Holding a switch for more than 20 minutes is actually kinda hard on my hands. The way I have to grab it in order to support its weight makes it sorta awkward to reach the upper bumper and trigger buttons on the back. So, I decided to see if I could 3D print something to help.
Credit to jgr526 on Thingiverse.com for the STL model.
Finished Product!
Hot off the printer, pre-sanding. the piece was printed upright in 2 parts so that it would fit on my printer and print all in one go. You can see where I joined the pieces in the center with super glue. The connection is a tongue-in-groove and seems to hold up pretty well. Very snug fit.
For the filament, I use Hatchbox Wood Filament from Amazon. That stuff is the best. I dont print with anything else anymore because this just turns out so great. It is easily sandable, and stainable. (and smells like wood while printing!)
(Don't worry, the link above is not an affiliate link ;) )
(Don't worry, the link above is not an affiliate link ;) )
After the glue dried, I went to sanding. That actually took a little while to get in all the cracks.
Different view. All the sanding is done!
Time for some stain! This is the second of three coats.
Finished Product
Conclusion
Great little project. And it actually helps so much! It makes it feel a lot more like a Nintendo WiiU controller (so comfy, even for long periods of time) and just relieves a lot of stress on my hands when I play on it in handheld mode.
Things I learned:
- The wood filament is amazing at holding stain and looking great
- PLA, if heated up warps... even not under that much heat. The front of my house is in the sun in the afternoon and it gets pretty hot. After I had let the stain dry for a day in the garage I decided to put it out on the front porch to dry in the sun. Came back 20 mins later and the thing was bowed upward! I had to use a hair dryer and a lot of straight objects to bend it back into the shape you see in the final. It also shrunk as it cooled, making it too small for the switch to fit in.
So the fix was to tape a popsicle stick into the rightmost edge where the controller slides in, heat it up, and while it was hot and mold-able, slide the switch controller in with the popsicle stick as a bit of padding. It worked great, and is perfectly snug, yet pops right out if
So the fix was to tape a popsicle stick into the rightmost edge where the controller slides in, heat it up, and while it was hot and mold-able, slide the switch controller in with the popsicle stick as a bit of padding. It worked great, and is perfectly snug, yet pops right out if
- Clear coat spray (for sealing things like artwork once you are done) does not dry 100% all the way hard. It sure looks amazing with its glossy surface!
It does seem to be dry, however if you hold the controller in your hand for 5 mins it grows to be a little sweaty. Not to the point where it liquefies or anything, it just seems to cling to my hand when I let go.
It does seem to be dry, however if you hold the controller in your hand for 5 mins it grows to be a little sweaty. Not to the point where it liquefies or anything, it just seems to cling to my hand when I let go.
Overall, awesome project, and I am happy with the results.
I am still on the lookout for a better clear coat spray that hardens 100%. If I find some I will be spraying a layer or two on it to make it better.
I am still on the lookout for a better clear coat spray that hardens 100%. If I find some I will be spraying a layer or two on it to make it better.