3d Printer Enclosure Part 1 – The Design

In an effort to get back into the swing of things, I’ve wanted to use my 3d printer a little more extensively. Right now it works pretty well, but there’s a few limitations.

• I can only really print with PLA, ABS or other exotic filaments can’t be printed since the printer is in an open space.
• I don’t have a great method for storing filament and keeping it dry.
• The printer is in my room, I’d like to relocate it to my garage (issue is the garage isn’t insulated)

All of these requirements can be fulfilled with my next project. A 3d printer Enclosure.

What are the benefits of building an enclosure?

What it means is that I can solve a lot of little problems typically faced with open design 3D printers

• I can print materials like ABS and PETG, which typically don’t do well in open space printers as there are drafts that prevent it from sticking to the base.
  • Additionally these filaments give off bad fumes (I know ABS does) so these can be vented out.
• I can integrate a filament storage system somewhere for multiple filaments, along with tools and supplies all in one place.
• I can put it anywhere.
• I can make it look nice.

There are a lot of different ways you can build an enclosure. Some people go as basic as putting a cardboard box over their printers, while others do elaborate integrated cabinets. If you Google search 3D printer enclosures, you’ll find lots of different examples.

The Design

The requirements I have for this cabinet are as follows:

1. It has to fit an Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printer.
2. It has to be insulated to ensure constant air temperature. (Meant for ABS)
3. It has to have a way to store and feed filament easily.
4. There have to be safety mechanisms built in for potential fires.
5. I have to be able to view the print in progress.
6. It has to be aesthetically pleasing.

I’ll probably figure out a few others as I go, but this is what I’m going with to start.

The First Iteration

Here is the first iteration on the design of this cabinet.

This is a first iteration I made in Sketchup. It’s still missing a lot of little design features, such as a vent for fumes, wiring for the electronics or fastener locations and attachments. When I’m done the project, I’m hoping to make a set of plans and integrate some of the lessons I learned from this.

I plan to frame this out of plywood, despite the fact that lumber is insanely expensive right now. I think if I use plywood and stain, it will give it a really nice look.

One of the issues I’m currently having is landing on a CAD software. I’d planned to do all the design work with Autodesk Fusion 360, however I ran out of the trial period and I really don’t feel like spending $645 CAD a year. As much as I love it, I just don’t think I’ll use it enough to justify the cost.

The problem I’m faced with now is how do I make virtual designs of this? Well, it’s a mix of a few different programs. What I’ve found is that the sketchup free version works well for rough designs, but is really limited in terms of detailed designs, such as fillets, chamfers, and solid modelling operations. You have to upgrade for those options. It starts at $150 CAD/yr, but it’s still web based. The version I’d want is pro, which is $373 CAD/yr.

What I’m missing right now is the ability to do detailed design work for 3D printed parts. I did find another free CAD program called OnShape which is web based, but seems to have better 3D modelling options. It’s free so long as I share my designs to the public. I haven’t played with it that much, but the interface seems OK.

What’s next?

I have a rough design, so my next steps are getting the design finalized, and then like most of my projects, figuring out how much it’s going to cost. I also need to figure out my CAD modelling woes a little better and determine how I’m going to get this fully detailed. Since I love Fusion 360 so much, there is a possibility I bite the bullet and purchase the yearly license.

More to come. Thanks for reading!