The lastest version of the Mothbox has a 3D printable case! We have been testing it fiercely in the wettest part of the wet season for months in jungles of Panama, and it’s held up wonderfully! Nice and dry, easy to use, minimal manual labor! Plus it’s cheaper than buying and hacking your own case!
Parts
- Main Filament - 850 grams
- TPU Rubber Filament - (Optional for better waterproofing, not really needed in dry places) - 100 grams
- Clear Acrylic - For the front window
- #6x3/8in screws - (not super exacting, near equivalents work too!)
- Cable Ties - Ideally reusable zip ties, or silicone straps, or our TPU printable ties we made ourselves!
- DC Barrel sockets - for the external charging port and/or external attractor port
Filament Suggestions
PETG-CF We have been using inexpensive PETG-Carbon Fiber filament ($~16 USD for 1kg - Eryone brand), drying it for 12 hours, and then printing.
TPU For the 3D printed TPU rubber, we have been using Bambu lab 85a
Print all the Parts
All the parts are located in the Github Repo. Download them all and print them out. There is even a 3MF file that has all the parts laid out for you to print in a slicer like Bambu Studio. The list of parts is as follows along with what material to make them in.
- Outer Shell - PETG-CF
- Inner Chassis - PETG-CF
- Glare Blocker - PETG-CF
- Back Lid - PETG-CF
- Front Lid - PETG-CF (material doesn’t really matter- just a cover)
- Front Gasket - TPU (Optional seal for wet climates)
- Back Gasket - TPU (Optional seal for wet climates)
- Bottom Plugs - TPU (Optional, if you aren’t using DC Barrel Sockets)
- Plexi Front - Laser Cut Clear Acrylic
Outer Shell Assembly
Front Acrylic
Peel off any protective plastic from your clear acrylic.
Lay your front rubber gasket on the front section. (If you are not using the rubber gasket, you can just put the acrylic straight onto the box.)
Put the acrylic on top of that. It make take a little pressure to pop in. Make sure the holes line up correctly.
Screw the front plexi to the case. Only screw until the screw is snug. Don’t overtighten or you may crack the plexi.
Attach all the screws!
Bottom Ports
There are 2 holes in the case that let you connect to the outside world. Generally they will get used for
- a charging port
- a port to attach an external attractor
Label your ports to help you keep track! PET-G is quite easy to label with a permanent marker!
Prepare your Sockets
Slide the little rubber lid thing onto your socket.
Press the plug into the hole. Depending on your printing tolerances it might slide in, or you might need to even screw it in a bit.
If you are NOT going to use an external attractor, you can simply pop one of the rubber plugs into the other hole.
If you are going to use an external attractor, you can just add another socket to this other hole.
Connect Sockets Inside
Depending on your specific sockets you order, some are longer than others and can be screwed down. Most types of sockets though are going to be held in place with our friend, Mr. Hot Glue.
Surround the port with a thin layer of hot glue. This should hold everything in place pretty well! You can even go over the rubber plug for extra security if you want!
Back Lid + Gasket
(Skip this step if you are not using the gasket)
Collect the Back lid and the back gasket. Lay the gasket into the lid to make sure it lines up in the correct orientation.
With a hot glue gun, add TINY drops of glue to the corners of the gasket to help hold it in place. Press down firmly to make sure there’s no raised areas where you added the glue.
Front lid
There’s not really anything you need to do for the front lid. Just print it out and pop it on! It’s just to protect the front plexiglass when transporting!
Finish Assembly with the Electronics
Head over to the Mothbox Pro electronics section to finish installing the mothbox into your new case!