After making the draw latches for the recirculating filter design, I thought that it would be cool to use them for a case.  And when I saw the awesome Bambu printer accessory cases from Jorge_Rui and Mr. Sullivan on Printables, the idea clicked to try a remix of one of those designs, with the case.  I'm going to use the design from Mr. Sullivan since it has some improvements which hold the parts in place, is a bit more space efficient, and the STEP files were helpfully provided (which makes remixing much easier).  I ran some test prints to check the fit of the Bambu spare parts with the design from Mr. Sullivan, and the hot ends fit very well, as do the microSD cards.  I did not test the cutters though I plan to later.  I may modify the nozzle wiper holders a bit to narrow them, and I'm considering how to lay everything out.  I have however tested the key parts of the case including the hinges and they function well.

There is also a Gridfinity version of the case in the works, which will hold 15 units (9 Gridfinity "units" high or 9x7mm).

Both the cases will be completed after the filter design is posted, since the cases will take some time to print and test.  But at least I don't need to wait on parts from China to get them done.

Update 9/29/2023: I've been working on and off to optimize the design for the various holders for the parts, using the designs from Mr. Sullivan on Printables, as a base to build from.  I slightly modified his design for the hotend holders with longer tabs, and some larger pockets to help remove the hot ends.  It was pretty simple as the original designs fit the hot ends perfectly.  For the wiper and cutter holders, I wanted to have a way to hold them in positively, so I designed holders for those parts from scratch.  To do that, I had to model the wiper, but since the cutter is such a simple design it did not require modeling.  What I ended up with were designs that hold the parts securely, but will release the parts with a push of a lever.  The levers seem robust enough.  But it's gotta be a balance between strength and usability, so there is always the possibility they could break in time.  To hopefully mitigate that problem, the various holders will be modular, and install in the case using M3x20mm screws.  That way, should any one tab break, only the holder (actually the group of holders) will need to be replaced, and not the entire case lid or base. 

I spent way too long with these simple designs, and probably printed a dozen iterations of the wiper and cutter holder prototypes, before I had a design that I could be happy with.  Now I just need to integrate them into the case design, and print those parts to test.

Update 9/30/2023: I forgot to model a holder for the liquid glue (sorry no glue stick holder). Now all the holders for the case are completed, and I'm just finalizing the design for the doors.  I wanted to have some sort of latching mechanism, and in the past I have used pen springs, which are ideal.  However many folks don't have those laying around, so I modeled some printed springs, but I'm trying to tune the spring force so the latches will be easy to open, but pop closed.  The latches have been tested, and seem to work well enough.

I'm currently running the top of the toolbox first (the part which will have the logo and compartments).  I had to print the top using no prime tower, mouse ears only and manual supports along the front where there are some unsupported overhangs,  Ideally the model would have no supports.  However due to the way the draw latches work, some supports are required.  There are also some supports in the area of the case label frame, which I think are unavoidable.  I expect that I can print this in 5 almost full plates and 2 multicolor plates (split the multicolor prints to minimize the waste).  

I received a few parts from AliExpress, which I need to complete the Marvin the Microparticle Machine Filter, and also the booster fan for the Bambu X1C.  However, I did not get the blowers for the Marvin project yet (tracking shows they should be here any day now).

The booster fan parts however are mostly accounted for, and I may have some extras of what I need lying around to test that project (now I just need to print it :D).

I also received some self adhesive gasket material, which I used to help seal around the door on the X1C.  It's not close to a perfect solution, and I know there are better ways to do this, but for now I think this will be OK.  I had to stick it on with it hanging about half way over the edge of the glass, but least I can no longer see light through the edges of the door.  Installation was a bit more difficult though, since it appears some lube must have wiped against the door sill at the bottom of the printer, so I had to clean that off before the stuff would stick.  The seal is also not likely necessary since there are many other larger holes in the printer which need to be addressed, but I plan to work on that one problem at a time.

Update 9/21/2023: The fans finally arrived, and even better, they fit the design, so no major changes will be needed.  I'm going to install everything and test it, before I can release "Marvin the Microparticle Machine" on Printables.

