Though most of my time spent in the shop involves building furniture, occasionally I get a creative itch to build something different. I had the idea of building a retro game console that would combine wood with technology, and what better console to use than my childhood favorite, the Nintendo 64.
I love the look of retro televisions with their rounded screens, so it was important to include this in the project. I also like the nostalgia of having to plug in the game cartridges into the console, which is why I decided to use an actual N64 as opposed to something like a Raspberry Pi for the internal components. Since I went with the actual N64 console, this meant I had to find one as well as the games that went with it. Over the next few months, I continually checked Craigslist, thrift stores, garage sales, and flea markets to find the games of my childhood.
Through this project I was able to hone my CNC skills, as well as try new things such as soldering and installing mortised hinges. After a few weeks worth of working on this between furniture pieces, here is the end result.
Retro Wooden N64
Materials
walnut + brass + white phenolic stock
