Starting My Mod/Prototype Career Tomorrow
OK, modding and stuff actually seems fun, and I have some ideas in this arena that I haven't been able to find anywhere else, but I'm hoping there's someone out there who wouldn't mind answering A LOT of questions as I begin to make my 1st few attempts in this new endeavor.
When I'm learning something new, I tend to want to get up to speed as fast as possible, and usually faster, so I will ask questions like a 3-year-old on crack in the beginning. They quickly taper off, but that first short while is annoying as hell. After that, I think I can become a valuable sounding board for ideas and someone who will continue to push the envelope and challenge you to do so as well.
So, I figured to start, a console mod would be the best project to attempt. I've watched some videos around starting and prepping the console, and I have disassembled laptops before (and even put them back together...egg cartons and post-it notes are your friend), I'm also good with sanding, smoothing and priming the plastic (furniture refinishing cross over experience). After that, I am a competent painter, and I'm pretty handy with a Dremel/router (and have a friend whose skills are far beyond mine, and again, I'm not totally incompetent). Soldering lights into the electrical source and verifying the lights can handle the voltage they are getting is not an issue for me either.
Here's my initial Set of questions for whomever -
A. Is this a good place to start ( I'm actually starting on junk plastic to practice with that type of plastic)?
B. I know I need the Nintendo key for my ratchet/screwdriver/drill...can I get this, or an equivalent, at a hardware store or make it myself to avoid online ordering? (basically, I'm over anxious to start and don't want to wait for it to be shipped)?
C. Will you be my mentor?
When I'm learning something new, I tend to want to get up to speed as fast as possible, and usually faster, so I will ask questions like a 3-year-old on crack in the beginning. They quickly taper off, but that first short while is annoying as hell. After that, I think I can become a valuable sounding board for ideas and someone who will continue to push the envelope and challenge you to do so as well.
So, I figured to start, a console mod would be the best project to attempt. I've watched some videos around starting and prepping the console, and I have disassembled laptops before (and even put them back together...egg cartons and post-it notes are your friend), I'm also good with sanding, smoothing and priming the plastic (furniture refinishing cross over experience). After that, I am a competent painter, and I'm pretty handy with a Dremel/router (and have a friend whose skills are far beyond mine, and again, I'm not totally incompetent). Soldering lights into the electrical source and verifying the lights can handle the voltage they are getting is not an issue for me either.
Here's my initial Set of questions for whomever -
A. Is this a good place to start ( I'm actually starting on junk plastic to practice with that type of plastic)?
B. I know I need the Nintendo key for my ratchet/screwdriver/drill...can I get this, or an equivalent, at a hardware store or make it myself to avoid online ordering? (basically, I'm over anxious to start and don't want to wait for it to be shipped)?
C. Will you be my mentor?
Comments
B. Get a set of Gamebits (you can find them on ebay for $10 or less). Also pick up a torx security bit set as well (not really used on NES games or anything, but some Genesis games use them).
C. No
C) maybe if you cut me in on every sale you make because (courtesy of your other thread) I know you don't actually give a shit about any of this. I heard google was a pretty good mentor too. all of this info is out there.
Originally posted by: dballin
A) practice on whatever you want
C) maybe if you cut me in on every sale you make because (courtesy of your other thread) I know you don't actually give a shit about any of this. I heard google was a pretty good mentor too. all of this info is out there.
A. Thank you.
B. It's more about the time it takes to get them than the price I'm paying.
C. Yes, I'm going to sell what I complete, which makes me different than others, not at all. Still, this seems like fun and the one cool (for me) thing I've found recently about retro games. Might as well do something I enjoy if I'm gonna do something.
