Not-quite-so-mini Commodore SX-64

This project is a remix of FoxBlox's "Mini Commodore SX-64" model, with many changes and tweaks.

This one is much larger than the original, making it easily printable with common 0.4 mm nozzles, and I have hollowed-out the interior of the “computer”, including the “power supply”, so that one could use this to house something like a Raspberry Pi or the like.

The main “computer” part features a largely snap-together design, and the keyboard glues together.

I've modeled the interior frame to resemble that of the actual computer, though I had to take a lot of liberties to make it printable.

Although I don't intend to do this myself, it should be relatively easy to turn the printed keyboard into an actual working keyboard, and to that end I've separated-out the four sizes of keys to at least have a starting point.  I figure a PCB with a bunch of mini tactile switches with long/tall buttons would fit the bill here.

In that same vein, the “disk drive/storage" section is a separate module that could in theory be replaced with, say, an SD card reader, and the “display” section is also a separate module, in case someone wants to fit a real screen there.  These two modules are friction-fit into the front panel – if you find that the “storage bay" warps inwards when fitted, you probably had too much ringing or too much overshoot on the corners.  A few minutes with a file should sort that.

The cartridge port doors even open!  You'll need to use a couple of bits of 1.75 mm filament to keep the doors' pivots in their seats, and two more bits of filament to act as springs to keep them shut (note that the photo shows a prototype of this arrangement, but the final model is basically the same).  Choose your filament carefully here – make sure it isn't brittle, particularly for the bits that you use for the “springs”, and limit the glue to just the very ends where they fasten into the grille (i.e. the last few millimeters, the idea being to give the filament as much length as possible to bend when the doors are pushed open).

I've even re-modeled the “floppy disk” from the original into a fold-up version that holds a separate piece of “media”, so that you can print the disk jacket in a separate color from the black “media”.  Sorry, disk sleeves are not included. 🙂

Most parts print fine with 0.2 mm and no supports.  For those parts that do require supports, I have included either variants that have them built-in, or in the case of the “power supply” and top cover, a separate set of support objects (I figure with these two, you'll want to apply settings in your slicer to mimic what it would do with its auto-generated supports, e.g. 1 wall, sparse grid infill, only a few top/bottom solid layers, etc).

You should probably use 0.1 mm layers on the keyboard keys, the front panel's outer bezel/frame, and on the two logo blocks.

Regarding the aforementioned glue, aside from the keyboard, you'll need it for the two logo blocks, the two “keyboard ports”, and the bits of filament used to secure the cartridge port doors.  You may want to glue the two “side strip catch blocks” into the side strips, but this is only as an anti-frustration measure.

Caution:  If you use a magnetic/steel print surface, then be sure that you clip the edges down with bulldog clips or similar, when printing the two top covers.  Something about their geometry makes them want to pull the magnetic surface up on one side, which will severely warp the part (ask me how I know 😛 ).

I have included .3MF files for multicolor printing of the keys and logos (by way of simply switching filaments at different heights).  Note that each of these has two “priming” blocks, placed and listed so that on each layer, one block gets printed, then the part of interest, then the other block is printed.  That way the nozzle will not dawdle on the part of interest when it comes time to switch colors.  Or at least it works as intended in SuperSlicer.

Filaments used:  Atomic PETG in black, metallic silver, light gray, white, Perfect Red, Perfect Orange, Perfect Yellow, RepRap Green, Royal Blue, and Baby Blue.