interlocking ideas for openscad

[curious aardvark]

So having sold my other workshop computer to a client last week, I've just splurged ?100 on the bits for a new mini-itx system. :-)
It'll mainly be used for data recovery and drive cloning - so the amd quad core chip is absolutely fine :-) (actually the same chip I'm using in my main design machine, just soldered onto the board) The ?100 includes: 120gb ssd, 4gb 1600 ddr3, gigabyte board with onboard amd apu https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nothing fast, but cheap itx setups are almost impossible to get hold of.
O used to use a LOT of amd am1 cpus amd msi mini itx boards. Cracking budget combo.
Alas they've gone the way of the dodo. So this is about as cheap as an itx system gets.

Already got a new mini-psu. Figure that can be bolted to the outside with the ssd, stuck on the inside of the case.

Unfortunately I cannot fit an itx case on the k200 print bed. So will need to make it in 3 or 4 parts and glue them together.

Nothing useful on thingiverse, all way too large or overly complicated.

Currently thinking a cylinder and cut out on opposite corners, like a jigsaw piece.
Beauty of an itx board is that there's only 4 screw holes and they symmetrical. So I should be able to get away with just designing one piece. Holes for psu and ssd can simply be drilled :-)
It's a design cop out, but quick and effective lol
Or maybe stick holes on both walls of the pieces, so all side have the holes in the right place.

So anyone got any stock script they use for joining flat pieces up ?

(just discovered this forum doesn't recognise the pound symbol - weird)

[fred_dot_u]

It's difficult to envision precisely what your design requires. Would it be practical for you to sketch out a simple drawing and add to the post? Even a pencil sketch photographed by a cell phone is better than counting one someone else's imagination!

Cylinders are circular in cross section and have no opposite corners. If viewed from the long axis, it is a rectangular cross section, which would have opposite corners, but then the axial positioning of the cut-outs become slightly vague.

[curious aardvark]

if I drew it free hand, I can guarentee it would confuse more.
Mind you the basic idea is a 2 minute openscad job :-)

quartercase.jpg

so you have 4 of those that just glue together. The glue i use - uhu all purpose - bonds pla as well as acetone bonds abs. Pretty sure there's a partial solunility going on as well as the actua glue component.

Anyway that's basically what I'm talking about. Just wondered if there was something better.
Actually those 7 lines are 90% of the design done lol.
The rest is just getting the screw holes in the right place :-)
Can't do that till the board arrives.

Currently about to print 4 of those 20mm square :-) Rounded the cylinders and made the hole 0.4mm larger - so 0.2 on a 'side'.

[fred_dot_u]

Your original question asked for a "stock script" for this sort of joining.

puzzlecut_platform_preview_featured.jpg

Only last week, I discovered on Thingiverse: PuzzleCut OpenSCAD Library

[Roxy]

Actually those 7 lines are 90% of the design done lol.

Actually those 7 lines are 90% of the design done lol.

Those 7 lines are probably better done with a cylinder. And should be about 2% of design effort.Try this in OpenScad:corner();module corner() { difference() { union() { cube([10,10,10]); translate([5,-1,0]) cylinder(r=2, h=1, $fn=75); } translate([-1,-1,1]) cube([10,10,10]); translate([1,5,-1]) cylinder(r=2, h=5, $fn=75); }}

[curious aardvark]

it is a cylinder :-) just an 8 sided one.

That's pretty much exactly what i did - mine was just laid out better lol

// mini itx case
$fn=100;
difference() {
union(){
cube([20,20,1]);
cube([20,1,5]);
cube([1,20,5]);
translate([21,10,0]) cylinder(d=5,h=1);
} // end union
translate([10,19,0]) cylinder(d=5.4,h=1);
} // end diff

why 2% of design effort ?

All i have to do is size it properly and add a hole with raised support.

[curious aardvark]

Turned out slightly more complicated.
One of the screw holes on the board (front left) is further away from the edge of the board.
Also I'd forgotten you need access to the front ports - duh !

So I ended up with an interchangeable back piece and seperate left and right front pieces.
Kept the single circle intersection idea.

I did contemplate adding 'puzzle' connectors to the vertical walls.
But the right hand side will have the ssd screwed between the two parts to strengthen that and the back will have a power supply screwed on which will have a similiar effect.
The glue should be sufficient form the left hand wall.

Currently printing the front left piece.
using 3mm walls and base. claims 68gms for this piece. 88 for the back pieces. So total weight of the case alone should be around 312 gms.

have jut thought of a way to interlock side walls. Hmm, back to openscad !
I