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Rugged Parametric Box in OpenSCAD

Universal Parametric Rugged Box by Rainer Backes is perfect. Read more below if you need to.

Universal Parametric Rugged Box by Rainer Backes

I mentioned “Rugged Boxes” a bit in my Hardware Gridbox post, but the idea is basically a small box with a latch that is rugged, so it’s like a tiny Pelican case that you can print yourself.

It’s the sort of thing that if you want one a specific size for a specific use that someone else also needs, you might find it easily… but if you want it a custom size just for your specific application, well… you need to be able to adjust the design. There are a bunch of parametric designs that work with Fusion 360 (which I do not use) and I don’t know if Rugged Box (Parametric) by Whity is the original but it’s definitely quite popular.

Here’s an 80x80x60 version I printed, but I wanted something smaller. I tried this one but didn’t like it. So finally, we’ve got one that ticks all the boxes!

Universal Parametric Rugged Box by Rainer Backes is perfect. And by “perfect” I mean it’s written in OpenSCAD, and it works. At least my first print worked, as you can see by the photos. I haven’t pushed the design too hard yet, but being done in OpenSCAD means I can go crazy with it.

This saves me the trouble of having to write my own, which I did start working on. While I do enjoy designing objects I also enjoy finding code that someone else wrote that does exactly what I need. It looks like Rainer has a bunch of models written in OpenSCAD, so I may need to dig through the others for inspiration. Thanks, Rainer Backes!

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xtouch Controller for P1S

As I mentioned in my post about the Bambu Lab P1S the control panel leaves a lot to be desired… I also mentioned I might try the xtouch controller, and I did, and it works great.

You can grab the code from the xtouch GitHub repo and if you’re lucky like I was it’ll just freaking work on the first attempt. I say this only because I joined a Facebook group for the xtouch and like all Facebook groups there seem to be a number of people who just cannot get things to work. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to set up.

By the way, these “Cheap Yellow Displays” were recently covered on Hackaday in the post “Cheap Yellow Display” Builds Community Through Hardware which is worth a look if you have other ideas.

I printed this Bambu Lab P1P/P1S/X1C Touch Screen Desk Stand (xTouch) and I have it sitting on my desk for now as a remote monitor. I’m not even sure I will attach it to the printer as most people seem to do.

My only gripe is that it doesn’t do more, but it sounds like that’s not really the developers fault, and they are working on improvements and limited to what the printer can do via MQTT but honestly for an open source project on this cheap hardware (I think mine was under $13 USD) it’s a nice addition.

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NIIMBOT Label Maker

I recently got a NIIMBOT D11 label maker. I’ve had a DYMO for years (and even shared a great tip for it!) The NIIMBOT has some nice features but also a few things that are sort of annoying, and I’ll ramble on about those things in this post.

Here’s a short list of the good things:

  1. It uses an app
  2. It has a built-in battery
  3. It’s inexpensive
  4. It’s pretty simple
  5. You can make fully custom labels

And another list of the bad things:

  1. It uses an app
  2. It has a built-in battery
  3. It cannot stand up
  4. It’s complicated

The App
Okay, let’s start with the first item on both lists… the app. Many years ago I got a DYMO LabelManager 160 Portable Label Maker. It’s dead simple to use, does not need an app, and just… makes labels. We have one at work, and at my previous job, and anyone can use it quite easily.

With an app, you first need to install an app (of course) and that is the only way you can use a NIIMBOT. There is no keypad, you can’t connect it to a computer (which would be awesome) and so yeah, an app. The world is full of apps now, and you need them to do things, which means you need a mobile device to do things.

And yes, the NIIMBOT is a Chinese product, so the app is also from China, so if you are hesitant about installing apps from China, you are out of luck. Supposedly you do not need to register to use the app, unless you want to save labels/templates for future use. I found this out after I registered. The app also has “Premium” content, where it shows you clip art and fonts that you cannot use unless you pay, which is quite annoying.

The Battery
It has a built-in battery, which is of course good and bad. When the battery dies, it’s not going to work until you charge it. You can’t swap in a fresh set of cells. Of course this also means it won’t kill a set of 6 AAA batteries like the DYMO might. The built-in battery thing is a toss up but everything nowadays seems to be headed that way. Once the internal battery is dead I guess you just chuck the whole unit into the bin. More rubbish.

The Cost
The NIIMBOT D11 costs just under $20 USD, which isn’t too bad. My DYMO purchased in 2017 was about $10 USD (and is currently $45 USD!?!?) of course you can get an old school embossing label makers for $12 as well, and no batteries are needed!

