Looking for help building an enclosure

[spacelordmother]

I recently bought a MidiALF sequencer that has no case. This is an open-source project so all the files needed in order to size and build a case are available, but I have no experience with Eagle and although I am sort of handy with building this is probably over my head with all the knobs and things. There is one guy offering one, but it's like $80 with shipping from Germany and that seems a little crazy to me. Anyone out there who can either provide advice or assistance in getting some files I can print/cut from at Ponoko or similar? Am also open to ideas for materials.



https://midisizer.com/midialf/

Thanks!

[crochambeau]

Does "Ponoko or similar" support DXF CAD files? Were I in your shoes I'd have a go at laying out a drill/route plot in CAD, doesn't look like they are forthcoming with that information, but they do appear to provide a board file, from which you can pull measurements.

Then it's just a matter of drafting the hole type to fit whatever button/pot/LED/hardware style you've got.

Of course, you're only saving money if you self perform all this work - but I'm a computer luddite and find QCAD or LibreCAD pretty intuitive.

[spacelordmother]

Does "Ponoko or similar" support DXF CAD files? Were I in your shoes I'd have a go at laying out a drill/route plot in CAD, doesn't look like they are forthcoming with that information, but they do appear to provide a board file, from which you can pull measurements.

Then it's just a matter of drafting the hole type to fit whatever button/pot/LED/hardware style you've got.

Of course, you're only saving money if you self perform all this work - but I'm a computer luddite and find QCAD or LibreCAD pretty intuitive.

I"m CAD fluent (I work in architecture) but not Eagle so was unable to extract the layouts I need from their provided files. Not sure about Ponoko requirements, just that people use them for this sort of thing. I suppose in the end it would be easiest (and completely suitable for me) to get the top plate layout drilled cut out of acrylic and then build a box out of wood.

[crochambeau]

Yeah, I just tried a 30 second load of the brd file into anything Gerber or RS232/RS274 I have on hand and met with failure.

The coordinate based information is there, I just don't deal with Eagle either - so am not fluent in stunted proprietary file formats. I'm sure it can be done, but my curiosity didn't get me farther, sorry.

[multi_s]

you can export directly to dxf from eagle. go into file->Export->Dxf, then a menu will come up with some export options.

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maybe the tplace layer will be good depending on how the part is drawn, but that is usually put in the "center" of the part.

we could maybe cnc you an aluminum plate if you want, send me an email, mtl.asm@gmail.com. or maybe it will fit in a certain hammond enclosure? might be worth checking,

Yeah, I just tried a 30 second load of the brd file into anything Gerber or RS232/RS274 I have on hand and met with failure.

The coordinate based information is there, I just don't deal with Eagle either - so am not fluent in stunted proprietary file formats. I'm sure it can be done, but my curiosity didn't get me farther, sorry.

brd is proprietary to eagle, you can open it up in a text editor though, looks liek html/xml ish.

if you want to open in gerber viewer program, make the gerber files from brd first by running a machine job in eagle, it will export to many gerber formats no problem, but .brd directly will not open likely unless someone went really out of the way to make a gerber viewer that works with eagle specifically, which i doubt they would since you can export gerber from eagle already.

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[crochambeau]

Good to know, I don't run Eagle, but I suppose I might bump my head into a similar problem at some point in my travels.

[spacelordmother]

Yeah, I just tried a 30 second load of the brd file into anything Gerber or RS232/RS274 I have on hand and met with failure.

The coordinate based information is there, I just don't deal with Eagle either - so am not fluent in stunted proprietary file formats. I'm sure it can be done, but my curiosity didn't get me farther, sorry.

Yeah, as I said I don't have any real Eagle experience, but it was still foreign even though I am really used to CAD. No worries, man -- thanks for trying!

you can export directly to dxf from eagle. go into file->Export->Dxf, then a menu will come up with some export options.

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maybe the tplace layer will be good depending on how the part is drawn, but that is usually put in the "center" of the part.

we could maybe cnc you an aluminum plate if you want, send me an email, mtl.asm@gmail.com. or maybe it will fit in a certain hammond enclosure? might be worth checking.

That's awesome! Exporting into AutoCAD as a dxf will be a lot easier to deal with. Let me see if I can get a working file and then I'll hit you up about the plate! Also good call on checking for ready-made enclosures, didn't think I would find anything as the board is 9" x 4.5"

[multi_s]

hmm ya that is pretty big, looks like there are some hammond ones on mouser big enough but they are like 50 bucks just for the case , maybe germany is not looking so bad after all.

probably laser cutting wood or plastic is going to be the cheapest overall though. because wood grows on trees. XD

[crochambeau]

Bud Industries enclosures go that large, though the metal wall thickness is not nearly as robust as the cast Hammond stuff.

http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Bud ... es/AC-404/

Bottom plate is sold separately (BPA-1591)

Tons of sizes: http://www.budind.com/view/Aluminum+Enc ... um+Chassis, but again, they don't tolerate a lot of abuse (I have a few in the studio and they've done fine, except one that had a piece of heavy equipment fall on it).

[spacelordmother]

Ha! Eagle > DXF and I am in business with a workable AutoCAD layout in like 5 minutes.

Going to do some testing on paper and then look to have a top plate laser cut from acrylic and then see about the rest in the same or make something myself from wood. Thanks, dudes!

[eatyourguitar]

remember to disable the layers you do not need before you export to DXF. that should make it easier for ponoko to deal with. if you mention hammond and bud you should also check out heeger. you can get huge heeger boxes on mouser with $5 shipping!

http://lmbheeger.com/

[spacelordmother]

remember to disable the layers you do not need before you export to DXF. that should make it easier for ponoko to deal with. if you mention hammond and bud you should also check out heeger. you can get huge heeger boxes on mouser with $5 shipping!

http://lmbheeger.com/

Thanks for the tips! I exported to DXF and have purged everything besides the lines I need. Still in progress, but things have been crazy around here lately.