Pi in a Burger King Gameboy Color Build - WIP

obsidianspider

@itsnitro

obsidianspider

My chemistry experiment leads me to believe these little Burger King toys are not made from ABS. Or at least a polymer that doesn't dissolve in acetone.

In the jar on the left you'll see the red plastic melted in a solid hunk at the bottom of the jar with the acetone floating above it. In the jar on the right you'll see the whitish substance which is acetone and plastic dissolved in it from the Gameboy Advance case I'm working on.

Given that, I'm not sure what adhesive I'll be using to join the back of the red Burger King toy together. I could just use hot glue for now, but I'd like something more permanent. I've read Loctite 401 is really good, but it's also quite expensive.

moosepr

@obsidianspider does the red plastic actually mix with the acetone and then separate out after? maybe if you get it all mixed then you could dollop it on and use it before it separates again?

obsidianspider

@moosepr Its the consistency of chewing gum. I think I'll try bonding two pieces of the blue toy (which has become my test bed) together to see how that works before doing it on the red one. That Loctite 401 isn't carried at any local stores and seems to be selling for $30 for a 20mL bottle. Um. No.

obsidianspider

Using a toothpick I globbed some of the red "cement" on to the blue toy to see how things go. It was pliable, but seemed to "dry" quickly.

Using a separate toothpick I put some of the white "cement" on the Gameboy Advance shell to secure the battery door in place. I used Scotch tape to keep the door in place. After taking the photo I saw that the door was slightly away from the case, so I used a few dabs of hot glue to keep the door in place while things set up. In my research I saw that adding too much ABS cement can cause things to warp, so I only put it in four corners of the battery door. I'd rather not wreck the case if I can help it.

I've read that you should let ABS cement dry for a few days to a week before attempting to sand it or put any load on it, so I'll let things go in the garage for a while and check back.

obsidianspider

After waiting a day, the results are good. The non-ABS cement seems fairly sturdy, though I'm not sure how strong it will end up being.

I'm going to hold off on gluing the "hump" on the back of the red toy because I still need to find a source for tiny screws to hold the front and back of the case together, and I know it will be easier to drill the holes without the hump.

moosepr

@obsidianspider would be superawesome if you could do it without the hump!! thats the only thing that lets those toys down in my opinion (i also dont like the GB pocket becasue of its humps)

obsidianspider

@moosepr Too bad I chopped a GIANT hole in the back in the middle to make it work. I'd have to look into cutting out the screen and then dissecting things that way. I don't know of another way to get inside. I am also out of toys to take apart aside from the green one which I'm keeping to show how things started off.

That said, I do have a saved search on eBay for these toys, but the water variants don't come up often.

moosepr

@obsidianspider maybe grind up all the excess plastic you have , then turn it into acetone soup, and 'cast' it inside the hole at the back? you could build it up in layers (but then the hours of working after)

A Former User

@aloedrink ummm

disco0

I am also beginning this project and brought a pink version of the BK gameboy
Now this particular model Im buying has the bulge at the back but isn't hinged like your red and blue versions
Is this still an acceptable case to modify?

obsidianspider

@disco0 I'd have to see it. I'm not sure how you'd get it apart. Maybe if you went in through the screen?

spruce_m00se

did you ever finish this ?

CodeDrawer

How big are these? @obsidianspider

obsidianspider

@spruce_m00se Not yet.

@CodeDrawer I posted photos of the toys next to a ruler earlier in the thread.

spruce_m00se

@obsidianspider does the zero fit inside?
i think if it fits without chopping it then it would be fairly straight forward, just buy some hot glue and have at it :)

CodeDrawer

@obsidianspider Hey thanks!

disco0

My BK game boy came today interestingly enough its seems this model in particular does not have the hinged bulge on the back like the others and is a lot more flat
I have placed a credit card next to game boy for size comparison.
Does raise some concerns as to whether it will actually fit in this type

disco0

obsidianspider

@disco0 I like the form factor of it not being as huge, but yeah, without that hinge, I'm not sure how you'll go about getting it apart. You're going to have to figure out a way to get inside without mucking up the case. I messed up my first attempt with the blue toy by slicing along the seam. There's an overlap of the two halves of the case. They're "welded" inside the case.