Graded card clamshell cases

[T205 GB]

Originally Posted by steve B

They make some polycarbonate/Lexan for 3D printing, but from what I've read it's difficult to work with that process.

If they do their own molds there, a CNC machine will make a decent small mold pretty quickly.
I haven't tried forming it into a mold, but I've done some machining and bending. I have a few ideas how I'd do something thin like a slab, but I'd have to experiment a bit. Heat control is the key, too much and the stuff gets bubbles, and develops internal stresses.

I think I might go with heat and press forming. Same bottom die for all my needs and only the top die changes pending size. The dies for the top of the shell will remain constant pending slab sizes needed.

[steve B]

Originally Posted by T205 GB

I think I might go with heat and press forming. Same bottom die for all my needs and only the top die changes pending size. The dies for the top of the shell will remain constant pending slab sizes needed.

I was thinking that's the way to go.

I got a nice manual heated platen press from the makerspace. They didn't understand it or what they could do with it and were getting rid of it. Unfortunately, their first step was to remove the housing from the base that held all the controls and guage and throw them away.

So I have the press and heaters, but no control circuit. Parts aren't all that easy to find.