Until I can get the parts to directly duct the X1C outside, I decided to temporarily evict my CR10S Pro from it's comfortable (vented and filtered) enclosure and replace it with the X1C.  That will take care of the annoying odors from printing, but it also required moving the AMS.  My enclosure is large enough to hold both the X1C and the AMS, but I would not be able to open the AMS. 

The AMS can be located a small distance from the printer (Bambu recommends no more than a 3.5m bowden extension), and the distance is not a problem for my temporary setup (it will be about 1m of bowden tube between the AMS and hub).  However the AMS bowden tube itself is a unique design, and an ordinary tube will not work.  The Bambu AMS bowden tube has an inside diameter of 2.5mm (and a normal 4mm outside diameter), while most bowden tubes are around 2mm for the inside diameter (or less).  A normal Bowden tube will cause too much friction, and the filament may not make it past the transition into a narrower tube as it leaves the AMS. 

Of course there is a solution, which is $9.99 plus $7 shipping...  It's more annoying that I could not think of any other spares to pick up while I was paying shipping anyway, but I need the tube to get the AMS back up. 

Update: The Bambu Bowden tube worked perfectly, and the AMS now sits atop the enclosure (for now).

I've been using these plastic storage containers to store filament for a while now, and they work very well for most of my spools.  There are a couple larger spools (also 1kg) which are an uncommon wider design that do not fit these as well (they still work but are tight), but the vast majority of my spools do fit easily.  I've seen these below $20 for a six pack prevously, but they are currently pretty close to that at $21.29 after a $3 coupon.  They're hard to beat at only about $3.50 each.  They also come with a bunch of the black labels, a white pen which has an ink that washes off with water, as well as a measuring cup and some other parts which are not needed for what I use them for.  The only downside is not knowing what to do with all the extra measuring cups :D

I was looking at all the remixes for the highly regarded Bento Box, and it got me thinking of what design features I'd like a recirculating filter to have.  The remixes cover most of the things I'd want, but the more I looked at the remixes, the more ideas I had.  I thought I'd just see if I could make my own version of the design, and although it took several hours, I'm pretty happy with it so far.  Although this is a ground up design, it obviously takes a lot of inspiration from the Bento Box and the remixes.  That is, this is nothing new, just a different take on the idea.  The key points which I wanted to achieve with the design are:

1. Bigger fans, specifically 5020 blowers.  There is one potential monkey in the wrench though, which is that the fans I bought are GDS Time GDB5020 24V blowers, which are open on both sides.  I hope they will work in both orientations, or I will have to re-work this.  Update 9/4/2023: I decided to use some 12V PWM (4wire) 5020 blowers instead, since I can easily control the speed.
2. A bigger HEPA filter.  I wanted a larger filter, since it should allow better flow.  I already had these on hand from another project (I was working on a nevermore clone, which did not get out of the gate).
3. A switch and DC jack.  Most implementations of the Bento Box seem to be hard wired, but I thought it would be more convenient to have a DC jack, so the unit could be removed when swapping the filters.  A switch is also handy of course, and there are Bento Box remixes which incorporate one as well.
4. Fewer compartments, and no magnets.  Although I have never seen a Bento Box first hand, the method of keeping the tiers together is through small magnets.  I have nothing against magnets for holding lids and things, but I just prefer not to use them as a part of a structure, though the way they are used in the Bento Box does make things convenient.  This design uses two compartments, and a pair of draw latches (updated) to hold it together (the latches are a scratch design and are not yet tested).
5. A groove to help seal the compartments.  Instead of a flush fit between compartments, there is an overlap between them, which should help with keeping the whole thing together and provide some structure.  Sealing is less of a concern with a recirculating filter, but it should help with that as well.
6. A removable carbon tray.  Some of my other filter designs use a removable carbon filter, and it's handy for keeping the mess down when refilling it.  It's not essential, but a preference and since I was going to the trouble I added it.
7. Some room for possible additions.  The fans and electronic components are housed in a tray, which should make assembly simple, but it also gives some options for upgrading in the future, since there is a bit of extra room.  Possibly a temp and humidity sensor with an ESP32, or some sort of smart switch would fit?  I'm not planning that currently, but it's cool to have the space.

