May 14, 2026
Description
My Tankstick-VR/Arcade2TV-XR is connected to a computer for pinball and retro gaming. Since it's a computer you have to constantly mess with it, break it, and fix it again. This makes a keyboard pretty handy, especially for the breaking part.
So I designed these planks to slide into the space vacated by the controller holders in the front when they are extended. Just slide them in and push them back to "lock" them. Then place the keyboard on top of your new shelf.
As it's, it's functional, but slippery. I've considered several options to fix that...
Leave it as is. It does work. Maybe add some rubber feet to make it less slippery.
Doubled Sided Tape. This is the solution I went with. I just taped the planks to the bottom of the keyboard. The combined assembly is more rigid and just slips in and out of place as needed. The keyboard is still quite usable unattached. This worked so well for me that I gave up on more elaborate plans and I haven't actually tried any of the following ideas.
Magnets. This is basically the same idea as the tape, but less attached. You can buy magnetic tape or maybe glue on some stronger magnets for a keyboard that snaps into place. You can add a negative volume in the slicer to embed the magnets. Thanks to Steve (darwould) on Discord for the suggestion.
Customize! Do what you want. I am including STEP files with this project because it seems quite suitable for customization. My original idea was to make it clip onto the keyboard, but that would make it very specific to my model and the tape worked great. I would love to see what you decide to attach to the front, whether keyboard or not!
No supports needed when printed on its side. I did 15% infill, but it was a little flimsy until I taped it to the keyboard. More infill might be helpful depending on your intended usage.
Warning: It does use the Tankstick-VR's controller clips for support. I do not know how much weight this will support and I don't intend to find out. The clips are plastic and a metal plate is screwed onto them with two screws to allow it to slide in and out. It shouldn't be particularly fragile, but it's not designed to load bearing. I think it's fine for a typical keyboard, but don't use it to support your weight when standing up.
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial