Hi All,
I had an old Disk ][ case with nothing inside and I also had a floppy emu….. the result was inevitable :)
So I got a panel made up and designed and 3d printed some brackets and mounts.
- 100% non-destructive Mod of the case so original apple parts can be re-used in the future un-mollested.
- Tried to design it as a what if the original Apple team was to design a modern device in keeping with Apple ][.
- Took some cues from HiFi component designs as a style.
- Needed to blend in with original disk ][ drives
Had a few minor issues with panel. I never get stuff 100% right first time round, but still reckon it came out pretty good and am real happy with it.
The smaller writing was too thin and some items were supposed to be bare aluminium but came out white. I suspect this was due to white underprinting I had requested for color reasons. That being said, I think I am beginning to like the white better.
Also the larger display has a different chipset. SSD1309 vs SSD1306. This appears to cause a sideways pixel shift of one pixel on the larger display.
Steve had already flagged this on his BMOW site. I had also seen other people encountering same problem on their projects as well.
https://www.bigmessowires.com/2019/03/20/jumbo-oled-fun/
I requested the possibility of a software update and he had a hotfix to me overnight, despite being very busy with Yellowstone Disk Controller at the moment.
Huge Thanks for that !!
Anyway just a bit of show and tell.
Started off as a simple restoration....hahaha
Cheers
Dave
Very nice. That looks great...
Macintosh Hard Disk 20
Looks Great! I'm jealous.
Maybe you could put one into an Apple Hard Disk 20 case for when using with a Legacy Mac! :)
Did you silkscreen the Drive's front face, or is that out of a printer?
Very nice, looks like it was destined to belong, great fabrication, too.
Thanks all. Its been a bit of fun doing it. Plenty of binned ideas along the way. Especially with the mounts and brackets.
@Macnoyd
The face was UV Printed as part of the complete panel manufacture by front panel express.
They did a great job and their software is easy to use, but the postage to Australia was brutal.
I'm very happy with their communications and speed of delivery.
I was trying to look into screen printing and getting the apple logo and text raised like on the actual disk ][.
There was no easy way for it. These guys did the panel and the perspex window for me.
I'm kind of glad I went with the UV printing now from a simplicity of production point of view.
But I'm now more aware of the restrictions on thin linework. Lessons learnt for next time.
Cheers
Dave
That's beautiful. And nice photography, too.
Wow! That's fantastic! I wish those were commercially available. I will soon have an extra (Franklin) drive case left over after I relocate the drive to replace a missing one in a Franklin Ace 1200 I bought recently.
Awesome project Dave !
Thanks guys. :)
I have to say it would be nothing without the Floppy Emu itself.
Man that thing is nice. Very elegant unit and its stylishness is what lured me to it.
I love the interface, menu style and its overall operation.
I understand the w drive is very similar but I have no experience with that one.
I think I might investigate making kits, but I will have to fix a few minor glitches and get some affordable prices. Mainly the panel itself.
It actually cost me more to do the case than buy the emu itself. But I love it.
We are in lucky times with the add-ons available by other folks.
I have bought 3 awesome purchases in the apple ii so far that have brought enhancement and modernisation without impacting the style.
I'm planning to round it all out with a wireless printer by plaidvest. That's next on my list
https://www.plaidvest.com/newprintmulti/index.html
These old apple ]['s are a real pleasure to muck about with. No doubt about it.
Cheers
Dave
That looks really cool! I'd definitely be interested in getting thst enclosure if you can get it fiugred out for a reasonable price. Keep up the good work.
Really great looking stuff... well done... thumbs up ;-)
Put me down for a kit! Love it!
Me Too!
I too would be interested in a kit or two. This is a great project.
Definitely two for me. :)
Thanks for all the comments.
Just FYI.
I am definately looking into this. It may take a little while. Busy time of year for me.
I also really want to try make it more economical than it was and fix a couple of minor things.
Cheers
Dave
I'm interested in one as well.
Let me know if you make a kit. I'd pony out for it.
Me too. Just bought an extra Disk ][ drive for it.
Absolutely wonderful.