One item not on that list, which I thought of while making this, was to have it print without supports.  Generally I try to consider printing and this was no different, it's just a complex design.  So unfortunately some supports will be needed, but they should be minimal, and the rough support contact areas will mostly be hidden. 

I'm currently waiting on the fans from China, so I will update with pics as I get it printed and tested.

Update 9/2/2023: I decided to use a normal draw latch design, which will use M3x20 and M3x30 mm screws.  The latch is untested, like this whole thing, so it will be a while before there is another update.

Update 9/3/2023: Just one more quick update.  After seeing the way the design has a "face", I'm thinking of naming it "Marvin the MircoParticle Machine".

Update 9/4/2023: Ran some test prints to optimize the draw latch and confirm the sizing for the filter pocket.  Also ordered some PETG so I can print some tests.  The parts so far are run in PLA but PETG is what I plan to use for the final print.  I also decided to pick up some 12V 4wire PWM 5020 fans since they can more efficiently be controlled.  I picked up a simple PWM controller as well, which will take the place of a switch (though I plan to have models for a switch controlled version as well since it's already modeled).  I'm also considering a few other additions which will not be part of the main design and may come later as a remix or optional update.

Update 9/8/2023: I decided to go ahead and run some parts off, even though I'm waiting on the fans and the PWM controller.  Probably a good thing I did, because I found a few issues with the fit on some parts (too tight) and also a potential problem with where I placed the DC input, and interference with the printer.  There is only one place this can go in the Bambu X1C, and that is on the back right corner, and this does fit.  However I had to move the DC input to the top of the filter, and added some additional cable management.  It was also clear that some sort of mount would be needed, and so I just modified the base to make it into a sort of cradle.  I will probably run some more parts off later this week to test again, but it's not all bad news, I think with some minor changes I can use the prototype with my Voron, or certainly with the CR10S Pro, when it goes back into it's enclosure.  I also forgot to print the mesh in the outlet area, though I think I like it better that way, so I may just leave it open in the final deign.  The first pic shows the design I'm planning to use with my Bambu X1C, the rest are all the prototype which was printed to test fitment of the parts:

9/12/2023: I think I fixed the issues with the first prototype, and I will be printing the updated models this week.  But I'm still waiting on the PWM controller board, and fans, so there will be some more work once they get here.  Below are some pics showing the tree supports necessary for the top part (unfortunately quite a bit of them), and also a pic of the top cover where the PWM controller will be located (on the Bambu version).  There will also be a version of the top which is closed, and will have a simple on-off switch on the right side, as well as a version with a vented top cover, and a PWM knob on the right side.  

Update 9/15/2023: I'm still waiting on parts from AliExpress, but have made a few minor changes in the meantime.  The fitment is improved since several parts were difficult to install previously.  There is also a base which acts as a sort of cradle for the filter, so it should keep it in place, but also make it easy to remove to swap the filters.  Finally, there will be a fuse holder added.  I know that some folks will think that is being too cautious with just a 12v fan, but I've had fuses in my printer filters since I designed the first one for my enclosure, so why stop now :D  And it's a good idea, considering I run the filters quite often.  

I'm also really liking the latches, and already have some ideas to use the same draw latch design in some other projects.

Update 9/22/2023: I was able to test the 4wire 5020 fans work (in parallel) with the PWM controller.  There were some areas which I found needed some fine tuning in the design, and I also added some "quality of life" improvements for assembly.  I added some 2 wire WAGO holders which will take care of the 12v power wires and fuse connections, though there will be some wire splicing required for the fan wires, can't get around that.  Though instead of soldering, I plan to use some heat shrink solder connectors to join the fan wires together into a single fan connection. 

I found that the pre-wired fuseholders I ordered are poorly assembled, so it's almost impossible to remove the nut that is used to secure them.  I also broke one of the poorly soldered wires off one of the holders, and another shattered when I was trying to remove the nut (which was my fault, but still sucks).  So I'd not get the pre-wired fuse holders again, and instead would get the type that require soldering some wires to.  However, I was able to get my pre-wired fuseholders to work (after finally removing the nut), and also threaded the hole they will go into (with an M12x1mm thread).  I also made an allowance for the wires to pass through, in case the pre-wired holders are used.  It's a lot of work for a fuseholder, but I think it's worthwhile for something they will be running for hours.  

