Project cases? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Sypher
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2013, 03:17:57 am
content: What is a good way to make cases for projects? I build a DC supply on a bread board, that I want to put on a PCB board an into a case. How can I go about this? I don't really have anything laying around that I could gut...Any ideas?

author: free_electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2013, 05:32:00 am
content: Rose, Bopla , Okw , Hammond , Box , Vero , Bud , pick your poison.... plenty of companies making cases....or make your own.

author: adam1213
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2013, 07:34:35 am
content: Quote from: Sypher on February 11, 2013, 03:17:57 amIn Australia there are shops like Jaycar that sell boxes with a common type called jiffy boxes of standard sets of sizes. I am not sure about places where you can buy boxes in the US though you could likely get them from a local electronics retailer or online.The advantage of a retail store is you can go in and see what the boxes look like. The disadvantage is that they all look reasonably the same and its much faster to do a parameter search online (e.g. element14 / rs components / digikey / mouser all have parameter searches) - often project cases are listed under the category "enclosures"* I assume you are in the US based onhttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/ot-what's-australia-like/msg156234/#msg156234though it would be easier to work it out if it was in your profile.

author: jaqie
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2013, 08:14:54 am
content: for the US marketwww.polycase.comis great.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2013, 08:16:32 am
content: OR go to eevblog.com [the main site] & click on wiki and look for enclosure manufacturersjust to save you the efforthttp://www.eevblog.com/wiki/index.php?title=Enclosure_Manufacturers

author: tld
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2013, 01:31:02 pm
content: Quote from: Sypher on February 11, 2013, 03:17:57 amSure you do, you just need to look hard enough!On a more serious note, where it's convenient, I like the idea of prototyping an enclosure, not just the circuit.Take this thing for example:(sorry about the quality, it's bad camera-picture, just trying to demonstrate a point).It's a dead simple 1-wire temperature-sensor (with xbee), hacked together from random parts, and tossed in a spare box that SparkFun shipped some stuff in a while ago. Currently running in out kitchen.Anyway, I like how it gives me a chance to test out stuff, before I start drilling plastic or metal. Sure, it'll probably be different dimensions and whatnot from a more permanent solution, but it allows me to test the interface of things, control-groupings, layout-ideas and so on.And, it's quick. Project and enclosure clobbered together over a weekend.tld

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2013, 01:52:14 am
content: I agree with the "repurposing an existing box" idea. If you really couldn't find anything suitable, you should be able to find a broken gadget for cheap or free that you can use for its case (and you'll likely get some other useful parts as well). You can also repurpose packaging that would otherwise be thrown away, like all the mint tin projects you have probably read about.

author: Harvs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2013, 02:03:23 am
content: Or, if you've got a bit of time have google for tutorials on building cases with laser cut acryilc. There's plenty of neat ideas, and it can work out at a similar price to an off-the-shelf generic case, with the bonus that you can put any holes (of whatever shape) or markings you need.http://blog.ponoko.com/category/making-help/laser-cutting-making-help/These guys seem popular for having it cut.However there's some really good tutorials on the web each with different ideas on construction techniques. So I suggest reading around if your interested in following this path.

author: notsob
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2013, 03:16:31 am
content: ONE THING many beginners forget when making their very first PCB is MOUNTING HOLESSecondly, try and estimate what size the PCB will be, then find a suitable enclosure AND then design the PCB to fit it.

author: ptricks
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 23, 2013, 03:12:30 pm
content: Unfortunately project cases can get really expensive, so much so that I usually opt to build my own.It is much cheaper to buy sheets of acrylic , you can even get them precut, glue together on the edges , drying in about 1 minute.I can get two 12x12 sheets for about $12 and make a case that would cost me $40+ if I bought it and I would have to stick to their dimensions , I couldn't choose my own.http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=34609&catid=442You can also bend acrylic really easily if you have a hot air station. Place the sheet with the part you want to bend on the edge of a table top. Heat where you want the bend to be and push down the acrylic over the edge. Only takes a minute to do and you can get really nice designs that way. This video shows bending with a torch, but a hot air station works much better.