So it's 12:30 AM here, and after a few weeks I've finally caught up on this thread.
Ond, forty one pages.... every time I returned to this thread, I'd stumble across an interesting ingenious idea, and immediately enter a tangent rabbit hole for days researching materials and components, suppliers, exotic cabinets, ruminating on possible repeatable manufacturing processes for the feature or functionality. Inspiring. After being away from the hobby for a decade and change, and mostly a lurker before then, you inspired me to dive back in to a hobby I know I'll always love (if not afford).
Forty one pages, and I still don't get to see the finished product yet. I feel lucky in my timing, as not only am I far closer to the finished product's final reveal than those who have been jonesing month to month for progress in this thread for years, but I also get to see you dive into new stuff, and adopt many of your great techniques.
Aside: early on work was being done on lit ring buttons, I don't remember seeing a conclusion on those - did they ever manifest, or were they anandoned? During one of the aforementioned tangets I arrived at a process involving a pvc pipe cutter, a hole saw, and using a drill press with a sanding jig to get perfectly matched translucent disks to go in the split-top buttons (also a dremel cutting wheel orbital jig option), but testing it still requires the acquisition of a drill press on my part. If you can poliish your joysticks and balls with them, why not jig it up for vertical lathe-esque work I say.
Back to the praise
Your humble manner certainly gives me confidence in quoting "No Gods or Kings, Only Man" - the work of many others in the forum confirm there are "challengers" to your "title", and those of master class are plentiful in this crowd, but you sir have demonstrated it with boldness and style.
I will continue to watch, and hopefully be able to return a fraction of what you've given me in inspiration and motivation in just this one project.
p.s. To everyone else, my apologies for bumping this while not being Ond.