Repos / hi.imnhan.com / 62252173a3
commit 62252173a35668efc2308b29550c8820194d7b9d
Author: Nhân <hi@imnhan.com>
Date: Sun Aug 20 23:47:34 2023 +0700
migrate fightstick posts
diff --git a/custom-theme/index.dj b/custom-theme/index.dj
index 5991290..5b846b2 100644
--- a/custom-theme/index.dj
+++ b/custom-theme/index.dj
@@ -94,4 +94,4 @@ someday I'll stop being lazy and fix all that. _Maybe_.
[7]: https://github.com/nhanb/motherfucking-pelican-theme
[8]: https://github.com/adobe-fonts/source-serif-pro
[9]: https://practicaltypography.com/
-[10]: ../posts/working-with-sqlite-in-python-without-an-orm-or-migration-framework/
+[10]: ../sqlite-python/
diff --git a/custom-theme/index.html b/custom-theme/index.html
index 0c4d1dd..f0f8254 100644
--- a/custom-theme/index.html
+++ b/custom-theme/index.html
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ <h1>Look ma, no stock theme!</h1>
typography again (e.g. making code block text a bit smaller).</p>
<p>The extra http load is not that bad: each woff2 font variant averages at 50KB,
and is only loaded if a page’s content actually calls for it. A particularly
-<a href="../posts/working-with-sqlite-in-python-without-an-orm-or-migration-framework/">bad case</a> loads 6 variants, clocking in at ~300KB. I can live with that.</p>
+<a href="../sqlite-python/">bad case</a> loads 6 variants, clocking in at ~300KB. I can live with that.</p>
<p>I also took this chance to go full black-on-white, which I think looks way
crisper than black-on-cornsilk.</p>
<p><strong>2020 Update</strong>: I bit the bullet and removed all web fonts, relying on the
diff --git a/feed.xml b/feed.xml
index 7ece612..d8b5f96 100644
--- a/feed.xml
+++ b/feed.xml
@@ -22,6 +22,20 @@
<published>2020-10-21T11:45:00+07:00</published>
<updated>2020-10-21T11:45:00+07:00</updated>
</entry>
+ <entry>
+ <title>My first DIY fightstick: Part 2</title>
+ <id>https://hi.imnhan.com/fightstick-2/</id>
+ <link href="https://hi.imnhan.com/fightstick-2/"></link>
+ <published>2016-01-23T17:10:00+07:00</published>
+ <updated>2016-01-23T17:10:00+07:00</updated>
+ </entry>
+ <entry>
+ <title>My first DIY fightstick: Part 1</title>
+ <id>https://hi.imnhan.com/fightstick-1/</id>
+ <link href="https://hi.imnhan.com/fightstick-1/"></link>
+ <published>2015-12-08T12:50:00+07:00</published>
+ <updated>2015-12-08T12:50:00+07:00</updated>
+ </entry>
<entry>
<title>Look ma, no stock theme!</title>
<id>https://hi.imnhan.com/custom-theme/</id>
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_01_mdf.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_01_mdf.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_01_mdf.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_01_mdf.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_03_glue.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_03_glue.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_03_glue.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_03_glue.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_04_hole_saw.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_04_hole_saw.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_04_hole_saw.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_04_hole_saw.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_05_nope_saw.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_05_nope_saw.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_05_nope_saw.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_05_nope_saw.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_06_front_holes.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_06_front_holes.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_06_front_holes.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_06_front_holes.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_07_glue_body.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_07_glue_body.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_07_glue_body.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_07_glue_body.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_08_glue_body2.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_08_glue_body2.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_08_glue_body2.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_08_glue_body2.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_09_saw_side.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_09_saw_side.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_09_saw_side.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_09_saw_side.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_10_excess.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_10_excess.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_10_excess.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_10_excess.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_11_sanded.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_11_sanded.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_11_sanded.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_11_sanded.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_12_sanding_block.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_12_sanding_block.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_12_sanding_block.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_12_sanding_block.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_13_inner_support.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_13_inner_support.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_13_inner_support.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_13_inner_support.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_14_inner_support2.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_14_inner_support2.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_14_inner_support2.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_14_inner_support2.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_15_mastic.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_15_mastic.