Companion piece: Customizable solidoodle alternative snap spool holder (you'll need to customize it's dimensions)

After temporarily enclosing the printer with in a tent made of two blankets propped over a side table turned on its side convinced me that it's really worth it, I decided to build an enclosure.

I really liked the idea in this design, but I wanted something that can accommodate my top-mount spool holder. Since I was going to have to do some modifications, I decided to make something a little fancier. The goal was to keep the cuts needed on the acrylic sheet to a minimum, while still being able to use the enclosure with the spool holder. This is the result.

At the end of a one-hour print, the temperature inside was about 40C (105F), while temperature in the room was around 26C (78F), with A/C running right behind printer (photos were taken about 20min into print, starting from cold enclosure) Works wonders for ABS prints and warping. Can be easily removed for PLA. No modifications to the printer frame are necessary.

In addition to the STLs here, you'll need some acrylic sheet (I got it from Lowes, 0.08" thick, for about $15), some 1/4" diameter craft magnets (I had some 1/4" high ones), and the STLs for the bottom hooks from the enclosure in the post above.

Update 7/13: Added experimental left and right front pieces (-lf_exp.stl and -rf_exp.stl) with rivet insets shaped to allow for some thermal expansion while maintaining proper registration (for sheet cut measurements). Untested, I'm using original design w/o problems (at most 1mm expansion on left, likely due to uneven cuts; hardly noticeable, but there). If you try, please leave comment.

This enclosure works together with the customizable solidoodle alternative snap spool holder, but you need to re-generate the holder with the following parameters:
positioning = 1; // Flush against back
arm_length = 134;
arm_angle = 15;
base_size = 64;
arm_buttress_width = 9;
Otherwise, the spool won't clear the lid of the enclosure.
Update 7/14: Added spool holder STLs that I'm actually using, so you don't have to re-generate.

You'll also need the bottom hook STLs from the attachment in this post.

Once you have that, then:

• Print all pieces (you'll need six clips, four long hooks and two or three short ones, and one each of the lid prop pieces)

• Side panels:

  • Cut acrylic pieces to size; I did all my measuring by placing the sheet on the printer and marking with a pen, then cutting with a scorer.
  • Test-fit clips (two on each panel) to make sure you clear all printer protrusions. Mark spot, then notch sides of acrylic with a file for a flush fit.
  • Temporarily fit clips again and mark spot to drill holes for magnets to go through both clip and acrylic sheet. Insert magnets by pushing them into the holes (1/4" diameter). If necessary, dab a tiny bit of superglue (although fit should be pretty tight and magnets should stay put without glue).
  • Stick some 3/8" wide by 3/16" thick rubber foam weatherseal tape around panel edges. You may want to leave a gap where bottom hooks will go (but not necessary, the foam compresses reasonably).
• Top lid
  • Insert some 1/4" diameter magnets in the lid prop pieces (the fit is quite tight, long nose pliers might be helpful to push them in carefully).
  • Again measure and cut acrylic sheet for side pieces. I placed lid prop pieces on frame, placed sheet against them and marked with a pen, then cut them about 1mm wider so they protrude from top (see below).
  • Glue the acrylic pieces for the top lid onto the four props; I used WeldOn IPS #16 cement (very common adhesive for acrylic), works fine for bonding to ABS as well. Make sure they protrude a bit from the top.
  • Let the side pieces dry, the sand the top edges so they no longer protrude and the sheet for top piece sits flush (if you have a table saw, perhaps you can cut the edge of the side pieces at an angle and avoid/minimize sanding, but I didn't). I found it easier to fix the sandpaper on a large, flat surface (e.g., floor) and move workpiece rather than sandpaper.
  • Measure and cut acrylic sheet for top piece, test-fit, then glue. It's better to err on cutting larger than necessary (you can always sand down edges, but you can't fill gaps).

Done. Having made simple rectangular boxes out of acrylic sheets in the past, this was a reasonably simple job (about a day, including shopping).

Notes:

1. You can use a Dremel with a sanding band instead of just a file but keep the speed low (acrylic melts/cracks easily, and also clogs the sanding band easily), go slow, and wear a mask/respirator. Also, without a jig it's near impossible to get a straight edge, so mark the entire line, go reasonably close, but leave last part for manual filing/sanding.
2. When you cut the notches (for the two side panels, and for the top piece of the lid), be extra careful with the inner corner (very easy to crack the acrylic if your score lines do not meet perfectly and/or are different depth: go slow and careful, and alternate between scoring both sides, so you score the entire cut evenly and don't get a nasty break/crack).
3. Acrylic cracks easily when drilling. Be careful, especially if you don't have the right drill bits (sharper point, coarser pitch). I didn't, so I used the Dremel again, drilling at the slowest speed, first a small pilot hole, then a larger hole, and finally used a round needle file to fine-tune fit. Also, take some care when pushing in magnets: if acrylic holes are not well-aligned, the printed clips may delaminate under excessive force.
4. The insets for the rivets are measured and tested on my Solidoodle 2; please double-check if you have a Solidoodle 3.

If you need other dimensions, feel free to download and modify the OpenSCAD files, as necessary. Changing things like magnet diameter and height, acrylic sheet thickness, etc should be relatively straightforward.