Designing for CNC
The main lesson I learned from this project was to design with the tool in mind. I had to make sure the bits could cut between the walls of the case and standoffs. I ended up increasing the overall dimensions of the case to accommodate for the 1/8" flat end mill.
Acrylic Face Plate
For the face plate, I wanted to make wall to prevent the plate from falling into the case. I wasn't able to do this because the tool would intersect with the standoffs. Increasing the width the case wasn't a feasible option because that would make it hard to connect cables. So instead, I went with a simple recessed base that would hold in place with friction
Friction Fittings
To hold the two halves together, I added an inner lip along the edge of the top half of the case. I made sure to add a small offset (0.1mm) so there was a little bit of clearance to allow the two halves to fit together. I couldn't create certain geometry in the corners of the opening for the acrylic face plate because the 1/8" tool can't cut geometry with a smaller radius then the tool itself. So I ended up adding a chamfer to those edges.
Skinny Fingers
These fit in between the USB and Ethernet ports. I normally wouldn't make this, especially for 3D prints because they tend to be too thin and break easily. But with CNC milling, these areas can be cut just fine. I used a 3D pocket operation. Although I wasn't able to create sharp corners, the offset was enough to fit in between the ports.
Download Source and STLs
If you're interested in checking out the design source, I made the Fusion 360 archive a public download. You can also grab the STLs if you'd like to try 3D printing the parts – However, I don't know if the tolerance will be the same.
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