TEX Yoda 2 Case
The original packaging that the keyboard came in was rather large and flimsy and not meant for prolonged use. As such, a dedicated case for this keyboard would be one that provides more storage space along with a suitable cover to provide adequate protection. Due to the size of the keyboard, a single print for the bottom an top portions were divided and printed separately and assembled.
In order for this print to fit on the 200 mm x 200 mm area of the printing bed the top and bottom portions of the print were cut in half and printed separately. Borrowing a technique commonly used in carpentry, this print used a dovetail cut so the separate parts can be assembled after print and for this I followed the tutorial listed below.
Using this dovetail technique the print was able to fit in the space provided by the print bed but required 4 separate print instead of 2.
Bottom Cover
The bottom portion of this print accommodates the rubber stoppers attached to the bottom of the keyboard with divots placed in their expected locations. This was printed was printed in two parts, left and right, with the separate portions assembled with the dovetail cut. The measurements used for this print proved adequate enought to fit the keyboard even with the low tolerance of this print.
For this print a copy of the keyboard was measured out in Fusion 360 and this model was used as a negative copy for the case. The critical portion of this model are the footers on the bottom which need additional depth removed for the case. These areas acted as support over the cavity (approximately 25 mm in depth) for storing accessories relavent to the keyboard.
By splitting the bottom portion in two with a dovetail cut, the entire keyboard can fit inside the assembled bottom portion of the print. Each side of the bottom portion took just over a day to print using approximately 130 grams of filament with an extruder width of 0.12 mm. On a side note, the dovetail is 0.12 mm in width to account for the extruder width. If the print utilized an extruder width of 0.20 mm, the dovetail cut print would need to also be updated.
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The separate pieces of this print were assembled together along the dovetail cut and were hammered in place. The pieces fit together well and did not need any further adhesive to keep the pieces together, removing the connected pieces would however be a significant challenge if ever attempted.
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The keyboard itself fits well on top of the assembled print but does not fit perfectly. This could be adjusted in the future with greater tolerances around the divots for the keyboard rubber feet.
Top Cover
The lid portion of the case was also printed in two parts and connected later with the dovetail cut. To secure the keyboard, the space around the lower keys was slightly extruded and the rest of the keycaps had space cut for it. Lastly this portion was connected to the bottom with a total of eight magents used and inserted into each corner.
The printing process for the lid portion was similar to the bottom portions as each took just over a day and approximately 130 grams of filament. The extruder width was kept the same at 0.12 mm with the following logo extruded on the right portion of the lid.
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The prints for both sides of the lid were assembled together similar to that of the bottom portion. Magnets were then added to the corner holes allowing for the lid to be secured with / without the keyboard in place.
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I added a couple of stickers to the top of the lid and tested opening and closing the case. The main issue I ran into was that the lid held on to the keyboard, lifting it out of the case when removed. I found a way around this by bending the lid up to release the keyboard so I only lift up the lid when pulling up. The bottom portion of the print would have also benefited from including slots to help when detaching the lid.
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In all I am pleased with the way this project turned out as I now have a place that I can house my expensive keyboard. I learned how to cut up a print so that it will fit on my print bed and assemble it later through the use of a dovetail cut. In the future I hope to build out a similar case for another keyboard but utilize a larger printer so I do not have to assemble it from multiple pieces.