I finished my Virtual Boy console conversion and needed an extension cable for the controller. Using Kevin Mellot’s models I was able to have connectors 3D printed and the result is the image attached. Really happy with how it turned out and I would highly recommend folks consider using Kevin’s models if they need an extension cable themselves.
Attachments:
I purchased an Elegoo Mars for this project.
I have been experimenting with mixtures of a base black anycubic resin and Siraya Tech’s Blu resin, which is a much tougher resin for functional parts.
I have come close to figuring out a solution I am happy with through experimentation, but I have two main issues I’m running up against:
1) Parts of my edges are not forming correctly and so the edges don’t have the sharp clean lines I’m looking for. I have been watching videos on manually adding supports and I think that’s my answer. I’m not even really overly concerned with that, should be an easy one to solve with a bit more experimenting.
2) When I test fit parts, they work beautifully. However, what I have observed after many test fits is that the material is kind of wearing a bit and leaving a chalky residue. I’m not overly concerned about this for myself, but if I do a larger run of these for the community, I want to provide a product that looks good and functions properly. I think I wouldn’t be overly impressed if I bought a cable from someone and it started looking chalky after light use. This one is really bothering me and I’m not sure there’s going to be a resin solution to the problem.
I’m starting to think maybe using the resin for the casing after I get that dialed in and then looking toward a carbon fiber material like you use in your patch cable for the connectors themselves.
brumbie13 wrote:
I purchased an Elegoo Mars for this project.I have been experimenting with mixtures of a base black anycubic resin and Siraya Tech’s Blu resin, which is a much tougher resin for functional parts.
I have come close to figuring out a solution I am happy with through experimentation, but I have two main issues I’m running up against:
1) Parts of my edges are not forming correctly and so the edges don’t have the sharp clean lines I’m looking for. I have been watching videos on manually adding supports and I think that’s my answer. I’m not even really overly concerned with that, should be an easy one to solve with a bit more experimenting.
2) When I test fit parts, they work beautifully. However, what I have observed after many test fits is that the material is kind of wearing a bit and leaving a chalky residue. I’m not overly concerned about this for myself, but if I do a larger run of these for the community, I want to provide a product that looks good and functions properly. I think I wouldn’t be overly impressed if I bought a cable from someone and it started looking chalky after light use. This one is really bothering me and I’m not sure there’s going to be a resin solution to the problem.
I’m starting to think maybe using the resin for the casing after I get that dialed in and then looking toward a carbon fiber material like you use in your patch cable for the connectors themselves.
You may need to adjust the models for SLA as well. You may know this but with 3D printing you usually start off with a design that should work, and then tweak it to work better with your 3D printer. So most of my parts have been tweaked to work well with the Markforged Onyx. The models may need tweaking for printing in other materials. You can use Tinkercad to make simple changes. I actually build all my models in Tinkercad from basic shapes.
Extension parts in progress. I had to revise the controller connector a few times but they’re coming out nice and strong now.
Attachments:
And the first cable shipping out.
Black version. Looks more like an original cable. Thinner and more flexible.
