looking for enclosure recommendations and info  

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

I am in the process of drafting a how-to build a wobble-free Lack setup at the moment, based on my experience with about 3,500 hours of print time.  When that's completed I'll upload a link here, but for now here's my view:

• My enclosure is mostly there to keep dust off the machine and make it all a bit tidy looking in my spare bedroom.
• Pretty much anything will work as an enclosure, even a cardboard box.
• You can make the LACK table very rigid by using threaded insert nuts and appropriate sized bolts instead of relying on the printed parts screwing into the "cardboard".  (You will need a paver and foam base to control noise!)
• There are a number of commercial enclosures available.  I don't think any of them are "cheap" but you might be surprised when you look at the real component cost of making your own.

As to your questions_

1)  I think the fire risk is a little overstated.   I believe that the risk of your new Mk4 catching fire are probably no greater than any other domestic appliance, and this is born out by the complete absence of "my printer burnt my house down" articles on social media as well as the number of safety  thermal cutoffs built in to the machine.     It's hard to imagine the sort of fire in a printer that would give rise to the enclosure burning, but none the less, I have installed a wifi enabled smoke detector which is linked to my house alarm system.

There is a valid argument that an extraction fan/filter setup would both exhaust the smoke AND create a draft to fan the fire, and I do have a detector in the room in which my printer lives as well.

2) Do you live in a humid area?   Today is an extraordinarily dry day at my place and the relatively humidity in my enclosure is 58%, so no it's not an effective drying environment for me.    I dry filament as best I can in a food dehydrator before use, store it in "dry boxes" which mostly keep the humidity below 30% and find that PETG is OK in the open for a few days even when the humidity is over 80% PLA is rarely a problem.   With TPU and ASA I dry - print - store and haven't had a problem with humidity during the duration of the print.

Perhaps one day I will get a filament dryer to run on top, but I think that's only because the internet says I should.  In the meantime if you want to keep the filament clean and dry there are many solutions using plastic storage boxes and bowden tube fittings that will get you by.

3) Build the enclosure in a way that makes you happy.  
If you look at the cost of the alternatives and the time it will take you, you might be surprised at how the Prusa enclosure price starts to make sense.   My Lack enclosure cost significantly more than twenty times the purchase cost of the table in hardware, filament, acrylic, electronics (thermostat and fan), lighting and smoke detector, but I like it!    

If fire remains a concern - consider mounting a small  "bomb" type fire extinguisher in the cabinet.

4) The clear internal dimensions of the Lack enclosure are 540 x 540 x 450 high   I would add at least 50mm to the depth to allow for the cables to operate without bending against the back. (one of my unpublished mods is a "pocket" recess in the back panel for that.   The height is adequate but I find it's useful to be able to remove the enclosure from the base from time to time for access to service the machine (instead of removing the machine)

5) There are lots of Hepa/carbon solutions on Printables - don't forget you'll need to wire in a fan.    

I haven't had a problem with odour but that's not to say that in the long term fumes etc are good to breath.   Depending on the climate in which you live (I live in the sub tropics) printing PLA in an enclosure is not recommended - I usually run a 90mm exhaust fan in the centre back of the cabinet with the doors open and have not had a problem with drafts affecting the print.    

I am considering relocating the fan to the centre top (because that's where the hottest air is) and setting up a Hepa filter using the Prusa enclosure filters because I can't find a better solution at the moment.   That setup won't work well if you are in a cool climate and rely on the enclosure for heating.

I hope the above doesn't add too much to your confusion!  Whatever you decide, you can't go wrong really.

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Thanks for the thorough write up, that's helpful.  I'm in a dry climate (CO), but I have an evaporative cooler that will make the house pretty humid through most of the summer.  Interesting point about the RH in your enclosure being higher than I'd expect, looks like some kind of external filament dryer is the way to go.  Sourcing enclosure parts myself will likely be just as expensive as buying one, though I didn't find any commercial options made out of actual glass and metal.  I think an internal circulating filter is the way to go, like the voron nevermore. 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

 I think the fire risk is a little overstated.   I believe that the risk of your new Mk4 catching fire are probably no greater than any other domestic appliance, and this is born out by the complete absence of "my printer burnt my house down" articles on social media as well as the number of safety  thermal cutoffs built in to the machine.  

