I couldn't find a thread about printed cases, so I would like to use this one to collect ideas and finished projects. I will start with my own.
Received my POs recently and decided to create a case to make them a bit more - pocketable :). It should meet the following requirements:
Keys must move easily
All keys are separate parts and move freely to actuate the micro switches with no additional force
LEDs must still be visible
There are small slots above the instrument and play keys
Looking at the right angle the LEDs can be seen directly, an additional light-guide could probably be printed with clear material
Audio sockets accessible with standard sized rubberized jacks
This made the case a few mm thicker than originally anticipated
Possible to keep the break-away hanger if wanted
Possible to keep the wire-stand attached
As small and thin as possible
Dimensions are 66 x 111 mm with thickness just below 19 mm
Batteries are sticking out at the back for about 2-3 mm to keep the thickness down, to cover the batteries and keep the back flat the thickness would need to increase another 4 mm
No glue or screws
Printable with a 3 year old FDM printer with 0.5 mm hotend (what you would consider a low-end/entry level printer)
Lots of limitations to be considered, mainly:
Front and back had to kept flat for the parts to be easily printable
Minimum structural sizes are usually kept at 1.5 mm
There is about 7 mm of empty space on the back below the batteries. A small circuit board with a charge controller and voltage regulator, as well as a lipo battery could be placed there to power/charge the PO via USB or external power supply.
If anybody is interested in modifying it or printing their own I will later share the files on thingiverse or similar. Below are pictures of the first complete prototype.
Yes, it is a snap fitting. You can see the mechanism marked in the picture below. Tension can be released by pressing on the part marked with an arrow to make it close/open a bit easier. It is quite a tight fit and does not open very easily, also after multiple openings it does not show any wear. It is one of the parts that could probably be improved to make the contact area for the snapping mechanism a bit larger or in a slightly different place.
Before I upload to thingiverse I want to do a minor change to the back panel to make it sit completely flush on the back (its maybe 0.5 mm off) but I want to test it before. Just didn't get around to print it yet.
I will also upload the source files (Freecad 0.15) for anybody to modify, not just the stl exports.
Thanks for the interest but it is not feasible for me to sell any cases. With my current printing setup there is just too much time and manual effort necessary to offer them at a reasonable price. Also the finish of my prints is not what I would expect from a product I paid for.
I would suggest to find somebody local to print it for you if you don’t have access to any printer.
By the way - I made some improvements to the back panel snap mechanism yesterday and will upload the model files as soon as I successfully tested the update.
Sites like http://www.ponoko.com and http://www.shapeways.com offer 3D printing services. You could also ask at a local hackerspace/makerspace if you have one. Otherwise, I think some people on here have 3D printers (mine is coming soon, I hope). I’m sure for the cost of material and shipping (maybe a little service charge), someone would do it for you Would be really easy if you live near someone with the capability to print.
@crashdebug I understand you can open up a shop on Shapeways (http://www.shapeways.com/) and they’ll 3d print your design and ship it to your customers. A good option for some of us that would like to buy it and don’t have an access to a 3d print shop.
i thought ponoko just does flat pieces of material for engraving/cutting. i have been using it to make panels for my eurorack. Ive seen some wood cases with tongue and groove made from these flat pieces. your case looks to be 3d constructive build which i would assume limits it to being 3d printed not cut. you could design a case from ponoko(check out the shruthi case’s) but i dont think they 3d print. maby im wrong though.
I checked the price at shapeways out of curiosity earlier this week - it seems very expensive. Just the front panel is around 26 USD for the basic plastic material options. The back panel and buttons are less material but I guess total could be around 40 USD - pretty steep.
Then shapeways also uses a different process (SLS I think, while most private printers use FDM) which would allow tighter tolerances in the design. The overall fit of the buttons and plates may be a bit on the loose side when printed with this higher quality process. On the other hand this would probably allow symbols or numbers to be embossed in the buttons which would be neat.
i thought ponoko just does flat pieces of material for engraving/cutting. i have been using it to make panels for my eurorack. Ive seen some wood cases with tongue and groove made from these flat pieces. your case looks to be 3d constructive build which i would assume limits it to being 3d printed not cut. you could design a case from ponoko(check out the shruthi case's) but i dont think they 3d print. maby im wrong though.
I didn’t look through to see all of the services they have, but seems like they do have the capability. That being said, probably not the cheapest place to do it.
