Case (3D Printed)

[badmai]

Made a case in Fusion 360, my first time using it so go easy
Going for a cross of a C64/C128 and Amiga.

Did a test print to check fit and feel.
Put it on a slide out tray to make it easy to remove.

Plans:
Power, Reset buttons
LED for power and activity
SD Card in the front maybe (have an extender)
Channel for the cord to be held in place
Tool less assembly with clips or at least pegs for easy gluing
Back plate (maybe slide in place)

Any suggestions or thoughts?




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[Mkopack73]

Was going to go off on "why does everyone insist that 8 bit machines need to be wedge shaped?" but I have to admit that your design is a very interesting take! Wish it would work for vertical slot half height cards, but that might make it too tall.

Still, nice job!

Is your printer large enough to print that big though? Or are you going to have to piece it together?

[mortarm]

..."why does everyone insist that 8 bit machines need to be wedge shaped?"...

You're right. Let's a have a pyramid shape, or how 'bout a sphere...oh, I got it...a dodecahedron!

Actually, the reason wedges were so popular was ergonomics. Since the keyboard was built into most of the home micros, it made them more comfortable to type on. That's why stand-alone keyboars have riser legs on them.

[Mkopack73]

Yes and no... I always HATED how my C64 had all the cables hooked to it and out 2 sides... Made it a pain to move the keyboard around to comfortable typing positions. I always preferred the "PC" style... It's why when I had the choice between keeping a C-128 or a 128DCR. I kept the DCR. Might take up more space, but SO much nicer to work with.

[DragWx]

I really like how this looks, and also I like how your solution was just to have the keyboard slot into it (though it might be a wee too tall for me), because I don't know any other wedge designs that tried that. (I'm sure there were some, I'm just not aware of them)

Is there enough structure to sit a monitor on top? That would be how my childhood C128 was configured.

[mortarm]

Yes and no... I always HATED how my C64 had all the cables hooked to it and out 2 sides...

OK, but what do you mean by "Yes and no"? This implies you agree with my assessment, but wi9th provisions. All you gave was your personal preferences.

Another reason I forgot to mention was, of course, cost. It's cheaper to make one mold than two. Perhaps another reason (speculation on my part) was to make it easier to place near a TV, which most of them were hooked up to. No doubt a lot of these ended up on tables and bedroom desks.

[badmai]

@Mkopack73
I could print it all at once on my Qidi Plus 4 (305mm x 305mm bed).
But, I did slice it up so no supports were needed.


@mortram
Yes, this was mainly for ergonomics, and also all my first computers (TRS-80,C64/128, Amiga 500/1200) were kinda this shape.

@DragWx
I may try a longer version so the Keyboard is lower, but this is good for how much I use it.
The back is only 100mm right now, but you did give me an idea for a 2nd case idea to hold a monitor.

[Desert-Fox]

I think it looks great! When you finalize it I would love to get the files and try to print one.
Please keep us (me) in the loop if you would.

[Desert-Fox]

The one thing that would be great for me was if it could handle cards in the vertical position. I think someone else mentioned this. I have a couple of cards... Anyway thought I would ask.

[Mkopack73]

Ok, looking at this again, a couple questions:

1) How do you power it on/off? I don't see any buttons on the front or sides. Did you hook up a button and attach it to the header? Or do you slide the board out/in every time to hit the buttons on the front of the board?

2) How much space is there between the card connectors and the top? Wondering if you might be able to fit the cards in vertically. Doesn't look like it would need much more space to fit, but then need some way to deal with the bracket on the cards... I guess it would need to be at more of an angle and taller to fit them vertically.

Still, interesting!!!