Amen to that. 

Perhaps one day I will get a filament dryer to run on top, but I think that's only because the internet says I should.

You should 🙂

I have had no regrets spending the money on a PrintDry Pro. One of my best investments.

  I would add at least 50mm to the depth to allow for the cables to operate without bending against the back. (one of my unpublished mods is a "pocket" recess in the back panel for that.  

There are also many mods of the original heater bed cable cover to make it an angle, to avoid hitting the back panel.

My Lack enclosure cost significantly more than twenty times the purchase cost of the table in hardware, filament, acrylic, electronics (thermostat and fan), lighting and smoke detector, but I like it!

Yes, it's more expensive than you might think—and I truly despise its build "quality"—but still cheaper than commercial offerings. And it does the job.  Having said that, it looks like prices are coming down so maybe worth another look. But one thing I like about the LACK: I use the "pocket door" designs off Printables, which allows you to push the doors into the side of the enclosure. I haven't seen ANY commercial product with that feature, and I love it because I leave the doors open for most of what I print (PETG and PLA) and don't have them stick into the room.

There are lots of Hepa/carbon solutions on Printables - don't forget you'll need to wire in a fan.    

When I print ASA, I put two Elagoo Mini Filters (from Amazon) in the enclosure and close the front panel. Works great.

You will need a paver and foam base to control noise!

Amen to that as well! I use a paver from Lowe's and four Sorbothane feet.

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Does PETG need the door open?  I thought that was just PLA. 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Posted by: @bobasaurus

Does PETG need the door open?  I thought that was just PLA. 

Others in cooler climates may have different experience but with the doors open and the fan on the temperature inside the cabinet printing PETG is rarely less than 34° so I really don't need to keep the doors closed!

You should 🙂

I have had no regrets spending the money on a PrintDry Pro. One of my best investments.

Noted! (but might have to put off ordering the Mk4 a bit longer! 😮

There are also many mods of the original heater bed cable cover to make it an angle, to avoid hitting the back panel.

I didn't have much success with those - I was really worried about the strain on the cable - perhaps I should revisit it in the light of a couple of years experience.   I have been thinking (procrastinating - will do it today!) about using your slightly shorter LCD brackets - should help a little!

Yes, it's more expensive than you might think—and I truly despise its build "quality"

Looks great if you stand back a bit! 🤣 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Posted by: @bobasaurus

Does PETG need the door open?  I thought that was just PLA. 

Need? Don't know. I can only speak from anecdotal experience that I've never had any issues with the door open. Had some print artifacts with doors closed so left them open and never looked back. 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

I would really like an enclosure, and I do like to go OEM most of the time TBH. However, I only really print PLA, and soon PETG when the MK4 kit finally arrives, so I only want the enclosure to keep dust etc off of the printer, as well as reduce noise a little more and add some additional lighting - does it even make sense for me to get an enclosure in this case??

RE:

If your primary interest is keeping it protected from the enviroments (dust, pet hair, etc), you're much better off with a simple photograpy tent that you put over the printer when not in use. Much cheaper. 

Lighting: Look at something like https://www.printables.com/model/3267-led-light-bar-prusa-i3-mk2mk3

I've used it before I added LEDs to the enclosures, works great.

Noise: A LACK will do the opposite, it's a giant resonator and will amplify all noise. IMHO, putting the printer on a paver is a must. Plus, I designed a small conduit for a PTFE tube to route the filament to the printer because the grating sound of filament on the LACK top was driving me insane.

For noise-reduction I use 16in x 16in concrete pavers (from Lowe's, about $4, spray-painted with Plasti-Dip), and decoupled from the enclosure by means of four 1'' Sorbothane hemisphere feet.

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Now we are about to experience the wonders of the internet and it's lack (no pun intended) consistent information!

While I don't disagree with anything @fuchsr has noted on the face of it, I'm prepared to argue each of those points.  I trust this will be seen as an alternative solution rather than arguing for the sake of it!