I now know what I will be doing with the extra floppy drive I have. ;-)
I would be in for a kit.
Until they are available, are you planning to post the STL files for the 3D print parts?
Cheers,
mark
I'd definitely be in for a kit also.
Wow, very nice work
I will take a kit or 2 also! :)
Amazing Work!!!!!!! Much appreciated!!!
Amazing work!
I would definitely want one as well, beautiful work!
I hope you intend on selling this in as a kit.
A very nice job. I have a 3d printer, a spare drive case, and a femu. If you release the models and sell the faceplate, let us know. I would love to put one of these together. I love build work. Thanks for sharing.
Did you consider having a local sign shop print the faceplate graphics on vinyl? There are also companies that make replacement control panel overlays on vinyl for arcade machines that might be able to do a good job with that.
Great job, I like it. Put me on the list with 3. Thanks for sharing.
Dude, that is amazing!
If the number of requests is what helps you decide to kit these babies, please put me down for 2.
S1
Don't suppose you'd be willing to share the FPL file for that? Ive used frontpanelexpress myself, but id very much like to see HOW you got such great results within their drafting program. I've only ever done engraved panels. I feel like there are some Jedi level tricks that file could teach me.
Hi all,
Thanks for comments. Sorry for lack of updates but work, family, xmas, covid etc. etc. You guys know how it is.
@ Stargeezer
Yep, I will be posting 3d printing files shortly. Just finished tweaking the standoffs for a new version.
I'm leaning towards people printing their own parts. My little 3d printer would be running 24/7 for months to churn out the parts. :)
Would think about printing at a cost for the rare individuals that dont have a 3d printer or dont have access to a 3d printing service.
@JeffLeb
Good idea, I did think about the vinyl. It would be considerably cheaper and has a pretty decent finish from what I've seen.
But I would have to deal with cutouts which would be hard to get nice edges and hard to align onto the cnc aluminium faceplate.
I've been looking at many ways to do this more affordably and more local over the last few weeks, but its looking very counter productive. Would likely involve a few different companies to do CNC, Printing, Stud Welding, Plexiglass machining etc. The beauty of Front Panel Express (as expensive as it is for me) is that they do the full deal including the plexiglass. I have the design working great mechanically at the moment to the franctionth of a millimetre. I kinda feel getting different companies involved who dont normally deal with these style panels would not be a good outcome.
In future I may revisit one of my earlier ideas for a fully 3d printed faceplate with vinyl sticker on that, but warping and mechanical mounting wouldnt be as solid as current design with the aluminium and the welded studs.
@TedThompson
Hahaha no Jedi Level tricks here, more luck and determination than anything at the moment.
I'm not intending to release the FPD file at this point, but that will probably change in the future.
The panel artwork was created as an SVG file in a great little program called BoxySVG. I found that program to be very enjoyable to use and was cheap. (I bought it for this project). I designed in 10 pixels to the mm to get a nice resolution but I'm not sure that had any effect as SVG is a vector format anyway and should scale up and down perfectly regardless. Once that SVG file was made it was exported out to PDF using settings that matched the panel size. Then it was across to Front Panel Designer program where the PDF was imported as a graphic object. Anyway....thats how I did it.
I'm still hunting out cheap suppliers for parts, preferably local.
Cheers
Dave
I've edited the front panel artwork to thicken up the Drive Light and SD Card texts, so they should be better than the faint text on my current case panel.
Otherwise its the same as before.
I also want to shout out to Chris Torrence from Assembly Lines for the Apple ][ Motter Tektura Font. I meant to have that in my earlier post.
Thanks very much for providing this.
Motter Tektura
Floppy Emu Graphic Applefritter.jpg
Also attached are the STL Files for the 3d printed parts.
Also just a comment on the cases .....
What people do is completely up to them but I would hate to see working or salvageable drives modified just for this.
All this original Apple ][ gear isnt going to be made again. A working or restoreable drive will be more valuable than this hack is, now and in the future.
The panel has been designed so that it is a bolt on modification that is 100% reversible. Its really intended as a use for surplus bits lying around that wouldnt be used otherwise.
