Nintendo Switch Dock Front Panel Retrofit

myminifactory

This takes the factory switch dock and applies a replacement front panel that is shorter in height. Its intent is to provide a different look for the dock, make docking easier, as well as minimize potential for scratching the screen when docking/undocking (unproven).   One of the shortcomings of the switch dock (that I found) is that if you place the dock in something like a bookshelf, the clearance needed to dock the system is the dock height + the switch height.  For shelves with little clearance, I could tilt the dock and slide the switch in but that didn't seem ideal.  It made more sense to just try and delete the front panel altogether. It does not require any modification of the original dock. but does require complete disassembly/reassembly of the dock. It does not alter the behavior of the dock. It's a cosmetic change. When your switch is docked, it will still output to TV and you will not be able to turn on the built-in screen until you undock. This is not to be confused with a charging dock. Notes on Screw PostsI've spoken to a couple people who've tried to print this out, and they said that the screw posts shear easily when printed on FDM machines because in the printed orientation, the posts are naturally weaker when a twisting force is applied to them. A solution would be to use a 1/16" drill bit to ensure the hole is the right size (just hand turn the drill bit in the hole), then thread the hole with one of the screws by screwing it in 1-2mm at a time, backing the screw out, and repeating until the screw is fully threaded. Another solution would be to enlarge the outer diameter of the screw post. Or do both. Once the hole has be threaded however, there really isn't any problem. It's just the initial threading of the hole that puts the most amount of stress on it.