exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

Hows this project coming along?

In the mean time, especially with regards to fitting expansion to any Atari ST style case, is it not practical to produce (at least for 3D printing) case inserts & peg extensions?

obviously some people may not like the result, with the case being 1/2 to 1 inch higher, but it is simple to design, produce and fit, and would allow from quite a bit extra to be fitted inside "a standard case". Besides being usable on the final result of this project (and any offshoots) it would also provide an interim solution for the new motherboard project as well. The only really "complex" part is making the construction stable with the use of peg extensions, or sleeves and longer screws.

Has anyone thought of this before?

paulwratt wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:39 pm Hows this project coming along?

The 3-D files are still being worked on as mentioned previously somewhere. It will take some time to correct everything and do modifications. But it is still being worked on, but of course we all have day jobs,so time is limited.

paulwratt wrote: ↑Tue Jul 17, 2018 12:39 pm In the mean time is, especially with regards to fitting expansion to any Atari ST style case, is it not practical to produce (at least for 3D printing) case inserts & peg extensions?

obviously some people may not like the result, with the case being 1/2 to 1 inch higher, but it is simple to design, produce and fit, and would allow from quite a bit extra to be fitted inside "a standard case". Besides being usable on the final result of this project (and any offshoots) it would also provide an interim solution for the new motherboard project as well. The only really "complex" part is making the construction stable with the use of peg extensions, or sleeves and longer screws.

Like the MEGA ST case ? Upgrades are generally getting smaller and more compact so should not really need larger case anyway. If the new motherboard a gets off the ground, upgrades will be plug-in located towards the back where there is more height for them.

You probably should read through the entire thread see what is being discussed. But really once the 3-D files are completed, we still have the problem of raising enough cash to get them produced.

Maybe can be of interest (esp. the case part):

Just stumbled upon an interesting idea:

Using a 3D printed mould for injection moulding. See this video:

Very interesting, I wonder if a smaller experiment could be carried out using this technique with something like an STM1 mouse case, or the ST keycaps? If ST mice cases could be produced using this method, then combined with the more recent laser mouse mod, you could produce new ST style laser mice. If the bigger stuff (like a full ST case) can't be done yet, practice runs with smaller peripherals like this could still be an interesting avenue to explore?

It can be done, and I even think you can print metal.. Though I don't know how much a printed part could be used... Even so, you can take a cast of a original case and make copies and no need for 3d printing anything.. But only good for under 20 copies... And again, cost to high. Was talked about a while ago.

Yes metal can be done (NASA 3d printed fuel injector comes to mind), and several materials can be now. Wood, even chocolate. As long as the main material can be bound with the appropriate binding agent really. That's why I wondered about the ST mouse case or keys to keep the cost down for anyone ever wanting to try it. If a small metal mould could be 3d printed, that would surely allow for a fairly large number of duplicates before it would be unuseable?

Injection mold for something small must be doable as a guy in USA sells 2600 carts..

This topic is starting to interest me. Perhaps if I could find a STF case remake I could complete the project that sent me down the rabbit hole in the first place - that is I wanted an unrepairable ST as a donor case to build a modern computer into. Turns out there's no such thing as an unrepairable ST.

I'd love to help out if I can. My brother in law has a sintered metal 3D printer in his shop, but I'm not sure of the dimensions. I can ask. He's over in Melbourne though (I'm in Perth)

We have also recently gone through a mining engineering boom over here, but they mines are now fully operational and the setup phase is over, so there are plenty of machining shops happy to take on any job to keep their tools busy. I'm not sure if they can machine a moulding die out of a 3D file, but they can certainly do one from drawings. Only problem is that steel is very heavy and would cost a lot to transport. Ali would be better.

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

Thanks,
Stuart

Btw, the guy in this video:



shows all the documents confirming that he bought the Jaguar mold and all the tooling for less than $2000 back in 1997.