ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- What started as a quick project to replace a cracked bezel turned into a complete re-creation of the IBM ThinkPad 701C laptop shell/case. I'll talk through how I why I decided to do it and ultimately figure out if it's actually worth it?
Tools Used:
CAD Software - Shapr3D (shapr3d.com)
Slicer - OrcaSlicer (github.com/SoftFever/OrcaSlicer/)
Printer - BambuLab Carbon X1 (CX1)
Filament - BambuLab PETG-CF
Dry Transfer Decals - 701c.org (www.701c.org/shop/p/701ccs-dr...)
The 3D Models:
Printables (www.printables.com/model/8940...)
MakerWorld (makerworld.com/en/models/477087)
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:59 - Making the Bezel
03:01 - Going Down the Rabbit Hole
05:27 - Screws
06:19 - Finishing Touches
07:17 - Putting it All Together
10:59 - Final Thoughts
Music: All music has been licensed through Epidemic Sound
Martin Moses - Linkage
Van Sandano - Formations
Martin Moses - World Light
Lennon Hutton - Open Road
Hanna Lindgren - Ode to the Crurious - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
Outdid yourself once again Matt, damn! Ever since getting into 3D printing I’ve wondered how viable it would be to recreate laptop screen bezels and related parts, especially related to flexibility when in everyday use. Fantastic work, loved seeing the results!
Thanks so much man! 3D printing is just getting so much better. The quality and speed of even the filament machines is nuts. Knowing that if something breaks you can just fabricate a new part is quite the feeling.
@@polymatt with all the time you have put into it, i think it deserves a mjf print. i have been drawing hard to find car parts and printing with mjf; strength, durability and surface quality are all amazing with it.
The same people who made a retro x86 laptop and the 386 flat computer need to up their game and move onto industrial 486's and Pentiums. There needs to be an open source motherboard for 90's era computers. Something that can be kept alive, when all of the original hardware becomes inoperable. CPU's will likely outlive original motherboards. I have about 30 of them from the 90's. Only about half still run. I do have close to 100 CPU's and I'm sure all of them still function. Way more CPU's will survive the test of time, than the multi-component boards that accept them. Motherboards with functioning BIOS'es will be worth their weight in gold in the near future.
hola lgr soy tu fan
@0x0fffff siii, esta bien bonita
We live in very interesting times. I remember when the idea of a custom (or re-production) plastic case for a project was pretty unattainable but these days the hobbyist can do pretty much anything they want.
Obviously you still need to be very skilled and this was genuinely impressive but it even being possible for a hobbyist is really cool.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d still love a run of an injection molded case, but to me this is 90% there.
With 3D printing, I almost wonder if that could be used as a stepping stool for potentially making something that could be used for homebrew injection molding. Or maybe through the use of a CNC or something.
What is crazy is that the idea of a 3D printer is not even wild. They were just waiting to happen.
i was prepared to be like wtf is with the keyboard until i saw it collapse into the shell. amazing job. a lifetime of skill went into this and it shows.
It’s a super cool machine with one super unique keyboard. Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed it!
I would have missed the last 3 seconds of the video if not for this comment
I'm sad they only ever used that on the one laptop because it was such a neat idea to squeeze a larger keyboard into a smaller laptop.
Thats amazing. Just enjoyed it! 11:16
Just to be clear the keyboard was designed by IBM not him
I'm really glad TH-cam recommended you to me. I would have missed this gem otherwise. This inspires the creator in me and reminds me I need to go finish a few projects I've left behind!
Really glad you enjoyed it and that it helped rekindle a project :)
This video is flawlessly translated to German. I don't know if you were to blame, but kudos to who created the translation. Just description and chapters. I had no need for close captions. I subscribed right away.
That's great to hear! Google Translate must be getting much better :)
Well that's beautiful. I love the dark pastel colour choice.
It’s great. Reminds me of SGI machines
Thanks so much! I love that blue but also going to print a violet one that looks fantastic as well.
