Anyone have any type of update here?
I've got a few FDM printers and looking to try custom back cases.
I know that a few of the problems that have been identified are solvable, things like tabs should be able to be fixed by just adjusting the layer resolution, normally people print at .20mm or about that, and I've learned that for the really "good" prints I want to use, I'll lower the layer height to as low as .12mm, and even .08mm - It takes a LONG time to print, however, the quality is worth it.
If you've got the printers available then please give it a go and report back! If I had a printer I would have tried already. It looks to me like it would be easier to print if you filed in the finer details around the clips and the stiffening ribs in the side, and reworked the speaker grille, but that's more of an educated guess than based on experience. I'm not sure what the best approach to the buttons would be.
(03-27-2021, 01:43 AM)dgdimick Wrote: Anyone have any type of update here?
I've got a few FDM printers and looking to try custom back cases.
I know that a few of the problems that have been identified are solvable, things like tabs should be able to be fixed by just adjusting the layer resolution, normally people print at .20mm or about that, and I've learned that for the really "good" prints I want to use, I'll lower the layer height to as low as .12mm, and even .08mm - It takes a LONG time to print, however, the quality is worth it. Hi,
I haven't done anything on my side...
My 3D printer is much too old and not calibrated enough for such tiny details. What I was thinking about was to forego the snapping tabs, and instead use the threaded holes used to fasten the inner mid frame to the front cover. In other words, make corresponding countersunk or counterbore holes on the back cover. But I would need to source longer screws, and find out what size and thread they are. Of course by doing this, I would need to make removable access panels for the battery, the SIM/SD slots and the dip switches. Sliding, hinged, not sure... This may make the back cover a lot thicker.
03-29-2021, 08:10 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-29-2021, 08:12 AM by wibble.)
If you can print with one of the flexible materials you could try what Motorola did with one of the alternate covers for the original generation Moto G - the back cover was hard plastic, but the sides were flexible and wrapped slightly over the edges of the phone front, holding the cover on instead of the clips. This also provided better grip and bump protection.
![[Image: ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.mobilefun.co.uk%2...f=1&nofb=1]](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.mobilefun.co.uk%2Fgraphics%2Fproductgalleries%2F44043%2Fofficial-motorola-grip-shell-case-for-moto-g-black-p44043-c.jpg&f=1&nofb=1)
I haven't found any pics of the inside. The buttons are also easier to do with the flexible material as you don't have to hinge anything.
(03-29-2021, 08:10 AM)wibble Wrote: If you can print with one of the flexible materials you could try what Motorola did with one of the alternate covers for the original generation Moto G - the back cover was hard plastic, but the sides were flexible and wrapped slightly over the edges of the phone front, holding the cover on instead of the clips. This also provided better grip and bump protection.
I haven't found any pics of the inside. The buttons are also easier to do with the flexible material as you don't have to hinge anything.
I'm not sure if you're understanding what cover I'm trying to print - just found out that the filament cooling fan died, so it will be a week or so before I can try again.
The case I'm trying to print id the BACK cover, not the Phone PROTECTOR cover.
If I can get a good print, then I'll spend the time in Fusion 360 to design a sliding door for the back that will allow access to the POGO pins and the Switches.
As to your comment of printing a "soft" cover, in order to do this you need a direct drive printer, and while I can modify my Ender 3 to do this, I'm about 3 or 4 months out before I can slide this type on mod into my que. Just to give you a bit of information, the filament your talking about is TPU, think the materiel they make O-Rings out of, it's not exactly the same thing, however, the "flex" of TPU is close to the same effect.
To be honest, I really need to try and start printing TPU, since there are a LOT of things it would be helpful if I could print.
Just some random stuff on my process printing the back cover.
The back cover design that was posted really isn't the best design for an FDM printer. Don't take this as me criticizing the designer, it's just not a great design to be using for an FDM printer. I'm thinking that the STP file was taken right off the design used to injection mode the "real" back case.
There's a few reason my first print didn't come out as good as I'd like, part of it is the desgin, and part of it is probsably me still trying to figure out the best setting to print the filament I want to use for the back cover.
If you had an SLA printer, the posted STP file would probably work just fine, SLA printers have a MUCH higher resolution then FDM printers. Printing with an FDM printer is like squeezing tooth paste out of a tube, stacking the layers up to make an item, where SLA printing is more like applying very thin layers of glue on top of each other to make the same item.
Some of the advantages of FDM printing are it's cheaper, and more forgiving if you drop the printed item, where SLA printers allow for VERY detailed prints, however, they are brittle, you drop the print and you have a pretty good chance of breaking the item. If you're into D&D type miniatures, war hammer, or any type on miniatures, you'd love an SLA printer.
I've made a few changes to the print settings and trying again.
(03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: I'm thinking that the STP file was taken right off the design used to injection mode the "real" back case. I'm pretty sure it is. It matches all the details on the production back cover. And I was pretty certain looking it up that it wouldn't print very good on an FDM printer.
(03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: Some of the advantages of FDM printing are it's cheaper, and more forgiving if you drop the printed item, where SLA printers allow for VERY detailed prints, however, they are brittle, you drop the print and you have a pretty good chance of breaking the item. If you're into D&D type miniatures, war hammer, or any type on miniatures, you'd love an SLA printer. What we've exclusively used at work for plastic prototypes at work for the past few years is SLS (selective laser sintering). It's much stronger than SLA, about as precise, and uses ABS. It's even possible to work with metals. It's pretty expensive though, too much for personal use unless you're willing to shell out $50 for a back cover including shipping. At least that's what I remember from the online quote I made a few months ago.
(03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: I've made a few changes to the print settings and trying again. I'll be curious to know how it turns out.
I know you're trying to print the back cover, which is why I mentioned the original Moto G - they had different sorts of removable back cover. The stock one clipped on much like the stock pinephone back cover, as did their integrated back / flip case, but the one I mentioned combined the hard back with a flexible edge, and didn't have the fine details of the clips which will make printing the unmodified pinephone back cover difficult.
(04-05-2021, 12:06 AM)NormandC Wrote: (03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: I'm thinking that the STP file was taken right off the design used to injection mode the "real" back case. I'm pretty sure it is. It matches all the details on the production back cover. And I was pretty certain looking it up that it wouldn't print very good on an FDM printer.
(03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: Some of the advantages of FDM printing are it's cheaper, and more forgiving if you drop the printed item, where SLA printers allow for VERY detailed prints, however, they are brittle, you drop the print and you have a pretty good chance of breaking the item. If you're into D&D type miniatures, war hammer, or any type on miniatures, you'd love an SLA printer. What we've exclusively used at work for plastic prototypes at work for the past few years is SLS (selective laser sintering). It's much stronger than SLA, about as precise, and uses ABS. It's even possible to work with metals. It's pretty expensive though, too much for personal use unless you're willing to shell out $50 for a back cover including shipping. At least that's what I remember from the online quote I made a few months ago.
(03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: I've made a few changes to the print settings and trying again. I'll be curious to know how it turns out.
It looks like the STP file will not print a usable cover when trying it with a FDM printer. I even tried it at a .08mm layer.
(04-05-2021, 12:36 PM)dgdimick Wrote: (04-05-2021, 12:06 AM)NormandC Wrote: (03-31-2021, 07:11 AM)dgdimick Wrote: I've made a few changes to the print settings and trying again. I'll be curious to know how it turns out.
It looks like the STP file will not print a usable cover when trying it with a FDM printer. I even tried it at a .08mm layer. Unfortunate, although not surprising. What changes did you make, and what went wrong?
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