Xbox 360 controller single button D-pad mod, without shell modifications

thingiverse

I designed this after seeing https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3905354 which requires cutting into the controller's shell and doing irreversible damage. My controller is nearly a decade old and I don't really want to damage it, as it still works perfectly fine. So I made this to replace the horrible stock swivel D-pad to 4 individual buttons. maintaining the shell intact required using 10 3D printed parts, but the result is worth it, as I'm not destroying old hardware. ***IMPORTANT: print at 0.15mm resolution with a 0.4mm nozzle and set infill to 100% for all parts except DpadGuide, can be 25% or lower*** **what you'll need to print** : - 1x DpadFacePlate.stl - 1x DpadGuide.stl - 4x ButtonShaft.stl - 4x EITHER ButtonFace.stl OR ButtonFace_chamfered.stl The chamfered version of ButtonFace is much nicer to use, but if your printer requires a brim to print tiny parts the chamfer might suffer a bit, so I left the original with sharp edges if that's better for you. **what you'll need to add** : - 5x M2x3x3mm threaded brass inserts (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000232526110.html select "M2 X D3.0 X L3.0") - 4x M2x12mm screws - 1x M2x16 screw (Head of screws must be no more than 3.3mm in diameter) The screws were taken from a generic kit of assorted sizes, which can easily be found on amazon. To assemble, simply set the threaded inserts in the holes in parts DpadFacePlate and ButtonFace using a soldering iron or a purpose-made hot-set iron. These are M2, so they are very small need very little heat to be seated properly. Once seated flush with the top surface, use tweezers to keep them in while you remove the iron. Make sure they are inserted perpendicularly, as this is crucial for proper function. Run the ButtonShaft pieces through DpadGuide, it might have some friction as it comes right off the printer, so after running them in the piece a few times, take them out and there will be deformed/shiny spots where the parts are contacting and friction occurs. Use these visual cues to sand the problematic areas and try again. Repeat until they run very smoothly. Then you can do the same with the ButtonFace pieces. Tip: if for some reason some buttons are not registering but the motion is working perfectly, it might be due to the parts ButtonShaft and/or ButtonFace being slightly too short in Z. You can put a split washer (also known as lock washer) between those two pieces to give it some extra travel.