One Possible Future (Part 2)

Project: One Possible Future (Part 2)

Abstract: Customize an NES in the style of a Sazabi model kit

Status: Complete

The Sazabi NES project is finally finished. In this article, I will show you the finished product and also explain how I made a game converter out of spare parts. The project really didn't need to take 8 months to finish, but the combination of burning up my last parts and my lack of free time really pushed it out. But that's all bullshit, let's take a look at the project. Warning, this is SUPER image heavy.

Rebuilding

When I last left you, I had stopped because my electronics projects went awry at the last minute and I destroyed the board. Even though a normal, functioning, human-person should get away with those mods, I decided to keep it simple the second time around. I just did the simple audio jack mod and refurbished a few pieces here and there to make it reliable. At this point, the project had been abandoned for several months and I was out the cost of an extra NES, so I simplified the plan both for speed and for safety.  After that, I got to finishing the body.

Exterior

There's not much else to say about the exterior. I finished up wet sanding again, added a white Neo Zeon vinyl I found on the Internet, then clear coated over that with regular Krylon clear coat matte. I also decided to add a coat of regular Krylon matte black over my truck bed coated black vent stripe and end pieces, because it was too rough and absorbed a lot of dust. During this time I also added a few details, like panel lining, to a few areas.

The vinyl decal wasn't very expensive, and came as a set of 2. In order to fix it to the system, I wet sanded the top coat previously applied, cleaned, affixed sticker, VERY lightly scuffed sticker, cleaned, then sprayed final coats of clear. After all the tape was peeled, the system was polished and assembled.  After waiting for the finished unit to cure (for up to a few days) I went through it and touched up some minor areas by hand with a brush. I didn't get everything, but it looks better than it did. I wouldn't leave out this step, as you can scuff your paint or cause small chips while assembling the pieces.

Just after the last coat of clear.

Game Converter

Right, the game converter. At the time, Famicom to NES game converters were not available at all, and this contributed to the long project time. Eventually, I found some, but they were converter boards only. Luckily, I met a guy at work who is also a nerd and had a old NES game he let me buy off of him for one dollar. I used that game to make a case for the game converter. This part of the project doesn't look as nice because I gambled on rubber coating the top piece to hide some mistakes. See the pictures below and you'll see what I'm talking about--you can still see all the errors in the body work.

Basically, I traced the other game coverter's silhouette over this empty game case, cut it out, then created a top end out of Wonderflex and glue. Follow the images below to see the workflow.

A regular Mission: Impossible game with the tracing.

Hacksaw Time

 

The cutout in the center was made with a Dremel and filed.

Added wonderflex, cut to size and melted on.

Test fitted.

Game is also test fitted. I played the game in a NES to ensure it would work.

The end corners were JB welded so they stayed strong.

Holiday Ribbon used to keep the converter from sticking inside the NES

Sexy drawings.

I used 3M Auto Trim glue, found at WalMart.

Plastic bond. This stuff is expensive but it makes paint adhere super good.

Sanded and sprayed with OneChoice.

Sprayed all over with Rustoleum Safey Red.

Taped off and used truck bed coating on the stripe.

De-Taped.

Re-Taped, Plasti-Dipped the top part. This didn't hide my mistakes like I thought.

Dip tape removed, then sanded the Nintendo logo so it would show through as gray.

Attached remaining Sazabi decals to the converter, then clear coated using the same stuff as the NES.

With ribbon glued down.

Backside (frontside?!)

Finished Set

 I don't have pictures of the entire unit with the cables and controllers and stuff, but I did include 2 regular controllers, audio/video, and power cables with the set, as well as that copy of Z Gundam: Hot Scramble for Famicom, Batman: The Game for NES, and of course Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt.

The package was boxed and sent to it's owner, Jay Jones. I make a lot of shit for that kid.

The project is now over. That's all I've got on it. If you are curious how I did something, please let me know and maybe I will add a update to this post. Thank you for reading DBlog.