/vr/ - Retro Games

I bought a cheap SNES controller clone; definitely feels worse but mostly OK, gonna use it as a test subject for an idea I had about replicating the tactility of the GBA SP before I even think about ruining an OEM controller.

Is there a better way than this to go about soldering the switches to the PCB? They're definitely SMT components, because they lack even gullwing solder tabs- just got these teensy little <1mm nubbins for contacts.

>>8792391
3M make these things often called 'bumpons', or anti-vibration rubber pads with adhesive backing.
I know where you're coming from because one of mine melted too, and I'm not sure what size you'd need but bumpons are what you're looking for (had to research this shit about a year ago after my MiSTer acrylic case arrived without any).

Also this reminds me: >>8793097
While I entered this thread hoping to find where I could get a decent-quality replacement D-pad lever, I guess that's not happening (lever as in the "+"-shaped insert, and good fucking lord is it a nightmare trying to get google to understand the difference, because of chinese SEO-bullshit hawking rubber pads; only site I could find with levers was kitsch-bent or whatever and a special place in hell is reserved for whoever designed their webstore).

Reason being, I bought a pair of SNES controllers on eBay: one's an SNS-102 I'm hoping has aged OK, and the other is an original model with parts that have probably deteriorated with age- and I'm gonna use the second one for a dumb idea to try replicate the feel of the GBA SP, which has my favourite D-pad [barring the PS Vita which uses the same mechanism]. In case the travel height ends up being wrong or I need to modify the lever, I'd prefer to hack up a reproduction, but oh well.

But, is there a better way to go about that than pic related?
I'd prefer to avoid gluing the microswitches to the pcb in case they break/they're fabrication duds/I break them during soldering/I don't like the feel and wanna swap to a firmer model (GBASP seems to use 1.6N switches, testing on a set of scales I own) but this hacky method with the perfboard as an SMT interface is the best idea I've got. Also I'm kinda hamfisted and don't have a complete toolset for this sorta job and would probably just ruin everything if I tried doing direct PCB surgery.