With my recent purchase and assembly of a Prusa i3 MK3s 3d printer I was excited with all the new options this printer gives me in quality, speed, and low noise. However with some prints having less than perfect layer lines I did some research and noticed that the wild ambient temperature changes both in and outside of my apartment could be a cause. On top of just wanting to keep any pets away from the printer I found semi official instructions to build an enclosure perfect for fitting the Prusa in it. While designed to be kept closed and keep an higher than average temp for ABS prints I read that others have used it for PLA (my plastic of choice) with the front doors kept open. I started by downloading the files and 3d printing the attachments.
55hours and 20 minutes of printing later I had all the initial pieces printed out that I would need. The plan is to use 2 Ikea Lack side tables. With joints holding the tables together as well as holding plexiglass on all for walls, one of the sides being hinged doors. With the temperature inside being much higher than a 3d printer left on a table the PSU is moved to be outside the enclosure and a fixed piece reinstalled in its place to keep the printer rigid. Finally a holder is put on top for any plastic spools with a through hole drilled in the top of the table.
Multiple extra prints were needed as the instructions are not perfect for the MK3s printer but those were easily done and everything fit together with little issue. All plexiglass was was installed safely and LED lights (as well as a smoke detector) were installed inside the enclosure. The LEDs were wired up to the printer as well so no extra wall outlets are needed and an inline switch still allows them to be turned on and off separately.
While not the most complex of projects it’s still a very satisfying one that will help make all future projects turn out just that much better!
