Pretty cool Replicator 2 Dust Cover

[MakerTed]

From Thingiverse.

I saw this and thought it looks awesome. Has anyone given this a try yet?

[donny]

Looks like a pretty nice design. Is dust really that big of an issue though that you need something like this as protection?

[Baytown]

G'day from Ken in Australia.
My first post but I would certainly buy one if easily available.
As I print into the night, it would help keeping small bugs, dust etc out from my projects. My Replicator 2 is in the sun room, so the walls on one side are mesh. Unfortunately, space is a premium at present so my printing area is less than ideal.
i also wonder if keeping the print area warm would be of a benefit to the finishes product?
Best wishes from the tropics.
Ken

[RepRapOwner]

Ken, this was actually on Thingiverse, so you should be able to print one, right?

[RobH2]

This would be really easy to make if you used foamcor as the side material. Print the corners and hinges and then just cut up some foarmor. I'm going to try it as I need a cover. I may make one in a few weeks and report back.

[Larry]

Looks like a pretty nice design. Is dust really that big of an issue though that you need something like this as protection?

That was my thoughts as well? I guess it depends where you are working. If you are working in a shop like atmosphere where others are cutting wood, milling, etc, dust could be a major issue. Not sure about people using this thing in their garage on living room/office though.

[RobH2]

Foamcor is an amazingly durable material. I have things I've made from it that are 20-years old and still intact. It will warp or get a slight curve to it after time. I guess one side of the paper shrinks more than the other side. But, for an item as small as this it should be fine. I'm going to make one in a few weeks and will come back with some photos. I think it would survive a shop environment as well. It might get dirty and you can't clean it with any liquids. You could make it out of gatorfoam. It's foamcor but the skin is a polymer instead of paper. That can be cleaned and it never warps. Both can be painted so you could paint it a color to match your printer before you put it all together.

[vladimir]

I like it. But I encapsulated my entire 3D printer in an ugly corrugated plastic booth. The reason for this was that the dust will sneak in where the filament enters the head from the reels.

Also, how would you cut the corners off the plexiglass doors? Table saw? If you score and snap plexiglass when you cut it, cutting corers off is very difficult.

[RobH2]

Plexiglas is not that hard to work. You can cut a radius or straight corners off with a jigsaw. A table saw will work for straight cuts. You can then sand the cut down if you like with a palm sander. Finally, you can polish it with a flame. A simple propane torch will work. Just go slow because too much heat and you'll scorch and bubble the plexiglas. You can score and cut thin plexi but you have to be careful. Sometimes you can score it pretty deeply and then clamp two bars of flat metal or wood right behind the score. Then take some pliers and very quickly snap down. If it leaves a sharp point you can sand it off. However, snapping is risky. Frequently you'll crack the plastic unless you get good at it. But all in all, plexi is pretty easy to work with wood working tools. Just don't use too much speed on electric tools because it melts and then you'll have problems.

A good trick for marking it up and cutting it is to lay blue tape where you make the cuts. Draw and mark on the tape then saw along those lines with the tape on. It helps keep from scratching the plex and some people say it helps keep if from cracking too. And, we all have a lot of blue tape lying around for our hot beds don't we?

Edit: One more thought about the design above. If you make all the parts out of clear plex, take the parts that represent the black one and spray the back of those pieces with black paint, or any paint you like. After you spray the black, you could spray chrome paint to provide a bit of heat reflection back into the enclosure. It might help with keeping it warm. Plus, it will look cool. From the outside it will look shiny and black ( or whatever color you use) and then on the inside it will be all shiny and hi-tech looking.

You could also, before painting anything, lay down a stripe or two of tape all the way around the inside of the front, sides and back, like a pin stripe circling the whole enclosure. The spray the inside black. Pull the tape off and then spray your chrome paint. Now from the outside you'll have a black enclosure with a cool chrome stripe all the way around. It's an easy way to give it a very professional looking touch.

Below is a rough idea:
Untitled-1.jpg

[Compro01]

Finally, you can polish it with a flame. A simple propane torch will work. Just go slow because too much heat and you'll scorch and bubble the plexiglas.

Alternatively, grab some polishing compound and some rags for a less demanding means of smoothing.

Also, be sure to wear a dust mask when cutting plexiglass. The dust is unhealthful.