About
Background
Compared to PLA and PETG, engineering plastics (e.g., ABS, PA, and PC) are more prone to warping as they cool. These typically require an enclosure to print and some engineering plastics also need high ambient temperatures.
Most 3D printers are not sold enclosed and require modification to operate within one. Electronics are not usually tolerant of high heat; a basic enclosure without ventilation can reach 45C/113F.
Moving electronics away from the printer (and out of an enclosure) requires extension or replacement of the printer's wiring harness. This is a time-consuming and meticulous task to do, and harder to do safely.
TODO
- Fire risk
- Off-gassing
The Clockmaker Project
Enter The Clockmaker Project. More toolbox than blueprint, this project collects information about on how to build an enclosed printer:
- Air filtration and Ventilation
- Temperature monitoring
- Electrical wiring & connectors
- Insulation
- Links to outside resources
Additionally, the associated git repository has printable files to help build your own enclosure.
"Clockmaker"
Clockmaker is a reference to an antagonist in the Alastair Reynolds novel The Prefect. The Clockmaker is innately dangerous but is set after a noble task in the end. This strikes me as a parallel for the hazards of enclosed 3D printing.
"Devil in Chrome" is a phrase that describes The Clockmaker character in The Prefect. Every maker has at some point felt that a 3D printer is a devil in chrome that requires their effort, time and attention. The Clockmaker Project focuses on consolidating information for makers to save time and frustration.