Retroid Pocket Nova D-Pad CLACK Fix - Sanding Edition

ID: 238213

Description: Despite how beautiful and powerful the Nova is,...

After having disassembled the device, equip yourself with 600 grit, 800 grit, 1500 grit sandpaper, and calipers. And some water for later.
I've used DSPIAE sanding pads with great ease, as they help keeping the sanding moves planar and can be bent smoothly.

With 600 grit sandpaper, sand the end of the D-Pad's axle just enough that you end up with a contact area that's fit for use with calipers;
Make sure you fit the whole D-Pad in the calipers' jaws, and that it is centered before reading any measurement;
You can use the membrane as a guide for finding the sanding plain.

Keep sanding like you just did until you reach a total D-Pad height within the range of 8.47mm to 8.45mm;
It is important that you don't go down to 8.40mm already, as we will be brushing over this area more later on and for finishing;
A good way to ensure the sanding direction is unbiased, or evenly biased, is to rotate the part by 90° every few passes.

Sand the sides at a slight angle from vertical, until you close in on the flat area by creating clear, visible edges;
Do not sand the top at this stage or sand in circles, keep moves linear and localized;
A good way to check your work is to lower the membrane and observe the peg's silhouette. It should always be symmetrical.

Sand directly against the edges you just created, to divide them into less steep ones, simulating a circular profile. You can do a rough first pass, then proceed with smoothing the profile further with more organic, less linear movements;
Do not sand the top to the point where total height goes below 8.42mm, we still have finer sanding and finishing to go through;
Other than symmetry, another way to check your work is to feel the sanded axle with your fingertips. If there is still a jagged edge you will likely feel it.

Switch to 800 grit sandpaper and do a few light passes with organic movements over the whole surface. At this point you may also sand around the sides rather than just head on, to further smooth down the profile;
It is very important to sand near the top but not always directly on it at this stage. Total height should not go below 8.40mm;
At this point, after cleaning, the plastic should start shining again, faintly. You can use this as a check before moving on with finishing.

Switch to 1500 grit, wet it regularly and sand the surface the same way as in the previous step;
After performing this procedure 3 times, the final D-Pad height I measured was always ~8.38mm. I recommend not going below that;
As a final check, you can shine a light on the peg, rotating it to see how it's reflected. It should be smooth and sharp;
If you had previously applied the tape mod, this is yopur reminder to remove any tape;
Screw only the PCB on, check for noise and movement smoothness.

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