[NTLK] 3D Printing a Battery Tray

[Davis Remmel]

I rarely post to this group, but once someone says my name I just have to come
out. :)

Since I released that first model, I've been contacted several times by
people wanting their own 'copy' of the tray. Most of them tried to order it
through Shapeways, with the same luck as you: there are extremely thin areas
of the tray (as with many injection-molded parts) which don't print *super*
well. Not only that, but the tolerances need to be super tight, so the tray
can slide into the Newton's battery compartment and eject with the weak
internal spring.

It is possible to print this part yourself, though. A friend who found my
project offered to print a couple of models to get a closer fit, and they fit
pretty darn well. I just uploaded some pictures of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94275213@N08/sets/72157633036929341/

Don't worry about being, "too thin to print." Just be sure to print it
radially (vertical) and *not* axially, otherwise it spills over the
tolerances and doesn't fit at all.

Pretty much any commercial rapid prototyping machine should be able
to produce the part -- my best advice is to find a local business (or school)
with one, and ask them really nicely.

--
Davis

PS: If anyone knows a guy with a stereolithography printer, get me in touch
with him! I'd like to finally finish the tray, and produce a couple of these
(at high quality) for the community.