Ender 3 / Ender 3 Pro - A Better Left Front Drawer with SD Card Slot

Last crawled date: 4 years, 2 months ago

Please consider supporting my efforts ( and my coffee and bagel habit ) with a PayPal tip.
20200112: Updated to include components for a Ender 3 Pro version.
I designed this drawer to compliment my Ender 3 - A Better Rear Electronics Enclosure project (see link below). I moved my electronics to the rear of my Ender 3 and I thought I would put newly available open space to use with a set of drawers. In addition I needed a way to access the Ender 3 SD card. Since the motherboard was inaccessible inside the enclosure, I ran a SD card extension cable to the front of the printer and incorporated it into my new drawer. If you don't need the SD card feature there are other drawer designs in Thingiverse that will work just as well.
You will observe small variations between the final design and my prototype in the picture. Primarily I provided a little better access to the SD card slot and I moved the drawer handle up to the middle of the drawer face. I think it looks better there.
Construction Notes:

The drawer cabinet should be printed vertically with the front/open end up to minimize support structure. You will find a solid block imbedded into the cabinet at the SD card lock slot. The full length SD card cavity supports were difficult to remove. The addition of the block should break the support structure in half and ease its removal. Please provide some feedback about this. As I have my drawer printed I have not tested the embedded block.


There is a small access port on the upper left side of the box for the Z-axis micro switch cable.


The SD card extension is run through the back of the box and the SD card receptacle drops into the slot on the right side and is slid fully forward. The SD card lock slides into the slot to lock the SD card receptacle in place. The lock should have a reasonably tight fit. If it goes in too hard simply sand down the sides a bit. It should be just loose enough to pry out without a big effort. The lock will be fully retained by the drawer.


Two magnets are used to secure the wiring cover in the locked position. One magnet is on the side of the wiring cover and the other is in the upper right rear inside wall of the cabinet. It is accessible from one of the openings on the back.


Use epoxy to secure the magnets. Do not use quick curing epoxy. Give yourself plenty of time to work with the magnets. The holes are oversize and extra deep. I had no problems installing magnets one at a time. A very small C-clamp will help press in stubborn magnets. Try to get the magnets just flush or a hair below flush. Go gently as it is possible to push them in too deep. Vents are provided to help any excess epoxy escape from behind the magnets. Wipe the excess epoxy off before it hardens. Make sure that the magnets are orientated so that they attract the two parts together. Pre-arranging the magnets on a steel bar or ruler will make them easier to handle during the gluing process. Confirm the magnets polarity with another magnet and mark the faces with a Sharpie so you know which side is which. Then it is a simple matter to grab a magnet one at a time as you glue them.


I advise slicing the SD card ribbon cable lengthwise down the middle where it passes through the Ender 3 lateral frame. This will make it easier to route the ribbon cable through the pass-through and bend it in any desired direction. Use a razor blade and a straight edge to get a good cut. Take your time to avoid slicing or cutting a conductor. 6 inches should be enough. For added protection you can tape up each side of the cut to avoid un-intended shorts.

The excess length of the SD card extension can be folded back upon itself and pushed into the back of the cabinet. Push the wiring cover to the back of the cabinet with its left edge touching the left inside of the box. When properly positioned the latches are ready to engage by sliding the wiring cover all the way to the right. At that point the magnets will hold the wiring cover in place and you will not have to worry about pinching the wires when you open and close the door.
Parts List:
All links at Amazon:
Qty 2 required: 8X2mm Magnets:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077KYBYYY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Qty 1 required: Micro SD Card ribbon extension cable. 48 cm.https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01D9J8KQE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Credits:
Since I had already printed a set of front right-hand drawers, I modeled my drawer design on them:Ender 3 Double Drawer w/ Bed Arrows & Less Material (L+R)