Print one — the build checklist

1

Before you print — gather & dry

Gate: don't slice a case until every box here is ticked.

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Good, on-tolerance PETG on hand (ASA for full sun/outdoor)Buy sealed-with-desiccant spools spec'd to ±0.02 to ±0.03 mm — quality plastic is half the battle, and loose tolerance swings the calibrated fits. PLA creeps and dies in a hot car; bench/indoor only. Filament dried — 60–65°C for 4–6 hWet PETG strings, pops, prints weak and leaks. This one habit fixes more "bad prints" than any setting. Textured PEI plate (or a release agent)It's your finish and your release. PETG bonds so hard to smooth PEI it can tear a divot out. Slicer set: 4 walls, 30% gyroid, 0.2 mmImport the Cura profile or set by hand. Walls carry the load; add a wall before you add infill. Supports OFF · all expansion settings = 0Tolerance and elephant-foot are in the model. Re-compensating in the slicer double-corrects and breaks every fit. Ran a temperature tower once for this spoolShows the hottest temp that doesn't string — which is also your strongest.

2

Calibrate on the fit coupon — print this first

Gate: fits good on the coupon → the whole catalog fits.

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Printed the fit coupon (~25 min)One coupon calibrates every fit used across the folder. Never print a case before it. Clip station clicks — firm, not loose, not crackingThe snap clips flex across layer lines; a cold or loose clip is the #1 assembly failure. Slide / press / screw stations feel rightEach station is labelled with the parameter it tunes. If off: adjusted tol_* in the .scad, not the slicerFix fit in the model so it holds for all ~60 parts. Leave slicer compensation at 0.

3

First layer — watch it go down

Gate: a good first layer is a good part. Abort and fix if it isn't.

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Smooth, no gaps between linesGaps mean under-extrusion or too-high nozzle — porous walls leak and are weak. No bulging "elephant foot"If the foot bulges, raise Z a hair or drop the bed a few degrees — don't add negative expansion; the model's chamfer already handles it. Corners stuck flat — brim on tall/small partsKnob, bracket, doorbell body, gaskets and the field case want a brim so they don't peel or topple.

4

Print the parts — orientation is everything

Gate: every part in its intended orientation, fan modest.

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Each part in the cheat-sheet orientationLids and faces print face-down (the bed makes the finish); bases open-side-up. It's your biggest strength decision, already made. Not re-oriented to dodge a supportRe-orienting turns an in-plane load into a peel load — layer bonds are only ~50–70% as strong. Fan modest — ~40% PETG, near-0 for ASA/PCToo much cooling freezes layers before they weld. Overhangs are handled in geometry, so you don't need it. Radome front: unfilled PETG only, no metallicCarbon-fill, foil labels or metallic paint in front of the antenna blind the 60 GHz radar. Sense builds only.

5

Check & assemble

Gate: parts cool, fits confirmed, screws snug — not cranked.

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Parts fully cooled before test-fittingWarm PETG is still moving; a fit checked hot lies to you. Lid nests, clips hold, keyholes clearIf the lid binds, it's usually first-layer squish on the base, not the design. Boards snap into the cradles, USB alignedPress straight down until the edge clips click — no screws for the board. M2 screws snug at ≤0.3 N·mTwo fingers on the short end of the driver. Self-tappers strip printed posts past that — or fit heat-set inserts.

6

Weather / sealed builds — only if sealing

Gate: gasket, disc, vent in — mounted ports-down.

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TPU gasket printed — 2 walls, 100% infill, slow~25 mm/s, fan low. It's a thin ring — brim it so it doesn't wander. Bumped to 5 walls, +2–5% flow, dried filamentWatertightness is a print-quality property — leaks come through micro-gaps between lines, not over the wall. Clear disc bonded with neutral-cure siliconeAcid-cure silicone attacks polycarbonate. Full-circle bead for weather mode. Mounted ports-down · re-torqued after 24 hThe only opening should face the ground, and PETG creeps under gasket preload — re-torque or fit inserts.

Honest ratings. A printed case is splash-resistant, not immersion-proof — only the field case even targets IP67, and every rating is earned by testing your unit, not assumed. See the field ratings guide in Resources.

7

Finish & durability — optional polish

Gate: looks and longevity, without wrecking your fits.

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Two-tone / paint-filled label / fuzzy skinTextured first layer + a contrast TPU accent + a paint-filled deboss gets ~90% of the store-bought look for ~0% effort. Anneal only non-fitted parts at 80–90°CFull annealing raises heat resistance but shrinks parts ~1–2% — enough to ruin snap and gasket fits. Fitted parts: mild 65°C stress-relief only. Outdoor: ASA + light colour; verify before claiming IPPETG embrittles slowly in UV and a dark case in sun can cook the battery. Test to a rating, don't badge it.

Print one, right the first time

The numbers that matter

Seven stages, no surprises

Before you print — gather & dry

Calibrate on the fit coupon — print this first

First layer — watch it go down

Print the parts — orientation is everything

Check & assemble

Weather / sealed builds — only if sealing

Finish & durability — optional polish

The full guides live with the models

Best-practice tips

PETG Cura guide + profile

The enclosure catalog

Field & environmental ratings