Please note there is one error in this video that I would like to correct. Please use this release agent for silicone to silicone application, i.e. between silicone pours amzn.to/31XcJJZ Cheers!! RG
Thank you sir! If you end up giving it a try, let me know! You could come up with some really cool stuff, did you say disk cart themed buttons? That would be really cool!
I followed this tutorial exactly and my castings came out nearly perfect. I cast some Gameboy DMG buttons and a replacement knob for an old MT-32 MIDI module. I was super impressed at how well things came out for my very first time molding/casting. Excellent tutorial!
I just want to say thank you for uploading this video I personally truly appreciate it I wanted to get into custom controllers and even make a unique GameCube controller in the future but I wanted to start simple and just customize what's already there please keep doing what you're doing and share any tips concerning customization thank you for taking the time to upload this
That's so awesome!! Thanks for getting me a link to your channel. I really enjoyed seeing how you make the buttons, you did such a great job on the video too! Can't wait to check out some more of your videos =D
Matt I appreciate that! I've been watching Zac for years now and I really appreciate his ability to create unique works! Its motivated me in many ways to come up with my own unique designs as well! I just wish I could figure out a way to do the aluminum honeycomb in my buttons, lol.
Hey Mr 2K!!!! Great moulding and crafting skills dude I’m in awe of what you can do with these buttons you make. I love the vibrant textures and colours you use and the results are awesome. The only trouble is I end up having to go and eat a bag of gummy candy after see all those fruity looking buttons. Great job my friend.
Haha, its is like candy! I am with you, the more vibrant and colorful the better. I think its the 80's/early 90's vibe that creeps in that I really appreciate! Thanks again John!!
14:20, I think that instead of using glue to keep those thin sticks upright, you could use a sheet of paper to keep all the sticks in place. Similar to when you are going to hang up a wall clock and you place a sheet of paper on the wall and mark where you're going to drill the holes.
Once I perfect the process on those, I would be happy to do so. I have a pretty good idea how to pull it off, but I wouldnt say its YT ready yet. I appreciate the idea though and its something I would for sure like to do!
Thank you! I will say it wasnt super easy at first, but now that I have the hang of doing this, it isnt bad at all! I did order some more dyes and new pearlescent, so should be some more goodies here in the future!
@@RockerGaming I'm not going to lie; I'm a little happy to hear you admit it wasn't super easy at first because again, you did make it look so simple. LOL And always ready to see more goodies here!
Its always hard when you're figuring out the process and how to make it work. The process I showed here, at the end of the day, I made myself through trial and error and talking to other folks. It is only easy after you have made a bunch of mistakes, lol!
Impressive! How many casts can the molds do? I used to do the same thing when I was working at Honeywell. We made molds for the CRT displays for the fighter jets. We used this big and heavy glass bell looking thing, and placed that over the silicone to take the air out. Sorta like the glass covers for pies and such. Forgot I even did that as the job only lasted about half a year. Watching the video brought back the memories. LOL.
Great question, to be honest, I dont know! I have done about 10 sets in the current molds I have and I am guessing they will do way more than that. I am using that slow set epoxy resin so there is very little stress being put on the mold itself. Haha, thats too funny, it most not have been a job you enjoyed if you completely forgot about it! Next time I send something your way, remind me and I will shoot you a set of Saturn buttons!
@@RockerGaming I remember the silicone mixture rising like bread and falling after a while. The job lasted for so little time, and it was nearly 20 years ago. I had other tasks, so it's easy to forget. DOH! Watching you vacuum the mixture flooded back the memories.
This seems the best and closes way to get new and awesome original buttons for your controller. I wonder if this will work for making analog sticks as well.
Hey this is a great tutorial and its working out well for me so far! My first problem I've run in to is with making the second part of the mold, everything seemed to go well but all of the buttons only got half filled somehow. I'm unsure what caused this and how to avoid it next time, if you have any tips/ideas please let me know thanks!
Glad to hear it! Yes I have a few for you. One idea- is just slowing pouring silicone into the back of the button first maybe 25% of the button, then use a toothpick to push in there to make sure the air is escaping. Second idea - back filling the buttons with some plastilina clay. This will make the buttons solid when you cast them but I like this plan as itll give you more options when casting. After doing this still do the first item mentioned above. Hopefully this helps!
I am surprised that you did not use some toothpicks to create a lineup guide. Great Video! Always happy to see your work. So when are you going to make a System power button or reset button like this and led light it?
Normally I would agree with you on the registration, but the buttons effectively end up doing that for you so in this instance there wasnt a need to do so. DUDE! That is an amazing idea!!! That went straight into my back pocket.... I hope you dont mind!
Would you ever consider selling ready made molds? I'm also curious, what's the 'IPA' you're referring to in the video? The stuff you recommended adding to the hot glue I mean. Cheers! Also, as always, EXCELLENT tutorial! You inspire me to follow my passion. Thanks for everything you do!
