3D print Acorn Atom case

[paulv]

** it may even benefit from the top being a bit shallower?? **

I'm not sure about that. If you look closely at the end with the bumbs on, you'll see that there's a notch on the underside of the fascia which allows you to get a screwdriver under and lift the cover out of the socket again.

I guess you could make it thinner and lose the notch but then it'd be trickier to remove.

As we're virtually redesigning it though, a chamfered edge wouldn't go amiss...

Paul

[leenew]

I see now Paul, and I agree with the chamfering too.
How many of these would be needed to be produced to make them pretty cheap.
I would have half a dozen or maybe 10.

I can do a reasonable job of cleaning up a case that has had the cover punched out, (a-la Mark RC's instructions) but I would much prefer the widget.....

[danielj]

3d printed won't look very good. Injection moulded and you're looking at a thousand or more to start getting any economy of scale...

d.

[iainjh]

imperfections would likely sand out wouldnt they? I 'd love to try one out. Cant be worse than it is with an open ashtray!

[nOmArch]

Just use ABS and then give it an acetone bath.

[danielj]

Mmm, noxious solvents

Yes, that would be the way (although personally I'm not printing ABS or using acetone baths with a couple of small people in close proximity).

d.

[nOmArch]

3d printed won't look very good..

I dunno, my one seems to be working well



These were all printed at 0.3mm and mine can do 0.1mm and some people have got down to 25 microns a layer.

Have a few mods to do til I can do that but should only take about £75. and £45 of that is a new all metal hotend.

The big one took about ten hours to print and would of been near perfect if I had increased the infill to 15-20%. As it is I used 5% and there wasn't enough internal structure to successfully hang the facial features off; hence the few defects in the cavaties.

[1024MAK]

Alex, your not 3D printing yourself a new foot are you

Mark

[nOmArch]

I wish, although 3D printed limbs are now a possibility.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... tream.html*

Actually very pleased with the skulls as they are pretty damn spot on for a home printer.

*Apologies for daily mail link

[richardtoohey]

I don't see how the Atom components fit into the skulls, though

[nOmArch]

I don't see how the Atom components fit into the skulls, though

I was mainly showing off the finish, Actually trying to fit any Atom components in there would be... interesting to say the least.

[danielj]

- I still don't think 3d printed computer cases would look particularly nice, the little ridges would grate on me. Good work on the skulls though, they've come out very nicely. Are you going to stick them on the end of sticks?

What are you using for slicing software?

d.

[nOmArch]

100 micron layers are almost indistinguishable to the human eye, a 50 micron layer would probably do the trick or be good enough.

I was using Repetier-Host and Slic3r but a friend got me to try Cura and it flipping rocks. I'm not a big fan of the interface as you cant really do stuff on the fly like you can with Repetier but it seems to do a much better job slicing than Slic3r does. I had a quick look at skeinforge but decided almost immediately that it wasn't for me.

I will probably end up using Cura to slice and Repetier to print.

If you want smooth you either have to use ABS and an acetone bath or shell out considerably more than £450 and get something like the Form One which uses stereo lithography and lasers.

they cost about $3000.

Alternatively I have something called the Peachy Printer on order which uses the same idea as a Form One ie lasers and resin but only costs $99.

The beta test kits have just gone out to the backers and the finished version should be along in a few months.

[danielj]

Skeinforge is a dark art - it took quite a bit of nudging to get it to do what I wanted... I've had good results with Slic3r, but interested to hear that Cura's good. I shall look into it!


d.

[nOmArch]

Fully working monkey wrench. First ever 0.2mm print and it went very well.

[fordp]

I have just found this thread. I was wondering if anybody had designed a Laser Cut Acrylic case for the Atom?

I am interested in this as there are a couple of Recreation threads in the Atom section and the case and keyboard seem to be bits needed to create a "everything new" Atom.

[bprosman]

a Laser Cut Acrylic case for the Atom?

Would be interested in that more than a 3D printed case, especially with a new keyboard.
Though Cherry switches and custom made key-caps might be still in the price range of a 2nd handed Rev.5 Atom.

[marcusjambler]

Perhaps this thread is of interest...

viewtopic.php?f=44&t=16320&p=224779&hil ... se#p224752

[reedas]

Did anyone try printing the issue 4 Keycaps and has the design/dimensions as a model? I have a missing ;+ key and given their scarcity I'm thinking that I could get it printed on a fancy 3d printer at work (whenever they call us back in), but I don't want to risk too much damage pulling one of the good keys off to measure the dimensions and produce a model.

[anightin]

Given this thread is now 7 years old, just wondered if the initial question were asked again about the Atom case, if the quality and cost has improved in 3D printing enough now to revisit?

[jms2]

Well, I might be able to help answer that question before too long. I'm hoping to receive a new "front bit" for my Master Compact which has been printed using a relatively new 3D printing technique (MJF), which is supposed to offer very good detail and strength. I'm also pretty certain that the Compact is wider than the Atom, so the supplier that I'm using ought to be able to print an Atom case. I'll let you know how it goes.

I found the .STL file earlier on in the thread, and uploaded it just now to see what the price would be. For the top half, it's £138. That was enough to put me off checking the price of the bottom half!

[jms2]

My front fascia has arrived, and I have put some pictures of it in this other thread. This cost about £50.

An Atom case in this material would be excellent, but the top half would certainly be rather expensive. I didn't try getting a price for the bottom half.

[anightin]

My front fascia has arrived, and I have put some pictures of it in this other thread. This cost about £50.

An Atom case in this material would be excellent, but the top half would certainly be rather expensive. I didn't try getting a price for the bottom half.

Pretty impressive! I would probably stretch to £100 for a new ATOM case so sounds like we're a little way off that ATM, but not too far off.