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As I have been rambling on about a cupboard type of enclosure for some while now, I thought it would be nice to share what i am doing.

I would really like to build a PC enclosure around my printer and have it on display like a jewel in the middle of the living room but unfortunately space is a very big problem for me, especially with others in the house that can bump the printer and cause lots of undesirable effects.
Currently the printer was in a small room used for storage sitting on a chair which was not ideal. Only room for one person in the room crouched. So juggling a laptop there was not so ergonomic.


Here are some of my considerations, the printer should be easy to access, preferably the build space should be eye level so one does not have to crouch to see the hot end.
The printer will consume a certain space as its footprint, so if possible it should have storage space on top for extra rolls of filament, and storage underneath for random stuff like acetone wipes etc.. Ideally a small and quick print cleaning station will be integrated within.
As the printer is in constant development and calibration mode (for me) it should be easy to access every component.


So this is what i did: i went to the IKEA junk section where they have the display items for sale. The cupboard was in pretty bad shape with chips everywhere. I got it for a little over 50 usd. I had to dismantle it by myself and while doing that i said to myself i should have paid the 150 usd they were asking for it to save the hassle. Plus the wife was not happy that the lid was so badly scratched. But i can deal with that later on.

It had some parts missing, luckily i have a 3d printer so that was not a problem The shelf was in pretty bad shape but it only cost 1.5 dollars.
I assembled it when i got back home and found a corner to stuff it in the living room.

I moved the machine in to it Fits nice so far. With space for junk below:
There is enough space to be able to fit thin insulation foam.

Things I intend on doing.
1- Cut holes in the side and the shelf to be able to have the power cables coming in nicely. Right now it is cluttering the machine area.
2 - Move the printer one notch down so that the filament is easier to replace
3 - Add insulation to the printer area
4 - Add several other shelves for the other stuff.
5- Install a 24 power supply under a shelf in the printer.
6- cut a hole in the printer shelf and add 2 fans to push and pull air from the electronics box.
7 - create channels for extra wiring when extra extruders and hotends come
8 - Devise some active cooling for the extruder motor.
9 - Add a camera and remote controls for the printer so i do not have to open the cupboard to view status.


Some may have a problem comprehending the lack of space, but it really is a problem. As you can see the wife has already consumed the space above the enclosure.

Any comments are welcome.

What family is that from IKEA or do you have a part number? You should get the a frost glass door for it and add more LEDs to the moving parts.

Looks like a good start.

I'd suggest some way of monitoring air temperatures inside the closed cabinet, especially at the top. You don't want your spool of filament to be above the glass transition temperature, or it may soften enough to not feed properly. You may find you need some kind of circulation fan or venting.

Thank you. If it does indeed get too hot i have several ways of cooling it down, preferably without creating a draft inside the machine.

I have a thermometer and humidity meter inside to monitor the temperature. Microcontroller based versions that log the temperature and control it are in development.

I have acquired information from this forum that 50 degs is about as high as you should go for the cheapskates roller bearing covers.

Sticker of the cupboard

I believe it is not a single product and you buy the pieces separately. So that sticker should be only for the door. They did have several others over there that were the same size. The inside was 46 cm width, and it was deeper. So it should be a standard form factor. I had forgotten the measurements i had done so i contacted seemecnc from their websites online chat, Guanu was kind enough to confirm there and then that it would indeed fit.


I looked at the ikea store for the tag but could not find any significant information.
But this one is the same size:
http://www.ikea.com.tr/urun-katalogu/ya ... apagi.aspx

Thanks for the great ideas and the Ikea parts. Now all I have to do is find the right cabinet or one very similar.

And I am getting beautiful prints now! I am amazed how much of a difference it has made.

Before I could not print this.

teoman wrote:And I am getting beautiful prints now! I am amazed how much of a difference it has made.

Before I could not print this.

That print looks great! The curtain does make a difference.

I thought of making my enclosure out of acrylic at first because I wanted to see what's happening with it at all times but now seeing your ikea idea. It's probably a better idea to make it out of plywood and just have an acrylic door.

It looks great.
If you have access to a jig-saw and a drill, you could make a window for yourself to see in. Cut a shape out and silicone down a piece of transparent plastic/piece of glass.

I have the ability to do that. However, i am tempted to go a camera route. That way i can see what is going on remotely.

