Thread: 3D printer enclosure DIY double glazing?

The first question to ask is, why an enclosure?

The usual reasons are;
1) Noise, especially if the printer is noisy and you don't wish to disturb anyone while printing.
2) You want to reduce the effects of sudden cooling drafts drafts on prints. This can lead to differential cooling of prints and may cause problems
3) You wish to print with a material that requires an elevated atmosphere.
4) You wish to print with something smelly and want to vent the enclosure outside the room.

Or maybe some a combo of the above.

If its 1), then some noise reduction can be obtained even using cardboard. My son used 3mm MDF for his printer and I was surprised how much this reduced the noise levels.
Same for 2), any thin material can reduce drafts.
With 3) you have to be very careful at being too insulating as most printers simply may not cope, eg some electronics and stepper motors cannot usually handle >50ºC for extended periods.

Anyway have a look how I did mine.
Adventures in 3D printing bibs and bobs for a home workshop

I wanted 1) and 2) and whatever I could get from it in terms of 3) and possibly 4) but the latter 2 were not my main aims.

Mine is 640 x 640 x 900mm and uses 1mm PC and is only singly glazed ie no insulation.
It's effective enough at noise reduction (I print all night and day with it) and easily excludes drafts.
I have a fan on the enclosure but have not completed the extraction ducting.
So far I have had no need to use elevated temperatures but it definitely gets hotter inside than outside.

The connectors a Qubelock style printed by the printer. and I used 20mm extrusion.
The PC is held on my M3 screws with holes drilled and tapped into the extrusion.
Some small triangle shaped pieces of PC are used in teh corners as bracing.
The PC is mostly flat up against the extrusion but in some places there are slight buckles and gas but you have to look hard to see them.

The best thing I did was made the enclosure in two halves which makes it much easier to cover and access the printer.
I can leave the back half of the enclosure in place and get full access.
It requires using a lot more extrusion but its well worth it.
The front door is full height/width but it has a smaller ready access hatchway which can be handy.
All hinges were printed by the printer.
Makes sure you allow for the full width range of any moving parts.
enc3.JPG

Thanks for the comprehensive reply Bob.
The main reasons for wanting an enclosure are 3 and 4 with some of 1.
I've already replaced the MB fan and PS fan so the noise isn't so much of a problem.
I'm initially wanting to print in ABS so the printer itself will be the main heat source, from
what I've read a single wall enclosure would maybe reach mid 30's and was hoping to
reach maybe 50's. The steppers are rated higher so shouldn't be a problem.
The printer is located in the dining / lounge / kitchen so need to confine the gases which are apparently toxic
and I've already printed a Hepa / Charcoal filter combo

So do you think the double wall PC would be beneficial with temperatures?
I do hope to print PC/CF in the future

Originally Posted by CgT

Thanks for the comprehensive reply Bob.
The main reasons for wanting an enclosure are 3 and 4 with some of 1.
I've already replaced the MB fan and PS fan so the noise isn't so much of a problem.
I'm initially wanting to print in ABS so the printer itself will be the main heat source, from
what I've read a single wall enclosure would maybe reach mid 30's and was hoping to
reach maybe 50's.

That's what Ive heard as well but it depends on what size/watts the bed is etc and the ambient temp.
We don't heat our house in winter so the starting temp is currently 15ºC which makes it a bit harder.
I need to do some testing.

The steppers are rated higher so shouldn't be a problem.

How about the electronics rating?
Remember fans don't actually cool anything they just circulate air and rely on a temperature differential.
Electronics typically works fine up to 30ºC ambient air temps but after most systems struggle.
If there's 50ºC in the cabinet the MB fan may simply not be able to move enough air to keep the MB cool.

The printer is located in the dining / lounge / kitchen so need to confine the gases which are apparently toxic
and I've already printed a Hepa / Charcoal filter combo

I don't have a lot of faith in such a small filters and you will need a really airtight box and doors to keep the gasses from escaping.
You'll need grommet/glands around the cables and well sealed doors and a sealed bottom.
From the guys I know that regularly print ABS they say it's much better to vent.

So do you think the double wall PC would be beneficial with temperatures?
I do hope to print PC/CF in the future

Double wall should get you to 50ºC but I've heard of people using PP core flute as walls and getting to 50.

What do you plan using the ABS for?
A number of guys that I know that started out wanting to print ABS quickly found out what a PITA it is and found other materials could do the job of the.

