[Coco] 3d printed EPROM cartridge housings

[Joel Ewy]

On 11/08/2015 02:51 PM, Chad H wrote:
> ...  If I'm not mistaken Mark's boards were done in a commercial program, but you used 'OpenSCAD'.  It appears to rely on a bunch of code to do the models, or atleast from the screen shots it appears that way.  How easy is that to use?
If you have absolutely no programming experience it would probably be 
quite a stretch.  I have a bit of hobbyist-level experience with C and 
Perl and the like, but was still a bit intimidated by the idea of trying 
to do CAD by code before I actually tried it.  But my experience was 
that it was much easier to pick up than I had feared it might be, and 
some things are distinctly easier to do this way than with the GUI CAD 
and 3D modeling programs I've dabbled in. Because you're usually trying 
to specify shapes with exact dimensions, it's easier just to type those 
numbers in than to drag a shape and then have to guess it's about the 
right size, find some measuring tool and see what size it is, or go 
ahead and type dimensions into some field in the GUI anyway.

OpenSCAD really makes you wish your 3D printer was as accurate as what 
you can specify in the program.  I often find myself programming in a 
fudge factor as a constant that I can adjust after I do my first test 
print, at least for parts that need to fit together precisely.  But 
that's very easy to do in this program because you specify every 
dimension.  You can probably do this with the AutoDesk software.  
Personally, I lean pretty heavily toward Open Source, and my budget is 
very low in any case.  But I've come to really like OpenSCAD, and it 
didn't take me long to feel pretty comfortable with it.  It was well 
worth the time I put into learning it.

I wouldn't mind getting up to speed with Blender as well, though the few 
times I've played with it it seemed a little hard to get the hang of.

> Also, it would be nice to be able to import and edit .STL files.  Google Sketchup cannot do this it seems.  Fortunately AutoDesk 123 3D can.
I believe it can import .STL files, but you might want to double-check 
that, and I'm not sure you can do anything with them after importing 
them beyond scaling them and sticking things onto them or subtracting 
shapes from them.  In other words, don't expect it to break them down 
into the kind of shape primitives you would otherwise work with in 
OpenSCAD, of course.  I know I have imported 2D DXF files and used them 
to extrude 3D shapes.  That way I could draw shapes in Inkscape, export 
them as DXF, and then bring them into OpenSCAD.  The process was a bit 
finicky, but I got it to work.
> My intention is to start with a good solid layout for standard EPROM type cartridge housings then do cutout modifications for my externally controlled EEPROM boards.

Modules are very easy to make in OpenSCAD.  So once you define a shape, 
you can reuse it as many times as you like, making stuff like the grippy 
ridges I put on the sides to pull the cartridge out easy.  And of course 
since you're just working with text, you can copy modules and paste them 
in another design.  A module might be a cutout for a toggle switch or 
pot or DIP switch or LED.  Once you've designed it, you can reuse it 
wherever you want.  If it's a cutout, you just do a difference between 
the object you are cutting and the cutout.
> Also, in the future, I still intend to clone one of the FD-50x FDC controllers, with upgraded support for 16K ROM's and bank switch capability built right in.  I will probably do a custom 3D print enclosure for these as well.
It's really fun stuff, isn't it?

JCE

> - Chad H
> http://sites.google.com/site/cbhlab101/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Coco [mailto:coco-bounces at maltedmedia.com] On Behalf Of Joel Ewy
> Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2015 9:39 PM
> To: coco at maltedmedia.com
> Subject: Re: [Coco] 3d printed EPROM cartridge housings
>
> On 10/26/2015 12:55 PM, chadbh74 wrote:
>>      I'm in the works of building a delta 3d printer that I plan on using to
>>      Make, among other things, cases for EPROM boards.   I've been working
>>      on the layout for each half of the cartridge in Google Sketch up 3d
>>      modeler,  which I can export to the needed .STL format and convert to
>>      .gcode from there.  I was wondering though if perhaps someone already
>>      had a perfected layout in STL they might share for reference.  I intend
>>      to make a version with a slot for my external controllers.  The jhead I
>>      ordered is all metal and is supposed to be able to do many types of
>>      materials, although I've only ordered PLA and ABS for the time being to
>>      experiment with which would be best for different cases.  If anyone
>>      could offer any insight Into this I would greatly appreciate it.
>>      Thanks!
>>
>>      -Chad
>>
>>      https://sites.google.com/site/cbhlab101/
>>
>>      Sent from my Galaxy S4
>>
> I made a first stab at a CoCo case design to print on my old Thing-O-Matic using OpenSCAD.  I wasn't trying to exactly replicate the Tandy cartridge housings, and I never quite finished the design, though I got a good start and it wouldn't take much to complete. You can see a screenshot of the design on my blog:
> https://8littlebits.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/cartridge-housing-cad/ If you think it would do you any good, I could share my code, but you probably are farther along than where I left this project.  It might take me a day or so before I could dig up the files.
>
> JCE
>
>
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