For the project, I decided to make a nightlight using a broken Gamecube controller I found. It uses a tilt switch, so when you hold it at a certain angel, the LEDs will light up!

Materials:

Gamecube Controller (preferably broken or old)

Screwdriver

4 LEDs

Resistor (Resistance depends of LEDs used)

Plastic-covered Wire

2 3V C batteries

Battery Holder

Electrical Tape

Straw

Paperclip

Metal ball bearing (size depends of size of straw)  

Plastic Cable Ties

Tissue paper (any color)

Scotch tape

Hot glue gun with glue

Soldering Gun

Rosin

Step 1:

Using the screwdriver, open the Gamecube controller by unscrewing the screws on the back of the controller.

Step 2:

Once open, you’ll see a circuit board, some wires, and the plastic buttons and screws on the back shell. Get rid of all of it – hollow out the controller. You’ll mostly be working on the back half of the controller, so you can put the top half away for now.

Step 3:

Now you can connect your LEDs together! After testing to see if your LEDs work, place them in parallel all around the controller. I placed mine along the sides of the top and bottom. Make sure to leave enough room in the center for the tilt switch.

Step 4:

Use solder to connect your circuit together. If you’re happy with the placement of the LEDs, use electrical tape around the soldered portions and plastic cable ties to keep everything together.

Step 5:

Now it’s time to make the switch. Cut about 1.5-2 inches of the straw, and cover one end electrical tape. The electrical tape has to be taped on both sides so that, when turning the switch on and off, the metal ball doesn’t stick to the tape. Then add the metal ball (it should be small enough to fit into the straw and run up and down, but large enough so it doesn’t fall out. Now take your paperclip and cut it into 2 pieces. Make sure the pieces are long enough to fit through the straw with ends sticking out from both sides. Solder the paperclip pieces – one to the resistor and the other to the positive lead of the power supply, adjacent to each other but not touching. Cut out a piece of copper tape, and fold it so that a majority of the tape has both sides of copper. Tape a side of the straw over the end, and use scotch tapr to keep it in place. Solder the copper tape to the paper clip.

On the other side, position the paper of the power supply lead so that it touches the metal ball. Use electrical tape and plastic ties to keep them in place.

Test to see if the switch works. If the LEDs light up when the ball rests on the paperclips at a certain angle, you did it!

Step 6:

The positive side’s all done now, and all tha’s left is tje negative. Now, solder the the negative lead of the power supply to the negative ends of your circuit. Use electrical tape to cover all these newly-soldered parts.

Step 7:

Cover any areas where the buttons used to be with a layer of tissue paper. You can use scotch tape and tape it to the shell of the controller.

Step 8:

Place the top shell of the controller back on, test it out, and you’re done!