Just started a build of a wooden handheld retropie machine... brass bullet buttons...

Clyde

@dubiousengineer No bubbles and no dust particles to speak of, \o/ only some minor glitches around the edges because I wrap the foil around them with the help of a dryer. Thanks for the advice, I learned the "zen way" of building early on, before I could make significant mistakes. That's why I waited until the Easter holidays and my vacation this week. Of course, I still make mistakes and erroneous decisions I would do differently in retrospect, but patience and thoroughness keep them at a minimum. FAIL = First Attempt In Learning (or forth, fifth, fourteenth, fiftieth …)

I may finish my cab this weekend if only the LED buttons arrive in time. Although the parcel delivery sent me an e-mail that they did deposit it at a local store, but it wasn't there. :( I filed a complaint and I hope it will be delivered today. Sometimes, we suffer from others' mistakes instead of our own (ordering this late was mine after all), but I try not to be annoyed by them, but do other things in the meantime, in this case the plain black bezel, the marquee's illumination, laundry, and house cleaning. :)

I hope you get well soon and that you can get back to your project.

Clyde

@clyde said in Just started a build of a wooden handheld retropie machine... brass bullet buttons...:

@dubiousengineer No bubbles and no dust particles to speak of

Besides care and cleanliness, praises can be sung about special car foil with a network of tiny air channels in the glue that make bubbles nearly impossible or easy to squeeze out subsequently. :D

Drakaen391

@dubiousengineer I second the don’t rush part...

Me rushing is why my build came out looking ugly and needing paint to hide the patchwork

Clyde

@clyde said in Just started a build of a wooden handheld retropie machine... brass bullet buttons...:

I may finish my cab this weekend if only the LED buttons arrive in time.

They did today and I'm happy. :D

edit:
@Drakaen391 You have my sympathies.

DubiousEngineer

@clyde Brilliant... the frustration of the postal system! - GOING POSTAL! ... still a sick boy, tail end... Made some good progress tonight, should be wiring the console bullet buttons in place shortly, then we can give it a test... theres a big red missile switch to be fitted to it... this is going to be a beast when done!!

DubiousEngineer

@drakaen391 ... would like to see your build... Talking of shoddy builds... in the mean time, here is an 18 min video of me building a bartop... if you have time or inclination, you may see how shoddily i slammed this together!

DubiousEngineer

@clyde Great news they arrived!

Clyde

@dubiousengineer I managed to "finish" it last weekend \o/ – i.e. as finished as a toy train setup never really is, but its definitely presentable. I just need the free time to open a thread about it. Stay tuned. :)

Brilliant... the frustration of the postal system! - GOING POSTAL!

Yeah … and other little obstacles like one of the 14 buttons not lighting up. :/ Fortunately, a friend of mine could solder its broken soldering joint. \o/ I really should take one of the many soldering courses at the hacker conventions I visit quite regularly.

Looking forward to watching your video!

Clyde

@dubiousengineer There you have it: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/17268/my-asteroids-themed-diy-upright-cabinet :)

DubiousEngineer

@clyde magnificent work Clyde! ... I hope you have many hours of fun playing yours... it looks so much more professional than mine!

Clyde

@dubiousengineer Thanks, I very much appreciate that. 😊 But don't be fooled about its apparent professionalism, the pictures' resolution isn't high enough to show the many little flaws and compromises I had to make. E.g. I couldn't avoid small wrinkles in the foil at the sharp outer corners – but they're not so bad that I have to cover them with the usual moulding.

I don't want to enter a "you certainly did a better job than me, sir" argument, but nevertheless, you put much more actual craftsmanship into your build, whereas I used a DIY kit, even if a "raw" one without artwork and electronics. But okay, in the light of my very limited crafting abilities I do take the liberty to be a little bit happy and proud about the outcome. 😌

Watching your last video made me admire your work … again. You don't seem to have one of those big workshops with buzz saws etc. that many prominent arcade builders have, yet you make the best of your tools and materials. I also liked how you improvised after drilling an oversized hole (man, I had the sincerest sympathies watching it). I have only one gripe about your videos: stop drinking tasty-looking beer! It always makes me thirst for my own. 😄

edit: I forgot a word. sigh

DubiousEngineer

@Clyde ... you superstar... just found this forum post after having had a tasty beer... I hope to start a new handheld project soon... a metal 3D printed handheld console... this should be epic!

DubiousEngineer

@DubiousEngineer