modelrail.otenko Trains, computers, vintage, retro, model railways… the lot…

Atari 7800 Controller Button Replacement

This Atari 7800 Gamepad came to me with one of the plastic buttons missing. They're held into the shell via two 2x2mm lugs and they must have perished after decades of abuse.

Without waiting around, I popped open the case and measured up the surviving button.

The button has a slight gradient on top, which I'm sure my 3D printer will struggle with...

And underneath there's a small tab to press on the rubber membrane inside the controller. Anyway, straight into Tinkercad I went to design a replacement.

I didn't even bother with the tab on the base... it's all just flat. The rubber membrane in the controller has a flat top anyway.

It printed OK! Could do with a sand, but I didn't have any wet-dry.

Not the prettiest... but it works perfectly! Here's the STL.