The problem with the pursuit of perfection is that it over looks the steps it took to get there when based on a cumulative scale. By that I mean that a project that brings you back to your origins while showcasing the skills that have been put to use since then has a whole different sense of gratification. N64p’s are losing to both practicality and cost reasons on any selling level, but the sheer fact that they can be built just for the sake of it and still get better as time goes on is a very meaningful continuation of an old idea that was so popular just a few years ago.
Anyway, now that the philosophic portion is out of the way, I made a great deal of progress on a N64p Commission I’ve been working on for the past couple of months. With the design process complete, the time came to finally start with the assembly portion of the project. This is an old school mod all they way, but does have a few of the benefits like 3D printing and CNC machining in it’s corner to make this one of the finer designed N64 portables I’ve made.
In any case, just wanted to share a project update aside from the OUYAp V2. These simpler projects are much needed from time to time to remind me that the “hobby” aspect is what I fell in love with long ago and what keeps me going with it, even if it seems a bit obsessive sometimes.
Another month and another very long list of life events that need to be accounted for.
First and foremost, the most amazing thing happened to my wife and I on October 22nd. We became a parents to the cutest little baby boy around! As you might have guessed, a very large portion of my time has now been devoted to this little guy, putting modding and design on the back burner to him and my real job. Though I’m still ever persistent to get at least an hour or two of work done a day on my projects, it’s still quite the taxing endeavor sometimes. He’s actually sleeping right behind me down in my office as I write this. Sleep is hard to come by but when he konks out, I have a limited window to get stuff done which is why I’m posting now!
Evan Christopher Downing
That was the big news.
The second big news is certainly modding related in that I am also a proud new owner of a FlashForge Dreamer 3D Printer which I just acquired a week ago. This completes the main trifecta of my work shop as I now have a full CAD, 3D Printing and CNC Milling capabilities in house. This is already helping out greatly in a boat load of projects I’ve been working on and I’ve been working out the kinks to get full sized, quality prints from my new machine which I can then incorporate to the milling machine to make up for the short falls of 3D printing quality and the tolerances that have to be compensated for because of the precision of my CAD programs.
As far as the 3D printer itself goes, I’ve done a (long) unboxing video to show what one from the US might expect to find inside their package. Overall I’m happy with the machine so far, aside from some of it’s corner cutting when it comes to material and exterior construction, but hey it’s been printing reliably enough for the price and a lot of the failures I’ve had are just the early learning curve. Check out the video below if you’re so inclined to do so!
The FlashForge Dreamer 3D Printer
So what have I been up to these past few months? Well it’s been kind of a secret but lets just say that I’m working on trying to redefine what one could call a “hack” as far as making a portable gaming console goes. In an attempt to try and push the boundaries between what has been a traditional portable system to what I feel can be achieved, I’m getting closer to making this a physical demonstration. Since July I’ve been working on the design of a new portable project. This one is going to go where no portable has gone before and employ methods which combine all three of my in house processes along with custom PCBs and help from my good friend RDC.
A test print of the front face bracket of my new project.
With all that said, the next couple of months are going to be quite fun to see where they lead. I’m pretty excited about where things are right now and there will be more updates in the near future!
Hey guys! Today I’d like to present to you my completed OUYA Portable!
This is my first portable in almost two years that I completed. I know I’ve done a lot of other stuff of course, but as far as technical “portables” go, this is my first since “The GeneBoy“. It’s amazing to see the difference two years makes in technique and quality, but it’s just a stepping stone into the next project, whatever that may be.
So with that said, having this off the table will allow me to get back on to finishing off the Cross Plane commission I need to finish.
If you want to check out the build log and how this was made, you see more here at the “BacMan” forums.
But thanks for checking it out! I’m happy with how this came out!
I’ve never found it difficult to convey exactly how an experience has affected me before. It’s almost always the same key elements that are quite easy to describe in a manner of just a few words. The events of the last few days however have left me in awe and really have opened my eyes to the potential that so many like minds have to offer. So much that I can’t describe exactly what I got out of it other than I have been enlightened to a variety of new experiences that were just plain awesome!
On top of that, the bonds that have been made with just a few days of real life contact are one of the most valuable experiences to leave with and I think we’re all going to be holding on to that for a very long time now and I can’t wait to see where this leads us all in the future!
So, over the next few days, I’ll be making some posts of the accomplishments that were made while we were all together. We’ll all be posting either finished or in-progress threads on the forums and I’ll be doing a short write-up of each one after they get posted on their respective sites.
Some new big things coming up soon as well, including a glimpse of my secret project that I’ve been working on for over 8 months now! Stay tuned for some exciting news shortly!
Downing's Basement 