DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

[Craig Bladow]

I'm designing an H8 enclosure as I have a working H8 circa 2023 with no case.

The design progress can be followed (not much at the moment), and contributed to, here: https://github.com/CraigBladow/Heathkit-H8-Enclosure

As I don't have access to a case, I need help to get accurate dimensions for the components.  I'm starting with the side panels and would appreciate replies to fill in the dimensions in the attached pdf.

Also, not pictured in the pdf is the inside of the side panel and lid supporting edge. That will be the next step.

I assume the side panel front edge slope is the same as the front panel and the slope of the circuit cards, what is that angle?

Thank you,

Craig

[Glenn Roberts]

Norberto has CAD files with digitized models for all the case components. Sorry but in a quick scan from my iPad I couldn’t find the link… 

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 5, 2023, at 6:32 AM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



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<side panel dimensions.pdf>

[Glenn Roberts]

Here is the link to H8 CAD files

http://koyado.com/heathkit/New-H8-Website/h8-chassis-cad-files.html

[Craig Bladow]

Those files aren't in a format that will work with the CAD tools I have.  I've asked Norberto for a couple of different formats.

That said, it is always good to have a second set of measurements so I'm asking if someone or two people can take measurements.  I'm mostly interested in the external dimensions as I would like to recreate the appearance of the H8, not make reproductions of each case part.

How wide is the H8 case?  One H8 manual, the Operations Manual I believe, says it is 16 inches wide.  Two Heathkit catalogs I looked at said it was 16.25" wide, which measurement is correct?

Cheers,

Craig

[Glenn Roberts]

I'm happy to help but won't be home until next week. If you don't have an answer by then give another holler!

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/4c883fc0-8339-4d59-92df-2dbab7cd99a0n%40googlegroups.com.

[Les Bird]

Craig,

Outer dimension is 16 inches wide, inner dimension is 15 inches. So the side panels are 1/2" thick each.

Side panel bottom from front to back is 17 inches

Side panel top from front to back is 14 inches

Side panel bottom to top is 6 1/4"

Les

[norberto.collado koyado.com]

My son has all that information in his files. I asked him to help Craig. No need to do the same twice.

Norby

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From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Glenn Roberts <glenn.f...@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 8:38:39 AM
To: <se...@googlegroups.com> <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

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[smb...@gmail.com]

Craig, I saw this auction pop up today. Maybe useful? https://www.ebay.com/itm/335020853768

[Craig Bladow]

Thanks Scott, I received the STL files from Norberto's son today and they are very detailed and invaluable in making sure my design is a close approximation of the original.  As my wood base and back support will be thicker than the metal original, I will have to make some hopefully minor compromises.

[Glenn Roberts]

Craig: not sure if you saw my post a while back about building wooden side panels.

Pix here:

Happy to provide further details…

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 8, 2023, at 6:47 AM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Craig Bladow]

Glenn, very nice case!  Thanks for letting me know about it.

[Craig Bladow]

Parts start arriving this week for my DIY H8 Enclosure and I'll be 3D printing sub-sections of the side panels to test a couple of different options for joining pieces and mounting to the base plate.

https://github.com/CraigBladow/Heathkit-H8-Enclosure

[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

Great work!  I’m curious if you have any interesting ideas for the sloping front panel, one of the more tricky to replicate parts of the H8. I’ve thought of doing something out of Plexiglas. Hopefully you can post some pictures or video as you progress with this case!

 

• Glenn

 

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Craig Bladow
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2023 9:48 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

Parts start arriving this week for my DIY H8 Enclosure and I'll be 3D printing sub-sections of the side panels to test a couple of different options for joining pieces and mounting to the base plate.

 

https://github.com/CraigBladow/Heathkit-H8-Enclosure

 

On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 10:27:55 PM UTC-6 Craig Bladow wrote:

Glenn, very nice case!  Thanks for letting me know about it.

On Thursday, September 7, 2023 at 9:56:42 PM UTC-6 glenn.f...@gmail.com wrote:

Craig: not sure if you saw my post a while back about building wooden side panels.

