This year I plan on finishing some of the projects that I once started, but never got to fully see through for one reason or another. Today, I present to you the finished FEZ set-top retro arcade box!
Previous articles:
part 1 – part 2 – part 3 – part 4 – part 5 – part 6 – part 7 – part 8 – part 9
I’ve had this block of wood (I forgot which, probably ash) for the longest time, but I never really found a use for it. Until today that is! I planed it down to the desired thickness, routed out a small box and cleaned up the tabs on the belt sander.
The wiring obviously goes into the back side so I pocketed one side and lasered a mounting panel for it. As seen in the picture below, I needed to get creative in my workholding technique so I could fix the part on its side and still be left with the required Z clearance. I managed, but just barely…
Honesty demands me to confess I really fucked up on this step. Multiple times no less… I managed to capture the moment everything went south on video though (link at the bottom of this article). A permanent reminder of the fact I should double check everything before committing to a cut! Fortunately the part was fully salvageable.
Apart from the mishap in the video, I also managed to cut the pocket in the wrong side… Ouch… Luckily I was also able to correct this mistake by mounting the Raspberry upside down and mirroring some features of the original design. Some close calls, but when everything’s said and done, you’d be none the wiser by just looking at the final product. 😉
I used a short extension cable for the HDMI plug. The USB dongle is a Bluetooth receiver for my PS3 controller.
I was really happy with the overall look, but somehow the box looked ‘unfinished’ if that makes sense… It needed a logo on the front, so I quickly made one using a fancy font and some clipart. Much better! Similar to machining the side pocket, I really had to push the LAYZOR’s adjustable Z to its max. I even had to take out the honeycomb mesh from the bed in order to get the last 10mm needed for perfect focus.
I made a shallow pocket in the bottom side and lined it with foam rubber for better grip.
The top cover was milled from 3mm white acrylic without any issues. Its tolerances are such that it press-snaps in place.
After some final sanding and applying some mineral oil to the box, the FEZ was finally ready! I am really liking the contrast between the raw wood and the glossy acrylic. Super happy about the result. Especially considering I nearly scrapped the part. 😉
Which reminds me, here’s the overview vid of the build: