D printer is exactly why I haven't bothered investing in getting one of my own.  The crispy/brittle-ness of the matrials and warping all sound like too much hassle.  And if the end result looks like your printed cases (even when compared to the finished result where you got your inspiration) I don't feel inspired myself to get a printer and build one myself, at least not yet.  That doesn't mean you should stop.  I think you're on the right track, and so long as you're willing to put in the effort, make observations, take notes, make changes, and experiement, that's what science is all about!  Keep it up!

Getting deliveries... ahh yes.  Christmas morning indeed.    I mentioned the same feeling myself in the other thread.  It's always exciting to see new stuff arrive at your door.  When you're doing a project like this, it's a great feeling of adrenaline you get, knowing that you now have that part you were waiting for so you could go forward with the next part of your project.  That's the way I felt when my C14 power plugs finally came from China, the USB Hub from Europe, and the Mausberry power circuit from whereever it came from.  Once I had those parts, I felt like it was "all go".

Let me know if you need any help on the software side of things.  Now that I'm 98% done with the hardware side of my own project, I'm in software mode for the most part now.  A lot of the backend work I did (if you're planning on taking a similar direction with RetroPie) I hope I documented well enough to get you at least started.  I'm not fluent in RetroPie, but I know a bit more about how things work on it now that I've been working on it for a while.  Things like Linux are a chore, and understanding the nuances of how to use it and the commands to use can be a pain.  Google is your friend.  If you do go with RetroPie, their WIKI page has a ton of helpful information, as does their forum outright, before you even ask a question.  Let me know!

[RIP-Felix]

1 hour ago, hansolo77 said:

Good stuff here.  All the issues you're having with the 3D printer is exactly why I haven't bothered investing in getting one of my own.  The crispy/brittle-ness of the matrials and warping all sound like too much hassle.  And if the end result looks like your printed cases (even when compared to the finished result where you got your inspiration) I don't feel inspired myself to get a printer and build one myself, at least not yet....

I agree with that actually. Injection mold pieces are way better. But for the average dude with an idea, but not the serious cash needed for the molds, injection is a little out of reach. 3D printing is great for rapid prototyping and what have you. I like it for that purpose. But yes, there is a serious learning curve. It doesn't help that I started with one of the hardest plastics to print with. Oh, well. It forces me to learn what I'm doing.

1 hour ago, hansolo77 said:

Let me know if you need any help on the software side of things.  Now that I'm 98% done with the hardware side of my own project, I'm in software mode for the most part now.  A lot of the backend work I did (if you're planning on taking a similar direction with RetroPie) I hope I documented well enough to get you at least started.  I'm not fluent in RetroPie, but I know a bit more about how things work on it now that I've been working on it for a while.  Things like Linux are a chore, and understanding the nuances of how to use it and the commands to use can be a pain.  Google is your friend.  If you do go with RetroPie, their WIKI page has a ton of helpful information, as does their forum outright, before you even ask a question.  Let me know!

I'll probably take you up on that offer at soon. I hit a bit of a roadblock with software as I need to make a pinout diagram for the hardware (PN530 NFC reader, RPi, Arduino pro micro, RGB LED breakout board and the front indicator LED). Daftmike has a good tutorial of the steps to get the software to work (RetroPi running emulation station), but he has little to no documentation on wiring the hardware. I'm putting the finishing touches on that as we speak, well from what I've pieced together from build threads on the subject. I still need to wait for a few pieces to arrive before I can start soldering, but need to make doubly sure it will work before I power it up and fry (bake?) my Pi. Technically I could continue with just the Pi but I'd rather tackle it after the hardware is solid.

[RIP-Felix]

UPDATE:

     I've been working hard planning the hardware side of things. I've been getting lots of help from the guys on the Mini NES Builders Facebook group. Once I finish the wiring diagram I will wire everything up to a breadboard to test. I'm using images of actual parts in paint.net layers to visualize the fit and pinouts, route wires, make notes, and see what it will look like before I solder everything in place. I'm still waiting on parts from China and may not get all of them until February! Lets hope that shipping estimate is wrong and I get them sooner. The parts list has increased too but, until I'm confident of what I will use in the final design, I won't edit the materials list in part 2 just yet.

     My glass Printer bed and new all metal hotend upgrades arrived today. I'll install them tomorrow and retry printing the case this weekend. I'll test it by reprinting the failed Z braces again, I think my cooling fan was the problem. Hopefully they will be done and I can install them Saturday. Then I can start the Top half of the case. I'm going to try a different filament for the bottom and cartridge that should be a better match, but it's going to be awhile before it gets here too.