Just had to throw a Saturn controller in the mix there didn't yeah lol. Honestly, the buttons look amazing dude. It's a nice way to add a little extra flair to your controller that's for sure.
Great video man! Decided to give it a shot and learned alot along the way. Just poured the resin in and it leaked outta the sides a bit. I did make the molds a bit to small (ie. Buttons to close to the edge), I don't think I used as much mold release and tore the sides a bit, and also didnt have the tightest fit with the rubber bands as I could have. Question, do you think I should try and make a box with plastalina by where it leaked/split for next resin pour, or prolly just start from scratch and make new molds?
I'm on my 4th silicone mold pour. #3 was "ok" at best, but not functional. If #4 doesn't work, would you make silicone molds and sell them? The resin injections were really good for me, just making the mold is what kills me.
Really curious where you got the “L” mold. I’ve been looking for weeks and I can’t seem to figure out the right keywords to find them. They look so familiar but I can’t quite place it!
Your are doing the 3cup mix method wrong... Poor cup 1 (blue) poor cup 2 (pink) Poor pink into blue and mix, THEN poor into cup 3 (purple) this allows any blue or pink that is stuck to sides to pour out and then mix purple again.
I’ve been trying the method for a while to make my switch buttons but they don’t come out perfect. I want them absolutely perfect. How perfect were yours in comparison to your originals? I know it is shown in the video but sometimes defects are easier seen in real life.
Great job!!! Could you sell Buttons for PowerA USB gamecube controllers? The inside are different than regular GC buttons. I would really love some!!!!!!
It's the exact same process for the triggers just establish a part line with the clay pour the 1st half of the mold, remove the clay and pour the 2nd half. I'm over simplifying but the process is no different just need to find the right place for the part line
Awesome video man. I'm curious though, how would you scale up this kind of process for larger parts (i.e. the controller shells)? I'm trying to make casts for a plastic toy with screws holding two pieces together, with room inside it for electronics etc. and I'm wondering if this will be applicable in a general sense
It is and you can 100% do it with something like controller shells or toys in your application. While not a tutorial. This video shows a controller shell being casted. ua-cam.com/video/6jGCMTlX3ik/v-deo.html I'd also recommend task 9 from smoothon as the resin you use.
@@RockerGaming if it came initially with what is needed to cast one set of buttons as a kit to get someone started I bet it would sell for sure. If you do consider it I can try spreading the word around. I follow a lot of retro news around the interwebs. I like to share projects like yours with the Retro community such as retroRGB.
Cameron, let's sit tight on this one for now. I actually have another project in the works and almost done that would fit in much better with what the folks on retroRGB do and I think they would like to pick it up and report on it. I hopefully will be able to show it off in a week or so. I am currently working on a video for it
This is a super helpful video! I was wondering how long the molds last? Also is it super necessary to use the vacuum chamber to take out the air bubbles or is there another way to avoid bubbles?
Its necessary in my book to get the best results. You can als the use a pressure pot to cure the silicone. While it doesnt remove bubbles it crushes them to be virtually invisible.
So I’ve tried this and my buttons are still kinda sticky after 72 hours most people tell me is because I didn’t measured it right but I’ve use the same resin for other stuff and it cured really fast not sticky at all. What you think happened here??
I'm wondering: what if I made metal buttons? Of course they'd add quite some weight to the controller. But would it affect the controls of the Game Cube controller?
Great video! I can't wait to try this. On the Switch joy-cons the markings for the A, B, X, and Y buttons are a different color and run all the way through the button itself. Meaning they are not simple printed on. Any ideas on how that is done, and can it be replicated? The channel Jerry Rigs Everything points this out in his Switch durability test video.
I would check this video out. I used some 3rd party buttons to make the mold which already had the letter engraved into them, it worked really well! ua-cam.com/video/o77ddozessc/v-deo.html
When trying to make sprews, the sticks i glue on won't stay and now i have glue on my parts. How do i get the sticks to stay without ruining my parts with the glue, can i remove the glue easily without ruining my parts? :o
I would highly recommend you use some sort of accelerante for your super glue (also called CA glue). When you use that you should get the sprew to instantly bond. also, you should be adding very little glue and it should break right off if youre doing it the way I showed in the video. If you have some excess glue use some IPA to help get it off.