Pay for priority shipping then. You're not going to find these at any hardware store.
ps: these are the ones you want plus Starwander is a p. cool guy: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8mm-4-5mm-Security-Bits-Triwing-Open-NES-Super-Nintendo-SNES-Sega-GameBoy-/171005784187?pt=US_Video_Gaming_Replacement_Parts_Tools&hash=item27d0bd307b
I appreciate your honesty when coming out and saying you're just here to learn stuff and make money, but when you throw out blanket insults shitting on the entire hobby before you start asking for help, what incentive do I have to provide you with info to shortcut your way to profits? Google it. The info is out there.
I believe on the internet, they're called "hipsters".
Originally posted by: Guntz
The only real help you need can be had through google and searching through forums.
Yes, and I have done this (I have found the "plastic impression mold" method of making a bit to fasten and unfasten the Nintendo Security Screw to be lacking, however I have found another method of grinding the center of a flathead screwddriver so that it looks like a golf cleat tool, and then magnetizing the "new" tool which seems much more promising).
However, there can be specific roadblocks which one runs into when beginning a new endeavor which may not be easily found via a search engine, and having a person to go to who has probably run into that same roadblock, prior, is helpful.
Also, getting a few questions answered before starting a new project, so one doesn't fuck it up from the get-go, can also eliminate barriers to entry in a new hobby.
I'm sorry that I made a thread which, at some level, stated that if Stadium Events had a larger, longer production run, it would be occupying landfills nationwide, but it would.
step one for a successful project: use the proper tool for the job.
good luck with your stuff and have fun!
Originally posted by: fatalfuryspecial
grind a flathead screwdriver and magnetize it? seriously? just order the damn bit. while youre waiting you can read some more and practice painting on some other stuff you have laying about the house.
step one for a successful project: use the proper tool for the job.
good luck with your stuff and have fun!
You only need to hit two of the notches to be able to loosen the screw/nut thing, and after the initial tug, which the tool I make myself will be more than capable of doing, one can almost use a toothpick to loosen it the rest of the way.
Getting used to fabricating what I need, for a project which will more than likely require a ton of that, doesn't seem like the dumbest thing in the world.
The nuts are undamaged from my 1st 2 attempts/tools. I highly doubt they will be scathed by the third.
I'm actually gonna take it to the hardware store tomorrow and see if there is something that fits, or comes close to fitting, before trying to build another tool.
If those two things fail, yeah...I'll "order the damn tool." (painting's the easy part. I refinish furniture as one of my many endeavors. I don't like painting wood when staining is so much nicer, but sometimes you ain't got a choice, or a customer requests it. Point being, I know how to paint, I know how to do intricate taping, I know the order in which to paint multiple colors, and I've done laquer painting on furniture, which is surprisingly like painting a car. Me painting aint the issue here. In fact, there are no issues here. )
Thank you. You've been very helpful.
i get impatient when i am excited about starting a project too. no reason to get defensive, we're all on the same team here.
It IS fun to see or read about ideas. I think if you have some cool ideas and if you present them, you will get good feedback. And if you feel like you do not have enough ideas you can easily solicit them from others here. I love brainstorming and critiquing and if you are poised to execute a project, I am poised to give you direction and acute criticism.
Your furniture finishing experience should be a good background for this. I'm sure you have also learned about other crafts in the process as well. To whatever extent this gives you the insight and the confidence to get started, it's a good thing.
... But seriously dude, buy the fucking tools. There's not a lot of things that you need for this and they are not hard to get.
Originally posted by: dballin
It sounds like you already have all the experience you need to mod a console. I don't know what help you need. If you ask a super broad question like how do I mod console? my answer is: soldering iron and a dremel. The one specific piece of advice you've asked for in this thread you seem hell bent on ignoring. Ruining multiple screwdrivers instead of just buying the right tool in the first place seems like a gr8 idea, but if that's what you wanna do, go for it brother!
I didn't ask "how do you mod a console" (and, this is mostly a cosmetic mod). I asked if modding a console (cosmetically) would be a good place to start, as in, is this the best beginner project to undertake, or is there something simpler such that someone like myself, who may have much of the knowledge needed to complete the task, but none of the experience or confidence to believe that it won't look like a retarded monkey threw it together with his own feces, will have a good chance at getting a successful first project under their belt, and also have a chance to build something useful or unique?
