Hackaday [Unofficial]Custom Watch is on the Case
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://hackaday.com/2026/06/13/custom-watch-is-on-the-case/
Custom Watch is on the Case https://hackaday.com/2026/06/13/custom-watch-is-on-the-case/
#WearableHacks #3Dprintedenclosure #Watch
#WearableHacks #3Dprintedenclosure #Watch
Portable Multi-SDR Rig Keeps Your Radios Cool https://hackaday.com/2024/09/03/portable-multi-sdr-rig-keeps-your-radios-cool/ #software-definedradio #3Dprintedenclosure #RadioHacks #aircooling #airflow #RTL-SDR
FauxTRS Is Definitely Not A Trash 80 https://hackaday.com/2024/07/22/fauxtrs-is-definitely-not-a-trash-80/ #3Dprintedenclosure #Retrocomputing #RaspberryPi #recreation #emulation #trs-80
Building an IR Thermometer That Fits on Your Keychain https://hackaday.com/2024/07/05/building-an-ir-thermometer-that-fits-on-your-keychain/ #3Dprintedenclosure #Microcontrollers #IRthermometer #oleddisplay #ToolHacks #esp32-C3 #keychain
Retro-Styled Rasti Laptop Packs Framework Mobo https://hackaday.com/2024/02/02/retro-styled-rasti-laptop-packs-framework-mobo/ #3Dprintedenclosure #customcomputercase #computerhacks #GRiDCompass #framework
Ansgar Schmidt 
ZSWatch: This OSHW Smart Watch is as DIY as it Gets https://hackaday.com/2023/01/16/zswatch-this-oshw-smart-watch-is-as-diy-as-it-gets/ #3dprintedenclosure #opensourcehardware #circulardisplay #wearablehacks #smartwatch #watch #oshw
hackaday unofficialThis Big 3D-Printed Game Boy Actually Runs MacOS
While mobile gaming has largely moved to smartphones these days, the classic Game Boy remains a hugely popular platform for retro enthusiasts, owing in no small part to its enormous library of quality games. The original Game Boy hardware is pretty much bulletproof, but feels a bit outdated today because it lacks modern conveniences like a large, backlit display or a rechargeable battery.
[iketsj] wanted to build a modern take on the Game Boy design and designed what's in effect a 3D-printed, oversized copy of the classic handheld powered by a modern single-board computer. Most people would have gone for something obvious like a Raspberry Pi running Linux, but not [Ike]: he decided to go for a LattePanda Alpha board and run macOS Monterey on it. That makes this a Hackintosh, and probably one of the last ones as well since Apple is busy migrating all of its products onto its own proprietary CPUs.
The LattePanda also has an Arduino integrated on its board, which is used to read out the Game Boy's buttons as well as the resistive touch screen. It communicates with the macOS system through a Python script that emulates mouse movements and keypresses. Sadly, the touch function is not working because [Ike] accidentally damaged the touch-sensitive system while trying to slim down the display module. Still, the seven pushbuttons are more than enough when running a Game Boy emulator, and there's also a USB connector available to connect external peripherals like a keyboard, mouse or monitor.
We've seen several great Game Boy projects over the years: some made from brass, some very wide, and some that stuff modern computing platforms inside an original Game Boy case. Combining a Game Boy with a Hackintosh is definitely a new development, though it matches well with [Ike]'s history of unusual Hackintosh designs.
World’s Worst I/O Dock Doesn’t Deserve Elegant Fix
Even spendy commercial products can end up being lemons. This is something [Mike Buss] is familiar with, as he had the misfortune of being stuck using what he declares is the world's worst USB hub, and it's not even a mystery discount device from overseas: it's an HP Thunderbolt Dock G2. It is a sort of combination I/O dock and USB hub, and it caused him no end of frustration until he "fixed" it with a crude workaround.
The problems with [Mike]'s dock come down to two major issues. The first is that the USB-C connection will, if moved even the slightest amount, instantly trigger a disconnect from the host computer. Frankly, that sounds like a defect, but that's not all. The other issue is that the whole top of the device is actually a giant, hyper-sensitive button. Even a stern gaze seems to be enough to cause it to activate. What does the button do? It puts the host computer to sleep; something that we all agree should suffer from as few false activations as possible.
We'll spoil the surprise by revealing that the "fix" was nothing more than putting a 3D printed enclosure around the troublesome device, as shown in the image above. Keeping the dock covered and perfectly still at least prevents the two aforementioned issues, and that's good enough for [Mike].
The curious part of all this is just how badly the device's design affected normal use. We'd suspect a defect or malfunction, but a cursory search of reviews online suggests [Mike]'s experience isn't unique. It's certainly not the first poorly-designed product we've seen fixed by a new enclosure, but some problems just aren't worth the effort of a more elegant solution.
This Parametric Project Box Generator Is Super Easy
When it comes to taking an idea from concept to prototype reality, depending on the type of project, there can be quite a few sub-tasks along the way. Take for example, your latest electronic widget design. You've finished the schematic, and the PCB layout is a work of art (if you do say so yourself) but having that kicking around on the desk unprotected with wires dangling is not the end game. Now you've got to make an enclosure of some kind, and I don't know about you, but this is the bit where this scribe struggles a little to get something to fit nice. Even if you've got the latest 3D printer dialed in to within a gnat's whisker of perfection, you've still got to come up with the design, and those dimensions need to be really accurate. So, for those of us who are great at the PCB, but suck at the enclosure, [Willem Aandewiel] has been busy making the tool just for you, with his PCB-orientated Yet Another Parametric Projectbox generator (YAPP.)
Defining the PCB mounting points w.r.t. the PCB outline
Without hesitation you can head over to the YAPP GitHub, grab that sweet OpenSCAD code, and get cracking with the demos. Provided for your convenience are a number of examples for enclosing some common items, such as Arduinos and ESP32 modules, so you can use those as a springboard to get your own code in place. YAPP works based off the PCB — by specifying programmatically since this is OpenSCAD — outer dimensions, mounting post locations first. Next you define openings in the six faces of the box, and the tool happily spits out a platter with the base and lid ready to drop into Cura (or your slicer of choice) What could be easier?
And before you start on non-rectangular designs, this is a rectangular box generator for rectangular PCBs. That is all this is designed for, and as far as we can tell, it does that one job well.
Of course, this is by no means the first enclosure generator to grace these pages, far from it. Here's one for starters. If you're here for tips to help make better designs, check this out, and finally 3DHubs also has a nice guide for you. Happy printing!