hey man i been a long time subscriber i like to toy around and customize my own controllers for fun, lately ive considered starting to learn to resin though it is very costly so ive been thinking of buying some of ur premade buttons on ur etsy page for the n64(which i found by looking for n64 buttons without realizing u link it in ur videos lol) but the only thing i can't find is anyone making custom molds of are the n64 controller stick. would u ever consider doing a custom mold if i contacted u through ur etsy page in the future? or what is there a reason no one makes custom n64 sticks? maybe they are just not as in demand as gamecube controllers and i am aware of the original problem of the stick's design though have repaired plenty of them in the past with rubber grommets or rings and grease, its just can't ever find someone who sells custom sticks without it being the steelstick which is always out of stock and also very pricey on its own too. please lemme what u think, if i can support u in anyway that'd be how i'd prefer to do it but if u know other people like u who actually do resin n64 sticks please point me in the right direction lol and thanks for the read if u do indeed see this
Hey yo great vid but I was wondering if I would be able to maybe buy one of molds or pay u to make a GC bald buttons mold because making one of these molds kinda requires that I buy something’s that I’ll never use again like the vacuum chamber. Ik I can prolly just resell it but that’s a lot of effort that I’m not really tryna do so ya pls get back to me when u can😀
You likely could, but for what its worth you are not going to get the results you are looking for. Its possible to still get a good result, but there is a higher risk of error.
The guy that sent this video to me told me the method used didn’t look very reusable. If he’s right, what could one do to make it reusable? Thicker silicon like the kind you used on one of the grips on your blue and black pro controller video? The mold in this video looks ready to go again so I really don’t understand if he’s wrong or if it’ll stop being accurate after a few uses or what.
The mold I made in this video still works great today I've made about a dozen button sets to this day with it. Just make sure you use mold release and the mold lasts a VERY long time
I didnt. If I had a pressure pot, I would have put it in there after I injected the mold, however, as I dont I just degassed the resin with the vacuum chamber and then let it sit out after I injected the mold. I use the resin linked in the description as it a long pot life for this reason... it gives any remnant air bubbles a chance to rise. I have been pretty lucky to date using this method. Having said that, its not the right way to do it, lol.
Thanks Sky Dog! Its difficult the first time through and while you're learning, but just like anything, practice and having the right tools makes it very doable!
You need to check out my buddy Roarke. He does GB shells. I really dont do handhelds any more and he is the man for it. He runs Roarkes retro game corner.
Sure have. Same principles here apply to them. It's not too bad at all just spend the time to make sure the seams are really nice and you should be all set!
It makes overall better buttons. The bottom of the button will be the same no need for sanding, dremel or anything else. From my experience they are superior in every way.
A few things I noticed. Why use the third cup when mixing up the first batch of silicone? On the second batch you did what I would do but then you transferred it to a different cup. Also get a piece of angled tubing to put on your vacuum chamber so when you add air back in its not blowing a stream straight down, also pouring resin is a bitch but you can use a popsicle stick and poor the stream down that to get rid of bubbles. Look up odin make dragon balls to see what i am talking about its around 10 minutes in. Otherwise awesome work!
Good question, so full disclosure, when I poured the first batch of silicon, I was out of measurement cups, lol. So I just used solo cups as it was all I had on hand. For the next pour, I had gotten some. I have not tried the Popsicle stick method, but I will check that video out! Thank you very much, much appreciated!!!
no problem man your videos have been super helpful. Actually today a buddy and I were wrapping our gamecube controller cables in paracord and kept talking about how you did it in the video. Mostly debating on whether or not to leave the copper shield on the cable or not. He said it was fine without it. I said it probably is but i'd rather have it. I also got a set of colored buttons in today (all yellow) and put them on so thanks to you I have a DOPE controller and so does my buddy.
In theory, it absolutely should be, in practice, it would be difficult to pull off. Having said that, I would be lying if I didnt say I wanted to try it. Might make an interesting video, what do you think?
Yet again here I am because of another amazing tutorial. I have a question though. How much would it cost for you to make a mold for the gamecube controller buttons. Seeing as I dont have to proper equipment to make the casts I was wondering if you would sell the casts? If not I completely understand I just know I wouldn't be able to achieve near the same level of skill as your molds
I would let them cure longer or make sure you mix the resin better. I dont have to polish mine, but it does help to polish the original buttons so the mold retains that polish on your castings
@@byakuzac So with the resin I use, it has a 24 hour demold time and then cures over the next several days. I tend to double the demold time before I remove them from the mold. Once removed from the mold, I let them sit in the open and complete their curing for another 24 hours before I put them into the controller. That is just the way I do it... It seems to work, its a slow process, but unfortunately without a pressure pot, that is just the way it has to be for me right now.
@@byakuzac No problem, it seems like an easy question, but its a bit more complex. I spend about 1 to 2 full minutes mixing, making sure I scrape all the sides of the cup and bottom. The two resins I use are art n glow and fast cast. Using those resins you can tell when they are fully mixed when there are no streaks and the you have a nice uniform color. If you want, there is a video by Zac Higgins that demonstrates it. He left a comment on this video that is pinned. I would check it out, he does tons of really cool resin casting videos.
Please note there is one error in this video that I would like to correct. Please use this release agent for silicone to silicone application, i.e. between silicone pours amzn.to/31XcJJZ
Cheers!!
RG
Holy cow thats amazing. This was a very clear guide to mold making. After this it feels possible to do!
