Parts & Materials

Download and 3D print the parts in your desired colored filament. We recommend PLA filament, to minimize warping and splitting. 

If you don't have access to a 3D printer, you can use a service like 3DHubs.com

Part Orientation

The parts are oriented to print "as-is". Only two parts require support material. We tested this parts on the Flashforge Creator Pro and Ultimaker 2.

armband.stl

base-cover.stl

base-main.stl

Add support material

bat-cap.stl

bat-case.stl

bat-clip-a.stl

bat-clip-b.stl

LED-diffuser.stl

LED-ring.stl

rotary-case.stl

Add support material

rotary-cover.stl

rotary-knob.stl

screen-cover.stl

screen-visor.stl

Modify Design

The parts were designed in Autodesk Fusion 360. The design file is open source available to download and customize - It can be downloaded in various formats such as IGS, STEP, SAT and many others.

Custom Supports

When slicing the parts in your preferred slicing program, you'll need to apply support material. Simplify3D has a nifty feature that lets you apply custom supports to specific areas in the part. This helps save on material and print time. The base-main part doesn't require support in the middle of the armband - only the overhand areas in the back and triangular flap.

Parts Cleanup

When the parts are finished printing, you may need to clean them up a bit. Remove the support materials using a pair of flat pliers. A pair of flush diagonal snips can help remove any string or bits. 

Tap Standoffs

First up, it's a good idea to tap all of the standoffs in the base-main part. Use a #4-40 tap or machine screws to create the necessary threads. Don't fasten the tap/screw all the way through - just until its about halfway through the standoff.

Add Magnets

The armband and base-main parts will be held together with rare earth magnets. On the bottom of the parts are 8 pockets – this is where the magnets will go. Insert one magnet in all the pockets to test tolerances – If they're too tight, use a hobby knife or filing tool to loosen it up. 

A helpful tip is to mark one of the ends with a sharpie - that way you can keep track of the polarities. 

I recommend using E6000 adhesives to glue the magnets in place. Drop just a dap of glue into the pocket and insert one magnet at a time. Make sure to keep anything metal at arms reach – My watch band has metal and it pulled out one of the magnets before it fully dried, so be cautious!

Be sure give the adhesives 3-4 hours to fully cure before handeling them.

Glue Screen Visor to Base Cover

Next up, we'll need to glue the screen-visor to the base-cover part. Notice the cutout on the visor part - this will allow accessibility to the ports on the Raspberry Pi. Orient the visor so the cutout is lined up with the opening on the base-cover part. Lay the screen-visor on top of the base-cover. It should nicely fit flush with the part. Once you are familiar with the correct orientation, glue the two parts together. Again, be sure to let the parts dry for several hours before handeling.

Prep Work

That's about all the prep work we need to do for the printed parts. In this tutorial, we won't go over any finishing or painting techniques to the parts, but you're totally welcome to do that yourself.

While the parts dry, let's go ahead and get the Raspberry Pi software ready.

This guide was first published on Feb 04, 2016. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (3D Printing) was last updated on Feb 01, 2016.

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