Vinyl Album Frame (Printable on Mini)

The album frame can be printed on the 180x180mm Prusa Mini bed. The parts are joined with M3 socket cap screws and a 2 or 3mm thick hardboard back.

Parts needed:

• Print: 2x of the full corner parts
• Print: 1x each of the other two corner parts
• Print: 1x of the mount file (one file contains the two needed)
• 1 square of hardboard cut to size for the rebate in the corner parts (measure across your assembled printed parts to ensure a bit for your printer, be careful if your Mini does not print square)
• 8 x M3x3mm socket cap screws (to join the corners)
• 6 x M3x8mm socket cap screws (to hold the hardboard and make the mounts)
• 2 x M3 nuts & 2 x M3 washers

Tools needed:

• 2.5mm drill bit (to ream threaded holes to size for tapping to M3)
• [3mm drill bit (to ream clearance holes) - this might not be needed]
• M3 tap (I like a spiral flute tap for PLA as it clears the swarf from blind holes better)
• 2.5mm allen key to drive the M3 socket cap screws
• Saw to cut the hardboard to size, sandpaper for tuning the size if needed
• Fixing hardware to fix the mounts for whatever wall you're using

Print with the front face to the bed: you will need supports for the fixing tongue overlaps and the pockets for the screw heads. Because the supports extend beyond the perimeter of the parts you will need to shift them on the bed to ensure that the tool path stays in bounds.

Remove support material (I found that grid worked best) and ream the holes where the joining screws will fit to 2.5mm then tap for M3. You may need to ream the corresponding 3mm holes if the screws will not fit through into the threaded sections. Ream the holes on the back which hold the hardboard to 2.5mm and tap, be careful not to split the parts by going too deep.

Assemble the plastic parts and mark out the hardboard to fit. Mark the locations of the holding screws (6 only, you don't need the ones on the open side) on the edge of the hardboard and cut some small notches to allow the screw shafts to fit past the edge of the board. Fit the screws on the closed side and the bottom. On the top side you will use screws that have had a washer and a nut threaded on, this forms the way that the frame will be held by the mounts (see detail photo).

Print the mount file; this contains two mounts - one has tolerance in the width of the mount to allow for inaccuracy in drilling.

On the wall you want to use mark the centre of the top of the frame (note that the joint is not quite in the centre because of the constraints of the Mini bed size). Measure about 11.1cm either side of this point on a horizontal line (check your measurements to be sure) and in turn put one of the mounts with its centre notch at this marked point - draw through the mounting holes to show the locations to drill. Fix the mounts with countersink screws, you will be able to adjust for height but not lateral position, this is why one of the mounts has a wider notch.

Slide an album into the frame and set it on the mounts, use it either as decoration or to show what you're playing. Have fun!