Thank you sir! If you end up giving it a try, let me know! You could come up with some really cool stuff, did you say disk cart themed buttons? That would be really cool!
I followed this tutorial exactly and my castings came out nearly perfect. I cast some Gameboy DMG buttons and a replacement knob for an old MT-32 MIDI module. I was super impressed at how well things came out for my very first time molding/casting. Excellent tutorial!
Dude, that's amazing! Please share pics with me on twitter I'd love to check it out!
I just want to say thank you for uploading this video I personally truly appreciate it I wanted to get into custom controllers and even make a unique GameCube controller in the future but I wanted to start simple and just customize what's already there please keep doing what you're doing and share any tips concerning customization thank you for taking the time to upload this
I really want to try this out now. Thank you for the knowledge my friend.
I finally did it👍Thanks for the support👍
That's so awesome!! Thanks for getting me a link to your channel. I really enjoyed seeing how you make the buttons, you did such a great job on the video too! Can't wait to check out some more of your videos =D
Zac, much appreciated dude! Please keep up the great work couldnt have made it happen with you!
N64 color button tranparent Blue green yes likes bro nice
Thank you very much!!
I watched this at least 3 times and never knew I didn't like it yet????
4th time is the charm 😉
Great video! I followed Zac Higgins over here. You managed to get me to stop watching one of his replays to see what you were doing over here!
Matt I appreciate that! I've been watching Zac for years now and I really appreciate his ability to create unique works! Its motivated me in many ways to come up with my own unique designs as well! I just wish I could figure out a way to do the aluminum honeycomb in my buttons, lol.
Hey Mr 2K!!!! Great moulding and crafting skills dude I’m in awe of what you can do with these buttons you make. I love the vibrant textures and colours you use and the results are awesome. The only trouble is I end up having to go and eat a bag of gummy candy after see all those fruity looking buttons. Great job my friend.
Haha, its is like candy! I am with you, the more vibrant and colorful the better. I think its the 80's/early 90's vibe that creeps in that I really appreciate! Thanks again John!!
14:20, I think that instead of using glue to keep those thin sticks upright, you could use a sheet of paper to keep all the sticks in place. Similar to when you are going to hang up a wall clock and you place a sheet of paper on the wall and mark where you're going to drill the holes.
This is so cool! I loved the purple buttons. Nicely done 😎
Thank you very much, the purple ones turned out really nice, I even liked them with the green controller!
Thanks for sharing those button looks like candy! They came out perfect good job 😁
Thanks dude! Candy in deed... but... controller candy!! Thanks again!!
Can you make a video on how to cast the thumbsticks/ c-stick on Gamecube controllers?
Once I perfect the process on those, I would be happy to do so. I have a pretty good idea how to pull it off, but I wouldnt say its YT ready yet. I appreciate the idea though and its something I would for sure like to do!
RockerGaming any update haha
@@RockerGaming did you ever figure it out? I want to make my own sticks, but I have no clue where to start lol
@@Lord_Link Same, PLEASE!
Always, always so fascinating to watch!! I mean, you make it look and seems so easy!! Those button/controller schemes at the end were very nice too!
Thank you! I will say it wasnt super easy at first, but now that I have the hang of doing this, it isnt bad at all! I did order some more dyes and new pearlescent, so should be some more goodies here in the future!
@@RockerGaming I'm not going to lie; I'm a little happy to hear you admit it wasn't super easy at first because again, you did make it look so simple. LOL
And always ready to see more goodies here!
Its always hard when you're figuring out the process and how to make it work. The process I showed here, at the end of the day, I made myself through trial and error and talking to other folks. It is only easy after you have made a bunch of mistakes, lol!
That's awesome! The finished product looks really cool and custom. :)
Thank you very much! I agree with you, looks like they are off the assembly line 😀
Wow, they really came out great! The work you put into making those😅lol.
Thank you! I agree not for the faint of heart, lol. It's a lot of work, but once you have a good mold it lasts quite a while!
Brother I gave your credit for that one that's a lot of work and effort nice work 👏
Thank you sir! Can hardly wait till you share what you sent my way the other day :)
WOW I never saw somebody doing this and I love your voice. It's so relaxing
Haha, thank you! I am not sure my wife would agree, but glad you think so!
those buttons look nice! now hydro dip the controller shells!
Impressive! How many casts can the molds do? I used to do the same thing when I was working at Honeywell. We made molds for the CRT displays for the fighter jets. We used this big and heavy glass bell looking thing, and placed that over the silicone to take the air out. Sorta like the glass covers for pies and such. Forgot I even did that as the job only lasted about half a year. Watching the video brought back the memories. LOL.
Great question, to be honest, I dont know! I have done about 10 sets in the current molds I have and I am guessing they will do way more than that. I am using that slow set epoxy resin so there is very little stress being put on the mold itself.