 

Pix here:

H8 Wooden Side Panels app.goo.gl

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/c741f1eb-6d85-49d8-91eb-e48401e3257fn%40googlegroups.com.

[Les Bird]

Craig, this is fantastic. Very interested in the end results of this project.

Les

[Craig Bladow]

Thanks Les!

Glenn,  

The sloping front panel is the next to last item to design and iterate on.  The lid is last and I like the suggestion Scott made about a sheet of smoked acrylic.   The front panel will be printed in at least two pieces.  One thought is to print each half flat on the bed with thinner areas defined to facilitate bending and triangular structures on the back that would come together to define the various angles of the front panel.  A challenge will be providing structural support (particularly compression) across the top edge and joining the two pieces together.  I will have to build the front panel first and see if a piece of aluminum angle or other material is needed.  The front panel will need to be sanded, filled, and painted to hide the vertical seam. I intend to look for the paint that you used for your wooden case build.

Craig

[Glenn Roberts]

On the gray paint check also with Joe Travis. I think he found a pretty good match somewhere

The paint I used was from Lowe’s or Home Depot but even though it said “matte” finish I felt it had some sheen to it, more like satin.

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 15, 2023, at 11:44 AM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Joseph Travis]

I use Rustoleum Ultra Matte perfect gray.  It is a very close match to the Heathkit original paint.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/8B999BE4-F65B-4155-B161-FE2A6F6BBA96%40gmail.com.

[Glenn Roberts]

Ah .”Ultra” matte must be better than just plain matte! Thx Joe.

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 15, 2023, at 12:44 PM, Joseph Travis <jtravi...@gmail.com> wrote:



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<20230915_123338.jpg>

[Steven Feinsmith]

It would be a good idea to use fiberglass instead of metal for the front panel cover. I assume the same progress as in the Chevrolet Corvette or fiberglass-based boat. I have no skill with fiberglass, but I spoke with someone with experience in boat repair, and he said it can be done. I no longer live in the house; my space is too small to create a workshop to build with fiberglass. I hope any of you have the skill.

Thank you,

Steven

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[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

Another idea is to make the front panel bezel out of three pieces: a bottom piece made out of wood (or possibly plastic); the panel itself (a flat piece of smoky or red acrylic) and a top bar of some sort, probably aluminum. The bottom (wood/plastic) piece would be cut or carved to match the sides in finish but curved to follow the contours of the bottom portion of the original Heath style (aluminum) front bezel. You could cut a dado slot in there to hold a piece of acrylic at the appropriate angle. The acrylic could be just a single flat piece. It would serve as both the front panel itself and the “window” for the LEDs. Could be smoky or red in color.  The top of the acrylic could be fastened to some kind of aluminum cross bar piece for rigidity and to support the lid.  Could add a “Heathkit H8” badge or decal as recently described here by Terry…

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/238e18b1-5537-4a68-a736-ba89148b03aan%40googlegroups.com.

[norberto.collado koyado.com]

I can order a 3D front panel from the factory if needed.  Let me know.

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Sent: Friday, September 15, 2023 2:07:37 PM
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Subject: RE: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

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[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

Can you say more Norberto? You talking about having a sheet metal shop reproduce an aluminum piece modeled after the original H8?  Have you investigated this at all for feasibility and price?

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[smb...@gmail.com]

Everyone's ears just perked up at the thought of a factory that will churn out stamped/bent front panels for us!!! :) As much as I want it to be true, I wonder if Norberto means he can have one of the many 3D printing services print the STL file that Craig is making.

Scott

[norberto.collado koyado.com]

Hello Glenn,

 

I was thinking in doing a 3D print first from factory to check it out. If it checks out fine, then work with the mechanical engineering team at work to help me print out one in metal and then with their help, get more prints from China al depending on price.

 

Norberto

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[Craig Bladow]

Here is a vertical slice of a side panel, with a brass insert (location is just for testing).  The 3/8" (9 mm) Baltic birch plywood will fit between the bottom tabs.  Bolts will go through holes in the tabs (holes not shown) to attach the side panels to the plywood base.

Cheers,

Craig

[norberto.collado koyado.com]

Great work and looking forward to see the new chassis put together..