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_15_mastic.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_15_mastic.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_16_first_coat.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_16_first_coat.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_16_first_coat.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_16_first_coat.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_19_finished_coat.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_19_finished_coat.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_19_finished_coat.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_19_finished_coat.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_20_top_layout.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_20_top_layout.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_20_top_layout.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_20_top_layout.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_21_joystick_square.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_21_joystick_square.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_21_joystick_square.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_21_joystick_square.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_22_joystick_drills.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_22_joystick_drills.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_22_joystick_drills.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_22_joystick_drills.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_23_bottom.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_23_bottom.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_23_bottom.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_23_bottom.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_24_gap.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_24_gap.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_24_gap.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_24_gap.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_25_loose_screw.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_25_loose_screw.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_25_loose_screw.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_25_loose_screw.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick_26_electronics.jpg b/fightstick-1/fightstick_26_electronics.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick_26_electronics.jpg
rename to fightstick-1/fightstick_26_electronics.jpg
diff --git a/fightstick-1/index.dj b/fightstick-1/index.dj
index b4e5933..a058178 100644
--- a/fightstick-1/index.dj
+++ b/fightstick-1/index.dj
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
Title: My first DIY fightstick: Part 1
-Slug: my-first-diy-fightstick-part-1
-Date: 2015-12-08 12:50
+PostedAt: 2015-12-08 12:50
Thumb: images/fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg
+---
+
Ever since I started practicing Street Fighter seriously (albeit with modest results), I've
always wanted to make myself a custom fightstick. Now that I'm not working full-time for anyone,
there's no better time to Just Do It.
@@ -28,12 +29,12 @@ to my specifications in small quantity:
All that set me back 120,000 VND. The cost was mostly for cutting labor instead of actual material.
The items with asterisks (\*) are those I bought in abundance to make room for drilling errors.
-
+
The top panel would be layered with 1 MDF and 2 plexiglass pieces (mad illustrating skillz, I
know):
-
+
The bottom would simply be 1 MDF and 1 plexiglass so I could also insert bottom artwork.
@@ -42,18 +43,18 @@ old wood glue. You'll notice that there's a significant gap on one corner - turn
wasn't too accurate with their cutting. It's not shown here but eventually I had to saw a longer
MDF piece to replace it.
-
+
I already had a hand drill laying around so all it took was buying a couple of hole saws - 24mm and
30mm in diameter respectively. The bigger one was used for drilling main button holes while the
other was for joystick hole and smaller front side buttons.
-
+
-**Don't buy** hole saws like the one below - you will not be able to drill through thick panels
+_Don't buy_ hole saws like the one below - you will not be able to drill through thick panels
(like the 20mm thick one I bought):
-
+
As for the actual parts, I ordered the joystick and buttons from [Akishop][akishop]. It ships from
Japan so the shipping cost to Vietnam is much more reasonable than if I buy from the US. I also
@@ -62,10 +63,10 @@ China. This kit offers easy solder-free wires too so it saved me from a lot of t
can't find where to quick-disconnect terminals to this date). I connected everything to my PC to
test if things worked as expected:
-
+
Quick note: the popular wisdom is to buy screw-in buttons for thick panels and scap-in for thin
-ones. However, as my panel is *way* too thick even for screw-ins, snap-ins are actually the better
+ones. However, as my panel is _way_ too thick even for screw-ins, snap-ins are actually the better
choice: you just need to put the buttons in normally - the 2 sides of the button will push against
the hole and keep it there fairly firmly. I never had a problem with my previous stick which was
build this way.
@@ -76,45 +77,45 @@ I drilled holes in the front side: first using the 30mm bit to drill halfway, th
with the 24mm bit. This allows a small button to be placed deep into the case, avoiding
accidentally button presses.
-
+
Then I glued the case body together. I didn't have big clamps laying around so I had to make do
with an elastic string. It worked terribly though.
-
+
Note that the bottom panel was just there to keep the whole thing in shape. I took it out later:
-
+
See the gap in the top left corner? That's the gap I was talking about earlier. Good thing I had a
spare piece laying around, so I sawed it to the correct length to use as a replacement:
-
+
Now everything fitted together but there was some excess on one long side. Much sanding awaits!
-
+
Initial sanding effort with 140 grit sandpaper:
-
+
By the way, I recommend using a sanding block. It helps you apply more pressure evenly. I simply
wrapped my sandpaper around a spare piece of MDF:
-
+
Now on to the inner sides. These would support the top and bottom panels. I used a long piece of
scrap plexiglass to apply pressure instead of a clamp. This time I put one 10mm-thick wood panel
and one 3mm-thick plexiglass panel under it to make sure the inner supports are glued at the
correct position.
-
+
With all 3 inner sides glued:
-
+
Now you must be wondering why I had 2 inner pieces on the left side. I originally wanted to save
some space and weight by sawing those into shorter support bits instead of long whole pieces that
@@ -134,19 +135,19 @@ yellow-ish and much more runny than spackling. It was also difficult as hell to
moment it's spread on the MDF edge, it starts drying, at which point you can't touch it again
unless you want an ugly grungy finish (is that even a word?):
-
+
I waited for the yellow thing to dry, then sanded it again. After a first few coats with glossy
black spray paint, things didn't look too sexy:
-
+
It did get better with sanding (1200 grit) and more coats though. But then I made the most stupid
decision: glueing the top panel on before drilling:
-
+
-Now why was this bad? Because now I would be forced to drill top panel holes *with* the whole body
+Now why was this bad? Because now I would be forced to drill top panel holes _with_ the whole body
attached, which will expose the whole thing to sawdust, which was generally PITA to clean up - the
top panel made it a closed shape with corners and spaces all over the place. Also, if I screwed up
the top MDF panel (which I eventually kinda did), the whole thing would be ruined.
@@ -154,12 +155,12 @@ the top MDF panel (which I eventually kinda did), the whole thing would be ruine
As if that wasn't enough, I did paint it too. The paint layer would later make disgusting drill
holes:
-
+
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's how the case looked after a few more black coats and one
clear coat (also put buttons in there to see how they fit):
-
+
I did drill an extra button hole because I realized I'd need the "Playstation" button too if I want
to use a PS4 controller PCB later (which I plan to do). Unfortunately I only ordered 2 small
@@ -168,13 +169,13 @@ buttons from Akishop so I had to use a green Chinese button I had laying around.
Now here comes the hard part: drilling the top panel. As mentioned earlier, the top panel would be
3-layer:
-
+
I placed all 3 pieces onto the case, but with the 4mm plexiglass on top (in the plan it's supposed
to be in the middle - I'll explain later). Then I printed the Blast City button layout found on
Slagcoin and taped it onto the whole thing:
-
+
Notice the extra two holes I drew above and below the joystick hole. Those are for screw holes for
mounting the joystick. This is why I put the 4mm piece on top: I was going to drill these two holes
@@ -186,16 +187,16 @@ After drilling the necessary holes, I removed the plexiglass pieces and drilled
joystick mounting holes into to MDF, then I placed the joystick mounting plate onto the surface to
plot the rectangular part that needed to be cut off:
-
+
Since I don't have any power tool, I used my handy hand drill with the circular hole saw to
gradually drill out the shape:
-
+
After much sanding and cleaning:
-
+
See the glorious tears? That's what premature painting does to you. Friends don't let friends paint
prematurely!
@@ -203,12 +204,12 @@ prematurely!
Anyway, I also drilled 3 hole on the bottom to install the bottom pieces (1 MDF & 1 plexiglass). I
also printed a quick picture as a placeholder artwork to see how it would look:
-
+
As I was excited to finish the putting the top panel together, I hit a wall: because I couldn't
possibly drill perfectly perpendicular screw holes, they could not property attach:
-
+
Also, thanks to the switching positions between the two plexiglass pieces, the button holes didn't
align anymore. I had to waste a buttload of time sanding the lower piece's holes to make them
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ bigger.
But that's not even the worst issue: because the screw holes were not aligned, once I screwed all
four corners, the top plexiglass piece flexed, creating a blatantly noticeable gap:
-
+
## Um... that's it (for now).
@@ -226,9 +227,6 @@ have CNC machines and laser cutters so I'll probably have a chance to produce mo
Hell, I may even redo the whole thing using machine-cut pieces for absolute accuracy and save
myself from a world of pain.
-I took a lot of photos as I went, so if you want to see more photos of my progress, just check out
-my [flickr album][flickr].
-
Till next time!
[akishop]: https://www.akishop.jp/
@@ -238,4 +236,3 @@ Till next time!
