Diy Enclosure options

Don’t underestimate the cardboard enclosure. It’s actually really nice for complex concave decks since it’ll conform to the shape.

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Only for the short run. I used a cardboard enclosure for a penny board build and it fell apart after 2 cycles. :neutral_face:

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Did you reinforce it with duct tape?

Or cable ties?

If you have a 3D printer then you have the capability to make exactly what you need for the components you’ve bought. Not to mention it’s super cheap.

PLA is cheapest and easiest but it degrades, so you’ll have to do some work afterwards. Fortunately some paint (if you want to paint it) and then an application of Epoxy will seal it nicely, there’s lots of articles online discussing this.

If you can print in PETG then definitely use that instead, ABS is also good but harder to print.

Wrapped it in 2 layers of duct tape, eventually got soggy and started touching the ground. :stuck_out_tongue: I would only use cardboard to quick test runs.

That’s hilarious. I also used the STÖDJA from Ikea, which works really well! The larger compartment is for the battery, and the smaller for the electronics. It’s just the right thickness of the plastic - strong but not brittle for drilling holes into (for power button, connections, LCD display, etc).

Wait, nevermind. It’s a drawer insert called Billingen http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30270401/ that I used.

Don’t have any closeups of it installed; when i get home i can post some pics:

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is a box on the bottom supposed to give protectiion from more than ricocheting rocks or maybe water? because if it is i dont trust any of the ones i’ve seen. one strong hit to a curb or a speed bump and the box will flex and crush whats inside unless it’s a pretty stiff box. Id rather go minimalist with the thinnest material and not hit curbs and speed bumps. for years I rode with just my lipos glued to the bottom of my deck. that failed eventually and then put a layer of carbon on the packs, which was really easy to do, and that worked well. the only downside was couldnt feel the lipos for temp

@bmcm you didn’t have to shave your beard for the picture :laughing:

I considered that for sure. On the one hand my clearance is rather large due to the 8" pneumatic offroad wheels. On the other hand, my battery has a few layers of different material (plastic shrink wrap, foam, and more) to both protect from puncture/crushing and as padding (vibration, energy absorption, etc). I recommend doing the same, even though that will add thickness. You could also do all of the above inside of a basic plastic enclosure then add a thin sheet metal to the bottom to provide even more protection from crushing/puncture, but also adding weight (though worth it). Definitely don’t just glue it to the underside. For now I have about 4 small and tight bungee cords supporting the weight, with the hooks going through holes on the deck along the side. But that’s temporary for easy maintenance. I plan on using bolts and nuts (or the wavy pin thing) to more securely attach the enclosure.

Is that the beltline?

Yep. Hi from Atlanta!

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