Very inspiring. I’m in the early process of creating a pocket computer. Thinking of the vintage/retro esthetic and features. I love your dedication and attention to detail you put into this.
I think you are the NO.1 in the world to play this butterfly laptop. Thanks so much for sharing.😜
Haha, thanks so much!
thank you for sharing this model for free,you're the true hero
Very cool to see someone else do this - I'd been looking into billet UHMW parts for my 701C restorations. CADed the chassis but never got around to making them.
Now that sounds like an awesome direction. I’d love to see it when it’s done. Feel free to reach out to me at 701c.org
OMG, that color is AMAZING
Right? There’s a violet color that’s just as good that I started with but unfortunately I ran out while filming.
Fun colors is something I'm looking forward for my custom laptop build 😀
This is a high league of creating.
This is the future for all the brittle plastics in PCs and macs!
Not only the project was executed flawlessy, the music, the shots, everything about this video is great. You deserve 100x the subs you have man.
This is really awesome. I have plans to 3D print some of my old favorite set top boxes and this was the EXACT video I needed. Thanks bro ❤
That seems like a super cool project!
Great work and thanks for sharing the designs with the community! Pretty sure this will be useful to many people. Lots of great ideas in the comments so let's see how this evolves.
You always go above and beyond for your videos.
Haven't watched your content in a while, and then I saw this video on the Framework 701c Brain Transplant thread and I almost couldn't believe it. It seems you've kickstarted the conversation there again and now there's talk of completely re-modeling they keyboard with 3d printing and, in the far future, creating Framework 701c units without having to cannibalize an existing 701c for parts (don't know how practical that'd be, but one can only dream!)
Thanks for all the good work, Matt! I hope you can figure out some sort of an avenue for that injection molding magic in the future.
Hey thanks so much! And who knows? Maybe an injection molded case is in the cards at some point? :)
I must say you did a great job Matt
I also have this laptop with the same exact symptoms. I never got around to fixing it but your idea (not to mention the provided designs), made me want to restore it again.
your attention to detail is inspiring
You are real master sir! Great project.
I am once again wondering how you do not have a million subs already. Fantastic work, I can't wait for what you come up with next!
Haha thanks so much. Until then I’m just going to keep making things :)
Very cool, thank you for sharing the whole process
Note that sintered nylon is more flexible than injection moulded ABS or other common plastics.
A few years back I ran in the [Redacted] Tech Challenge, there our robot had a nylon sintered 3D printed frame.
Which was very cool, but flexed significantly despite being rather solid.
The texture is also rather rough and it's porous, not ideal for a laptop case unless sealed with some paint or lacquer.
That's really good to know. Doesn't seem like theres much comparison for good old injection molded ABS...
@@polymatt Try using PC filament. It's very stiff. PETG even with CF is a little flexible in comparison.
This is pretty magical. Great job!
Your dedication to this machine is an inspiration
That's insane, thanks for a well put video!
Beyond amazing work Matt!
Thanks so much Thomas! Knew you may have an interest in this one 😁
This is awesome! I love how it snowballed, and I love that you talked as much as you did about the design process. So fun. Also that moment of victory at the end looked like a good time, haha. :D
Really love this more explanatory type of video! I love your usual videos too - it’s why I subbed. But I hope you do some more like this every so often. Super valuable for those of us trying to learn.
Thank you so much for the feedback and I plan on doing these from here on out. I really appreciate your sub!
Superb presentation, excellent break down of why decisions were made and what exactly was going on. I dig it
🙏
Wow that looks awesome!
This is AMAZING, good work!
this is awesome dude, seriously nice work! i rly love this idea
Hey thanks so much!
well done. that is a heck of alot of work
Such a really great job on this!
Thank you so much!
Masterpiece! This is simply an art piece
This is the Hope that I needed, perseverance ......Awesome. I love the creative process.🎯
Nice job. The 701c is a legend!
My hat is off to you once more, sir. An amazing project beautifully shot, narrated and edited. Top work.
