3D printed boxes/enclosures

**BobL** · 31st August 2021, 10:31 AM

One of the main reasons I bought a 3D printer was to make custom boxes/enclosures for my electronics and electrical projects.

There are plenty of 3D printing plans for specific size boxes/enclosures on Thingiverse.com but perhaps the most useful is the UltimateWaterproofCase_V6.SCAD
This is a SCAD (Software CAD) file that when opened up in the (free) SCAD app shows an image of what you get and more importantly allows you to edit and reprocess the plans to suit what you want.

Screen Shot 2021-08-31 at 7.04.15 am.png

In a panel on the RHS of the App there are parameters that can be changed eg Box height width, depth, thickness of plastic, thickness of lid, screw size, screw location, thickness of seal groove, radius of curvature of etc.

If you know a bit of basic SCAD programming, buried in the bottom of the program code is also a section where you can add the code for stuff like standoffs, or subtract cutouts. That's how those holes got inserted into the above box. It took a bit of mucking around but once you get a hang of the code syntax its quite easy.

Printing speed depends on material, quality required and how game you are at running the printer fast.
My first attempt was too ambitions and teh printer quickly generated a 50c size plastic blob - you have to watch it get started to ensure the underside of teh print adheres to the printer build plate

This was my 2nd attempt at printing a box and the cable glands (printed separately) - but I did drill the gland holes in this box
Enc.JPG Black&orange.JPG

This was my third attempt last night where it automatically did the cutouts.
The black glands were also 3D printed separately.
Greyandblack.JPG

Cost wise the grey box plus glands works out to between $2 and $4 depending on what quality of plastic is used.

By wy of comparison, altronics members pricing for a similar box and two glands would be around $12.50. Small potatoes but it all adds up.

The black box/lid $2 was printed using $40/roll PLA plastic filament in highest res and took about 20 hours to print.
The grey box and lid was printed using $21/roll PLA in next to highest res and took about 12 hours to print.
If your printer is big enough printing multiple boxes at the same time saves a a bit of time.
Yes it's slow, but much faster than waiting for chinese ebay stuff to arrive, plus I don't have to keep dozens of (different size) boxes on hand

Bear in mind the printer runs while I do other things.
With the preprinted cutouts already in the box assembly will be faster.

PLA is fine for indoors lowV stuff but the printer will print ABS - just need to get some and try it out.

**Bernmc** · 31st August 2021, 11:14 AM

Consider PETG rather than ABS. Easier to print, doesn't stink, easily recycleable, stronger... ABS is a bit more rigid and has a higher glass transition temp but I reckon PETG will do for most applications.

**BobL** · 31st August 2021, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Bernmc

Consider PETG rather than ABS. Easier to print, doesn't stink, easily recycleable, stronger... ABS is a bit more rigid and has a higher glass transition temp but I reckon PETG will do for most applications.

Thanks. Not worried so much about about stink as I have extraction on my 3D printer enclosure.
However am interested in easy printing and my brief interaction with PETG is that it is certainly easy to print with.
The other issue is UV resistance as some of these will be used outside.

**ericks2** · 31st August 2021, 02:39 PM

Why would you want to print glands ...

**BobL** · 31st August 2021, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by ericks2

Why would you want to print glands ...

To start with it was because I could Plus I could then also print them in dozens of different colours

.

But given how easy it's turned out to print them I'm going to be doing this on a regular basis.
Their small size means they can be printed to use up the shorter lengths of filament are left over at the end of long rolls so essentially the plastic is free and I don't like wasting anything if I can.

Here's something else that can be printed out in a colourful form.
Parametric fan grille (fan_grille.sca on Thingiverse)
Black&orange2.JPG

**apple8** · 31st August 2021, 08:03 PM

Bob, what are you using for gaskets to seal the glands and lid for water proofing.

**dmorse** · 31st August 2021, 08:27 PM

Nice looking boxes Bob. Looks like you did a good job on the printer setup.

What material did you use for the glands? Do you have a link to the files or are those your design?

- - - Updated - - -

Nice looking boxes Bob. Looks like you did a good job on the printer setup.

What material did you use for the glands? Do you have a link to the files or are those your design?

**BobL** · 31st August 2021, 08:44 PM

Originally Posted by apple8

Bob, what are you using for gaskets to seal the glands and lid for water proofing.

These are not UV resistant and ven though they have gasket joints none of the boxes I've printed so far need to be water proofed so I'm not using any gaskets.
When it comes time to do this I will need to print using a different filament material, and have several dozen gaskets from commercial project boxes I can use.

Come to think of it the gaskets could also be printed using TPU.
Would need to set up a pattern though.
The flexible collars inside the glands are printed in TPU.

The glands and boxes are in PLA - they are sort of experimental - I'll use them and see what happens.
The pattern I used is this one downsized to 80% of the original.
Cable gland for electric wires by offgrid - Thingiverse

**verawood** · 1st September 2021, 09:10 AM

They look great.
Enjoyable following your 3D printing journey.

**markharrison** · 1st September 2021, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by BobL

One of the main reasons I bought a 3D printer was to make custom boxes/enclosures for my electronics and electrical projects.

There are plenty of 3D printing plans for specific size boxes/enclosures on Thingiverse.com but perhaps the most useful is the UltimateWaterproofCase_V6.SCAD

I did a search on the highlighted term in the quote but could not find it. Got a link?

**BobL** · 1st September 2021, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by markharrison

I did a search on the highlighted term in the quote but could not find it. Got a link?

Sorry sometimes these things are hard to find. It took me a while to re-find it as well
Stable and waterproof OpenSCAD case by pbtec by pbtec - Thingiverse

In the end I used a general search engine using search terms "Ultimate Waterproof Case scad thingiverse"

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