Have you checked your heater bed temps - some printers cannot reached their claimed max temps.
Mine was supposed to reach 110 but it only ever got to 100. I've replaced the heater on mine with PID controlled 750W mains powered things that will go to 150 if needed. I haven't used it above 50 yet.

Ambient temps aren't much better here, currently 19 C inside, low 20s during the day.
Printing with PLA+ at the moment which needs 70 C to maintain bed adhesion, My IR
thermometer confirms temps are close but haven't tested above that. Will probably upgrade the
bed heater at some point.
The door is where I'm struggling to find an effective solution. Definitely some experimenting required.

Extending the electrics outside the enclosure will be relatively straight forward so no problem there.

Only going on anecdotal statements but I think if the filter is running for 10 min or so after the print
finishes the fumes should be at minimal levels. Venting is good for fumes but poor for heating.

The first thing I need to print with ABS is a fan shroud for the printer, as I want to fit an aftermarket
all metal hotend. But I'm really unimpressed with the strength of PLA. Great for anything without a
function but otherwise disappointing.
ABS isn't much better apparently, just higher heat resistance,which is why I'd like to try nylons,
polycarbonates, etc. That of course needs 100 C chamber temps
so at that stage it's a whole new printer, probably some flavour of Voron.
Corflute would probably be a more economical starting point to get the temps I want and upgrade
to PC at a later date.

I made the Ikea Lack table enclosure for my printer. I print ABS with no problem.

Attention Required! | Cloudflare Not sure if that link will continue to work, but here is one from the Prusa site: How to build a simple, cheap enclosure for your 3D printer - Original Prusa 3D Printers

I'll get a pic of it tonight

Thanks Pearo, I like the look of the lack, but it's a bit limiting as far as size.
What sort of temps do you get?

Originally Posted by CgT

Ambient temps aren't much better here, currently 19 C inside, low 20s during the day.

This morning the inside of the house got down to 13 which is the lowest we've ever seen it. See below for more info on heating.

Printing with PLA+ at the moment which needs 70 C to maintain bed adhesion, My IR
thermometer confirms temps are close but haven't tested above that. Will probably upgrade the
bed heater at some point.

What sort of bed cover is it, Do you use any glue stick on the bed?

My stock heater bed temp agreed with my IR thermometer and a separate Thermocouple up to about 90º but after that the temps did not match and even though the printer display allows for it to be set it for 110ºC it only reached 100ºC. Last night I was looking at my printers specs and see the stock firmware only allows for >100 so it all now makes sense.

The door is where I'm struggling to find an effective solution. Definitely some experimenting required.

I would make a door with a frame that clamps down firmly onto a door frame with some sort of soft gasket between. We made a number of these at work for walk in freezer labs. We got the gasket material from Clarke Rubber.

Only going on anecdotal statements but I think if the filter is running for 10 min or so after the print
finishes the fumes should be at minimal levels. Venting is good for fumes but poor for heating.

Good point. Just remember venting only has to create a very slightly negative pressure to keep the gas inside - its not like there's a need for a roaring gale through the enclosure.

One whiff of the ABS smell by the family can get you into hot water. One of mates that tried to print ABS without filters or ventilation was immediately banished to the shed even though he agreed never to print it again.

The first thing I need to print with ABS is a fan shroud for the printer, as I want to fit an aftermarket
all metal hotend.

Not sure what you mean by shroud?
I have a Micro Swiss hot end on mine but I would need to upgrade the heater and software to get things hotter. Otherwise I haven'y noticed any significant difference compared to the stock hot end.

But I'm really unimpressed with the strength of PLA. Great for anything without a
function but otherwise disappointing.

What sort of application do you have in mind?
I have found a heap of uses for stock PLA and the strength has been fine for what I need.
I mainly make make Electronics Project boxes with my printer but have printed heaps of stuff for around the house and shed.
I also make a lot of coffee grinder/machine accessories.

The clamps, hinges and Qubelock corners of my enclosure are all straight PLA.
Yes one couple did break while constructing, but that was just me being ham fisted and none have broken since.
I was going to use ABS but have found the PLA is good enough.
Do you have a dehumidifier to reduce the water content of the filament material? Keeping the filaments dry is significant in terms of final PLA product strength and I found a plastic bag with desiccant in it isn't as good as a 2 hour burst in a dehumifier.

Also have you tried PETG? prints at 220-250ºC and uses a bed T of 70-80ºC. My printer mates who were printing with ABS have all switched to PETG. I have a roll but haven't tried it.