 

Norberto

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Craig Bladow
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2023 7:19 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

Here is a vertical slice of a side panel, with a brass insert (location is just for testing).  The 3/8" (9 mm) Baltic birch plywood will fit between the bottom tabs.  Bolts will go through holes in the tabs (holes not shown) to attach the side panels to the plywood base.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/81627a33-4e5a-420b-9722-c51c0d2f3987n%40googlegroups.com.

[Craig Bladow]

Here is the current state of the left side panel:

[glenn.f...@gmail.com]

Nice. How would you create this? on a CNC router?  Too big to print?

 

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Craig Bladow
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2023 7:59 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

Here is the current state of the left side panel:

 

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[Steven Feinsmith]

I believe the best method to use the CNC router with thick black plexiglass or some plastic. Using plexiglass materials to create the chassis instead of metal would be best. We need a skilled person who can bend the plexiglass for the front panel. We also can use red plexiglass for the front panel display. For months, I tried to find someone with metal machines to create the chassis. Many shops were gone and assumed because of overseas for cheap labor. I also spoke with two former Heathkit employees to find the metalworking place. Unfortunately, it went out of business.

I suggested not to make vent holes from the bottom and top because of the cost. The best to make the clone H8 chassis slightly extra wide is to put cooling fans on the right panel. The airflow will travel from right to left to rid the heat.

Does anyone of you have a better idea?

Steven

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[Craig Bladow]

Glenn,

I'm glad you asked! Two panels that connect with printed pins that snap in to sockets embedded in each panel. This way each half-panel can be printed on many 3D filament printers.

Craig

[smb...@gmail.com]

Nice work, Craig! I assume it prints flat-side-down with no supports? What kind of hardware are you going to use in those mounting holes on the bottom and back? I'm always a fan of heat-set thread inserts in my 3D prints. How are you going to handle attaching the front? I'm still looking for a second H8, and I wouldn't mind printing one of these when it's all done.

Steven, with so many people making new boards using efficient switching regulators, do we really need a fan? It would be nice if the dimensions of the new case could be approximately the same as the dimensions of the old case. If we do need a fan, then maybe there's enough room for a shallow and reasonably quiet noctua fan on the left (non-backplane) side? By my reckoning, it looks like about 60mm of space minus 15mm or so of clearance so you can still unplug boards from the backplane. A good noctua only needs 25mm. It would be relatively easy to have a top acrylic laser cut with slots or holes for ventilation. I like the idea of a acrylic top instead of a 3D printed top, or even the original metal top because it makes it easy to show off the boards inside.

Scott

[Steven Feinsmith]

It's a good idea to bond two pieces into one. Perhaps it is possible to avoid pins and use grooves each other with crazy glue together? 

About the airflow scheme, sometimes users use original Heathkit boards containing voltage regulators to keep it cool. I am aware of many users from the past with S100 chassis systems, including early IBM PCs and compatible brands that use noisy from powerful cooling fan(s). Many people love the Macintosh Mac because it does not have a cooling fan. Heathkit did with the H8, H88, H89, and Z89 without the cooling fan. It was then started with the H/Z-100 series using the cooling fan because of a lot of heat. Having variable cooling fan(s) is critical to ensure the temperature is controlled with minimum noise.

I recall that many years ago, I went to the expo and saw someone create a beautiful Heathkit H89 with an entire transparent enclosure where everyone could see inside. After that, I never saw anything like that again; perhaps the FCC agent(s) fined the owner for a violation by Class A emissions that interfered with the radio frequency energy. If you remember the old days, it required using conductive paint to spray inside the non-metal enclosure to reduce emissions.

Steven

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[norberto.collado koyado.com]

The H89 and Z89 uses a 110v fan as it dissipated a lot of heat.

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To: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com>

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[Craig Bladow]

Glenn,

Yes it prints flat side down with the only support needed in the mounting holes.  The side panels mount to the 9mm baltic birch plywood base with #8 bolts, washers, lock washer and nuts.  The front panel will attach to heat set threaded inserts in the side panels and bolt to the base, the inserts are not shown as the front panel design hasn’t started. 

