Printer Enclosure Build

(I tried to make this thread last week and couldn't get it right. I think I got it this time)

For many reasons I choose to keep my printer in the garage. To protect the print and control the temperature during the winter months I decided to build an enclosure. I am very new to the 3d printing world. I built my first 3D printer about 2 months ago. I absolutely love my printer and am very happy with the results of my enclosure project.

This was my starting point. I had an old craftsman roller box I wasn't really using so I turned it into my electronics and printer supplies storage box. The printer is a FolgerTech 2020 i3 with a few upgrades




The box is built out of 1/4 inch plywood



I added LED lights because they were laying in a drawer not being used and they look cool.


The door is .220 Plexi glass purchased at the local hardware store. The inside of the box was painted white to reflect the light and make is easier to view the print.



The outside was painted with spray-able PlastiDip because I had some laying around and it was a great color match to the box.


The Ramps and PS were moved outside of the enclosure to prevent heat issues with the stepper drivers. This required me to reverse the X carriage on the printer to make all the wires exit to the proper side of the box.


Only job left is to determine the best place to mount the LCD. Hope you all liked the project!

Very nice! Now you'll be able to print ABS with impunity!

Have you measured the temperature inside the enclosure after the machine has heated up?

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Glad you were able to get the pictures to upload. Good application....looks really good. I hope it works out to your satisfaction. Are you planning to insulate the enclosure?

We are in a very mild time of the year here in the midwest of the USA, daytime temps are mid 70's and nights are high 50's. It will be another month or so until I see how well the enclosure retains its warth when the temps drop. If needed I will hack up a hair dryer and wire it to a thermal switch to help maintain the temps. So far I am very happy with the results. One word of caution, if you are like me and still in the "tinkering" phase of your build, hold off on the enclosure, once you run the wires through the enclosure and relocate the endstops access to the printer gets restricted, I swapped my direct drive setup for a bowden setup and it was alot harder without easy access to the printer from all sides.

I have polycarbonate side panels on my printer that have been held in place using screw-in clips that just lock into the slots in the 8020. Access is pretty easy by removing a couple clips. I just started replacing the clips with magnetic tape- one piece on the frame and the other on the plastic panel. Most of the time the screw in clips are fine, except for the side of the machine where I access the bed plate. The magnetic tape went on that panel first, and I liked it so much I got more tape for the rest of them. I used this stuff: [www.ebay.com]

The only issue I have with it is the supposedly "outdoor" adhesive isn't hanging on to the aluminum very well and I'm going to have to add some contact cement.

My printer is in my garage and the temperature is getting down into the 30s at night. I'm starting to see some delamination in ABS prints again, so I'll be moving the machine back into the house today. I could replace some of the plastic panels with insulation board with magnetic strips attached, but it gets too cold here (Wisconsin) in winter to operate the machine at all.

You can check the temperature inside the box by heating just the bed and using the extruder heater to report the temperature inside the enclosure.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2015 07:44AM by the_digital_dentist.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

I've got my printer housed in an old drinks fridge on a sliding drawer. Works greats. Is insulated. The door is double glazed glass.

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[blogger.kritzinger.net]

Nice looking build.