Building a Frankenstein 64

Last year, I decided that I was going to build a Commodore 64 from scratch. This is the blog documenting the project.

Here are some other examples: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;talk.binarytask.com&#x2F;task?id=8711454161308077109" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;talk.binarytask.com&#x2F;task?id=8711454161308077109</a><p>Here are some new keycaps: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;blue.jpg" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;blue.jpg</a> <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;brown.jpg" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;brown.jpg</a><p>Unfortunately they are a bit fragile: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;fragile.jpg" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;move.rupy.se&#x2F;file&#x2F;fragile.jpg</a><p>There is also Mechboard64 for a new Cherry-switch keyboard, unfortunately it uses 3D printed adapters.<p>For the CPU you can replace it with this but it has alot of shortcomings: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;monotech.fwscart.com&#x2F;MOS_CPU_Replacer_(65108501)&#x2F;p6083514_21591072.aspx" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;monotech.fwscart.com&#x2F;MOS_CPU_Replacer_(65108501)&#x2F;p60...</a><p>The CIA, SID and VIC2 are unreplacable... the ARM&#x2F;FPGA versions don&#x27;t look or sound anything near the originals.<p>That R1 is too rare to only put sticky heatsinks on it.

I was curious to see where the author sourced a SID chip, perhaps the most prized component of a C64 these days. It&#x27;s an ARMSID, an ARM-based emulator.<p>I keep thinking I&#x27;ll pull my C64 out of the attic, but the nostalgia is kind of fading for me at this point. That compact flash cartridge looks really cool, though. I would have loved something like that back in the day.

So glad that of all the various C64s and even more various power supplies I had in the 1980s, none were Bricks of Death. Ignorance is bliss.<p>Great project and write-up!

I never see people making their own keyboards, and would love it to see a blog about making high-quality custom keys and a case for the keyboard.

Now do one for the Amiga.

Bravo.