Reply to Successful arcade mod - budget styles: metal file

Just completed my arcade mod. While it may not be as precise as a machine job, it does perfectly well for me.

Just thought i'd give some notes for those attempting the same thing. Obvious stuff, but useful none-the-less.

1. Don't be scared, as long as you aren't a maniac with the file you run no risk of making a bad fit. Take it slow, and remember that because you're filing it down manually, its not going to be a perfect circle. This means that even if you over-file one part, you can probably still survive by twisting the button around a bit.

2. The arcade overlay works perfectly well a a template to file from. Use a slim marker, the pointier the better, and trace the button holes as close to the edges as possible. The more even the line, the easier it will be to make a smooth hole.

3. Two of the four steel 'poles' that hold the left and right of each of the old button PCBs are best hack-sawed off with a small saw before you start. Even when cut, this area seems to be tougher to file through than the rest of the frame.

4. The curved side of my file just happened to have the same radius as the button holes. If you have a selection of files, try find one which is closest, or smaller. I know, sounds obvious but still....

5. After putting the overlay on and inserting the buttons, you may find that the buttons sit just a TINY bit out of alignment. Only a couple of mine fit this description, and they are only out by 1mm or so. I fixed this by throwing down a little black marker onto my silver frame, this just helps to disguise and match the black overlay.

Other than that, I had no problems. I'm super happy with the results, and the arcade buttons look and feel so much better than my old buttons.