I just turned my H-1 into a $2k machine!

[michaellatif]

I spent a day constructing a box to contain my H-1 and help exhaust the fumes during print. The box is made out of 1/2" MDF, so its build to take a beating.

Kinda looks like a MakerBot, only cooler .

Features:
* See through front window made from plexi glass, 1/4" thick, completely removable, held in place by 4 magnetic catches
* Removable top - allows for easy access, I plan on adding a handle for ease of removal/installation and a 13"x17" 'window' so that I can look inwards from the top
* 120mm exhaust fan connected to a dryer vent pipe going out the window, I need to print a 120mm cowl, but until then duck-tape will do
* roomy work area allowing for on the fly adjustments of H-1 without removing
* H-1 completely removable if I need to take apart, modify or upgrade , just unplug the electronics, lift off top and lift out H-1
* All power supplies/non-control hardware housed in separate compartment below H-1, I have a separate power supply for fans and CCFL lighting (soon)

I also plan on adding fan speed control, CCFL on/off and brightness control and others upgrades as I come up with them.

[ALeander]

That is AWESOME!

[JTCUSTOMS]

Very nice Mike I bet its quiet as a mouse!
One question though, Why is you extruder facing to the back of the enclosure?
makes it kinda difficult to access the retention screws.

[michaellatif]

Thanks guys for the compliments.

@JT - I wouldn't have guessed that the box would help the noise, it was a happy side effect. I now run the machine overnight without even knowing its on!
As for the extruder, I didn't even realize that it was on backwards!
I just assembled it the way I thought it should look. I assembled this machine around the beginning of the year, so I used quite a bit of guesstimating to where things went .

[drkow]

Your exhaust fan is too big, you're probably cooling down your chamber way more than you need. The commercial printers use around 35c chamber temperature.

Here's a chamber I made with $4 of foam board from the dollar store

[img]http://i.imgur.com/ahjF5.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/qgp5T.jpg[/img]


It keeps all the ABS fumes inside the chamber, and keeps the temperature at 35c during a print which reduces warping.

I'm using a cheap aquarium thermometer to monitor temperatures.

The $2000 machines require exhaust because they can print with materials that create toxic gases, like teflon. There's no need to exhaust the ABS fumes, but you may want to contain them.

[michaellatif]

That's a cute box. I mainly vent the fumes because they cause me a headache and its not the wife complaining about the smell that is the cause of the headache . I was just running a RaspPi case print when I read your post about ambient temperature, I checked with my temp probe and it reads ~90F with the fan running full throttle (80CFM!!!). I will add speed adjustment controls to slow down the fan, probably will help bring up the temp.

The $2k box I refer to are some of the 'higher-end' 3D printers, the ones you get pre-assembled in a wooden enclosure. I have seen some printers go upwards of $4k, for example Fablicator goes for $3500!

[kilroyo]

Plunking down more than a thousand bucks on 3d printer made out of wood always seemed insane to me, especially if you live in a area that gets humid, that wood is gonna expland twist and god knows what else, and its suppose to produce precision parts. The only thing I like about those wood models they sell out there is the fact its all kinda self contained. I don't like all the wires hanging all over the place

[bvandiepenbos]

Nice work. I like it.

[theverant]

Love the exhaust. How is it connected to the window? I'm trying to think up ways to control fumes from the MAX kit I have enroute. I'm thinking an enclosure and a charcoal filter with a large, relatively slow, fan. It was -20 here this morning, so uninsulated venting to the outdoors is probably a bad idea for me.

Also, great job on the box, but is it just crying for a funky paint job

Plunking down more than a thousand bucks on 3d printer made out of wood always seemed insane to me, especially if you live in a area that gets humid, that wood is gonna expland twist and god knows what else, and its suppose to produce precision parts. The only thing I like about those wood models they sell out there is the fact its all kinda self contained. I don't like all the wires hanging all over the place

I can speak from personal experience with a Replicator 1 that printing in summer humidity was almost impossible. Moved to a AC controlled room at work and a few days later it was printing like a champ. I'm actually a bit worried I might run into issues with the MAX kit I have ordered, hence my desire for an enclosure. I'm hoping also that the laminated material on the wood will help things. Though, I think part of the problem was with the filament itself absorbing moisture, which has nothing to do with the material the printer is made from.

[ccavanaugh]

How about using a dryer vent to control the air flow direction? It would help keep the cold out and I would think a little bit of static pressure would help stabilize and slow the air flow.