Thanks so much man! 🙏
This is so cool! I think the options to make it stiffer are using a stiffer material like 3DXtech EZ PC-CF, or maybe you can use a 3d print service to SLS print it. Or you live only once, just make it in metal with SLM! Honestly a metal Thinkpad 701c would be the coolest laptop ever made!
Dude, you're an artist. Holy f.
Impressive work (and patience)!
Thank you very much!
This is super cool, this opens the doors to Thakepads.
that is so cool how it folds up!
very interesting project!!! thank you from Seoul, Korea
Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed it!
Fellow shapr3d and carbon x1 user here - nice to see content specific to my tools! Subbed.
given the historical importance of the 701c with the coolness factor it has i'd say this is beyond amazing. really glad to see people do such wonderfull projects
Really glad you enjoyed it! There’s a lot more I’ve published on 701c.org if you’re interested.
@@polymatt i will definitely give it a read. the design of this machine is always on my mind. so sad that ibm didn't found an excuse to reuse in another model
I too finished my acrylic cut water cooled msi laptop some days ago, cheers brother!
Awesome! Bet that turned out really nice.
Amazing job. Great knowledge.
This is absolutly amazing!
Incredible work. It itches me to get into 3D printing !
And no more soft plastic !
Very satisfying video. You have a clear presentation style, good narration and tone that's easy for a non-native to listen to.
That's really great to hear. Thanks so much and glad you enjoyed the video!
This is a very great video soon enough I'll be able to understand how to make laptop covers in my country 👌
Great Work !
Pure... awesomeness!
All I want to say is imagine this 3d printed case in metal 3d printing! I don't know why but that idea really makes me think on the possibilites
That would be absolutely metal! 🤘
Incredible work, thank you SO much. I have a 701cs that I am terrified to try and repair because every time I touch the damn thing another piece chips off. This will bring it back around. Absolute legend.
Awesome to hear! Hope this helps with the restoration. Would love to see pics as well. You can reach out to me on 701c.org.
@@polymatt Small update. I opened up the machine, fixed the motherboard, replaced the dead CCFL backlight, and overall it's working now. There is unfortunately a memory error for one of the onboard chips but regardless I feel it's alive enough to try printing the case. I'll likely try it in PLA, perhaps CF-reinforced, as it seems a lot stiffer than the PETG you chose. It's gonna be a while before I get to it but I'll let you know how it goes.
@@kelvinhall3174 that’s amazing! Definitely let me know how the prints come out.
This is an extremely well made video! Just going from the thought process to seeing it to the end, definitely subscribing B)
Thanks so much for the sub and really glad you liked the video 🙏
Amazing work. I would love to see a modern laptop using this folding keyboard
amazing video this is really cool
Hey good video man! I was also thinking of 3d printing my laptop to make it more lighter. Your video is a blessing. Cheers Mate!
Thanks! Yeah it definitely makes it a LOT lighter. Too bad my 3D printer is too small for any of my larger laptops ;)
Absolutely outstanding.
This is really amazing. I collect various retro gadgets (apple ii, msx, thinkpad, pc, mac.. and.. others), and do some very “simple” level repairs.. but your video showed me another possibility.
I have several TPs, starting with the TP 240x, but I feel strongly that I should learn 3d printing. thanks for the great video, and I will watch the rest of your videos!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thats how I started too - simple repairs here and there and then, just as with everything, I kinda went down the rabbit hole :)
@@polymatt Where are you traveling down the rabbit hole? (Joking) The retro community in Korea, where I frequent, is all applauding your work. I hope to see your fun travelogues from time to time.
this is amasing when i was learning AUTO CAD in High School to draw a line i needed to literally input multiple lines of text to draw s straight bloody line! amazing to see where it has gone but yeah back then i also somehow was able to get the AUTO CAD programm we used at school on my home computer this was in the early early 2000's so yeah ! this is amazing i wish i kept up with it but seeing as how the thing your using looks super user friendly maybe ill try doing so more stuff with it
I like how it shows 10.1 subs. But you do deserve more :D
Thank you! 🙏
I have a lot of laptop hinge that I use for a wide variety of projects : usually for plastic hinge, the forces are not in the hinges screws themselves but are more than often in a lever part that is either screw to the hinge is the hinge itself (usually for newer model). If that's not present here by original design, try improving it by fixing long parts that are in direct contact with the case and screen case to your hinges to distribute the load. If that's not clear, just check other laptop hinge designs.