I have looked at fans and found some that are 15 mm or less thick.  Any fan could be recessed up to 10mm or so into the side panel which is 12.7 mm thick. I will look into that later in the design process if it is needed as I have no active 5V regulators in my Les Bird Open-Air H8, just a Mini-ITX PC power supply.  The power supply will be located in the back left corner.

With a 3D printable design I don’t have to get everything correct the first or second time. 

Cheers,

Craig

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[Craig Bladow]

Steven,

The two halves will also be bolted to a piece of high grade plywood which will add strength.  The snap pins by themselves create a surprisingly strong and robust connection that does not come back apart.

Cheers,

Craig

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[norberto.collado koyado.com]

I’m eager to see the new chassis completed assembled…. 😊  Great work!

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Craig Bladow
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2023 9:12 PM
To: se...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

Glenn,

 

Yes it prints flat side down with the only support needed in the mounting holes.  The side panels mount to the 9mm baltic birch plywood base with #8 bolts, washers, lock washer and nuts.  The front panel will attach to heat set threaded inserts in the side panels and bolt to the base, the inserts are not shown as the front panel design hasn’t started. 

 

I have looked at fans and found some that are 15 mm or less thick.  Any fan could be recessed up to 10mm or so into the side panel which is 12.7 mm thick. I will look into that later in the design process if it is needed as I have no active 5V regulators in my Les Bird Open-Air H8, just a Mini-ITX PC power supply.  The power supply will be located in the back left corner.

 

With a 3D printable design I don’t have to get everything correct the first or second time. 

 

Cheers,

Craig

On Oct 20, 2023, at 9:03 PM, smb...@gmail.com <smb...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

Nice work, Craig! I assume it prints flat-side-down with no supports? What kind of hardware are you going to use in those mounting holes on the bottom and back? I'm always a fan of heat-set thread inserts in my 3D prints. How are you going to handle attaching the front? I'm still looking for a second H8, and I wouldn't mind printing one of these when it's all done.

 

Steven, with so many people making new boards using efficient switching regulators, do we really need a fan? It would be nice if the dimensions of the new case could be approximately the same as the dimensions of the old case. If we do need a fan, then maybe there's enough room for a shallow and reasonably quiet noctua fan on the left (non-backplane) side? By my reckoning, it looks like about 60mm of space minus 15mm or so of clearance so you can still unplug boards from the backplane. A good noctua only needs 25mm. It would be relatively easy to have a top acrylic laser cut with slots or holes for ventilation. I like the idea of a acrylic top instead of a 3D printed top, or even the original metal top because it makes it easy to show off the boards inside.

 

Scott

On Friday, 20 October 2023 at 19:36:59 UTC-7 Craig Bladow wrote:

Glenn,

I'm glad you asked! Two panels that connect with printed pins that snap in to sockets embedded in each panel. This way each half-panel can be printed on many 3D filament printers.

 

Craig

On Friday, October 20, 2023 at 6:18:21 PM UTC-6 glenn.f...@gmail.com wrote:

Nice. How would you create this? on a CNC router?  Too big to print?

 

 

From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Craig Bladow
Sent: Friday, October 20, 2023 7:59 PM
To: SEBHC <se...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [sebhc] DIY Heathkit H8 Enclosure

 

Here is the current state of the left side panel:

 

 

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[Glenn Roberts]

Great work Craig. Certainly looking forward to seeing the final result.

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On Oct 21, 2023, at 3:46 AM, norberto.collado koyado.com <norberto...@koyado.com> wrote:



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[Gary L. Messick]

There is a company I’ve heard advertised during my trips to Michigan called Alro  (alro.com).  They claim to provide both metal and plastic fabrication, and advertise that they do small quantity retail type jobs.  No experience with them other than they’ve been around for a while, and I have no idea on costs.

 

Gary

 

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[Craig Bladow]

Here is a photo of the first prototype chassis.  The cutouts on the sides are to save printing time and material.  The purpose of this assembly is to check the fit of the H8 internals and locate the PCB mounting points for heat set inserts, the front panel PCB supports and the points to attach the front panel.  The back panel and base plate are just place holders as I intend to use high grade plywood for the base (already purchased) and the back panel needs more design work.  The prototype shown here is assembled from 10 separate pieces, held together with removable pins so individual sections can be updated as the design evolves. The top may be acrylic or a 3D printed louver design.