I've noted above that a fully fitted lack enclosure costs a lot more than the purchase price of the cupboard.    The benefit is that, once completed you have a piece of furniture which is of an acceptable quality to place anywhere in your house, and if on casters as I recommend, can be easily moved without having to constantly manhandle the printer.    A photography tent is not a good solution for storage for me because frankly I'm too lazy to put things away if they involve effort, so I'd just use a table cloth or some other "throw over".

The LED lighting is a great solution, but again, the "cheapness" of the lack's construction means that you can rout cables concealed between the skins.   I have used a set of Ikea under cupboard lights, and with separate switching integrated thermostat and computer fan using the Ikea transformer- all wiring is concealed and the top is removable to make servicing the machine easier.  

Noise - there are two kinds of noise transmission - structure borne and air borne - "Air" is a shocker as noted, but it's easily fixed with a paver.  I actually used an 18mm thick ceramic tile and a piece of gym mat.  Because the table top acts like a guitar sound box, I'd prefer to have the vibration deadening effect over the whole surface and use the sorbothene feet between the paver and the printer.     Once you've done that there is a marked reduction in airborne sound, particularly with the doors close.   I often have the printer working beside my desk as I work.   

Structure borne sound is a different proposition, but most easily solved by putting the cupboard on casters (which actually also help with the perception of rigidity) and then on a thick piece of carpet.   I live on a hollow timber floor and the noise is not sufficiently disruptive to do anything, although on the floor below you can hear some frequencies.

As to the "grating noise of the filament" I used a long filament guide mounted over the x axis and straddle the filament over that guide - I've never had a noise problem (perhaps because I leave my hearing aids out!) .

This discussion has certainly prompted me to get ahead with my documentation - will post a link back here when I'm done.  The important thing to remember is there is no one correct answer - just a lot of different ways of solving the same issues.  Pick one that you think you'll enjoy implementing and have fun!

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

I trust this will be seen as an alternative solution rather than arguing for the sake of it!

What I appreciate about the Prusa forums as opposed to other places such as Reddit is that indeed (most of the time) different opinions and views can be discussed without turning into childish arguments or worse. Your perspectives and mine just show that in many (most?) areas there's no one "right" answer. 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Some great info - thanks guys!

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

I always keep the door on my enclosure shut when printing, even with PLA.  IMAO, if anything, the temperature stability is a Good Thing (tm).  I do not understand the logic of keeping the door open for PLA.  I can affirm that it is not necessary.  Ditto with PETg.

I do not have the M4, but the MK3S/MMU2S with the 3d Upfitters enclosure.  It's worked out very well.

Posted by: @bobasaurus

Does PETG need the door open?  I thought that was just PLA. 

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

I can affirm that it is not necessary.

Could you please add to your affirmation the ambient temperature in your room and your enclosure when printing with PLA?  

That would clarify things somewhat.   Heat creep is a well documented phenomenon and it is easy to achieve (if that's the correct word) even when printing with Prusament PLA at temperatures in the early thirties and my experience bears out that documentation.   

My ventilation fan comes on at 27° which most days is less than the temperature in the room before I turn on the printer.    Nozzle clogs and underextrusion are almost certain to occur in my experience once the temp for printing PLA gets above 34, (which is easy to achieve when ambient is 30) and I like to keep the enclosure temp around 32 as a rule for PLA.   I was quite frustrated with heat creep issues for a time, until I read the manual and note that Prusa do not recommend printing PLA in an enclosure for that reason.

On winter days (now) when the temp is in the low 20's there's never a problem.

Clearly it's not a problem that everyone experiences, but there again I've never had a problem with slow warmup either! 🤣    

Now don't get me started on humidity!

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

While it might take some time to find I like using used server racks.  They are sturdy, easy to worn on and very modular depending on what you want to do with filament feeding.  You can toss a marble or concrete pad in the bottom for some mass and it’s very quiet.  You just have to wait for a deal to come your way. 

Jay

RE: looking for enclosure recommendations and info

Server cupboards are a great idea if you can get one at the right price - but I think it's interesting that where I live at any rate, a new one of the right size is more than twice the price of the "overpriced" Prusa enclosure, which is purpose built to do the job.    

I'm not arguing about the efficacy of server racks, just at the perception that the Prusa ones are "overpriced" when clearly they aren't! 

Posted by: @jaydubblazer

You just have to wait for a deal to come your way.