ABS isn't much better apparently, just higher heat resistance,which is why I'd like to try nylons,
polycarbonates, etc. That of course needs 100 C chamber temps
so at that stage it's a whole new printer, probably some flavour of Voron.
Corflute would probably be a more economical starting point to get the temps I want and upgrade
to PC at a later date.

Last year the 1.2 x 2.4 m x 1mm sheet of PC I bought from Plastics Warehouse cost $55. The cost of plastic is closely tied to the price of oil so I suspect a 1.5mm sheet will duct 1.5 x $55. Although (like petrol) things may be dearer now. The Al extrusions I bought in 6m lengths direct from Capral I ended up needing 13.60m of extrusion which means 3 lengths but it worked out way cheaper than buying Qubelock from places like bunnings or inline.

BTW, in case you don't know there is a 3D Printing forum in the Metal Work Forums. Its not very active but there have been some useful posts in there.
3D Printers and Printing

RE: heating enclosure.
I only thought of it this morning but I did not completely disconnect my stock bed heater when I replaced it (it's the gold coloured thing leaning up against the inside of the enclosure. I did this in case I had problems with the new printer and could then easily replace the beds. I just run the stock heater at "Zero degrees while printing"
The new heater is separately PID controlled by the black (PLA) box on the LHS of the picture. Being 750W it heats up really fast (<1min) but doesn't have any auto-off when print is complete feature which I will attend to someday.
The stock heater temp can be set using the printer software so this means I can run both heaters at the same time, with the heat from the stock printer just going into the enclosure. Being vertically oriented will assist with convection and heat transfer. Covering it with something back would assist with radiate heat transfer.

I'll do some tests to see what the enclosure it can get do. I'm not holding my breath but it could provide some indication of what heater power is needed.

Heaterbeds.jpg.

OK, the most the temperature would go up to in the enclosure using a main heater bed Temp of 70ºC and the spare heater bed at 70ºC was about 15º above ambient. With the printer actually running I would expect a bit (maybe 5ºC) more but it's only going to reach 50ºC when the ambient temp is ~30ºC (YUK) and its not going to work below that. A smaller enclosure should go a bit higher as well.

I've been thinking a bit more about insulation and I reckon that bubble wrap covered in foil would be worth a go. In fact a foil jacket that pops over the entire enclosure might be a way that would leave the printer transparent for other types of printing. The printer enclosure may not be need be completely covered and it may be possible to leave the door uncovered with teh bubble warp so you can see what's going on. The idea of using a spare heater might still be worth while as it could provide additional input heat and it could be adjusted as required?

I think have some piece of that foil lined bubble wrap under the house that I might dig out. I won't have enough to cover my whole printer enclosure but there might be enough to cover part of it.

I had look online to see if anyone was using foil bubble wrap and stumbled across people using Aluminised Mylar space blanket. One fella claimed to get to 40ºC just throwing one of these blankets over his printer. The blanket are available on ebay for $3.50 probably worth a go.

Originally Posted by BobL

OK, the most the temperature would go up to in the enclosure using a main heater bed Temp of 70ºC and the spare heater bed at 70ºC was about 15º above ambient. With the printer actually running I would expect a bit (maybe 5ºC) more but it's only going to reach 50ºC when the ambient temp is ~30ºC (YUK) and its not going to work below that. A smaller enclosure should go a bit higher as well.

This is why I was thinking double glazing might be the go. You lose so much heat through the walls.
I've made an insulated dry box from plywood that's about 300mm high with a 15 W heater, the top is 6mm PC.
It's around 40 C at the bottom and mid to high 20s at the top.

The space blanket looks like a great idea, hadn't come across that before. I'll order some now to experiment with.

10 sheets of 600 x 600 x 2mm PC is going to cost me $155. A little cheaper if I buy a full sheet and cut myself.
Can't get to the Plastic Warehouse site to compare prices but it's definitely more expensive now.

Originally Posted by CgT

This is why I was thinking double glazing might be the go. You lose so much heat through the walls.
I've made an insulated dry box from plywood that's about 300mm high with a 15 W heater, the top is 6mm PC.
It's around 40 C at the bottom and mid to high 20s at the top.

Where is teh heater located - I assume its low down in the box?

I've started to monitor the temps inside my enclosure while printing.
With room tempo at 17º and heater bed at 70º, the air temp at the bottom of the enclosure is 20º, about 200mm above the bed its about 26º, while it's 28º at the top of the enclosure.
My enclosure is not that air tight so it could be improved somewhat.