Craig

[Steven Feinsmith]

It looks good to start with ten pieces, much like a modular style. What kind you use a 3D printer, and what type of filament?

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From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2023 12:54:13 AM

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[Glenn Roberts]

Beautiful work Craig!

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 5, 2023, at 12:54 AM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



Here is a photo of the first prototype chassis.  The cutouts on the sides are to save printing time and material.  The purpose of this assembly is to check the fit of the H8 internals and locate the PCB mounting points for heat set inserts, the front panel PCB supports and the points to attach the front panel.  The back panel and base plate are just place holders as I intend to use high grade plywood for the base (already purchased) and the back panel needs more design work.  The prototype shown here is assembled from 10 separate pieces, held together with removable pins so individual sections can be updated as the design evolves. The top may be acrylic or a 3D printed louver design.

<IMG_5309.jpg>

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<IMG_5309.jpg>

[Les Bird]

That looks fantastic Craig. Nice job!

Les

[Craig Bladow]

Steven,

I use a Prusa MK3S+ printer with PETG filament on a powder coated steel plate which produces a nice texture on the outside of the side panels.

Craig

[Steven Feinsmith]

Thank you for the details about the 3D printer using PETG filament. Yes, the Prusa brand is an excellent printer, and I have never tried with PETG filament before. My XYZ printer, da Vinci, may not be capable of using the PETG filament. I bought it for 50 dollars in used condition, and it works well but could not be more effective than yours. I think by early next year, I need a Prusa printer and make several items, such as the need to create a black filler cover for 5.25" and 8" drives. I hate to have it show an open bay and collect the dust into the drive assembly.

I am looking forward to seeing your project thoroughly.

Thanks, 

Steven

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From: se...@googlegroups.com <se...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com>

Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2023 2:10:13 PM

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[Les Bird]

Craig, any updates on your H8 enclosure design? JLCPCB does 3D printing too (that's where I get all my PCBs from) so once you get to a point where you're ready to release the STL files I will send to JLC to get a price quote.

Les

[Craig Bladow]

Hi Les, I paused H8 enclosure development in order to release an update to one of my other projects, CC41. CC41 is an RPN calculator recreating the functionality of the Hewlett Packard HP-41CX calculator on the command line in Linux, MacOS and Windows. ( https://github.com/CraigBladow/cc41 ).

Hopefully I can make some progress in December but will certainly be working on the enclosure in January.

[Glenn Roberts]

The HP41 was a work of art. Glad to see you keeping it alive in spirit! I’ve got a few 41s but 16c is still the one I use almost every day!

Sent from my iPad

On Nov 21, 2023, at 6:31 PM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/f8502977-6975-48d9-ba1d-297a0c9655een%40googlegroups.com.

[Les Bird]

Sounds good Craig. Will keep an eye out for updates.

Les

[Craig Bladow]

Les,  what is JLPCB's 3D print dimension limits?

Also, as it is trivial to mirror a 3D model, this opens the possibly of a left handed H8, provided someone creates the front panel PCB.

Or, with more effort, create a mirror universe version of the H8. :).   (I'm reminded of the movie, "Journey to the Other Side of the Sun".)

Craig

[Les Bird]

Not sure of their dimension limits. Here's their web page. You can probably upload what you have now and at least get a quote from them online.

https://3d.jlcpcb.com/?source=JLCPCB-top-productbar

Les

[Craig Bladow]

I've been making progress on the case design lately and am getting close to a second prototype that the circuit cards can be mounted in to. Front Panel and PCB are not shown.

[Glenn Roberts]

Great work Craig! Are the side panels solid or partially hollow with infill?

Sent from my iPad

On Feb 3, 2024, at 6:06 PM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



I've been making progress on the case design lately and am getting close to a second prototype that the circuit cards can be mounted in to. Front Panel and PCB are not shown.

<H8 Case Assembly 2024-02-03 15-32-41.png>

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sebhc/c7478906-7e89-4d26-b0e0-583b205cdaf9n%40googlegroups.com.