It cannot stand on its own…
The strange design choice to add a completely rounded bottom to the unit means it cannot stand upright. I fixed that with a 3D printed NIIMBOT D11 Stand.

Simple
If you just want to print labels, it’s pretty simple. In some ways using the app can be easier than using the keypad on a DYMO 160. So yeah, as long as you have no issues using the app, you get simple.

Complicated
If you want to get complicated, you can. As I mentioned, completely custom labels are possible but they are more work. If you don’t like some of the aspects of the app (China, Premium content, an account) or have issues connecting via Bluetooth, well… it can get more complicated.

Completely Custom Labels
Now for some good news. Since you can load any image into the app, you can create completely custom labels outside of the app. Just use your favorite software to design a label the proper size (in one color) and export it as an image file (PNG or JPG) and then load that into the app and print it. This works well, but is obviously more work than just doing the label design within the app. I used Inkscape on my desktop computer, but for you mobile freaks you can probably figure out some mobile app that can work.

One More Bad
I saw a YouTube review of a NIIMBOT printer and supposedly the reviewer had a NIIMBOT made by… not NIIMBOT. Yes, there are fake/counterfeit units. NIIMBOT themselves even note that there is a fake app you need to avoid. So fake hardware and fake software are things you need to avoid when dealing with this device. Fun! (No, not fun. Bad.)

Whew! With all that out of the way, the labels themselves are good. The app can certainly be easy to use, and spits out labels quickly and they stick well. So yeah, a label maker should be simple, and the NIIMBOT D11 certainly can be simple.

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Framed Hapto Cone Art

Hapto has been working on a project using cut up bits of orange traffic cones to do relief prints, and asked if she could try using my Provisional Press to see if it would work well as an alternative to hand burnishing prints. So I packed up the press and took it to Milwaukee Makerspace (Norwich Edition) to give it a try.

Hapto did all of the printing, and I just watched, after giving a quick lowdown on the press and how it works compared to a more “normal” press with adjustable knobs and a moving bed and all of that.

She made a whole bunch of prints! And the verdict was that the Provisional Press would probably work quite well for her printing needs. Note that she printed on fabric that had retro-reflective material on it and had been treated with various paints to get the crazy color. She also used fabric block printing ink. The last time I did relief print patches I just used regular water based ink because it was all I had.

The nice thing about working with another artist is that you can teach and learn at the same time. I picked up a few techniques for printing, and I told her about how vegetable glycerine can help slow the drying of water based inks…

I got to take a print home and I figured I should frame it. Since I’ve been working on an OpenSCAD script to help me create 3D printed frames I thought I would give it a try.

The frame consists of two parts, the frame itself, and the back piece that fits into place.

The two images above show the “front” facing parts of the design, and the two images below show the back sides of the pieces. It’s pretty darn simple, and yes… I know there are other 3D printed frames out there, but I (as usual) wanted to design my own… in OpenSCAD… and make it parametric.

The ridges you see around the inside piece are meant to help create a press-fit so no additional hardware is needed. It’s a good idea to make them a little too large and then sand/shave them down for a perfect fit if you want it removable. Otherwise you can always glue it in place. I’ve also managed to laser cut some clear acrylic that can be placed into the frame before the artwork just like a standard store-bought frame. Without the acrylic I just spray glued the print to the back plate of the frame to hold it in place.

I’m glad Hapto invited me to do an art thing with her, and appreciate the print I received. After framing the piece it is now on the wall of my office right next to a piece of my own art.

Note: I realized I failed to get a photo of a relief carved traffic cone printing plates that Hapto created so here’s a photo she shared from a previous printing run.

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Power Mac G5 Side Panel Wall Hanger

For me, 3D printing represents niche custom things that solve problems, sometimes for a few people and sometimes for just one person.

While cleaning the shop I found this old side panel from a Mac… well, a Mac Pro, or a Power Mac. I wasn’t actually sure, but I got some help. (It’s from a Power Mac G5!)

I had wanted to hang this on the wall years ago, so I figured now was the time. I took some quick measurements, spent a few minutes in OpenSCAD, and 25 minutes later had a piece that fit and was suitable for hanging.

I used four 3mm x 14mm bolts, two to hold the bracket in place, and two at the bottom of the panel so it would sit away from the wall a consistent amount.

I honestly don’t know if anyone else will ever use the file, but I figured I would share it anyway. So I did.

You can get the STL and .scad file from Printables.com – Power Mac G5 Side Panel Wall Hanger. Print it if you need it!