Sege Genesis cartridge case latch

thingiverse

As many Sega fans can probably attest, it's really annoying when a game comes with a broken case that refuses to shut properly. This is usually caused by a small plastic latch breaking, especially on cases made from more brittle material. I designed this replacement latch in Autodesk Maya after meticulously measuring the original from a Sega case that had a broken latch, following a failed attempt at repairing it using conventional means. This replacement design really delivers results. Print the clip using a strong material like ABS, at your printer's highest resolution and going slow with 100% infill. I recommend printing up several batches in case you encounter any defects. Heat your bed to about 110C and use a fairly hot nozzle temperature (I used 240C with Hatchbox ABS) to ensure that you'll have a strong bond between the layers. The latch is designed in such a way that you won't need any support material. Using a pair of flush cutters and an exacto knife, completely remove the remains of the original clip and scrape the surface smooth. You don't want anything getting in the way of the new latch clip when you install it. Sand the bottom of the latch lightly to give glue a good clinging surface, then wipe down with alcohol. Do the same on the spots on the case where you'll be attaching the clip. The tricky part will be lining up the clip correctly so that it's not too close or too far from the edge of the case, but if you have a case with at least one non-broken clip for reference, you should be fine. Use a strong 2-part epoxy to attach the clip to the case. Give the epoxy about 24 hours to cure completely before attempting to close the case. Make sure you don't get any epoxy on the clear plastic sleeve. Do all this correctly and your previously broken Sega case will work as good as new!