     As busy as I have been researching the electronic, I have not even looked into the software side of things yet, besides writing the RetroPi to a 32GB SD card. I haven't even plugged in the Pi to see if it works...lol.. While I'm waiting for the hardware to arrive maybe it will be a reprieve to try and get some emulators working.

     A fun anecdote. I had an original NES sitting in a box that has been tucked away for years. I originally bought it for $7.99 at the Goodwill to replace a broken NES that is long since gone, it still has the sticker on it even. I decided to pull it out to compare its design with the mini NES and of course try it out! I suspected it was broken, but thought there might be a chance... While it took a bunch of blowing, jiggling, banging, and resets It still works, complete with buggy pixies, glitchy sprites, and that white noise audio when you turn it off!!! I miss that and don't at the same time...lol. But wow, I had forgotten how finicky it was to get working and all the tricks/sounds came back to me with great nostalgic effect. I'm actually surprised it still works. I played through the first world of Mario Bros. 3, then Metroid, and lastly Duck Hunt/Mario Bros. All carts still work, with varying degrees of tricks to get them to. So that was kinda fun. Here's a weird one, Player 1 and Player 2 controls are crossed. 1 is 2 and 2 is 1. I'll have to open it to see why, I suspect someone (Probably me at one time) reconnected them backwards. I think I was contemplating turning it into a NES Mini ITX PC, but decided against it. Glad I didn't pull the trigger. It's pretty Iconic and neat to have a working Stock NES. I may improve the aesthetics, it's pretty ugly ("pretty ugly" isn't that an oxymoron?) but should clean up well enough. It's yellowed quite a bit though. I don't particularly want to use H2O2 and UV to remove the patina though. It looks authentic and aged as it should (Like me).

[tthurman]

This is a really cool project, can't wait to see the finished product.  Even with the flaws, the printing amazes me!

 

[RIP-Felix]

Update:

Don't worry I'm still working on it. STILL WAITING FOR PARTS!!! Arghhh!

     Actually I've made progress on the finish of the case. I found the right colors (Spray Paint, ABS is just too hard/expensive to find a good match). As you can see, the colors actually don't match perfectly. However, they are close enough to suggest the difference could be due to yellowing of the original NES. So it's close enough.

     I've actually tried a quite a few times, ruining a number of prints learning what doesn't work. I tried a combination of sanding, acetone vapor, and painting to find the right mix of techniques. Currently after printing the part is precariously brittle (better with optimized settings and mods, but without an enclosure ABS will just not adhere consistently, and be prone to cracking as a result). PLA will print perfectly and many people have had good results with it. I don't have any, so I'm perfecting the ABS method (Higher temp resistance is better anyway). To reduce the likelihood of cracking and to strengthen after printing I paint the case with acetone (using a paint brush). This welds/melts a thin shell around the whole case. I let it cure for 24 hours before sanding by hand. I try to get each surface as flat as I can, working down at least 2 grits. Then I wash with soap and water, dry with a hair drier, and spray paint. I learned the hard way that spray paint doesn't work in 30-40 degree Fahrenheit weather (it separates, cracks, and makes alligator skin). The weather still refuses to warm up, so keeping the paint can warm inside and only going outside for a quick spray, then bringing the print inside to dry (near a vent for the fumes) worked in a pinch.

    The original cart that Daftmike created doesn't have the ridges in the recess/tab that you pull to remove the cartridge. I found that without this, it's hard to get the mini version out, you have to tilt and shake ti out. I modified the STL file to add a few ridges so I could get a finger nail to catch something for easier removal. I checked an actual cartridge and they do have them, so mine is more accurate. I don't know why it wasn't on it to begin with, but it prints fine and all my carts from now on will have them. I just got some gold filament for the Legend of Zelda Cart. So that's next. I was thinking of making some custom labels for non NES titles too, If I have enough filament, I'd like to do ALTTP, OOT, and Majora's Mask in gold too. maybe a Black cart for Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Yellow for Donkey Kong 64, and so on for choice titles. Hopefully RetroPi plays these well enough on a Pi3, I don't know yet, I haven't tried them. Maybe someone who has can chime in. From what I've read Atari (2600, 5200, 7800), NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, and PS1 all do pretty good on a Pi3 without jitter.

     I now realize this project is a lot more difficult than it appeared to begin with. The 3 major sections are:

1. The Case (which I'm still working on, but nearly done with. All I have left to do is place the decals for the power, reset, logo, and port labels.)
2. Hardware (not as easy as it looked, but doable. I'm still working on the schematics and wiring diagrams. Moreover this will require a bunch of tricky soldering, flashing code to Arduino, running custom scripts on rPi. Luckily the Facebook group is active and worked out most of these technical challenges. They are soon to have electronics kits for sale to streamline the process as well. I'm still waiting for parts to arrive before I can finalize my Circuit design and begin this section).
3. Software (setting up and optimizing RetroPi. While technically there is nothing that is stopping me from skipping to this step before I start section 2, I've been busy with part 1. But I'm starting to shift in this direction, as the case is nearly finished.)