Haha, thats too funny, it most not have been a job you enjoyed if you completely forgot about it! Next time I send something your way, remind me and I will shoot you a set of Saturn buttons!
@@RockerGaming I remember the silicone mixture rising like bread and falling after a while. The job lasted for so little time, and it was nearly 20 years ago. I had other tasks, so it's easy to forget. DOH! Watching you vacuum the mixture flooded back the memories.
Nicely done! The end result kinda reminds me of how Dragonballs look. Working on a few molds using a similar technique as I write this. :)
Dude, very nice, what are you casting? Are you planning to make a video on it? I would love to check it out!!
Really nice work on those! They look awesome! Can't wait to try the Saturn ones! Great video and keep up the good work!
Thank you and me too! I just hope you and I dont have to show up at the boarder and drop kick some fools!!
This seems the best and closes way to get new and awesome original buttons for your controller. I wonder if this will work for making analog sticks as well.
Spot on comment and it absolutely will. You just might want a 3 part mold for thumbsticks
Hey this is a great tutorial and its working out well for me so far! My first problem I've run in to is with making the second part of the mold, everything seemed to go well but all of the buttons only got half filled somehow. I'm unsure what caused this and how to avoid it next time, if you have any tips/ideas please let me know thanks!
Glad to hear it! Yes I have a few for you. One idea- is just slowing pouring silicone into the back of the button first maybe 25% of the button, then use a toothpick to push in there to make sure the air is escaping.
Second idea - back filling the buttons with some plastilina clay. This will make the buttons solid when you cast them but I like this plan as itll give you more options when casting. After doing this still do the first item mentioned above.
Hopefully this helps!
Wow, this was really cool!
Thank you very much for the comment and glad you enjoyed it!!
You should do more switch mods, loving it!
Thanks!! I actually have two switch mods already planned, release date will be about a month from now on it, but they are in the works :)
I am surprised that you did not use some toothpicks to create a lineup guide. Great Video! Always happy to see your work. So when are you going to make a System power button or reset button like this and led light it?
Normally I would agree with you on the registration, but the buttons effectively end up doing that for you so in this instance there wasnt a need to do so.
DUDE! That is an amazing idea!!! That went straight into my back pocket.... I hope you dont mind!
@@RockerGaming no problem. How durable is that resin?
Good question, I cant say I have used it long-term, but considering it is Epoxy based, I am guessing it should be pretty durable.
NBA Jam music is great. Thank you
You could also make a mold box out of old Legos.
Great tutorial, just really curious.. How would you mold the thumbstick etc
I'm working on an updated guide and plan to cover that. Give me a subscribe and it should be out in the next month or so!
Thank you very much this was very helpful!
Any tips for making those letters pop out in a different color maybe?
Glad it was helpful! You can use a bit of paint to make them pop. Or even some uv resin. Id just apply it with a Syringe.
If you could go back in time and tell your 10 year old self the things your doing and making......would have blow away your kid mind! :) Great stuff
Thanks Eric, I couldnt agree more... Its funny, I have told myself that more than once, lol
Would you ever consider selling ready made molds? I'm also curious, what's the 'IPA' you're referring to in the video? The stuff you recommended adding to the hot glue I mean. Cheers!
Also, as always, EXCELLENT tutorial! You inspire me to follow my passion. Thanks for everything you do!
IsoPropyl Alcohol. Rubbing Alcohol
Just had to throw a Saturn controller in the mix there didn't yeah lol. Honestly, the buttons look amazing dude. It's a nice way to add a little extra flair to your controller that's for sure.
Hey always have to do that! You see how nice those yellow buttons were with the skeleton shell :)
@@RockerGaming
That's what caught my eye 👀.
Haha, yeah I was a big fan once I put it together, lol.
Great video man! Decided to give it a shot and learned alot along the way. Just poured the resin in and it leaked outta the sides a bit. I did make the molds a bit to small (ie. Buttons to close to the edge), I don't think I used as much mold release and tore the sides a bit, and also didnt have the tightest fit with the rubber bands as I could have. Question, do you think I should try and make a box with plastalina by where it leaked/split for next resin pour, or prolly just start from scratch and make new molds?
I'm on my 4th silicone mold pour. #3 was "ok" at best, but not functional. If #4 doesn't work, would you make silicone molds and sell them? The resin injections were really good for me, just making the mold is what kills me.
Thank you!
Good shit. Thanks for this!
No problem!
Hmm, would it be possible to cast a whole controller shell and create new controller housings?
Great video! How often do you use and re-use these molds? Do they last if you take care of them and clean them up between pours?
Really curious where you got the “L” mold. I’ve been looking for weeks and I can’t seem to figure out the right keywords to find them. They look so familiar but I can’t quite place it!
there is one on his etsy
What he said!! 🙌
@@RockerGaming is the silicon/mold reusable
Your are doing the 3cup mix method wrong... Poor cup 1 (blue) poor cup 2 (pink) Poor pink into blue and mix, THEN poor into cup 3 (purple) this allows any blue or pink that is stuck to sides to pour out and then mix purple again.
