June 2017 61
netbook.
These were made with recessed bolt holes that had a
hex head shape that matched the bolts. This way, I could
tighten them with a nut on one side and not have to use a
wrench on the other. I installed the brackets on the back
in a position that allowed the netbook to slide into place,
but the lip of the top of the box prevented the netbook
from easily sliding out. I have to lift and lean the netbook
to remove it.
The recessed bolts fit snuggly into the brackets. I made
the holes roughly 0.25 mm larger than the bolts. I printed
at a 0.3 layer height and 35% fill using black PLA.
3D Printed Accessories
I gathered up a few 3D prints from previous Nuts &
Volts articles to fill my portable workbench. The 3D printed
storage boxes from the April 2015 column fit nicely on the
second shelf (seen in Figure 2). The 3D printed wire holder
from August 2016 and the resistor/diode tester from the
October 2016 issue both were included and stored in the
pullout drawer with a meter and solder station.
Summary
All the designs were printed on my Flashforge
Dreamer. There are many 3D printer kits now that sell for
less than $300, so adding a printer to your lab is cheaper
than a good oscilloscope or power supply.
As a final step, I used my large X-Carve CNC (that is
controlled by an Arduino) to carve a logo into the outside
of the fold-down worktop.
I know I’m not done adding to this portable
workbench. I know there will be other tools and pieces
I’ll want to include. I’ve even considered adding mounts
on the side to hold a small 3D printer on one side and
a filament spool on the other. That way, I can 3D print
whatever I need when I’m on the road. It really is endless
what you can do with a 3D printer. NV
PRACTICAL 3D PRINTING
My website and blog:
www.elproducts.com
My You Tube channel:
www.filamentfriday.com
My 3D designs:
www.thingiverse.com/
elproducts/designs
Tinkercad:
www.tinkercad.com
n FIGURE 12. Logo CNC’d in fold-down worktop.
3D printed resistor/diode checker. n FIGURE 11.
n FIGURE 10. 3D printed wire holder.
n FIGURE 9. Netbook brackets.
n FIGURE 8. Netbook mounted.
Resources My website and blog: www.elproducts.com My You Tube channel: www.filamentfriday.com My 3D designs: www.thingiverse.com/ elproducts/designs Tinkercad: www.tinkercad.com