Although everything was just temporarily connected together for testing, I was surprised how powerful the fans are.  I did not have the carbon container filled up, but even just blowing through the HEPA filter, they move air pretty well.  I think having the ability to fine tune the airflow using the speed controller is going to be very useful too.  I would not call the fans quiet, though they are not too loud either, and having the ability to turn down the speed, also turns down the noise.  Overall I am really pleased with the performance so far.  

I'm running some further full function parts now, and if all goes well, I hope to have the model built this week, so I can run it for some longer tests in the X1C.

I printed the parts and found there is an interference issue with the floor of the printer (it has a raised L shaped area which would be under the filter).  The fix was easy, but then I decided to change a few other things, and am printing the changes now.  Once I get it printed, I will install it and test it.

Update 9/23/2023:  I worked out the interference issues with the base, and have placed the filter in the printer.  It fits OK, and I ran the Z axis up and down several times, and did not feel like it was going to hit anything, but it "looks" close.  I think I can gain a couple mm by modifying some simple things, so will try that first, but it may mean re-printing the cradle (again - this is the 4th time)... I will get back to this next week and hopefully have the design finalized.

Update 9/29/2023: I made some changes to the design which provide extra clearance inside the printer, but those will require significant parts to be reprinted.  I will probably use the version you see in the pics above with my Voron, but for now still plan on testing it inside the X1C (until I get the updated parts printed out).  I have also received an extension cable for power (since I don't want to cut up my power supply cable).  I also remixed Rob the 3D Printing Dad's Power Cable Guide for the BentoBox, to fit a thicker cable (and also trimmed 2.5mm from the length, so it would fit better in the X1C).  I need to install all that stuff and then run some tests, but so far it has been working sitting outside my printer (in the enclosure).

I found some filters, which I have been using in my ducted enclosure, and I think they may work with the X1C as well.  With the ducted enclosure, they simply do a quick filter before the air is vented outside, but they are marketed as HEPA.  These filters are larger than the hole for the chamber fan outlet, but it should be no problem if the filter housing extends lower than the fan outlet (since there is nothing there).  The additional surface area may help with allowing more flow through the filter too. 

The issue with the filters I used for the first try, is that they offer too much resistance (though they are nice filters if used with a powerful enough fan).  The filters I'm using for this 2nd design are thinner, and probably not as efficient, but if no air can pass through a filter, it's not doing anything anyway.  I think the lack of airflow through the first filters I tried is why there was a notable smell when printing PLA as well as ABS, since the air was not getting filtered, but rather backing up and probably just blowing around the filter or not making it through at all.  There is no carbon component to this new filter, though there is a small carbon filter inside the printer (which is not sufficient in my opinion).  So this is not perfect, but I hope it will do. 

This design was much easier to create, since I did not go overboard with the extra details this time.  But it will still have the option of printing with 2 colors to highlight the hexagon inlay pattern.  If it works well enough, I will post it up on Printables.

Update 9/3/2023: This works better, but I can still smell the PLA cookin.  I don't think the built in carbon filter really does much either.  This maybe the best that I can do with the stock fan setup.  I may post this later.

There is a really cool design for organizing and storing the steel bed sheets on Printables, but it's for a Prusa so it's a bit smaller than required for the Bambu X1C.   The design looks great, but then I found a remix (also for a Prusa), which may improve the mechanism.  There are other remixes designed for the X1C, so why bother making another?  I wanted a few things, which were not available:

1. Will use the see-saw mechanism from the remix here.
2. Has to fit the X1C sheets
3. I want to assemble the sides fully using the M3 nuts and screws, and once they are together, it will have holes for using #8 screws to mount it to the underside of a cabinet.  I don't want to use the mounting screws to hold it all together.
4. Have split models which will allow printing the parts in fewer batches.