Is there nothing you could put on the clay to make it separate from the buttons/silicone easier before placing the buttons?
Bro the detail. I need a controller made by you for my custom
I’ve been trying the method for a while to make my switch buttons but they don’t come out perfect. I want them absolutely perfect. How perfect were yours in comparison to your originals? I know it is shown in the video but sometimes defects are easier seen in real life.
If I casted triggers and the analog sticks, will I need a pressure pot then?
Great job!!! Could you sell Buttons for PowerA USB gamecube controllers? The inside are different than regular GC buttons.
I would really love some!!!!!!
I dont have a Power A controller, but I wonder if the wireless one uses the same buttons? I hear good things about those controllers!
@@RockerGaming the guide arms are different and the center hole is a thin slit rather than a big hole
Very interesting! I'm considering doing this myself, but i'm not sure how i should tackle the triggers or sticks?
*for a Switch pro controller :)
It's the exact same process for the triggers just establish a part line with the clay pour the 1st half of the mold, remove the clay and pour the 2nd half. I'm over simplifying but the process is no different just need to find the right place for the part line
Is the song during degassing from Goldeneye? and you're making 64 parts, I see what you're doing lol
Its actually ridley themed music from metroid, but to your point... Goldeneye theme music would have been much better, lol.
@@RockerGaming Ahhh I knew I recognized it, Couldnt place it right. Sweet buttons by the way. Im going to have to try this out
I understand now why custom controllers cost so much... xD pretty understandable
I’m starting to cast some buttons and was curious if it’s legal to sell them if I cast them from official Nintendo buttons?
Awesome video man. I'm curious though, how would you scale up this kind of process for larger parts (i.e. the controller shells)? I'm trying to make casts for a plastic toy with screws holding two pieces together, with room inside it for electronics etc. and I'm wondering if this will be applicable in a general sense
It is and you can 100% do it with something like controller shells or toys in your application. While not a tutorial. This video shows a controller shell being casted.
ua-cam.com/video/6jGCMTlX3ik/v-deo.html
I'd also recommend task 9 from smoothon as the resin you use.
Well, do you think that doing this without a vacuum would be a good idea?
You will not get perfect results but you can always try!
You ever tried molding the controller halves themselves and not just the buttons?
Yes sir its coming 😎
Awesome video!
Thanks Cameron, much appreciated!!
@@RockerGaming You should consider selling either premade molds of these parts or custom buttons for a side business :)
Not a bad idea at all... I'd feel really good about selling the molds. Think folks would buy them?
@@RockerGaming if it came initially with what is needed to cast one set of buttons as a kit to get someone started I bet it would sell for sure. If you do consider it I can try spreading the word around. I follow a lot of retro news around the interwebs. I like to share projects like yours with the Retro community such as retroRGB.
Cameron, let's sit tight on this one for now. I actually have another project in the works and almost done that would fit in much better with what the folks on retroRGB do and I think they would like to pick it up and report on it. I hopefully will be able to show it off in a week or so. I am currently working on a video for it
This is a super helpful video! I was wondering how long the molds last? Also is it super necessary to use the vacuum chamber to take out the air bubbles or is there another way to avoid bubbles?
Its necessary in my book to get the best results. You can als the use a pressure pot to cure the silicone. While it doesnt remove bubbles it crushes them to be virtually invisible.
now i wanna make and sell buttons on etsy 😂😂
very good
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it!!
So I'm doing this with a controller that has thumbsticks. Is doing the sticks any different from the buttons?
Yes it is. You might need a 3 part mold with thumbsticks.
@@RockerGaming do u have a video on it?
I do not unfortunately
@@RockerGaming please upload a video!!!
@@noahbolesta2587 itll happen dude. The docket is pretty packed but I'll make it happen 2020 for sure!
Question... is the silicone mold multi-use or one-time use? I assume multi-use if silicone is as expensive as you say.
So I’ve tried this and my buttons are still kinda sticky after 72 hours most people tell me is because I didn’t measured it right but I’ve use the same resin for other stuff and it cured really fast not sticky at all. What you think happened here??
I’m confused how the holes you put the syringe in wouldn’t create little resin poles that would be stuck to the buttons? How does that work?
There be no doubt, there will be, but you can very easily clip them off when a pair of flush cuts.
I'm wondering: what if I made metal buttons? Of course they'd add quite some weight to the controller. But would it affect the controls of the Game Cube controller?
i dont think so as long as you leave the buttons membrane on
Great video! I can't wait to try this. On the Switch joy-cons the markings for the A, B, X, and Y buttons are a different color and run all the way through the button itself. Meaning they are not simple printed on. Any ideas on how that is done, and can it be replicated? The channel Jerry Rigs Everything points this out in his Switch durability test video.
