Fourth Week: Sawing and Printing
This week has been very satisfying, because I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. I made the STL file for the enlarged version of the buttons I’m using. I had to do this because the slicer software makes every part of the button bigger when you increase the buttons’ size. This is fine for most prints, however, the original button’s file was perfectly sized for the switches I have. If I were to use the slicer software to increase the size, then the switch mounts would increase and the switch wouldn’t fit. I made a scaled up version of the print, which made the top mount for the switch longer, but not wider. That fit, but I forgot about the bottom mount, so the switch doesn’t fit in the button. The button is also way too big, so I want to reduce the size, but keep the newer ratio (if that is possible). I think I’d have to export the file as a mm-based STL file, then have the slicer convert it to a 3MF file? I’m not sure yet.
I’ve also started construction on the actual controller shell. I chose to use Medium Density Fiber (MDF) wood because it does not sag, and is easy to use for beginner woodworkers. I had to use a handsaw to cut the wood, which took a long time. I managed to make the saw somewhat accurate by cutting a shallow groove into the wood, so the saw would go along that path. While the cuts are mostly fine, my lines seemed to sag in the middle, even though I used a ruler to make them. I think I can use a file to wear down the wood until it’s straight again. For the next cuts, I will try to use the diagonal trick, where I check if the diagonals going from each corner are the same length. If they are the same length, then the lines should all be straight.