Building a Budget-Friendly 3D Printer Enclosure from Scratch

3D Printer enclosures are too expensive, so I built one from scratch!

My Prusa MINI+ was struggling with ABS print warping on the print bed, even at 100C. The issue? I didn't have an enclosure to keep warmer air around layers towards the top of prints. Looking online I found that off-the-shelf solutions were too expensive for my budget, so I built this one from pine and 2mm acrylic sheets.

🌐 Links

PDF of the design:

STL files for the frame brackets, and magnetic clasps

😎 Social Stuff

🎞️ Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
01:46 - Frame assembly
04:56 - Acrylic panels
06:22 - Door clasps
08:19 - Showcase
10:00 - Future improvements

ℹ️ Attributions

Fabweaver - Warping diagram

🎵 Music

TABAL - Inside Space

nihilore - Garden

Punch Deck - Persistence

Grease - You're The One That I Want

Alex-Productions - Startup

Corbyn Kites - Instant Crush

Home - We're Finally Landing

Keywords: Prusa Mini, 3D Printer, ABS warping, DIY

[davideyt]

Forget about the enclosure, I was very impressed by what this guy fabricated in a freakin' carpeted room, some things people normally fabricate in a proper workshop where they can drill and sand without worrying about the dirt being made, with work banks, drill stands, band saws, etc... this guy made this enclosure in what is considered to most of us a bedroom! drilled and sanded parts on the carpeted floor (that was hard to watch..), and cut parts on a plastic container. respect that it came out so good. a proof that you can do things even with little resources

[Henry-byen]

This is a really nice enclosure. I have a few suggestions based on what I learnt from operating a Voron 2.4 which is already enclosed. Firstly, you might want to move the electronics like the power supply and rpi outside of the enclosure. They'll do better without the heat. Second, you might want to consider insulating it more. Ideally you want to print ABS with an ambient air temperature of 60C or above. Lastly, you'll want to use a carbon filter as well as a HEPA filter. The HEPA filter removes particulates but it won't remove the nasty volatile organic compounds. You'll need a activated carbon filter for that. The nevermore filter is quite a good design you can build yourself with a couple of 5015 fans

[diyjeepguy]

I just got into 3d printing literally yesterday, & when ever I start something (even though I study up ahead of time) I dive right into it. I chose abs because thats what I read was the best for interior parts for vehicles. The first parts I printed were 2 shifter Knobs (army green ABS), I noticed right away that I was having a few layers delaminate but overall it came out well enough for a Usable prototype. After that however any part I tried to print (black ABS and Neon Green) were coming apart so as I read more I learned about the need for an enclosure so here I am. Your build is exactly what I was thinking would fit my needs. Thank you for the Video and awesome work.

[aeneasfate]

Is it wrong that I laughed at using the dremel to round off a wooden spacer for the too-long bolts instead of... using it to cut the bolts shorter?

[Killerjack]

Great looking enclosure.
Like many have said you need higher temps and consider moving the electronics out to avoid issues. For higher temps you can probably let the enclose heat soak for a bit by letting the bed at 100-110ºC for 30mins (or grab reptile heating mat or bulb should help without breaking the bank) . I've been using nothing but a survival/emergency blanket around my delta printer and its enough to print PC, until i finish building a big cabinet to fit a couple printers.
Also you might have some heat escaping from the doors since they're on the middle but shouldn't be much, just a point to consider.
Regardless its an elegant enclosure, good job

[KoreyMacGill]

3d printed for about 5 years. got out of the hobby and want to get back into it and i LOVE this simple and clean design. going to steal it and supersize it for a comgrow t300. thanks for the video! great stuff!

[JulianBand]

I used to have the same issues with my base lifting, I use Beld Weld now and print with a brim. No more issues. As far as your splits in the middle of the prints, I corrected that with a circular fan shroud that creates a vortex around the extruder. I print at 210 degrees to make sure I get a good bond and having the modified fan shroud cools the bond pretty quickly to ensure it stays bonded.

[vodzurk]

As everyone else is saying, increase the enclosure temperature :).

I'd aim to have it hang around 40 and see your results, increasing to 45. It's not great, but I'd leave the electronics inside up to 45c. Maybe even 50c if cheap stuff. I figure they'll also generate heat, so why not use it :).

Maybe an easy quick win would be a non-flammable bedsheet over it. There's also widely available fireproof insulation available, typically used in boat engine bays.

It'll mean spending, but maybe consider something that can maintain a consistent temperature (otherwise night/day/seasons will screw you). I use a home automation temperature sensor to turn on/off a plug socket with a vivarium heat mat plugged into it.

Also, look into chewing up that air whilst it's inside the chamber. You'll need acid free activated carbon. Stuff with acid in will corrode your electrics over time. Nevermore is an option (I get my carbon from them too). I went with the BentoBox for my in-chamber filter. You could easy get 2 BentoBoxes in yours.

Finally, I wouldn't wanna be in the room after you've opened the doors. Unless you want cancer in a few years. Don't huff those ABS fumes ever dude!

[michaelward]

You need adequate ventilation so that you maintain an even temperature inside the case. Over/under heating of the ambient air can lead to different problems with the filament used, so that should be in its own container. 3D printing relies not only air flow around the nozzle fan to cool the part properly during printing, but on the cold side to prevent heat creep, which can adversely effect the filament..
ABS in particular may need a heater and temperature regulator.
As far as the case goes it looks good, but could be improved by lining 5 sides (all but the front) with tin foil to reflect the heat.

[lauriegv]

Thanks for the indepth video. BTW: what is the gizmo that the filament spools sits on at 0:06??

[Unscientifically]

you could potentially find a way to heat the enclosure, it should help with the warping.

[Taras]

Wew! A new weekend project is waiting for me!
Going to modify your design heavily (dimension-wise) to accomodate to Neptune 4 Pro, mainly to reduce noise, with abs printing as a valuable bonus!

[bakedbeansarecool]

Id recommend keeping the battery out of the hot area because it will break faster because its working harder in the heat but this is amazing keep up the work.

[saninnsalas]

I am really new in this, but I was under the impression that you should not print with ABS in places where you also live without enclosure because of the toxic fumes.

[godaj]

This enclosure looks great. I need to make one for my resin printer and to fit my small heater in. The current work bench it needs to be on is too small for the large Amazon comgrow cover I bought for it a while back.

When my bambu x1 C gets here next week maybe I can print out the brackets then.

Thanks for the video!

[frajr]

Really nice and well made but for the ABS you need a heater. With it no warping

[zemlejna]

What are you using on the RPI? Octoprint? Or just the camera?

[SeanRyle]

It seems the PDF and STL files are gone. Any chance you could upload them somewhere or email them to me? It would be greatly appreciated.

[sampsaltakis]

Maybe use an active heater in the enclosure to get the ambient temperature up or use a draft shield to try to contain the heat a bit more.

[KRStudios-evng]

definitely earned a sub! Thank you for this video!