I would check this video out. I used some 3rd party buttons to make the mold which already had the letter engraved into them, it worked really well! ua-cam.com/video/o77ddozessc/v-deo.html
Question...can you do this to make custom bottom/head of the remotes
Sure can!
When trying to make sprews, the sticks i glue on won't stay and now i have glue on my parts. How do i get the sticks to stay without ruining my parts with the glue, can i remove the glue easily without ruining my parts? :o
I would highly recommend you use some sort of accelerante for your super glue (also called CA glue). When you use that you should get the sprew to instantly bond. also, you should be adding very little glue and it should break right off if youre doing it the way I showed in the video. If you have some excess glue use some IPA to help get it off.
Very cool but damn that’s a lot of hard tedious work to make those molds! You should sell sets of molds!!
hey man i been a long time subscriber i like to toy around and customize my own controllers for fun, lately ive considered starting to learn to resin though it is very costly so ive been thinking of buying some of ur premade buttons on ur etsy page for the n64(which i found by looking for n64 buttons without realizing u link it in ur videos lol) but the only thing i can't find is anyone making custom molds of are the n64 controller stick. would u ever consider doing a custom mold if i contacted u through ur etsy page in the future? or what is there a reason no one makes custom n64 sticks? maybe they are just not as in demand as gamecube controllers and i am aware of the original problem of the stick's design though have repaired plenty of them in the past with rubber grommets or rings and grease, its just can't ever find someone who sells custom sticks without it being the steelstick which is always out of stock and also very pricey on its own too. please lemme what u think, if i can support u in anyway that'd be how i'd prefer to do it but if u know other people like u who actually do resin n64 sticks please point me in the right direction lol and thanks for the read if u do indeed see this
How reusable are these silicone molds once done?
super cool
Thank you very much!
Hey what did u use for those purple buttons? That’s the exact look I was trying to get for a set of buttons I’m making.
I use jacquard ex pearl mica powders
22:12 thanks doc
Once you have the molds completed. How many uses do you get from them before they degrade or become unusable?
As long as you use mold release a lot. I have some that have produced 30 or so sets and still going strong
will this work with 2ds buttons and shell?
brdroooo dee doom!! catchy freakin song lol
Haha yes it is!
Hey yo great vid but I was wondering if I would be able to maybe buy one of molds or pay u to make a GC bald buttons mold because making one of these molds kinda requires that I buy something’s that I’ll never use again like the vacuum chamber. Ik I can prolly just resell it but that’s a lot of effort that I’m not really tryna do so ya pls get back to me when u can😀
I was also wondering how many buttons are you able to make with the amount of resin u linked in the description specifically for a GC controller mold?
Can you get away with not vacuum degassing/using a pressure pot at 20:15? like, could you skip this step?
You likely could, but for what its worth you are not going to get the results you are looking for. Its possible to still get a good result, but there is a higher risk of error.
The guy that sent this video to me told me the method used didn’t look very reusable. If he’s right, what could one do to make it reusable? Thicker silicon like the kind you used on one of the grips on your blue and black pro controller video? The mold in this video looks ready to go again so I really don’t understand if he’s wrong or if it’ll stop being accurate after a few uses or what.
The mold I made in this video still works great today I've made about a dozen button sets to this day with it. Just make sure you use mold release and the mold lasts a VERY long time
I ❤️ IPA’s 😂 just kidding good videos.
haha, me too... but... the beer kind, am I right!
for the crystal clear resin, did you put it in the vac after you poured it in the mold?
I didnt. If I had a pressure pot, I would have put it in there after I injected the mold, however, as I dont I just degassed the resin with the vacuum chamber and then let it sit out after I injected the mold. I use the resin linked in the description as it a long pot life for this reason... it gives any remnant air bubbles a chance to rise. I have been pretty lucky to date using this method. Having said that, its not the right way to do it, lol.
Seems difficult, but pretty cool!
Thanks Sky Dog! Its difficult the first time through and while you're learning, but just like anything, practice and having the right tools makes it very doable!
Do you know of anywhere where i could get the molds pre made?
thanks.
I am not aware of anyone selling them unfortunately.
Hey that is amazing work. can you make a tutorial on Game Boy shell molds??? Please and thank you :)
You need to check out my buddy Roarke. He does GB shells. I really dont do handhelds any more and he is the man for it. He runs Roarkes retro game corner.
@@RockerGaming Does he have a youtube channel?
Did you ever tried to mold the Z button and triggers?
Sure have. Same principles here apply to them. It's not too bad at all just spend the time to make sure the seams are really nice and you should be all set!
@@RockerGaming I want to make button molds for my 4th party gamecube like controller what I bought from Aliexpess?
Do i need to buy a degasser?
Anybody know where to get rubber or silicone buttons ?