<H8 Case Assembly 2024-02-03 15-32-41.png>

<Screenshot from 2024-02-03 16-04-58.png>

[Craig Bladow]

All parts currently use the default 15% infill setting of PrusaSlicer so the case is mostly air. :)

Supports are only used for the bolt holes that are oriented vertically.  Supports are applied manually by using PrusaSlicer's Paint-on supports and the 'Smart fill' option.

[Craig Bladow]

An update is long overdue.  I've been resolving issues related to the realities of 3D printing which results in prints that don't fit together as nicely as they do in the modeling software.   That means I have to adjust the model to account for these issues.  I also explored using a nozzle larger than 0.4 mm in order to reduce print times.  0.8 mm nozzle was a hard fail and ultimately I settled on a 0.6 mm nozzle which works great while significantly reducing print times.

The rear half of the side panel is the largest part of the design so far and one or more corners were lifting from the print bed by as much as 3 mm.  I've mostly resolved this problem by thoroughly cleaning the removable print sheet with dish washing soap and 99% IPA and also raising the ambient air temperature around the printer by about 10 degrees F.   The next step is to acquire a new print sheet as the surface wears over time.

[Steven Feinsmith]

I understand you are facing challenges with the 3D printer and software, but I appreciate your determination to ensure the project's success.

Steven

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[Les Bird]

Thanks for the update Craig. I was just thinking about the case last week and wondering what the status was with it. Sounds like things are progressing.

Les

[Norby]

It is not easy and hopefully it is not getting expensive!

Norby

[Craig Bladow]

Fortunately 3D printing allows one to iterate and the cost is reasonable.  I have much respect for the designers of the metal enclosures that have been created, such as the one by Terry Smedley, for which the cost of an slightly off  measurement is two orders of magnitude higher than for a 3D print.  Terry has provided tips, some key measurements, and photos, that have helped me considerably.  Thanks Terry!

The first fit-up test reveals that I'm off only by 1-2 mm on the side plane mount.  I also acquired an engineered polymer print bed coating sample that improves print bed adhesion so will try that for the next iteration.  Note the heat-set threaded inserts, in the first photo, which I will extract and reuse for the next round.

Cheers,

Craig

[Glenn Roberts]

Great progress.

How are the two halves of each panel connected together?

Are you printing the holes? Might be best to print a pad area and use a template to drill very accurate holes for the brass inserts.

Sent from my iPad

On May 2, 2024, at 3:33 PM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



Fortunately 3D printing allows one to iterate and the cost is reasonable.  I have much respect for the designers of the metal enclosures that have been created, such as the one by Terry Smedley, for which the cost of an slightly off  measurement is two orders of magnitude higher than for a 3D print.  Terry has provided tips, some key measurements, and photos, that have helped me considerably.  Thanks Terry!

The first fit-up test reveals that I'm off only by 1-2 mm on the side plane mount.  I also acquired an engineered polymer print bed coating sample that improves print bed adhesion so will try that for the next iteration.  Note the heat-set threaded inserts, in the first photo, which I will extract and reuse for the next round.

Cheers,

Craig

<H8_side_mount_mk1.jpg>

<H8_side_mount_mk2.jpg>

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<H8_side_mount_mk1.jpg>

<H8_side_mount_mk2.jpg>

[Craig Bladow]

See this post for how the two halves are connected: https://groups.google.com/g/sebhc/c/PYDuNCxoq0I/m/hFTrH4c6BQAJ

The holes for the heat-set inserts have a more complex profile than a simple drill can proved so are 3D printed.

Cheers,

Craig

[Glenn Roberts]

My recollection at least on the original h8 was that I just pressed the brass fittings in with a hot soldering iron. That melted a little plastic which then cooled around the rough surface of the insert, making a tight fit. Maybe things are different now….

Sent from my iPad

On May 2, 2024, at 6:38 PM, Craig Bladow <craig....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Craig Bladow]

The brass inserts I'm using are tapered and heat-set.  I use a soldering iron to inset them almost all the way and then press them flush with a wood block.  The hole profile looks like this:

Cheers,

Craig