Hardcore Wallet

Introduction

A very thin and fully printable wallet that can hold a variable number of cards. The cards can be easily swiped through with the thumb without having to remove them completely.

Although several materials are used, the wallet can be printed without MMU/AMS.

It has 3 parts:

1. The bottom part consists of 2 layers of TPU, as it will be kind of an elastic band at the same time. The rest is PETG, as it adheres very well to TPU.
2. The middle part is made of PLA, as it can be detached from PETG. However, it can also be replaced and printed separately from any material if necessary, as it is not attached to the other parts.
3. The third part is made of PETG, as it must be able to detach from the middle part. It connects the two halves of the elastic band inseparably and is used to hold a some cash in place. The stretching of the elastic band takes place mainly (not visibly) in this part.

Slicing

The simplest and recommended option is to load the 3mf file as a project, as the setup for PrusaSlicer is complex.

If this is not desired or possible, the 3mf file can also be added using the insert button and the following settings can be applied manually:

‘Printers’ tab:

General:

• Extruders → 3

Custom G-code:

• Add M600 to Tool change G-code

‘Print Settings’ tab:

Layers and perimeters:

• 6 top and 7 bottom solid layers
• Avoid crossing perimeters → yes
• Seam position → Random (optional)

Infill:

• Bridging angle 45° (Notice: The middle and top part start with bridging layers. Maybe this setting not necessary but I got good layer seperation between the parts this way)

Supports: 

• Generate support material → yes
• First layer expansion → 1mm

Multiple Extruders:

• Enable wipe tower → no

'Plater' tab

• 0.2mm layer height
• Choose some FLEX, PETG and PLA profiles for the extruders and give them different colors if you want
• Supports → For support enforcers only

• After slicing change the extruder to Extruder 2 (PETG) at height 0.6mm by right clicking the (+)-Button

• Change to Extruder 3 at height 1.8mm (Hint: click the ‘Slice now’ button again if the slicer is buggy and skipping some layers)
• Change to Extruder 2 at height 3.4mm
• Insert a pause at height 4.8mm

The final setup should look like this:

The small cylinders are necessary and used to place the objects at different heights.

Printing

• Print the first part (TPU+PETG).

• During the material change to PLA: The entire top surface has to be painted with a permanent marker. Although PLA and PETG shouldn't stick together so well, I had a few problems separating the two parts when I didn't use the marker.

• Print the second part.

• During the material change to PETG: Use the marker again to draw a rectangle the size of the clamp.

• Print the third part.

• During the break: Loosen the ‘rubber band’ halves, place them in the clamp, fix them with painter's tape and paint the back with the marker.

• Finish the print.

After printing

Loosen the wallet by bending the print sheet. The individual parts will probably come off by themselves. The bottom part must be carefully loosened from the print sheet with a bed scraper.

If the PETG of the clamp has bonded with the TPU of the ‘rubber band’, the parts must be carefully separated from each other with a thin object. I used the Jimmy from iFixit for this. It must be possible to stretch the band a few mm out of the clamp or else it doesn't work like a rubber band because the visible part of the band is not stretchable enough.

Although the permanent marker is in places that are not visible, it can still make sense to use black material for these areas, as the marker cannot be completely removed. The middle part can also be printed separately to obtain a clean part.

Additional notes

• You could add another material change to PETG or TPU to the second part to be able to print the clamp from PLA and get better bridging over the ‘rubber band’.
• You can partially remove permanent marker with isopropyl alcohol.
• You can simply not try to print this wallet :)