What's the perks of making a two part mold instead of a one part for buttons?
It makes overall better buttons. The bottom of the button will be the same no need for sanding, dremel or anything else. From my experience they are superior in every way.
@@RockerGaming
Ah, I see now. Thank you!
Any chance you can sell a mold so i can just cast my own buttons? im not a handycraft person i know ill screw it up and waste time money and material.
A few things I noticed. Why use the third cup when mixing up the first batch of silicone? On the second batch you did what I would do but then you transferred it to a different cup. Also get a piece of angled tubing to put on your vacuum chamber so when you add air back in its not blowing a stream straight down, also pouring resin is a bitch but you can use a popsicle stick and poor the stream down that to get rid of bubbles. Look up odin make dragon balls to see what i am talking about its around 10 minutes in. Otherwise awesome work!
Good question, so full disclosure, when I poured the first batch of silicon, I was out of measurement cups, lol. So I just used solo cups as it was all I had on hand. For the next pour, I had gotten some.
I have not tried the Popsicle stick method, but I will check that video out! Thank you very much, much appreciated!!!
no problem man your videos have been super helpful. Actually today a buddy and I were wrapping our gamecube controller cables in paracord and kept talking about how you did it in the video. Mostly debating on whether or not to leave the copper shield on the cable or not. He said it was fine without it. I said it probably is but i'd rather have it. I also got a set of colored buttons in today (all yellow) and put them on so thanks to you I have a DOPE controller and so does my buddy.
Dude, love that story! Also, thanks for sharing your controller with me on Twitter, it turned out FANTASTIC!!
I’m curious, is casting the plastic parts of the joystick box not practical?
I cant say I have tried it, but man that would be a cool experiment!
RockerGaming well, I can’t wait to see the results.
How long should that mold release be taking to dry? It's been a looong time and it still isnt "dry" in the sense of the word
Typically its 15 to 20 minutes
@@RockerGaming thx again :)
Would this be possible with a controller shell?
In theory, it absolutely should be, in practice, it would be difficult to pull off. Having said that, I would be lying if I didnt say I wanted to try it. Might make an interesting video, what do you think?
@@RockerGaming Probably yeah because after seeing this I wanted to try this with a GameCube controller shell
I have been thinking I need to try that. I'll add it to my list! Thanks for reaffirming that this is a good idea!!
@@RockerGaming No problem! Love your videos btw haha!
Thank you sir!
Have you ever considered selling the molds you make?
I have, but most would not be willing to pay what I would charge for them.
@@RockerGaming what were you charging for an xbox one mold? S Model
Call me crazy but why did you pour part a and b into a third cup instead of pouring a into b? I feel like there would have been less wasted that way
Not crazy... Its how I do it all the time now 🤣
Would I be able to cast a controller shell?
Sure would same principles apply!
Yet again here I am because of another amazing tutorial. I have a question though. How much would it cost for you to make a mold for the gamecube controller buttons. Seeing as I dont have to proper equipment to make the casts I was wondering if you would sell the casts? If not I completely understand I just know I wouldn't be able to achieve near the same level of skill as your molds
Dude, I really appreciate that. At some point I might consider doing some as commissions, but for now I dont have plans to do so.
so you dont have to polish the buttons? i have trouble casting them, they feel a little bit sticky and i waited the 24 hours
I would let them cure longer or make sure you mix the resin better. I dont have to polish mine, but it does help to polish the original buttons so the mold retains that polish on your castings
@@RockerGaming do i need to let the buttons cure on the mold? or i need to release them?
@@byakuzac So with the resin I use, it has a 24 hour demold time and then cures over the next several days. I tend to double the demold time before I remove them from the mold. Once removed from the mold, I let them sit in the open and complete their curing for another 24 hours before I put them into the controller. That is just the way I do it... It seems to work, its a slow process, but unfortunately without a pressure pot, that is just the way it has to be for me right now.
@@RockerGaming tnx for the help ;) and one more cuestion how do i know if my resin mix is ready? how much time do i have to spend mixing the resin?
@@byakuzac No problem, it seems like an easy question, but its a bit more complex. I spend about 1 to 2 full minutes mixing, making sure I scrape all the sides of the cup and bottom. The two resins I use are art n glow and fast cast. Using those resins you can tell when they are fully mixed when there are no streaks and the you have a nice uniform color. If you want, there is a video by Zac Higgins that demonstrates it. He left a comment on this video that is pinned. I would check it out, he does tons of really cool resin casting videos.
Are these reusable?
I assume you mean the mold? Then yes they are!! If you use tin cure silicone expect 15 to 20 casts for platinum cure expect 25 to 40 casts.
@@RockerGaming Okay! =D
Cool :O
Hey Emilio! Thanks dude, much appreciated!!
Yo sweet!
Thank you very much!! Glad you liked it! I figured the CGCC guys would appreciate this!
Most definitely!