[basic-design]: http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/example2.html
[paint-guide]: http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/67501/how-to-paint-mdf-to-a-mirror-finish-worklog
[fablab]: http://fablabsaigon.org/
-[flickr]: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nhanb/albums/72157661059385592
diff --git a/fightstick-1/index.html b/fightstick-1/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..027368c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fightstick-1/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+
+<head>
+ <meta charset="utf-8" />
+ <title>My first DIY fightstick: Part 1 | Hi, I'm Nhân</title>
+ <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+ <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom feed" href="/feed.xml">
+ <link rel="stylesheet" href="/_theme/base.css">
+</head>
+
+<body>
+
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/_theme/navbar.css">
+<nav>
+ <a href="/">Home</a>
+ <a href="/about/">About</a>
+ <a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
+ <span class="posted-on">
+ Posted on
+ <time datetime="2015-12-08">
+ Tuesday, 08 Dec 2015
+ </time>
+ </span>
+
+</nav>
+<hr class="nav-hr">
+
+
+<main>
+<h1>My first DIY fightstick: Part 1</h1>
+<p>Ever since I started practicing Street Fighter seriously (albeit with modest results), I’ve
+always wanted to make myself a custom fightstick. Now that I’m not working full-time for anyone,
+there’s no better time to Just Do It.</p>
+<p>If you’ve done any research on DIY fightsticks, you’ll know that the 2 best places to find guides
+are <a href="http://www.slagcoin.com/">Slagcoin</a> and <a href="http://forums.shoryuken.com/categories/tech-talk">Shoryuken Tech Talk</a>. I decided to follow the <a href="http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/example2.html">basic
+design</a> on Slagcoin:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="http://www.slagcoin.com/joystick/example2/simple1.jpg"></p>
+<section id="Materials-and-tools">
+<h2>Materials and tools</h2>
+<p>If you live in Hồ Chí Minh City like me, you can probably get everything you need from shops on
+Bạch Đằng Street. The only hard part for me was convincing a small wood shop to sell MDF panels cut
+to my specifications in small quantity:</p>
+<ul>
+<li>
+4 pieces x 30cm x 20cm x 1cm *
+</li>
+<li>
+2 pieces x 20cm x 4cm x 2cm
+</li>
+<li>
+2 pieces x 20cm x 7cm x 2cm
+</li>
+<li>
+1 piece x 26cm x 4cm x 2cm
+</li>
+<li>
+4 pieces x 34cm x 7cm x 2cm *
+</li>
+</ul>
+<p>All that set me back 120,000 VND. The cost was mostly for cutting labor instead of actual material.
+The items with asterisks (*) are those I bought in abundance to make room for drilling errors.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_01_mdf.jpg"></p>
+<p>The top panel would be layered with 1 MDF and 2 plexiglass pieces (mad illustrating skillz, I
+know):</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg"></p>
+<p>The bottom would simply be 1 MDF and 1 plexiglass so I could also insert bottom artwork.</p>
+<p>Since I had zero woodworking experience, I joined the MDF pieces with simple butt joints and good
+old wood glue. You’ll notice that there’s a significant gap on one corner - turns out the shop
+wasn’t too accurate with their cutting. It’s not shown here but eventually I had to saw a longer
+MDF piece to replace it.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_03_glue.jpg"></p>
+<p>I already had a hand drill laying around so all it took was buying a couple of hole saws - 24mm and
+30mm in diameter respectively. The bigger one was used for drilling main button holes while the
+other was for joystick hole and smaller front side buttons.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_04_hole_saw.jpg"></p>
+<p><em>Don’t buy</em> hole saws like the one below - you will not be able to drill through thick panels
+(like the 20mm thick one I bought):</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_05_nope_saw.jpg"></p>
+<p>As for the actual parts, I ordered the joystick and buttons from <a href="https://www.akishop.jp/">Akishop</a>. It ships from
+Japan so the shipping cost to Vietnam is much more reasonable than if I buy from the US. I also
+bought a <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zero-Delay-USB-Encoder-to-PC-Joystick-For-Arcade-DIY-KIT-Sanwa-Parts-MAME-/191558265304?hash=item2c99c329d8#shpCntId">Zero Delay PCB kit</a> from ebay. This one even offers free shipping since it’s from
+China. This kit offers easy solder-free wires too so it saved me from a lot of trouble (I still
+can’t find where to quick-disconnect terminals to this date). I connected everything to my PC to
+test if things worked as expected:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_26_electronics.jpg"></p>
+<p>Quick note: the popular wisdom is to buy screw-in buttons for thick panels and scap-in for thin
+ones. However, as my panel is <em>way</em> too thick even for screw-ins, snap-ins are actually the better