I think the model I am printing now, checks all those boxes, and I also added some text to the bottoms of the split parts to indicate what the are (since it gets confusing with all the parts).  If these work out, I will post it as a remix.

Update 9/3/2023:   

​This is now posted to Printables here:
https://www.printables.com/model/571794-steel-sheet-holder-with-seesaw-eject-button-mechan
​

I ran some ABS using the fan filter, and I could smell the faint odor of ABS.  There was a small change in the cheap air quality meter I have as well (though I trust my nose more in this case). The chamber fan did not run during the print, which is normal, but I ran the fan on high for 5 minutes before opening the printer.  So I can't blame the filter for the smell which was present before running it.  I think the issue is just that the printer is not sealed up, so the smell just oozed out during the print.  I have some ideas on how to seal the doors better, but I'm waiting on parts.  Still, for ABS at least, I will need to wait until the duct system is ready since it needs some negative air pressure. 

If the ABS smell is due to the leaky enclosure, why then does the fan stink?  I don't have evidence right now, but I can feel with the filter in place, that the chamber fan is too weak, and the flow is uneven through the vent on the back (seem to be more flow on the left side than the right side).  I need to see if I can find a filter that may work "better" with the stock chamber fan (will need to be thinner and probably less effective).  I think a robot vacuum filter may be an option, but for now this design is going back to the drawing board.  Still though, I'm planning on keeping the filter on the printer at least until I have something better, or I can get the vent ducting system built and installed.  I could probably just put the X1C in the ducted enclosure I built for the CR10S Pro, but I could just as easily run ABS on that machine, so it's not worth the trouble.

The X1C does print ABS decently though (without calibrating), and the enclosure definitely helps with the stink (though not enough).  The slightly uneven layer lines in the pic below does not show up when looking at the parts, which have an apparently good finish (just not as good looking under magnification).  That's not uncommon for 3D printed parts however, perfectly stacked lines is a sort of holy grail, and hard to expect without doing any calibration, aside from the out of the box stuff.  I'm fine with this for prototyping stuff.

Edit: Maybe it could work for PLA, but no way will it be enough for ABS.  I ran some PLA with it and did feel a very slight airflow though it when I had the chamber fan on 100%, so some air (but very little) is moving through it.  I think it could be improved.

Edit 2: Nope, after running PLA for a few hours with the chamber fan at 80% the whole time, it still has a funky sweet smell of printing the stuff.  Gonna wait for the parts to make a duct system, and may stick the printer in my other enclosure in the meantime.

Filtering or ducting away the ultrafine particles and VOC's which can be created by 3D printers, is something that is not given much thought by most manufacturers.  Even today, most consumer 3D printers are not even enclosed, and those that are, do not do a great job of filtering (if they even include a filter).  As 3D printers become more common, the science will catch up.  But what is already out there, should give anyone with a 3D printer some pause to consider what the long term health consequences could be.  And also consider the simple things which may hopefully reduce the risks.  I don't know much about the science, and have a limited budget (so a $600-$1000 filtering system is not in the cards), but I think a little of something is better than a lot of nothing.  My little of something is currently a ducting system which runs the air from my enclosed printer, through a small HEPA filter, and then out through an unused doggie door.  It uses 2.5" flex hose, which is the smallest diameter I'd consider, and a rather powerful blower fan. 

For my new Bambu X1C, I've designed a small HEPA filter cover which is slapped on the back of the printer, and held on using a bunch of magnets.  I just installed it yesterday and have not tested it, but it looks cool at least.  This is going to be a temporary solution for my printer though, since I will eventually add a duct system similar to my current enclosure setup.

The plan for the next iteration will be to run a duct from the outlet on the back of the X1C, with a booster fan (6038 12V) inline, which will vent out a doggie door (through a printed cover).  The booster fan will use a 4 wire PWM fan, and I'm planning to design a remote PWM controller, with a potentiometer to control the speed.  I think the booster fan will be needed, since there is going to be several feet of hose, and the small fan on the back of the printer won't cut it.  I'm also considering a small circular filter in the booster fan housing, since I prefer to filter the air before sending it outside.  I'm still waiting on parts to finalize that design, but I was able to use some of the earlier models from my current setup, which helped speed things along a bit.  If the fan has enough power, then I think the newer design should be improved over what I'm using now, and more modular as well.

