<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div>Or route/mill/drill them?? A ‘subtractive’ process seems more sensible than starting with nothing for this type of thing???</div><div><br></div><div>I know there is the ‘But it’s 3D printed’ factor… But 3d printing a rectangular sheet of plastic with holes in it just doesn’t seem like a good use of the technology when you could start with a rectangular bit of plastic and cut/drill some holes in it far faster. Just saying. :-)</div><div><br></div><div>Keith is probably far more efficient and ecologically sound mind you, in some cases I’ll start with a 20mm thick block of material and machine a pocket in it to give a 2mm tick ‘bottom’ of the case. It’s amazing how much space swarf takes up compared to the cavity it’s cut from! :-)</div><div><br></div><div>I always justify it by telling myself that a standard zippy style project box would not be as good and about the only time that’s been true was a few I did last year for ‘Rig Runner’ style Anderson power pole DC power distribution blocks. per:</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-0.jpg">http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-0.jpg</a> - render</div><div><a href="http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-1.jpg">http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-1.jpg</a> - partially cut, a couple of tool changes in from memory.</div><div><a href="http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-2.jpg">http://logicalit.biz/forumimages/140920-2.jpg</a> - tada, power LED missing, that’s what the empty hole is.</div><div><br></div><div>The result justified the effort in this instance as the end product was better for my needs than the commercial units but if I had to bill the time for the drawing and setup it’d get messy! :-)</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers, Chris H.</div><br><div><div>On 17/09/2014, at 9:20 pm, Keith Colson <<a href="mailto:next@pitstock.com">next@pitstock.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Re: 'Printing' an enclosure<br><br>A good way to do case lids is cut them in a laser cutter. I normally laser cut a lid holder first that I can place 1 to "N" number of lids into the holder for perfect alignment.<br></blockquote></div><br></body></html>