I designed a vintage style radio and completely lost myself.

Video Description

I made a thing. It's a vintage AM radio style'd 3d printable music player. When totally built it's offline music player designed to feel simple, intentional, and familiar. It’s inspired by old tabletop radios, but built around modern, low-cost electronics to create a device that turns on and just plays music. No apps. No screens. No voice commands. Ready for the apocalypse. For video instructions on ALL portions of the parts and assembly, as well as code, visit this page: https://www.zionbrock.com/radio Make it on your 3d printer for free: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2163838-my-vintage-radio-offline-am-style-music-player#profileId-2346151 This project started as an experiment in hiding a smart speaker inside a retro shell, then evolved into something fully self-contained. Music is stored on a micro SD card and organized by folders, allowing albums or playlists to play in sequence. A single knob powers the device and controls volume, while a single button handles track and album navigation. Internally, the radio uses a small MP3 playback module, a compact amplifier, and a programmable microcontroller to manage playback logic. On startup, a custom sound plays to mimic the experience of tuning into an old AM radio, blending naturally into the music. The speaker configuration is intentionally mono, giving it a slightly lo-fi character that suits ambient, classical, holiday, or background listening. The enclosure is fully 3D printed and designed to be approachable for makers who enjoy electronics projects. Variants exist for both fully offline builds and empty housings intended for smart speakers. All versions share the same external proportions, with internal mounts adjusted as needed. Each printed back panel includes a QR code that links to full documentation, including assembly steps, wiring diagrams, code, and usage instructions. My original inspiration was this lovely design: https://makerworld.com/en/models/1775009-smart-speaker-retro-radio-housing?from=search#profileId-1890167. Make sure you check his out, it's fantastic for smart devices. 🔧 Resources & Links • Full tutorials and extended walkthroughs: https://www.zionbrock.com/radio • Vintage Radio design files and build guides: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2163838-my-vintage-radio-offline-am-style-music-player#profileId-2431295 • Discord community for mods, PCBs, and shared builds: https://discord.gg/hFyK6TepmR • Licensing info for makers and craft fairs: https://www.zionbrock.com/radio-license License note: This model is provided for personal, non-commercial use only. Commercial use, resale, or derivative works are not permitted without a separate license. Commercial licensing and full build documentation are available via the project documentation linked through the QR code.