+choice: you just need to put the buttons in normally - the 2 sides of the button will push against
+the hole and keep it there fairly firmly. I never had a problem with my previous stick which was
+build this way.</p>
+</section>
+<section id="Actually-making-it">
+<h2>Actually making it</h2>
+<p>I drilled holes in the front side: first using the 30mm bit to drill halfway, then went all the way
+with the 24mm bit. This allows a small button to be placed deep into the case, avoiding
+accidentally button presses.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_06_front_holes.jpg"></p>
+<p>Then I glued the case body together. I didn’t have big clamps laying around so I had to make do
+with an elastic string. It worked terribly though.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_07_glue_body.jpg"></p>
+<p>Note that the bottom panel was just there to keep the whole thing in shape. I took it out later:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_08_glue_body2.jpg"></p>
+<p>See the gap in the top left corner? That’s the gap I was talking about earlier. Good thing I had a
+spare piece laying around, so I sawed it to the correct length to use as a replacement:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_09_saw_side.jpg"></p>
+<p>Now everything fitted together but there was some excess on one long side. Much sanding awaits!</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_10_excess.jpg"></p>
+<p>Initial sanding effort with 140 grit sandpaper:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_11_sanded.jpg"></p>
+<p>By the way, I recommend using a sanding block. It helps you apply more pressure evenly. I simply
+wrapped my sandpaper around a spare piece of MDF:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_12_sanding_block.jpg"></p>
+<p>Now on to the inner sides. These would support the top and bottom panels. I used a long piece of
+scrap plexiglass to apply pressure instead of a clamp. This time I put one 10mm-thick wood panel
+and one 3mm-thick plexiglass panel under it to make sure the inner supports are glued at the
+correct position.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_13_inner_support.jpg"></p>
+<p>With all 3 inner sides glued:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_14_inner_support2.jpg"></p>
+<p>Now you must be wondering why I had 2 inner pieces on the left side. I originally wanted to save
+some space and weight by sawing those into shorter support bits instead of long whole pieces that
+covered the full length. After sawing the first piece I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort
+anyway so… there you have it.</p>
+<p>Here comes the next challenge: putting paint on the MDF. There is an <a href="http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/67501/how-to-paint-mdf-to-a-mirror-finish-worklog">extremely elaborate
+method</a> explained on Shoryuken Tech Talk that helps you achieve a mirror-like glossy
+finish. Of course I don’t have the tools and patience to follow all that, but I followed the first
+few steps (cover edges with non-absorbent material, sand and spray paint multiple times) to achieve
+an acceptably smooth finish.</p>
+<p>Here’s the first step: cover edges with non-absorbent material. The tutorial suggested using
+spackling, which I have no idea how to obtain from here. I settled with something Vietnamese people
+“matic” (mastic, perhaps?) which my friends said was to be used for the same purpose. The thing was
+yellow-ish and much more runny than spackling. It was also difficult as hell to work with: the
+moment it’s spread on the MDF edge, it starts drying, at which point you can’t touch it again
+unless you want an ugly grungy finish (is that even a word?):</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_15_mastic.jpg"></p>
+<p>I waited for the yellow thing to dry, then sanded it again. After a first few coats with glossy
+black spray paint, things didn’t look too sexy:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_16_first_coat.jpg"></p>
+<p>It did get better with sanding (1200 grit) and more coats though. But then I made the most stupid
+decision: glueing the top panel on before drilling:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_17_top_panel.jpg"></p>
+<p>Now why was this bad? Because now I would be forced to drill top panel holes <em>with</em> the whole body
+attached, which will expose the whole thing to sawdust, which was generally PITA to clean up - the
+top panel made it a closed shape with corners and spaces all over the place. Also, if I screwed up
+the top MDF panel (which I eventually kinda did), the whole thing would be ruined.</p>
+<p>As if that wasn’t enough, I did paint it too. The paint layer would later make disgusting drill
+holes:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg"></p>
+<p>But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here’s how the case looked after a few more black coats and one
