Enclosure size recommendations please
Hello all, my mk2 i3 should be arriving soon, this is my first 3d printer. It will be sited in my engineering workshop and I intend to build an enclosure for it, for two reasons.
1. To protect the machine and keep it clean
2. My workshop has no heat and can get very cold during winter months, I intend to sometimes print polycarbonate and think a temperature controlled enclosure will assist this.
I am going to build a wooden frame with ply wood sides and clear perspex or acrylic front doors so I can see what's going on inside.
I want to get started on this while I await arrival of the machine.
Can anyone recommend what internal dimensions I should make the enclosure, as I don't know the actual size of the machine and what area it needs to operate in
Thanks
Robert
Re: Enclosure size recommendations please
Do yourself a favour and put acrylic all around.
And mount the printer at a height that makes it comfortable to stare at the moving extruder for extended periods of time.
If you plan to print PC parts, you will need to do a lot of analysing what goes wrong, and nothing beats live observation of the various disaster scenarios that will undoubtedly unfold until you get it right.
Many disasters develop gradually and can be averted with a heated metal tool or other intervention. But if you open the door of a heated enclosure in a cold workshop, your PC part is likely going to tear itself apart, or lift the PEI sheet, or bend the print bed. So for an engineering workshop, I suggest you plan at least 2 small hand access ports, so you can do stuff like change filament, or place draft shields on the print table, without letting much cold air in.
Re: Enclosure size recommendations please
This topic is also covered under the Improvements thread which may provide the information you need.
http://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/improvements-f14/enclosure-size-t2386.html
Re: Enclosure size recommendations please
Thank-you for replies some good info. 😀