Great suggestions. I'm thinking of making a metal frame that sits behind the display and is threaded right into the hinge screws on the display side. The laptop body seems less of an issue.
This is super cool. I would love to make a tablet, phone, rasp pi laptop shell out of this.
Hi! You probably know this already, but one of PETG's features is being soft and flexible even when imbued with fiber. Most printers that can print PETG can also print Nylon (with minor heating or enclosure upgrades), which tends to be stiffer, stronger, and available with higher CF content.
Hey thanks for the tip! I had known one of its properties was being flexible, but I was trying to counteract going to other direction which would have been stiff but brittle. Still trying to find a happy medium :). Unfortunately I’m still working on getting reliable nylon prints. I’ve got all the kit for it, now it’s just a lot more learning on my part.
wow dude you CAD wizard
Very impressive. I hope to gather the patience to do this for my Toshiba one day.
Great quality
Wow!!! This is so incredible!! I can’t even imagine the hours you put into designing and adjusting these models to get them to work so perfectly together! Now I’m thinking I may want to just replace the bezel and top cover on my 701C since it’s currently JB Welded together. :-) Also, I’d be game to support an injection molded effort as well!
If you could add something like grooves which can be used to fill them with fiber glass reinforced putty, you could make it as stiff as metal. Like, a zig-zag groove along a too flexible piece.
Sounds like a great idea. I’ll try that out!
All I can think while watching this video is that this case adjusted to fit a Framework motherboard, and some adaptations made to make the collapsing keyboard and all that work on modern hardware, Framework motherboards make this uniquely possible, and *man* do I want it now
Check out Karl Buchka's post on the Framework forum :)
@@polymatt ahhhh man glad to see I’m not the only one!
Great Job!!!
This is next, level, Nice~!
This is so impressive
Thank you! Was super fun to build.
Fantastic work. This take a lot of time and dedication, especially to get everything just right. I begun cloning a bezel for another laptop but never finished, albeit got very close. You should get this injection molded and sell it.
🙏 thank so much. If I get enough interest I’d love to go down the injection molded route.
Sick! Thanks for L-Door. This battery is really pain the ass. And can you please provide link to aliexpress offer with screws (i guess screws are only part bought extra)? Just like you described, they are pesky (and they heads turned round like a sand with no resistance since they were corroded as hell so i gotta drill them).
And if injection molding machine method will make casing stronger, i am ready to pay for it!
Also i remember few months/years ago someone putting frame.work into his 701CS. Thanks to your modelling we are steps from producing own 701C which can be used for actual work.
大作已成! 恭喜! 精彩.再接再厉.
Thanks so much! 🙏
Just an art of work
Brilliant presentation of a really complex topic!
I had a similar idea for a couple of Toshiba Libretto 100CT's I own. Every time I attempt to use them, more plastic breaks. So, having used it before for similar things, I started modelling the 100CT case... in Blender. I've got about 80% of the lower case done, then I'll move onto the keyboard cover, then the screen. I don't have a 3D printer, but I am modelling it right down to the half mm in some cases. Once it is all done, I'll figure out changes needed during testing.
But! I started that project months ago, and life happened...
Love it! We need more modelers focusing on vintage tech. It’s a great way to preserve them.
@@polymatt I agree! First thing I thought of when 3D printers starting popping up. I have a strange imagination 😁
I have 3D modelled a number of other computer systems as well, using the method you mentioned. My two most favourite are the IBM AT Model 5170 (with an IBM 5153 CGA monitor), and an Intel System 310 Multibus computer. I have modelled most of that last systems interior and components. It's a long, laborious hobby, but I think that is just part of vintage tech!