+clear coat (also put buttons in there to see how they fit):</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_19_finished_coat.jpg"></p>
+<p>I did drill an extra button hole because I realized I’d need the “Playstation” button too if I want
+to use a PS4 controller PCB later (which I plan to do). Unfortunately I only ordered 2 small
+buttons from Akishop so I had to use a green Chinese button I had laying around.</p>
+<p>Now here comes the hard part: drilling the top panel. As mentioned earlier, the top panel would be
+3-layer:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_02_top_plan.jpg"></p>
+<p>I placed all 3 pieces onto the case, but with the 4mm plexiglass on top (in the plan it’s supposed
+to be in the middle - I’ll explain later). Then I printed the Blast City button layout found on
+Slagcoin and taped it onto the whole thing:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_20_top_layout.jpg"></p>
+<p>Notice the extra two holes I drew above and below the joystick hole. Those are for screw holes for
+mounting the joystick. This is why I put the 4mm piece on top: I was going to drill these two holes
+on the 4mm piece only to leave room for screw heads. This way I didn’t need to “route” the extra 2
+holes on my MDF piece like the original plan (I was afraid the 10mm MDF thickness was already too
+thin).</p>
+<p>After drilling the necessary holes, I removed the plexiglass pieces and drilled the aformentioned 2
+joystick mounting holes into to MDF, then I placed the joystick mounting plate onto the surface to
+plot the rectangular part that needed to be cut off:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_21_joystick_square.jpg"></p>
+<p>Since I don’t have any power tool, I used my handy hand drill with the circular hole saw to
+gradually drill out the shape:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_22_joystick_drills.jpg"></p>
+<p>After much sanding and cleaning:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_18_joystick_hole.jpg"></p>
+<p>See the glorious tears? That’s what premature painting does to you. Friends don’t let friends paint
+prematurely!</p>
+<p>Anyway, I also drilled 3 hole on the bottom to install the bottom pieces (1 MDF & 1 plexiglass). I
+also printed a quick picture as a placeholder artwork to see how it would look:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_23_bottom.jpg"></p>
+<p>As I was excited to finish the putting the top panel together, I hit a wall: because I couldn’t
+possibly drill perfectly perpendicular screw holes, they could not property attach:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_25_loose_screw.jpg"></p>
+<p>Also, thanks to the switching positions between the two plexiglass pieces, the button holes didn’t
+align anymore. I had to waste a buttload of time sanding the lower piece’s holes to make them
+bigger.</p>
+<p>But that’s not even the worst issue: because the screw holes were not aligned, once I screwed all
+four corners, the top plexiglass piece flexed, creating a blatantly noticeable gap:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_24_gap.jpg"></p>
+</section>
+<section id="Um-that-s-it-for-now">
+<h2>Um… that’s it (for now).</h2>
+<p>That’s all of my progress so far. I’m visiting my <a href="http://fablabsaigon.org/">local Fablab</a>, which is advertised to
+have CNC machines and laser cutters so I’ll probably have a chance to produce more accurate panels.
+Hell, I may even redo the whole thing using machine-cut pieces for absolute accuracy and save
+myself from a world of pain.</p>
+<p>Till next time!</p>
+</section>
+
+</main>
+
+<footer>
+© 2014–2023 nhanb<br>
+Made with <a href="https://github.com/nhanb/s4g">s4g</a>
+</footer>
+
+</body>
+
+</html>
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick2_01_wires.jpg b/fightstick-2/fightstick2_01_wires.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick2_01_wires.jpg
rename to fightstick-2/fightstick2_01_wires.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick2_02_top.jpg b/fightstick-2/fightstick2_02_top.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick2_02_top.jpg
rename to fightstick-2/fightstick2_02_top.jpg
diff --git a/content/images/fightstick2_03_front.jpg b/fightstick-2/fightstick2_03_front.jpg
similarity index 100%
rename from content/images/fightstick2_03_front.jpg
rename to fightstick-2/fightstick2_03_front.jpg
diff --git a/fightstick-2/index.dj b/fightstick-2/index.dj
index 51b4899..03bc2b3 100644
--- a/fightstick-2/index.dj
+++ b/fightstick-2/index.dj
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
Title: My first DIY fightstick: Part 2
-Slug: my-first-diy-fightstick-part-2
-Date: 2016-01-23 17:10
-Thumb: /images/fightstick2_02_top.jpg
+PostedAt: 2016-01-23 17:10
+Thumb: fightstick2_02_top.jpg
+---
It's been a while since I [started][1] my arcade stick project. To be honest I got lazy and paused
the whole thing for a while, but yesterday I needed a distraction so... everything came together
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ much more nicely than I thought!
