Components housing techniques?

[Cid]

Hello!

I was wondering if anyone had any techniques to share for housing components in a case that is originally not made for your perticular components, especially with Frankencasing, like buttons, joysticks, switches, screen, breadboards... It's not just a matter of hot glue.
-How do make them not move around?
-What if you have to replace something/take appart your finished portable?
-Etc.

Thanks!

 

[fibbef]

Screw posts whenever possible. Hack up the old plastic cases you're ripping your electronics from and hang onto the screw posts. They can be cut to length and cemented into your case with epoxy, even though I prefer melted ABS plastic. If you desolder components to relocate them (joysticks particularly), mount them on some perfboard which can be screwed onto the posts. Makes disassembly/repair much easier.

If you take a look at 3D printed projects, you'll see that the majority of them incorporate screw posts into their prints.

 

[Cid]

Thank you!
Basically, what I have to do is to accommodate parts of the housing of my electronics by cutting, sanding and epoxying them whenever possible. Do you have anything to add for custom circuits on prefboards like a DIY protection circuit or memory card for example?

 

[cheese]

If you use perfboard, you will probably want to use a little dab of superglue to hold the components in place, especially for things that aren't through hole.

 

[fibbef]

For any non-visible electronics, I'd recommend wiring them up, then electrical tape them back-to-back to your motherboard. Just as long as they're not in the way of your heat management. Also, be sure to insulate your boards from each other with cardstock or electrical tape to prevent shorts.

 

[Stitches]

Kapton tape works great for that as well. It's thin, sticky and just about impossible to melt. It's perfect for putting across the fins of heatsinks to direct airflow. It's a tad expensive though.