Here is some cool anecdotyl stuff:

I intend to get one of these and do this for sure!

 

I may use this theme for my Mini NES Pi.

This Guy did what I intended to begin with, except I want to retain the original function.

[hansolo77]

That's a good looking theme.  I don't like the wheel.  Never understood the attraction to it. I'd like to see where he takes it.  I might use it for my Sega.

[RIP-Felix]

Update:

Hey, I thought I'd drop in and let you'll know how things are coming.

     I finally got all of my parts to complete the hardware portion, however I don't have anything to show for it yet. I just soldered the pin headers onto the RGB LED and Arduino Pro micro for testing on a breadboard. There are still no real DIY guides for this part, although there are some wiring schematics. I'm really doing my best to figure it out with what I ordered, but each case is different and some degree of testing will be required. The guys over at the Mini NES Builders Facebook Group have been very active and helpful. There is a ton of collaborative effort going into getting electronics kits ready for sale. I'm in the first Batch for Evan Wright/Jared Kirchgatter's kit. It should be ready soon, I'm eagerly awaiting that! In the mean time, I'm trying to figure out my pieced together DIY project. Who knows, Evan & Jareds kit may arrive before I finish. Regardless, the kits being put together are already cheaper than my parts list. So that's the way to go IMO. Some of the kits don't have NFC but handles the power, shutdown, and LED. This is great to have for any rPi project that require a PWR, RST, and LED. So, if you're interested you should join the group and strike before the iron cools.

     I have some concepts for different colors and wanted to see which you all like the best. Since the kit will install so cleanly, I figure I could print 2-3 cases and when I get tired of looking at one, I can use a different case (Or mix and match tops/bottoms for more combinations). That's been kind fun. I like the Red top + Btns w/black bottom/trim best.

 

Lastly, I thought I'd share this video. It's kind interesting to see how the NES classic edition holds up to the Video quality these purists aspire to:

 

[hansolo77]

 Has that guy come up with any new updates or videos showing off his new customized front end?

[RIP-Felix]

2 hours ago, hansolo77 said:

 Has that guy come up with any new updates or videos showing off his new customized front end?

Doesn't look like it yet, but here is the link to the image if you want to mess with the alpha. BTW which NES color scheme do you like best above?

[tthurman]

Bottom row left

That looks most like the original, and Nintendo nailed this IMO.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[hansolo77]

9 hours ago, RIP-Felix said:

BTW which NES color scheme do you like best above?

You actually don't have it.  If I had the means, I'd make an R2D2. 

 

[tthurman]

If you can pull that off, I'm with han!

You can check his build thread here.

[RIP-Felix]

On 2/5/2017 at 6:09 AM, tthurman said:

Bottom row left

That looks most like the original, and Nintendo nailed this IMO.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

It isn't, I have one already. I'm trying to decide how to paint the other two...lol. Actually I'm going to print a forth (I have a problem). I'm modifying it and playing around with some ideas (not ready to tease more yet).

 

On 2/5/2017 at 7:40 AM, hansolo77 said:

You actually don't have it.  If I had the means, I'd make an R2D2. 

That's awesome.

On 2/5/2017 at 7:59 AM, tthurman said:

If you can pull that off, I'm with han!

You can check his build thread here.

I'm playing with some related ideas, so I don't see why I couldn't. Honestly though, if you're going in that direction the color scheme of R2-D2 better lends itself to the North American SNES design. That would be a more original build, rather than ripping off someone else's design in miniature. I may be interested, but I need to finish this project before taking on another. Enticing though.

[RIP-Felix]

Part 6: First Major Challenge - Hardware

     Before I got started on software, I wanted to tackle the hardware. This is where I hit a knowledge wall. While I've created small electronics projects before, and am reasonably comfortable with soldering, I underestimated the level of difficulty. As I looked into this further, it become increasingly beyond my level of comfort with electronics. I am willing to learn, but I didn’t feel comfortable continuing with my own solution. While Daftmike mentioned a few bits of hardware briefly in one of his videos, he made no attempt to explain the electronics. Instead he started selling kits, then dropped off the face of the planet!