My one in particular was a shell I found with the internals nowhere to be found.
Anyway just my 2c
Cheers
Dave
P.S. I am going to look into a 3d printable case as I've heard you can now buy beige filament for 3d printers.
I would love to print a 3D case for this.
So if anyone shares a .STL I would be glad to print cases for those cant :)
Good point about hacking working or fixable drives for this. Agree totally. However, if you have been collecting for a while like me, you may have a big box of old broken drives missing the guts or the cables cut off etc. that would perfect for using for this. I will have to look, but I think I have a box of at least 25 or 30 of the Disk ][ drives that for one reason or another are not fixable or working. Thanks for posting the STLs
Many folks like me realize this. Many folks with extra Disk ][ drives in working condition would still find it beneficial to remove the working bits from the case, store and preserve it, and use the case for the EMU. It is still a win/win scenario. But it is good to make your point for the unkowning.
I think most of us agree, this project should use only nonworking drives. But, it is also the case that many of us have more "parts drives" and other nonworking units than we will ever need. I would think using the WTB section here could help us clean our clutter for shipping and/or nominal charge for a Disk ][ shell.
Hi All,
Sorry for my slow progress. I've finally got a plan together for this and my intent is to do an initial run of 30 units. Anyone who expressed an interest in a kit has been sent a PM for them to decide if they would like to go ahead or not. Its a big outlay for me so my plan is to get confirmation before I order the big ticket items being the OLED screens and paricularly the front manufactured aluminium panels. All the other parts are very minor in cost and I've started ordering those on the assumption that the project gets enough orders to go ahead. If it doesnt I can use those parts in other projects. Unfortunately, Its not cheap, but each kit is definately cheaper than the prototype I made. If you are interested please PM me for details. The PCB's for the button cluster have already arrived, it still amazes me how cheap you can get PCB's made for these days.
IMG_3242.jpeg
The Parts list of whats in the kit is here.
Screen Shot 2022-02-08 at 9.32.02 pm.png
And on top of that you need your own floppy emu (current oled version), a surplus disk ][ steel case and 3d print your own brackets.
Anyway, thats what its looking like. If it gets to that number of orders ..... then great, and if not, ahhh well gave it a shot. Please hit me with PMs for ordering questions.
Cheers
Dave
I would be happy to print the 3D parts as kits for those that dont have 3D printers.
Bill
Wow this is really great work!
For those ordering this kit I am offering a Special AppleFritter discount.
I will offer all the 3D parts for the kit in any of the following colors:
Black
Sparkle Black
White
Blue
Red
Green
Pink
Gray
Orange
Purple
Applefritter price $15 + shipping
I will be happy to take any colour. When I can order? Can I pay now? How much? I will take 2 off your kit and I need the most complete you have. I don't have a 3D printer , not yet. Thanks again
Ok, I think that's the only way to order, I love to take 2 off your kit, please let me know when I can pay for and how much. Thanks
Wonderful creation!
While waiting for Dave to ship my kit, I have already started printing the parts.
Here is the Left Hand bracket
IMG_7351.jpeg
Retro Bill,
That looks great and I appreciate the offer to print 3d parts for others. Thanks very much for that.
Looks better than the ones I printed. What material did you use and what printer do you have? I've been using PETG due to using the printer for other projects and couldnt be bothered changing filaments and settings.
Also Have you tried the side brackets onto a disk ][ case base plate?
I'm keen to know if I need to tweak the models. I'm 99% sure they will be fine but if things become apparent due to tolerances I'll fix them.
Cheers
Dave
Thanks Dave!
I am using a Prusa MK3S printer and PLA for my filament.
I have not tried the side brackets in the ][ case yet. I will as soon as I recieve my ][ case. I dont want to take my working drives apart yet :)
I will post a pic once I get the case.
Bill
Cool Thanks.
First 3D parts kit is ready for shipping
Disk ][ Emu.jpg
Black for the LED bezel adapters too. Thats attention to detail ;)
They are only visible from the inside, but thats a nice touch. Looks good.
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