3D 10x10x10 Speaker
Intro: 3D 10x10x10 Speaker
The following project is a guide on how you can print your own 3D Speaker hub which holds lots of surprises for people you want to show off to, that is if they can figure out the puzzle! This speaker hub consists of 3 pieces which will take an expected 13 hours to print with your standard 3D printer, so sit tight and grab some snacks to munch on while waiting!
STEP 1: Preparation: What You'll Need!
In order to make this product, you'll need the essential 3D printing equipment:
A 3D printer: this could be your own, a local one from your educational institution or any other you can get your hands on
Filament: this will be the plastic material you use to feed into your 3D printer. Note that depending on your machine, different material may be needed. I use 1.75mm PLA+ supplied by 3D Fillies Australia, check them out for some quality materials!
3D modelling program: there are many different types of programs for you to use to model your version of this, but I will be using SOLIDWORKS 2017 to create my version.
Slicing program: likewise with the other equipment, its totally up to your choice what you'd like to use, but I will be using the Ultimaker Cura, which is free to download on their website for Linux, Windows or Mac OSX.
Speaker driver: based on the size of your speaker driver, your speaker size may vary, but in case you'd want to source the same one as me, I am using a 36mm 3W speaker driver. The whole electronics lot could be sourced from online, where I reused parts from "Hamburger speakers".
STEP 2: Building: Creating the Interior
1. The first step is to establish the dimensions of your interior, and this is really dependent on your speaker driver's size as well as any other factors; in my case, the electronics board was the largest piece in my interior, and the thickness of the wall had to be accounted for.
2. After sketching the size, revolve it around an axis to create your interior.
3&4. Apply a new plane tangent to the surface of the cylinder and sketch your maze. Note that the more complex the maze is, the more difficult it would be to solve in real life when you build your speaker together.
5. Next, select the maze sketch and wrap it around your the outside surface of the interior piece, meanwhile applying a deboss so that it will engrave into the surface.
6. Shell out the inside of the interior. This will produce a hollow space to fit your speaker into.
7. Cut outs at this step was not necessary, but I decided to do it so my electronics board could fit snugly into the interior piece.
8. Adjust the bottom of the speaker to fit the size of your speaker driver so it will not fall out. This was achieved through the use of extruding and applying extruded cuts to create a feature to fit the driver.
9. Finally, add extruded pieces to the top of the interior as it will act as a connector for the top lid.
STEP 3: Building: Creating the Exterior
1. The first step is exactly the same as the interior, where you sketch a rectangle and revolve it around an axis to create the cylindrical shape.
2. Next apply a shell to create a hollow space inside.
3. Finally, add an extruded slot to the edge. This will act as the guide for the debossed maze in the interior.
STEP 4: Building: Creating the Lid
1&2. Similar to the last two pieces, the cylindrical shape of this lid is created through the sketch & revolve method, then shelling.
3. Next, extrude a small feature into the interior of the piece, then extrude cut equal sections. These extruded pieces will act as supports to the electronics board, securing it in place.
4&5. Extrude cut through the edge of the lid, then extrude cut again along the tangent half way in. This creates the details that will allow the electronics board to protrude out, meanwhile the non-visible cutout will align with the extruded details at the top of the interior piece.
STEP 5: Slicing & Printing
Using Cura, ensure that your pieces are orientated in a logical manner that allows for efficient & quick printing. This means its best to position your model on the plate so that flat surfaces make contact with the base.
When the position is decided, "slice" the model by pressing the button on the bottom right corner, then select to upload the Gcode file onto your portable drive.
From here, insert your portable drive into your printer and let your parts print!
STEP 6: Construction: Building the Speaker
1. First insert the speaker driver into the feature that you created within the interior piece. If the driver does not fit snugly and is loose, using any sort of adhesive (glue, tape, superglue, blutack) to hold it in place is fine.
2. Next insert the other cables into the hollow space inside and install the electronics cable into the interior as well. In my case, the electronics cable sat on the cutouts I made. There is no need to permanently attach this part as you can lift it up and hide the auxiliary cable inside the speaker so it doesn't dangle out when not used.
3. Next insert the lid on top of the interior.
4. Finally, connect the exterior to the interior by going through the maze with the extruded piece. Once the maze is fully completed, the lid and exterior pieces should meet together with a flushed surface.