     I was thinking of getting one of his kits until I read comments on his blog about his disappearance. Then people started getting refunds from PayPal! That's when I read about the Mini NES Builders Facebook group dedicated to continuing the project. FACEBOOK? Yes, that dreaded thing I’ve been avoiding like the plague. I avoided the group as long as I could, but there was nothing besides Daftmike’s videos and what little I could gather from his blog posts. So the Facebook group was my last option. Damn…sigh…It had pictures and wiring schematics. That was it, I gave in and signed up.

     I started down the path of gathering info on the electronic schematics and even wired my Arduino to a breadboard to begin testing. Then electronic kits began appearing. I quickly decided it would be easier to wait for a kit to become available and go that route instead. So I got on Batch 1 of Evan Wright/Jared Kirchgatter's kit. It wasn’t bad at all ($45 + $5 shipping to USA = $50 total). I got a Non-NFC style A kit, since I already bought my NFC earlier and like the look of the style A USB better. Here is a video they made:

Spoiler

 

Here are a few more videos:

Spoiler

I chose the NES Classic Button scheme, which simulates the behavior of a real NES. My kit has the latching power button, like the real NES, so it works great. Here is how it behaves:

Evan and Jared were kind enough to provide a (link) to their complete open source installation and software instructions. They got burned out on making these kits themselves shortly after batch 1 and decided to include a DIY PDF which links the required parts and PCBs you need to build your own, they're not that hard to make! However, since I was one of the lucky few who got in on B1 of their kit, I was able to avoid doing it myself (Bonus Lazy points)! These were much appreciated and are great for any RPi based project! I installed the software and confirmed it was working, but then Life and work derailed the project…Fast forward to now...

[RIP-Felix]

Part 7: Software

Theme: 

While I liked the one above from @SIMPLY_AUSTIN, I haven't seen any updates and I'm not sure if they're coming. SO alternativly, I like this one (LINK). It's a more traditional variant of carbon, but looks very nice to my eye:

Spoiler

 

This update requires the latest Emulation station update and I went ahead and updated all my Rasbian packages just to be safe. The Theme is just cool! I love the pixelated design and it complements the NES case design. I can't forget I'm playing on NEStalgia vs. any other retropi build. Sure, anyone can use the theme, but combined with my case, it all works together to sell the look!

Speaking of looks, I made a new case:

I liked the look of Red on Black better than the original colors and was never happy with the way the original case's finish came out. This one came out better (Bondo, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, prime, sand, and finally paint). However, I made a few mistakes (smudged some wet silver paint). I decided that Silver trim looks better than the Black in the picture, but I got too excited and some wet paint transferred to the black. I wiped as much off as I could, but some remains near the USB port's bottom edge. I'm having trouble getting the silver trim right (so I shelved it for later). I actually redesigned the trim with slots so I can interchange the trim pieces. I'm content with it the way it is for now.

Moving on to the NES30 Pro controller installation. I found the following video very helpful. I still sometimes have pairing issues, but I can just plug it into the USB port and repair Bluetooth when that happens. Annoying but It's not terribly inconvenient:

Spoiler

 

     I do really like this controller. It feels NEStalgic, but retains all the buttons of a major console. It feels well made and not cheap at all! The only gripe I have is that when playing Super Mario 3 on NEStalgia vs. my NES on CRT, the Lag is noticeable and annoying. I prefer to play on the NES for this reason, but it's why I keep a CRT around anyway. This is probably because of my LCD TV, even though I turned off the advanced features and put it into "Game" mode, and has little or nothing to do with the controller or Retroarch. So, I'm just going to have to live with it unless I get a TV with a lower Latency . ***EDIT*** I wonder if I try the AV out port on my CRT if the lag is improved? I'll see if I can find the AV cord and edit back with the results...***EDIT*** For some reason I can't get anything to display. Just a staticy black screen. I couldn't sort it out so I moved on.

Project Cost = $180 (Not including the 3D printer and unused electronics):

• 3D printed Case and other needed parts = $3 of plastic (Will cost more if you use a service to print for you, like $20)
• Electronics Kit = $50
• Electronics not included in the kit, but needed to complete (RPi3 rev.b, NFC reader, NFC tags): $67.16
• 4 cans of spray paint (Primer + 3 tones) = $16
• 8BitDo NES30 Pro Controller (Optional) = $43.95

Where I'm currently stuck:

For some reason, when I scrape artwork the changes never stick. If I press select on an individual game and scrape it manually, it wqill only save the metadata if I restart. I tried doing the same after a complete automated scrape and I didn't work. I'm still trying to sort that one out...

 

 

[Adultery]

Maybe it's permissions? I had the same issue on Arc Browser until I had it create and save the artwork to a different folder (although that's Android, it may still apply). Metadata sticking seems like it's able to write to the db3 but can't create permanent files.