New MB6582 finished with 3D printed parts

[niles]

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my latest build since I'm sure there are some 3D printing enthusiasts here like myself.  

I bought the parts for an MB6582 about 5 years ago, if you remember Meeblip was selling those 8580 SID chips and I picked up 8 of them, and then put everything into a box in a closet . 

3D printing has come a very long way since the original MB6582 was created by Wilba. I read that the JB Weld solution may or may not be holding up great after all this time.  Also, I wanted to use a Newhaven OLED which is much thinner than the original LCD.  I thought there must be a solution to lower the gap distance so why not create some type of spacer for between the front panel and the PCB?

I designed all parts in Fusion360. The PCB screws directly into the spacer using M2.5 nuts/screws and plastic screws. The top of it has a flange that rests in the panel groove for the PT-10.  Total spacer height is 5.7mm which is the height of the base of the encoders. The front panel is another 1.25mm. Everything is printed out of ASA, which is very strong and heat resistant.

I designed the panel graphics in Inkscape and printed on translucent vinyl. I used Davies knobs with small printed skirts to cover up the threads of the encoders since they were exposed. I do not have a vinyl autocutter but I do have an exacto and lots of patience 

Overall tried going with a 80s beige computer look. A build plate for my printer created the carbon fiber effect on the panel.

I'm happy to share the 3D files if anyone could use them.

Edited April 20 by niles

[latigid on]

Cool solution, looks great! The skirts for the knobs are a nice touch.

One thing I wonder about is if heat would build up here, as the free air space in the case is less and the panel is also an insulator. The SIDs are on another PCB of course. 

[niles]

Thank you :) Yes heat could be something that may be an issue so I will follow that closely.  I took Peter's advice from another thread and used heatsinks on the SID chips, at least.  

[jrp]

This looks amazing! With some of the older chips like vintage vca, filter or delay chips you really have to be careful regarding heat and also (or even more so) static discharge. Nowadays with most ics these issues have long been solved by modern manufacturing processes and built in safety measures. I had to lear the hard way that this is not the case with chips from the 80s...

So the heatsink is probably a good idea, as would be any way to allow for some airflow.

On the other hand, i have removed the fans from some of my gear with no issues at all, as commercial units have to consider every worst case scenario (crowded rack in hot environment). So if you know how you use your gear you can get away with things that could not be allowed for every scenario.

Edited April 25 by jrp

[Rio]

you can of course fit it with heatsinks, but it's not necessary. It is normal for the 6581 to get warm/hot, but it is also in their nature to run at such temperatures. if i read it correctly, then there are only 8580 in use and there also a fan installed. I've never had to worry about anything like that (fan/cooler), nor have I ever had any problems during operation. they break when handled incorrectly (ESD).

Note the fact that a heatsink, fan or whatever you use is fine, but that is never installed inside an original c64.

... and yes, your device does look cool.

Edited May 12 by Rio

[dwestbury]

On 4/20/2025 at 6:14 PM, niles said:

Hey everyone, just wanted to share my latest build since I'm sure there are some 3D printing enthusiasts here like myself.  

....

I'm happy to share the 3D files if anyone could use them.

 

I'd love to experiment with the STL file(s) if you're willing to share.

A lovely build, with some nice innovations.

 

Cheers!