I was almost done in Part 1, except for the fact that button holes on the top panels didn't align,
and the topmost panel flexed a bit because of imprecise screw holes:
-
+
To fix the button holes, I simply wrapped my roughest sandpaper around the drill bit and used it as
a poor man's sander to make the holes slightly bigger, just enough for buttons to fit. This took a
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ allow its screw to go all the way in properly. No more stupid gaps!
Now that every piece was how it should be, the fun part began: assembling. The inside looked like
this:
-
+
Notice the knot where the USB cable poked out? It was there as a safeguard against pulling so that
the PCB doesn't get yanked around. Later on I actually labeled every pair of wires for each button
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ printing shop. As luck would have it, I had a black and white printer at home, s
random Galford image on the internet and printed out one sheet just to see how it would look. It
turned out much better than expected so I kept it that way.
-
+
Note that I bought translucent buttons. These are worth the higher price tag because it is possible
to take them apart and [insert artwork pieces][2] under the cover. Just google custom fightsticks
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ Maybe when I get better inspirations, maybe.
Following the monochrome theme, the placeholder "Ken Flowchart" bottom piece from last post became
official (I also trimmed the excess paper later):
-
+
Oh, and here's a front shot for completeness' sake:
-
+
## Thoughts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ Better be safe than sorry!
That's it! This project has been fun, and to me it served as an awesome gateway drug to the DIY
world. Hopefully I inspired some of you to start your own projects too. Let me know how it goes!
-[1]: {filename}my-first-diy-fightstick.md
+[1]: ../fightstick-1/
[2]: http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/25926/guide-how-to-put-art-under-clear-seimitsu-buttons
[3]: http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/2/25628/2658140-photo+oct+04,+7+24+53+pm.jpg
[4]: http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/custom-steampunk-fight-stick-by-sam-kurd-aka-b15sdm-designs.jpg
diff --git a/fightstick-2/index.html b/fightstick-2/index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0e2f98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fightstick-2/index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+
+<head>
+ <meta charset="utf-8" />
+ <title>My first DIY fightstick: Part 2 | Hi, I'm Nhân</title>
+ <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
+ <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Atom feed" href="/feed.xml">
+ <link rel="stylesheet" href="/_theme/base.css">
+</head>
+
+<body>
+
+<link rel="stylesheet" href="/_theme/navbar.css">
+<nav>
+ <a href="/">Home</a>
+ <a href="/about/">About</a>
+ <a href="/projects/">Projects</a>
+ <span class="posted-on">
+ Posted on
+ <time datetime="2016-01-23">
+ Saturday, 23 Jan 2016
+ </time>
+ </span>
+
+</nav>
+<hr class="nav-hr">
+
+
+<main>
+<h1>My first DIY fightstick: Part 2</h1>
+<p>It’s been a while since I <a href="../fightstick-1/">started</a> my arcade stick project. To be honest I got lazy and paused
+the whole thing for a while, but yesterday I needed a distraction so… everything came together
+much more nicely than I thought!</p>
+<section id="I-did-it">
+<h2>I did it!</h2>
+<p>I was almost done in Part 1, except for the fact that button holes on the top panels didn’t align,
+and the topmost panel flexed a bit because of imprecise screw holes:</p>
+<p><img alt="Ewww" src="../fightstick-1/fightstick_24_gap.jpg"></p>
+<p>To fix the button holes, I simply wrapped my roughest sandpaper around the drill bit and used it as
+a poor man’s sander to make the holes slightly bigger, just enough for buttons to fit. This took a
+while because the sandpaper pieces kept failing on me. Good thing I stock a huge roll in the first
+place! :-)</p>
+<p>The flexing panel was surprisingly trivial to fix: I simply made one corner’s hole a bit bigger to
+allow its screw to go all the way in properly. No more stupid gaps!</p>
+<p>Now that every piece was how it should be, the fun part began: assembling. The inside looked like
