Portable Arduino Experiment Lab

Welcome to this exciting Instructables, where I’ll guide you through creating a versatile and compact Arduino lab that you can easily take on the go! If you’re an electronics enthusiast, hobbyist, or maker who loves tinkering with Arduino and other microcontrollers, this collapsible experiment lab is perfect for you.

The 3D-printed Arduino experiment lab combines functionality with portability, making it ideal for both home projects and on-the-road experiments. When you're done, simply collapse it down for convenient storage and transport. If you don't want to design the entire build yourself in Tinkercad, I have linked the file that I made in step 3.

Tools:

1. 3D printer
2. Light Duty Hammer
3. Hot Glue Gun
4. Electric Screwdriver

Software:

1. Tinkercad
2. 3D Printing Slicer

Materials:

1. Arduino
2. 84x56 Millimeter Breadboard
3. 3D printing Filament
4. Self Tapping Servo Horn Screws
5. Hot Glue Sticks
6. Small Brass Hinge

I started this project by designing the two pieces that would encase the Arduino. To begin, I used a rectangular hole shape and a solid rectangle to create the bottom half of the box. I then cut out a rectangular slit in the short side of the box, and added a rectangular divider in the middle of it. After that, It was time to work on the lid. I took a large flat rectangle and used two elongated rectangular holes to create the slits so that wires could be plugged into the Arduino.

Designing the Breadboard holder was a relatively easy step. All a had to do was get a rectangle, and use another rectangle to cut a hole in the first one. Now that all of the Tinkercad work has been completed, we can move on to creating the physical item.

I then uploaded the file below into my 3D printers slicing software. After slicing, I downloaded the sliced file and uploaded it to my 3D printer. I then began the print. For me, the print took 3 hours 43 minutes, though print times may vary depending on the printer and the printing settings it is set to.

I took the bottom half of the box and screwed in the Arduino with 2 self-tapping screws. Since I did not print screw holes, I used an electric screwdriver to drill them directly into the plastic.

I then used hot glue to secure the lid to the body. Although hot glue is recommended, it is not required and other glues could be used as an alternative option.

I then took the small brass hinge, and used two more self tapping screws to secure the hinge to the main body. After that, I used two more screws to screw the other side of the hinge into the breadboard holder.

I then cut off the little ridges at one end of the breadboard to allow the breadboard to fit into the breadboard holder. The fit was extremely tight, so I used a small light duty hammer to get it into the breadboard holder.

Congratulations on completing your 3D-printed collapsible Arduino lab! You've transformed a simple idea into a functional, portable workspace that’s perfect for all your electronics projects. Thank you for following this guide. I hope this project has been both educational and enjoyable, and that your new lab serves you well in all of your future electronics adventures. Happy tinkering!