Connecting The Holes

It was time to cut the back of the NES case to allow access to the motherboard connectors. I considered using the backing plate that came with the motherboard and just cut one giant hole to house it. But that was just too simple, and wouldn't look esthetically pleasing. I wanted to have individual holes for each motherboard component cluster. This way it would look more like they were meant to be there and not just a PC sticking out the back of the case.

This of course was not going to be an easy task. I would need the holes cut in the NES case perfectly so that each motherboard cluster would line up correctly. This meant I needed a template.

Motherboard Component Cluster Template

I pulled out the old geometry kit and got to work making precise measurements of the component clusters on the motherboard and transposing the layout onto paper. After some meticulous measuring and drawing I eventually had my template. It looked perfect when set in front of the motherboard.

Template Affixed to NES with Scotch Tape

After measuring out the precise location of where I wanted the motherboard to sit at the back of the NES case all I needed to do was affix the template to the case. I used scotch tape to cover the whole template, to keep the cutting disc of the dremel from tearing it, and still allow me to see the lines. Time to cut!

After crossing my fingers and realizing it was hard to hold the dremel this way I got to work. It was slow going. The plastic on the back of the NES is surprisingly thick, and the holes were small and close together. A few hours went by and I had all the holes cut. After switching out the cutting disc with a grout remover I was able to clean up the cuts. A few small adjustments to the holes with some sandpaper and a utility knife and the motherboard lined up perfectly!

A Perfect Fit

Only two little mistakes. The bit housing of the dremel caught the side of the case and made some small notches. Minor flaws overall.