Weekly Roundup: Ten 3D Printable Things – Raspberry Pi Cases & Projects

It used to be extremely difficult to build your own electronics projects. Most components would need to be heavily modified, the software would need to be programmed from scratch and any finished product probably wouldn’t be very pretty. But with the proliferation of 3D printing and simple, pre-made computer components like the Raspberry Pi, it is easier than ever to build just about anything that you want and make it look like anything that you want it to.

If ever there were two things that were made to go together, other than chocolate and peanut butter, it is the Raspberry Pi and a 3D printer. There are tons of amazing projects that can be built by virtually anyone, no matter how much experience they have with programming or electronics. You may have read about the awesome mini NES game console from last week, and while we’re still waiting on all of the 3D printable files to recreate that ourselves, I figured that I would hunt down some other great Raspberry Pi cases and projects to keep you busy.

So here are Ten 3D Printable Raspberry Pi Cases & Projects:

TABLETOP ARCADE CABINET

The Pi-Cade by belch

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

There are a ton of Raspberry Pi video game emulators, but this arcade-style cabinet is one of the best of the self-contained options. Rather than having to link it up to a monitor or a TV, the Pi-Cade has an integrated 7 inch screen so anyone who builds it can take it anywhere. The 3D printed parts for the cabinet are pretty large, so it will need a printer with a large printing bed to complete, or the parts may need to be broken down into smaller parts and then glued together.

Here is some video of the Pi-Cade in action:

MINI SUPER NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM

Mini SNES – Raspberry Pi 2/3 Case by AndrewBougie

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

There are a TON of mini versions of classic video game consoles that use a Raspberry Pi to power emulators, so many that I may do a separate list in the future. But I absolutely love this mini SNES project because the SNES was my favorite video game console growing up and it’s one of the better quality projects available. I love the design of it, and it does a great job of staying true to the original game system’s design while still making it functional using modern technology. There are also excellent instructions available and there is a bunch of discussion of the project in the comments that can help anyone stuck on a step work through it.

The mini version next to the original.

RASPBERRY PIE RASPBERRY PI CASE

Raspberry Pie Case by Marco Valenzuela

Found on: MyMiniFactory
Cost: Free

As delicious as this Raspberry Pi case looks please don’t eat it. Naturally someone was going to 3D print this pun, so I expected to find it but didn’t expect it to look so cool. It is just a really well-designed 3D printable model that looks far too much like a real pie. It almost looks like someone actually hollowed out a real pie and stuck a computer inside. Just be aware that you are going to have to paint it to look like a real pie, unless someone has made a filament that simulates the color of baked pie crust. Which someone should totally sell by the way, and make it smell like pie while they’re at it.

STAR WARS HAN SOLO FROZEN IN CARBONITE

Han Solo in Carbonite – Raspberry Pi 2/B+ Case by rigelbot

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

The image of Star Wars scoundrel Han Solo being frozen in Carbonite is probably one of the most iconic scenes in the original trilogy, and as a kid seeing the movies in the theater, perhaps the biggest cliffhanger of my childhood. Any Star Wars nerd worth his weight in Galactic Credits is going to need to build a Raspberry Pi project just so they can make this case now; it’s just how Star Wars nerds work.

Here is some video of the case being 3D printed:

PIRATE RADIO TOWER

Raspberry Pirate Radio Enclosure by MakeLabs

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

Make: Magazine originally published this great project for a pirate FM radio transmitter that is so easy almost anyone can do it. This is a fun project for people who want to learn how to work with the Raspberry Pi but don’t want to take on a project that is too complicated or expensive. The only supplies that you’ll need are the Raspberry Pi and a bit of wire to act as an antenna. The build project over on Make: has all of the code and instructions, so it should be a really easy-to-manage project. Of course you don’t have to 3D print this cool case, but if you’re going to become a pirate radio host, why not look the part?

You just need a bit of wire for the antenna.

Here is some video of the build from Make:

PIPBOY FROM FALLOUT

Raspberry Pi Pipboy 3000 MKIV by adafruit

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

There probably isn’t anyone who has done more for helping people take on maker projects while making them easy to do and understand than Adafruit. They constantly come up with clever project ideas and post clear and easy to understand instructions. Thier Pipboy project is a perfect example and just a fun project for anyone who is a fan of the Fallout series of games. And the best part is that this can be turned into virtually anything that a Raspberry Pi can: a videogame emulator, a portable computer or just a cool cosplay prop – it all depends on what you want to do with the Raspberry Pi board.

And of course here is the Adafruit video explaining the project in detail:

RETRO CAMERA CASE

raspberry pi old still camera by Jhack

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

This case for a Raspberry Pi-powered digital camera is probably going to make you seem like a bit of a pretentious hipster if you really take it out into the world and use it, but it is almost worth it for the cool project. The case looks like an old timey still camera, and is a great project for anyone who is a camera nut, or to make as a gift for someone who is a camera nut. All of the parts can be painted before assembly, or you can simply 3D print the parts in color-appropriate filaments. It would probably be fun to print the metal parts in metal filaments, wood filaments for the trim and flexible filaments for the black accordion part of the camera.

SLIM RASPBERRY PI CAMERA CASE

PiKam – Flat Camera Case for Raspberry Pi with Magnetic Holder by Aegys3D

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

If you’re looking for a more traditional Raspberry Pi camera case, then the PiKam case is a perfect alternative. The whole design is highly versatile; it can be 3D printed in any color that you want or be post-processed and painted, and it’s a great way to learn how to make Raspberry Pi cameras.

MINI DESKTOP TV

piTV: Desktop Raspberry PI/LCD enclosure by Teece

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

With the proliferation of smartphones and tablets to play video, it just isn’t easy to find small, portable TVs anymore. But this great project lets you use a Raspberry Pi and an LCD screen to build a basic TV that is perfect for a desk or small space. It may be a bit of a no-frills case, but that can easily be livened up with a nice paint job or a unique color filament. There aren’t a ton of instructions for programming the Raspberry Pi, but it shouldn’t be hard to find a tutorial on making a video player online.

RETRO TV AND MEDIA CENTER

PHIL by Mr_MegaTronic

Found on: Thingiverse
Cost: Free

PHIL is probably not going to be easily replicated because it incorporates 3D printable parts and actual parts from an old vintage TV, but it was such a cool project that I couldn’t help but share it. If you’re looking for a new desktop mini TV that does everything that a modern media center does, then PHIL is exactly what you need. You will need to be willing to do a bit of digging and personalization if you want to build your own, though, so be careful you don’t take on a project bigger than you can handle. This is clearly for advanced makers only.

Here is some video of PHIL in action:

That’s it for this week, but I found so many great Raspberry Pi projects that include 3D printable components that I will be revisiting this subject in the future. So if you know of a great project that I missed, or have shared your own online for others to replicate, then please share it with me! And as always, if you make anything from one of my lists please show off your work! You can either email me or just tweet me @SJGrunewald. Happy 3D printing!