Too...freakin'...cool! Bravo.
Very cool! Petg is far more flexible than pla, or abs. Pla would likely warp from the laptops heat, so abs would likely work well for a stiffer parts
I had three unskippable 20 second ads to watch this video,
I truly hate youtube
😔 unfortunately YT now automatically shows pre and post roll ads (skippable and not). There used to be options for creators but not any longer.
If I could create my own butterfly keyboard - or even buy one...
Gateron low profile switches, and custom keycaps, would make a fine addition to any tablet.
Outstanding
I love seeing 3D printing being used to keep old tech alive. People are building new SpaceWar arcade machines, classic laptop cases are remade and even improving the original design.
💯- it’s such a cool time right now to have all of this available at a makers fingertips.
Fantastic!
This actually gives a lot of ideas for building a homebrew ARM-based or similar laptops, though the biggest problem becomes figuring out the screen and a keyboard.
Though, it would be also a pretty interesting question to ponder if this keyboard itself can be reproduced too.
Alright man, You got my attention with this video and a subscription :)
Awesome. Thanks for the sub!
I like the color you used. It kind of looks like if Silicon Graphics had made laptops.
PETG has relatively low stiffness compared to other polymers, even with CF particles. ASA/ABS may fare a bit better, and for the tough bits, polycarbonate is also another filament option.
Sir you have more time on your hands than I. bravo. Bravo indeed. New sub from me.
Ha. Thanks so much! I really appreciate the sub.
As for materials, PETG is more flexible than other materials and it has a low carbon fibre content, less than 10 %. Engineering filaments with carbon or glass fibre tend to be upwards of 15 %. With carbon fibre filaments with a high percentage of carbon fibre they can't have them any other colour than black due to the carbon fibre in it. Glass fibre filaments can be coloured though because the fibres are clear.
You should have a look at the datasheets for the materials, the key thing for you here will be the bending modulus, the higher the bending modulus the stiffer the material. Bambu lab now have PA6 with glass fibre but I would not recommend PA6 unless you seal it well because after printing it absorbs lots of moisture and the material properties change, it becomes more flexible. The glass fibre filled ABS might be good, but still isn't very stiff.
For very stiff filament there is the PET-CF but you would maybe be better going for a different manufacturer or just redesigning the parts to make them thicker or print them thicker.
I would not recommend using carbon fibre filament on electronics enclosures though, carbon fibre filament can be conductive and it is very random whether it is or not, it depends on the specific fibre orientation within the print, with the low carbon fibre content PETG you are using it may be fine but definitely be careful with it if you use high carbon fibre content filament. Glass fibre filled is better for this because the glass and plastic both insulate very well. Some other alternatives for composite filament is glass microspheres and ceramic microspheres.
Great job! I have often though about putting modern computing equipment inside of classic computer style plastics but I don't want to ruin a running piece of history. This seems like it could bridge that gap. I wish others would publish designs like this so that others could turn a lattepanda into something like a 701c. Albeit this may not be the best example due to the keyboard, it does spark the imagination. Thanks for doing this!
I know a guy who actually went that route and took a non-functional 701C and put a Framework laptop into one and actually kept the keyboard!
community.frame.work/t/thinkpad-701c-with-a-framework-brain-transplant-work-in-progress/27409
beautiful job - don't suppose you are planning on selling any case parts? I have a 701c that the top cover behind the LCD is cracking so I am afraid to open/close it
Awesome work, beautiful. I can only imagine how much time it must have taken. I have heard that there are hybrid filaments like PETG with a Polycarbonate core to make it stiffer and more durable but I have not tried any myself. PLA seems generally stiffer than PETG but can not handle any heat so probably would not be an option for this. Designing in or glueing metal plates to increase rigidity where needed is probably the easiest option.
Yeah totally agree. I’m going to be trying out a range of things to try to make this better. Thanks for the thoughts!