My heated bed used to reach a maximum temperature of 92 deges. Then i had a 3-4 mm aluminum heat spreader cut for it. I thought that all was ok, and I started a print and before it could start i had to depart for other engagements. An hour later it hit me, i had not re set the Z height! Had i had remote access to my printer i would have been able to stop it (Or had i been smarter i would have not had the problem to begin with). Luckily with the Al plate in place, my heat bed can now only reach 88deg C. So when I came back, the print had not started yet

I have installed an LED ring on the end effector, and after observing the print for several minutes i notice that my retina is saturated in certain spots which must not be too good for me. A camera based setup could also avoid that, and enable me to observe what went wrong later on.
I am sure there is a proverb in every language basically saying " luck favors the idiot or ignorant"



PS: and for every proverb you find a direct opposite proverb.

I'm fairly certain the max will fit inside one of these.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/produ ... #/70240332

The bottom shelf is steel, so popping a couple holes for fan ducting for the electronics should be fairly easy. You could then pop a small hole in the top for filament.

It even has a lock!

As the top and bottom is metal, i would go the route of sticking a peltier device on that metal and putting fans on both sides, that way you can actively transport heat and make the internals the desired temperature.

Hnm.. my heated chamber is not getting hot enough. I am aiming for exactly 50 degrees, but even with the door completely shut, i can only reach 34 degrees.

So... i have been thinking of adding means of heating the chamber and cooling some elements.

What i intend on doing is first, adding a peltier device on the extruder motor. It is already running very hot, so might was well suck the heat from that and transfer it to the chamber. Anyone can help me with this?

Secondly, i found these little gizmos:
http://www.banggood.com/Thermoelectric- ... 36497.html
or
http://www.adafruit.com/product/1335

I intend on bastardising the designs from this thread:
http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... nel#p53410 and installing the peltier elements to pump out some heat from the electronics bay.

Went to IKEA yesterday and got a nice piece to put my printer on. It's not enclosed, put it's going to be handy. I post pics once I got the setup done.

Have you tried a bit of draught strip around the door?

That's all I've got, with a couple of brass gate hooks set to hold the door tight closed to the strip (I'm going to need to move these to get them tight again, as they're starting to feel a bit soft). Currently, the chamber's getting up to 45 to 50 - I haven't got around to getting a proper non-household thermometer yet, so it may be going higher as 50 is the maximum.

Regarding the cheapskate bearing covers, I am hearing a bump-bump when the print head descends, and I'm starting to think that this might be a little bit of deformation due to the heat in the chamber. Doesn't seem to be harming the prints at the moment.

That, and I ran round all of the wood joints with decorator's caulk and/or silicone (I emptied a can of one, and started on the other after that). Even small gaps I think will make a difference to the heat retention.

teoman wrote:Thank you. If it does indeed get too hot i have several ways of cooling it down, preferably without creating a draft inside the machine.

I have a thermometer and humidity meter inside to monitor the temperature. Microcontroller based versions that log the temperature and control it are in development.

I have acquired information from this forum that 50 degs is about as high as you should go for the cheapskates roller bearing covers.

do you remember what the dementions of the shelving unit was

Looks good and clearly your working on how to keep the base cool and the build volume warm.
Sure it will not be good to have your Rambo Board/PSU etc sitting in 50 DegC Ambient so sounds like your working on segregating the build plate
and heating/cooling each section. I know that SD Cards are usually rated to >80 DegC so your well within tolerances but 50 wont be good for it IMO.

Have you considered a Pool Table heater unit, they come in various sizes and outputs. Essentially they sit under a pool or snooker table
and heat the slate bed and AFAIK they can be left on for extended periods.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-Tube ... 0718829627

I'm a +1 for a window in the door so you can check without opening it and losing the heat.
May also be an idea to check all the bolts and belt tensions etc when your up to temp.

I've been printing almost exclusively with ABS and I'm getting great results in just a warm drafvt free room (~25 DegC) so really interested to see the results at higher temps...

Waiting for a couple more parts.

I think I have heating an cooling sorted.

got my enclosure almost complete

Mine is half the size. But wish i had bought same size as you. Because as soon as i installed it i got the idea that since i have already created a dark space for it i could attach a platform to one of the arms and also use it like a droplit


but now the enclosure is too small.

id realy like to see that when if you build it, i think my next build will be a droplit

It doesn't seem like it is going to happen soon

No time and cannot allocate the funds. Seemecnc is half a world away and i was not able to purchase the droplit without the melamine parts (there is nothing much else to it... but id o not have the time to tinker unfortunately).

I am still working on this enclosure. I need to install insulation to the side panels and the door to keep the heat and noise in.

I am also almost on the final stage of a prototype to make the machine semi automatic. I.e. I can start prints remotely, have the machine clear the bed and then start a new print.