Below are some pics of the inline booster fan (with a filter), and the last pic is the coupler which will connect the hose to the printer.  Although they look complete, I need the parts to finalize the models.

Update 9/18/2023:  The parts for the booster fan are printed, so I just need to assemble it and then build the PWM controller housing (which will just be a PWM controller and DC input for the 12V the fans require).

​I bought something last week, which I'd considered (but couldn't justify buying) since I saw it on Kickstarter... but so far I am having few complaints about my Bambu Labs X1C.  Yeah I know, "You still haven't finished the Voron, and you bought an X1C!?!".  It's not that bad though, the Voron is going to get completed, and will become my "big" printer, it's just that my Ender3 and CR10S Pro, which are good printers when I'm not tinkering with them, are being left in the dust by the newer CoreXY printers on the market today.  And the best of them so far, at least when it comes to the feature set, is the Bambu X1C with an AMS.  While it's true that the P1S is $500 cheaper, and does most of the same stuff, and the Creality K1 Max is bigger, right now I just wanted a printer that works, that I don't have to tinker with much.

It's not all sunshine and roses though, I'm not stoked that my dollars went to a company which is moving 3D printing away from opensource, and I have no excuse for that one.  I'd have much preferred to give my money to Prusa, since they have given a lot back to the community, but it was not to be.  Although I was fully aware of it going into the purchase, it still bugs me that the X1C is cloud centric, and Bambu seems pretty opaque on what they collect in their encrypted log files.  I didn't go full Grant Posner and isolate it to the LAN without firmware updates, but before I even connected the printer, I had to set up a way to isolate it from the rest of my network.  Adding to my reservations is the very closed nature of their hardware and software.  Practically, that means if I have a problem, I better hope they will sell me the parts, or provide some basic support to locate a fault.  Finally, in my limited time using the printer, it initially told me to lube up the Z screws after initial calibration (which was easy, but what's up with that, eh?), and there have been a few disconnects from wifi (however I'm going to try boosting the signal from my router).

So now that the bad is out of the way, the good is that UPS did not destroy it, and it was safely delivered.  It even printed great out of the box, including a couple multicolor prints with the AMS, which is a huge achievement for a 3D printer!  It's also not as noisy as I thought it would be based on reviews, though it's located in a room which is not often used (or maybe my hearing is going out).  Overall I'm pretty impressed with it, and I can see that the LiDAR will probably become more useful over time (although it seemed to work well enough for the 4 spools of random PLA I tried).  The touchscreen is also something I consider a requirement these days, and the one on X1C is actually very useful.  I'm hopeful that the X1C can be my goto printer for smaller things, and that I can get proficient with OrcaSlicer (or possibly BambuSlicer).  My plan right now is to use those tools with the Voron, and maybe other printers as well.  And again, the Voron is going to be finished ("he had to tell himself" - Morgan Freeman, get out of my head!).  To use a car analogy, the Voron is gonna be like a Camaro, which gets driven to the track every weekend, while the daily driver 2023 Honda Accord (X1C) will be doing the milk runs to the grocery store.

And because I can't help myself, there will be a few things which I am going to add to the X1C.  The small carbon (only) filter included with the printer is pretty insufficient to rely upon, so I'm working on a design which I hope will help clean up the air blown out the back of the printer.  I also have plans to add a duct with a booster fan to it later (waiting on parts for that though).  Further down the road I am considering a better lighting solution for the printer.  Although it has a light inside, it's just adequate to see what's going on using the camera, but very hard to see through the tinted glass door. 

Below is a pic of the filter I'm working on.  It will get posted to Printables once I can confirm the filters fit (and I get it printed).  There are several versions, the two on the right use M3 screws (which requires tapping a few holes), and the one on the left uses 8x3 magnets to hold it in place.  I will update the blog when it's posted, with some more pics of it.  

Updated 8/30/2023: Adding some pics of the filter, which is not yet posted.

Update 8/31/2023: The fan filter needs more work, the filter being used is too much for the weak chamber fan to deal with.