+this:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick2_01_wires.jpg"></p>
+<p>Notice the knot where the USB cable poked out? It was there as a safeguard against pulling so that
+the PCB doesn’t get yanked around. Later on I actually labeled every pair of wires for each button
+and secured the PCB better with more resilient tape, but I forgot to take photos and I’m now too
+lazy to open up the whole thing again so… you get the idea.</p>
+<p>As for the top panel artwork, I planned quite a few colored designs, but was too lazy to go to a
+printing shop. As luck would have it, I had a black and white printer at home, so I grabbed some
+random Galford image on the internet and printed out one sheet just to see how it would look. It
+turned out much better than expected so I kept it that way.</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick2_02_top.jpg"></p>
+<p>Note that I bought translucent buttons. These are worth the higher price tag because it is possible
+to take them apart and <a href="http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/25926/guide-how-to-put-art-under-clear-seimitsu-buttons">insert artwork pieces</a> under the cover. Just google custom fightsticks
+and you’ll find people making use of these buttons with <a href="http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/2/25628/2658140-photo+oct+04,+7+24+53+pm.jpg">stunning</a> <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/custom-steampunk-fight-stick-by-sam-kurd-aka-b15sdm-designs.jpg">results</a>. But then again,
+I’m a lazy butt so my minimalistic design actually saved me from some tedious button modding.
+Maybe when I get better inspirations, maybe.</p>
+<p>Following the monochrome theme, the placeholder “Ken Flowchart” bottom piece from last post became
+official (I also trimmed the excess paper later):</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick_23_bottom.jpg"></p>
+<p>Oh, and here’s a front shot for completeness’ sake:</p>
+<p><img alt="" src="fightstick2_03_front.jpg"></p>
+</section>
+<section id="Thoughts">
+<h2>Thoughts</h2>
+<p>All in all, this turned out much better than I expected. The whole thing feels solid to play with,
+and the plexiglass top panel makes a nice feeling palm rest. However, since I went a bit liberal on
+panel layers, it’s a tad heavier than my previous stick (which is already heavier than your average
+big brand sticks). On the flip side, I can be more aggressive with my joystick spinning sessions
+thanks to the extra weight.</p>
+<p>I’m also thinking of adding non-slip padding to the bottom. I almost exclusively play with the
+fightstick on my lap so it’s not actually necessary gameplay-wise, but without padding, the bottom
+screw heads stick out and would definitely scratch my table whenever I place the stick on it.
+Better be safe than sorry!</p>
+<p>That’s it! This project has been fun, and to me it served as an awesome gateway drug to the DIY
+world. Hopefully I inspired some of you to start your own projects too. Let me know how it goes!</p>
+</section>
+
+</main>
+
+<footer>
+© 2014–2023 nhanb<br>
+Made with <a href="https://github.com/nhanb/s4g">s4g</a>
+</footer>
+
+</body>
+
+</html>
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 44b5a3c..e9c1141 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -44,6 +44,16 @@ <h1 class="site-title">Hi, I'm Nhân</h1>
<a href="/video-streaming-3/">The video streaming finale, or why put.io is awesome</a>
<span class="time-suffix">(2020-10-21)</span>
</li>
+ <li>
+ <span class="time-prefix">2016-01-23 — </span>
+ <a href="/fightstick-2/">My first DIY fightstick: Part 2</a>
+ <span class="time-suffix">(2016-01-23)</span>
+ </li>
+ <li>
+ <span class="time-prefix">2015-12-08 — </span>
+ <a href="/fightstick-1/">My first DIY fightstick: Part 1</a>
+ <span class="time-suffix">(2015-12-08)</span>
+ </li>
<li>
<span class="time-prefix">2015-06-05 — </span>
<a href="/custom-theme/">Look ma, no stock theme!</a>
diff --git a/manifest.txt b/manifest.txt
index 0bb25ff..efed4a3 100644
--- a/manifest.txt
+++ b/manifest.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ cool/index.html
custom-theme/index.html
fcitx/index.html
feed.xml
+fightstick-1/index.html
+fightstick-2/index.html
ideas/index.html
index.html
notes/index.html