RetroPie Console 1

This project was completed on September 19th, 2019. You can also view it on Instagram.

This is a little emulator console I made for my buddy out of a Raspberry Pi. It runs some software called RetroPie, that lets you run emulators of old consoles.

Internal Frame

I made the internal frame out of poplar. The Raspberry Pi was attacked to the inside of the top with some motherboard standoffs.

Aluminum

I used a sheet of thin aluminum and some silver tacks to cover the front and top of the console. I made the internal structure the same width as the aluminum sheet, so that I only had to cut it to length, and didn't have as many jagged edges to deal with.

Scales

I used a Mexican wood called chechen to make the side scales. They are a tad proud of the top and front to protect against the edge of the aluminum sheet. I used danish oil to finish the chechen and cut a hole in one side to access the USB ports.

Button

And lastly I added an arcade button to the front to turn the console on and off. This particular button had a built-in LED, so I connected it the 5v pin on the Raspberry Pi, and the button glows with the console is powered on.

Done

The raspberry Pi itself takes up very little room inside, but I like the form factor of this size. The HDMI and Power ports are accessible in the back. I didn't bother covering the back or bottom of the console, since you wouldn't see them when it's sitting on a shelf under the TV.

Test

Just plug in a couple USB controllers and you're off to the races!

I ended up making a few more of these.

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