Game boy macro faceplate

thingiverse

I have uploaded the step file to allow for easy modification of the thing, as a few people have requested it. It is an early version because the last adjustment was made directly over the STL, so be cautious. This is a faceplate for a Game Boy Macro/GBA Lite mod inspired by the boxy pixel design for those who want to make one in plastic. It has been designed from scratch except for the back part, which is the Makho one with some reinforcements in the screw holes and the holes slightly bigger than the originals. The screen frame has also been enlarged and centered, as I had issues with the original one. The part has a design of three main layers: one is the bottom of the hollow for the select and start buttons, the other is the one for the D-pad and A/B buttons, which is where the top and bottom faceplate's cuts are, and the third one is the top layer. It was created this way because I wanted a smooth surface, and the ironing process leaves a tiny accumulation of material in the borders of the hollows. With this design, you can make a complete ironed intermediate layer and avoid this issue just with two ironing layers. However, you can also print it as usual and won't have any problem further than the listed one, which can be solved with a soft sanding. The faceplate has room only for the LCD screen, so the touch screen should be removed. There are two versions of the faceplate: a complete one and a split one. I made the split one because the complete one should be printed face up due to the fact that there is no room for supports if you print it face down, and also the visible part results in an undesirable surface. The problem is that the electronics face is a big flat part that is full of screw pillars, so the supports are difficult to remove, and I couldn't obtain a real flat frame on the screen bezel, even using support interfaces. However, someone with soluble supports will do it perfectly with the complete model. If you use the split model, simply glue it together with a non-instant adhesive to have time to align the two parts correctly. It also has a thin zone over the LED area that if you use a non-dark material, you can see slightly the LED light.