You might need a small fan to recirculate the air to get a more even temp.
A 30 or 40W incandescent light globes make good heaters as 95% of their energy is output as heat. I
I've used one connected to a dimmer to make a low temperature hotplate fro heat the contents of a 20L plastic tank. MDF Box with Galv sheet top easily reached 50º

The space blanket looks like a great idea, hadn't come across that before. I'll order some now to experiment with

I found my remaining roll of foil lined bubble wrap under the house but its less than a third needed to cover my enclosure..

10 sheets of 600 x 600 x 2mm PC is going to cost me $155. A little cheaper if I buy a full sheet and cut myself.
Can't get to the Plastic Warehouse site to compare prices but it's definitely more expensive now.

Unless you are going to use the PC as a structural component, if you are going to insulate then 2mm thickness is not needed. 1mm or even 0,8mm is plenty.

I'm currently printing with PLA-F, it's a mixture of PLA and ABS
Bed temp is 60-80, nozzle temp is 220-230ºC although various reports are it prints anywhere between 190 and 240.
No ABS smell and very little PLA odour as well.
No warping so no heated enclosure required.
Slight more springy than PLA
Good bed adhesion.
Prints really crisply.
The down side is its softening temp, about the same as PLA so no good for High temp app.

I bought a roll of PLA-F to try out about a year a go before I knew about its temperature issue. I'm using the left over roll to print prototypes.

I'm still intrigued as to why you need 70º to get PLA prints to stick to your bed.
I'm using 50ºC and a glue stick and I have to pry my prints off with a razor blade.

I have a 5v 40mm fan at the top to help circulate air and it has a removable cover to vent if necessary.
I snapped photo but my phone is refusing to share at the moment.

The PC definitely wouldn't be structural but 1mm is $15 a sheet 2mm is $15.50. just thought the 2mm
would be better if I ever get around to needing 100 C or more.

I'm printing with Esun PLA+ which has recommended bed temps of 60 - 80 C. Started at 60 but had the
corners lifting and found 70 works just fine. I would normally have started in the middle of the recommended temps
but didn't think any PLA would need higher than 60.

Originally Posted by CgT

I have a 5v 40mm fan at the top to help circulate air and it has a removable cover to vent if necessary.
I snapped photo but my phone is refusing to share at the moment.

Such a small fan isn't likely to have much "throw" and won't push air very far.
Usually these small fans end up just recirculating air in their immediate vicinity unless they are constrained at least in one direction.

The most important direction is probably vertically.
To achieve this with a small fan I usually arrange for it to be inside a vertical chimney eg seal one side of the fan up against a piece of PVC tubing the same ID as the fan and sucking or blowing air through the tube either up or down depending on the temperature gradient.

The PC definitely wouldn't be structural but 1mm is $15 a sheet 2mm is $15.50. just thought the 2mm

Sure. Maybe they have a glut of 2mm PC, every time I've bought it the price scales with thickness.

I'm printing with Esun PLA+ which has recommended bed temps of 60 - 80 C. Started at 60 but had the
corners lifting and found 70 works just fine. I would normally have started in the middle of the recommended temps
but didn't think any PLA would need higher than 60.

OK for PLA+ I understand. I've never tried it - there are so many PLAs out now its hard to keep. It sounds a bit like Polymax PLA which is supposed to be as strong as ABS with 20% better impact resistance but still not very good for higher temps.

Maybe I'm just lucky, or my applications are not too challenging but I have been impressed with stock/standard PLA for most of the things I print. I've found there is a difference between the $20 cheap ebay PLA versus a branded product, like X3D PLA. The X3D has really good bed adhesion and prints super clean. The ebay stuff gives mixed result but I never know how they're going to work.
The X3D stuff costs a lot more plus there delivery costs but I usually wait for it to be on special and buy a few rolls at that time.
They're an on-line store but they have a local free pickup point is not far from my local Bunnings so I usually time it with a Bunnings run.
The PLA-F I'm using at the moment is from ebay and came by accident - I ordered regular PLA but this roll of PLA-F turned up and when I pointe this out the seller refunded me $10 so I got the roll for $9.

Of my 15 or so current rolls of filament, 9 are straight PLA.
My son gave me some old (4 years?) rolls of PLA he could not get to print all that well on his printer and I put them through the dehumidifier and they seems to wprintork fine.

I've modified my printer enclosure with a foil space blanket and core flute outer shield.
If anyone is interested in how I did this I have posted the WIP over in the Metal Working 3D Printing forum.
Heated 3D printer enclosures.