All PVC Case and using jumper wires?

[Shield]

Hey all,

I have been looking at some case material options for my first N64 Portable, for the size I want it's going to be about 10" wide by 5.5" tall or so, it looks like most cases from say poly case are a little to small for that size, and I looked at ABS sheet plastic and it seems almost all of them have some kind of weird rough or textured surface that I would have to sand smooth, I was thinking of using PVC Pipe fittings for the curves and bends and I found some smooth sheet PVC from amazon.com for the rest, Is there a special PVC Cement I should use to securely bond everything together and then use some filler for the rest, I have some normal PVC stuff for gluing pipes together.

Also I would like to try using these Dupont jumper wires for general wiring like extending buttons and n64 cart slot relocation, they are very flexible and have male and female ends to give a modular wiring system for taking things apart easier.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQA5BWU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1ZWKYG6XLQLVJ

Any tips or advice?


Thanks.

 

[chairsgotoschool]

i dont know about pvc for a case but as for jumper wires sure but you could use other things like ethernet wires and ports or just some connectors

 

[Shield]

Hey,

you could use other things like ethernet wires and ports or just some connectors

I like the idea of the ethernet ports and wires, I hadn't thought of using them in regards to internal wiring.


Thanks.

 

[theEVOL1]

I've used those jumper wires to relocate a N64 cart slot and it works alright without interference. It saved me about an hour of tedious soldering. You have to make sure that you do something to fasten them in place, though. They will easily pull out of the holes and off of the cart pins. I would hot glue them in place once you make sure that they are working.

As for PVC, make sure that ANYTHING that you do with PVC or that PVC cement is done in a WELL VENTILATED area and left alone for 48 hours. I work in plastics and PVC and that cement are no joke. Both are highly toxic. There is a reason that PVC is only used in certain applications. Of course there are many grades of PVC, but for the most part, they have a comparatively low softening and melt temperature as far as plastics go. ABS and Polycarbonate are much more user friendly, rigid, and non-toxic. That's why everyone uses them. Natural polycarbonate is clear and should be smooth. Lexan or Makrolon are trade names if you are having trouble finding it. Polycarb has a higher melt temperature, (530-600 F) so if you plan on thermoforming, then it might not suit you.

I think I'm getting too far into "shop talk" mode. If you have any questions or specifics, let me know!

 

[Shield]

Hey thanks for the info,

jumper wires to relocate a N64 cart slot and it works alright without interference.

Meaning they are good unless there is interference nearby, and what kind of interference from the board or externally, or they work fine no matter what?

I have Ethernet wire and ribbon cable aka ide wire found in a computer, but some say it breaks kind of easy because of the solid core. Do you have a better wire recommendation for cart slot relocation?

About the PVC, Is it safe after the cement has dried, like wet sanding it and stuff?

The reason I was thinking of using pvc is because it was rigid and seemed a cheap way to go I could get a 12x12" 1/8 sheet for about 5$ on amazon.com, I don't want a case that feels flimsy or bendy if you know what I mean, maybe I should just go with that textured ABS stuff on amazon, would it be easier to work with, glue with ABS cement? I saw someone say it was pretty hard to cut 1/8" ABS so maybe not a good idea.

Basically I want something that's kind of hard (not bendy) so the case feels pretty solid and not to hard to work with.

I would like to use thermoforming but I think I would have to build a machine, case mold and other stuff which would take a while, I've seen the simple oven method but I don't like the idea of melting plastic in an oven that I cook food in.

 

[theEVOL1]

jumper wires to relocate a N64 cart slot and it works alright without interference.

Meaning they are good unless there is interference nearby, and what kind of interference from the board or externally, or they work fine no matter what?

Internal interference. When I used those jumpers, I was concerned that they were too long compared to how thin the gauge of wire. They are a little over 7 inches long and it can become difficult to carry a signal that far.

I have Ethernet wire and ribbon cable aka ide wire found in a computer, but some say it breaks kind of easy because of the solid core. Do you have a better wire recommendation for cart slot relocation?

Like I said, I had no problem with those jumpers, but if you have wire laying around, just make sure that it is not solid core. It doesn't like to bend without breaking your solder joints and overall is a huge pain to work with. I know some more experienced modders use wire as thin as 28 AWG, but if you are moving the cart slot more than about 3 inches, you'll probably want something a bit thicker like 24 AWG.

About the PVC, Is it safe after the cement has dried, like wet sanding it and stuff?

I would guess that once it's set, it should be fine, but any time I've ever seen it used, it is left as is.

The reason I was thinking of using pvc is because it was rigid and seemed a cheap way to go I could get a 12x12" 1/8 sheet for about 5$ on amazon.com, I don't want a case that feels flimsy or bendy if you know what I mean, maybe I should just go with that textured ABS stuff on amazon, would it be easier to work with, glue with ABS cement? I saw someone say it was pretty hard to cut 1/8" ABS so maybe not a good idea.

Basically I want something that's kind of hard (not bendy) so the case feels pretty solid and not to hard to work with.

I would like to use thermoforming but I think I would have to build a machine, case mold and other stuff which would take a while, I've seen the simple oven method but I don't like the idea of melting plastic in an oven that I cook food in.

I've never found ABS difficult to work with or cut. The cases for Xbox 360s are an ABS/PC blend if that gives you an idea of what the material is like.

I think that if you use anything that is 1/8", it's going to be a little flexible, even the PVC. Keep in mind that for the rigidity of PVC, you pay in weight. PVC is awfully heavy, which might not suit you in a handheld. Compared to High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), PVC is 1.4 g/cc where HDPE is about .9 g/cc. Other common plastics are even lower than that.

If you are using thermoforming, I would not use PVC. As PVC starts to heat up, it expels Chloride gas. Chloride gas is very dangerous. In extreme cases, it can choke you out and chemically burn your lungs, eyes and skin.

While I have heated plastic in my home oven, I would never do it with PVC. Even tamer plastic will make your house stink and if you get too hot, it will begin to smoke.

 

[Shield]

Hey,

Internal interference. When I used those jumpers, I was concerned that they were too long compared to how thin the gauge of wire. They are a little over 7 inches long and it can become difficult to carry a signal that far.

So the wires are not good if they are around 7" long, well I was thinking of wiring the cart slot from behind the n64 board (left example in image below) that way they could be a little shorter. Although I am not sure how to wire the cart from behind the board, might be confusing.

I looked on amazon for some results and it looks like almost if not all abs sheet plastic has a kind of rough texture on it, but the backside is smooth, I didn't realize that before, so I'll probably just use the smooth side. I guess I'll chop up 1 or 2 n64 controllers and abs cement everything together, follow up with filler and sanding until its smoothed out, then paint.

If you are using thermoforming, I would not use PVC. As PVC starts to heat up, it expels Chloride gas. Chloride gas is very dangerous. In extreme cases, it can choke you out and chemically burn your lungs, eyes and skin.

I won't be thermoforming on this case, and if I did I think most people use HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) for cases, I would like to build a thermoformer in the future, there are people on the net that show how to build them, I think they are like hundreds of dollars to buy an off the shelf one.