I TRIED Googling that, but there were only liike 7 hits retrieved, and they included a lot of monkey porn, so I refused to read them for more than like 2 hours straight.
Your first one, or two, or three may very well look like shit. If you picked up a guitar for the first time today, would you expect to be able to play Van Halen's Eruption? Considering I have no idea what it is you're actually doing other than 'cosmetic mod' and your exact skill level performing similar tasks I have no idea what your success probability will be. Just do it and see what happens. You're not working with some radioactive material that's going to kill you if you mess it up. Fuck up, evaluate what went wrong, and try again. That's how you learn.
Post a pic when you're done man. I wanna see
Originally posted by: ugly_monster
My first 9 or 10 or 11 looked like shit. So did everyone after. I'm starting to think I'm in it for the paint fumes.
Post a pic when you're done man. I wanna see
I lol'd at that
Honestly, there seems to be a lot of hostility to the OP about this (or maybe I'm reading it wrong?). MalcomXY - I really do suggest getting the game bits and torx bits. It will save you time and energy down the road, and they're only a few dollars. Past that, I would check out some plastic fabrication forums and sites for any questions you may have. Not many people here do console modding, and those that do seem few and far between, and don't post all that often (that I'm aware of).
Aside from that, good luck, and can't wait to see pics of your projects!
I kind of want to post pics of the super amateur cartridge shell mod I just did.
To the OP, there are SOOO many forums/web sites that do set by set modifications, that I would start there. I don't really know why a mentor would be needed, sounds kinda creepy.
There really isn't much you can do plastic wise, besides making your own handheld console (NES, SNES, etc.) with vacuum molding. So, I would start with doing AV mods, or region free mods to get something under your belt.
Also, it's apparent that dballin has no manners.
Originally posted by: gliptitude
Hey, by the way, is The Brewery the appropriate place for modding topics???
I kind of want to post pics of the super amateur cartridge shell mod I just did.
Sure, why not? Homebrew isn't just devoted for programming, but any DIY/custom jobs
I can tell, like with my 1st laptop disassembly, there are gonna be some extra screws at the end of this (they're almost all the same...). I took pics at the various stages of disassembly, so hopefully I can use those as a map, but I'm more so hoping that there is a youtube video where I can watch a guy put one of these things back together and generously use the rewind button to have steps repeated.
Either way, the screws that WON'T remain are those stupid security screws. Those are getting replaced with Phillips head screws. If that was the only mod someone did for me on an SNES that I bought, I'd be pretty happy.
Also cleaned off the casing for the electronics. I'll also clean the contacts once I start installing lights to the power system, etc. For now, there's no reason to mess with anything that isn't plastic or sheet metal.
The box, laid on its side with some plastic sheeting extending beyond the flaps, which will be out, will act as my paint booth so that I can paint outside without the wind affecting the work (no real indoor spot to paint right now, and since these pieces are relatively small, I can build an acceptable cardboard workspace for the painting portion of the project).
So, there you have it. Let the fucking up and doing over begin...
See it before you do it!
Originally posted by: SinNombre
I'm painting a SNES at the moment as well. Bastard was busted to hell, had to fill in the body with fiberglass. I see you are in Alabama and I would assume the humidity there is high. I can say from experience that high humidity causes lacquer spray paint to haze over. Not sure about anything that might be catalyzed.
I'm in WA...not that terribly humid here (it defaults to AL...I'd change it if I wasn't so lazy).
Priming has begun...slowly...adding multiple light coats of high gloss white as the primer to avoid drips. Still, there is one drip on one piece. I'll just sand it back down and re-paint it.
I have some cutting and fixing to do as well, but I wanted to get some practicing painting this type of plastic, so I went with that 1st. I understand I'll have to repeat some work, but this works better for me in the end...