Completed 3D printer enclosure electronics and control panel mounted externally

Custom 3D Printer Enclosure – Part 2

When we left off before, we had just finished the enclosure box and wired up some lighting. This is where I left it for a good number of months as life, work and other things got in the way, opting to use the printer instead of fiddling with everything. However, with some big life events coming up, I opted to make the plunge and get as much done as possible. ...

August 23, 2021 · 9 min · Seth
Completed 3D printer enclosure built from 2020 aluminum extrusion

Custom 3D Printer Enclosure – Part 1

About a year ago I upgraded my printer from my broken and dust-collecting Monoprice Voxel to a shiny new Creality CR-6 SE, after it was generally available and they had fixed their initial release bugs. The jump in quality was fantastic and mesh bed leveling made the first layer so clean. It didn’t take long before I had made a number of additional upgrades to the printer, moved over to OctoPrint and started experimenting with other materials beyond PLA. When I first started with PETG, I was actually able to get away with just making sure the fan in the room was off and I taped some cardboard around the base to keep walking by from disturbing the print. For small things, this worked fine but larger and longer prints still had peeling issues and humidity would cause prints to string or strand. I had known for a while I’d need to get or build an enclosure so this was enough impetus for me to do it. I had also known that I should be protecting myself from VOCs and microscopic plastic particles from the printing process, so I wanted my enclosure to have enough space for expansion inside. ...

August 23, 2021 · 4 min · Seth