Lack enclosure questions
I am considering an Ikea Lack enclosure for my Mk3s. I have a few questions:
1.). I'm trying to figure out how many tables I should use. I currently keep my printer on a granite countertop and feel that keeps the printer very sturdy (no need for a slab under it because it already isn't going anywhere). If I build the enclosure with 2 tables and put it on the counter, it will be up pretty hight, so I'd likely have to move it to the floor. Doing that would mean it is either pretty low or use a 3rd table to raise it up. Doing all of that makes me wonder how sturdy the printer would be given the relatively narrow base of those tables. It seems like having a tower three tables high would be wobbly even if the two bottom tables are screwed together really well. Is that really the case, or am I making something out of nothing there?
2.). I've read conflicting things about getting the power supply out of the enclosure. First I thought it was highly recommended to make it external to avoid the higher temp, then I read it wasn't really an issue and you could leave it in. Again, in my case I'm using a Mk3S if that has changed from version to version.
3.) I also never see anyone talking about what they do with the raspberry pi for octoprint with the enclosure. I'm assuming if I was considering putting a fan on my 3b+ I should get it out of the enclosure to avoid that getting hot (and having a fan blow warm air on the pi isn't going to be all that helpful). It seems like if that were a problem, people would be showing how they routed the cables for the pi in all of their enclosures and I have yet to see that mentioned.
My plan was to use two tables, but not put the legs on the bottom table. Then put that on the countertop with a non-slip mat under it to prevent wiggle/sliding. Doing that would mean I may have to figure out where to mount the power supply outside the enclosure if there are no bottom legs, assuming I should do that.
Thanks for any comments you can provide.
Jason
RE: Lack enclosure questions
Hello jasonptitus,
Lack table cabinet
You could get away with one lack table standing upright on top of your existing granite countertop. To simplify construction you may want to add a plywood or other wood base to screw the base plastic parts into.
Of course you could use one whole lack table and just the top of a second lack table without its legs instead.
MK3s PSU inside/outside Cabinet
The main reason for people to move the Mk3s PSU outside the enclosure is to keep the PSU running cooler and possibly extend its working life.
Raspberry Pi and a printer enclosure
Ideally the Raspberry Pi should be outside the enclosure.
However, this is not easy to accomplish if you are using a Raspberry Pi Zero W connected via it's GPIO pins and directly mounted on the Mk3/Mk3s einsy board. A cable connecting an external PI zero W's GPIO connection to an internally mounted einsy would be long and prone to power, signal degradation, and interference.
Moving the einsy and mounted PI Zero W outside the enclosure may cause cable length issues. You'd need to be very careful about the cables and connectors used when extending the Hotend and Heatbed heater cables due to the current these carry when the relevant heater is fully on.
An external Raspberry Pi (2/3/4) B/B+ board can be easily mounted outside the enclosure and still be connected using Octoprint to your einsy board via the standard USB A to USB B cable supplied with your Mk3/Mk3s. You'll need to go into the einsy LCD panel settings and disable the expected Octoprint direct connection to the PI GPIO pins.
Depending on the external Raspberry Pi model used it can be connected to your network by either a direct physical ethernet patch cable to a nearby switch/router or via WiFi to a WiFi router/accesspoint/extender. You will need to power the Raspberry Pi B/B+ board via a suitably rated external power supply as they require more power than a Zero W.
- A model 2 B and 2 B+ requires a 5Volt 1.5 Ampere supply
- A model 3 B a 5Volt 2.0 Ampere supply
- 4B a 5V 2.5A supply.
RE: Lack enclosure questions
Same issue here, my printers are sitting on workbenches. I did what you suggested, I just left the legs off the bottom table, and it works great. I left the power supply inside. I don't run ABS prints 24x7, so I don't have concerns. For precautions I mounted a digital thermometer inside so I can occasionally check.
I'm using a Raspi (not Octoprint but Astroprint), which is mounted with double-sided tape outside the enclosure, and I have the USB cable run through the power cable cutout to the printer. Works great. I didn't put that "strain relief bushing" in as I found it created more strain than preventing it, so I can run the Raspi USB cable and a USB cable for my Wyze camera (also inside the enclosure) through that hole.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Lack enclosure questions
I left only the top table, printer is still standing on the same place as before, I just pleaced the plastic connection parts on it and placed the top encloser part on it. It is stable and quite. No need to use the lower part, if you have any better place for your printer to stand on. And almost everything is better than this paper table.
RE: Lack enclosure questions
Thanks for the info everyone. I will keep the legs off and on my counter for now. If I ever need to move it I will think about other options for legs.
RE: Lack enclosure questions
I'm in a close problem... making the Lack enclosure (the MMU v2 version).
I plan to use 2 lack kits and have it over a desktop table. My "problem" is that I want to place it over a table so I don't want to use the lower legs because of height.
So that leaves the problem of where can I install the PSU?
My idea is to place it at the back lower-left corner, near the Einsy but at the outside. I'll install the MMU upgrade soon and it needs 15 cm extra at the back, so there will be unused space available.
To do it I'll need to modify the back lower-left corner piece to allow the PSU to be attached to it. In the next weeks, probably, I'll have a working design. Whenever I've it, I'll post it.
RE: Lack enclosure questions
@rtorres
Not an unreasonable location for the PSU. Still, for me it's been, what, four, five months now since I built the enclosure, my Mk3S has been running almost non-stop, printing everything from PLA, PETG, TPE, ABS, and the temperature has not exceeded 37 degrees (measured by a thermometer I mounted inside). So I'm not really concerned about leaving the PSU inside but I'd still be keen to see your design for the mount point. Hopefully, it's on the back side, not the left side, as I have several enclosures now sitting side-by-side on my workbench with no space between.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...