Parametric Guitar Pedal Enclosure

A fully customizable 3D-printable guitar pedal enclosure designed in OpenSCAD, inspired by classic Hammond die-cast boxes. Create professional-looking enclosures in multiple standard sizes or define your own custom dimensions.

Features

• Parametric Design: Adjust every dimension and component hole size via the OpenSCAD Customizer
• Multiple Presets: Choose from Hammond standard sizes (1590A, 1590B, 1590BB, 125B) or design custom dimensions
• Two-Part Assembly: Open-bottom shell with removable lid for easy component mounting
• Complete Controls: Pre-configured holes for:
  • Potentiometer knobs (configurable count and positions)
  • Footswitch
  • LED indicator
  • 1/4" input and output audio jacks
  • DC barrel jack for power
• Screw Bosses: Built-in corner screw mounting posts with configurable counterbores
• Smooth Curves: Rounded corners and edges for a professional finish
• Print-Ready: Includes flipping options to optimize for 3D printing

Getting Started

Requirements

• OpenSCAD (free, open-source 3D CAD tool): Download
• A 3D printer or 3D printing service

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/grahamfranz/Pedal-Enclosure.git
   cd Pedal-Enclosure

2. Open pedal_enclosure.scad in OpenSCAD

Usage

Quick Start with Presets

1. In OpenSCAD, go to Window > Customizer
2. Under the [Preset] section, select a preset size:
   • 1590A - Small (92.5 × 38.5 × 31 mm)
   • 1590B - Medium (112 × 60 × 31 mm) — default
   • 1590BB - Large (119 × 94 × 34 mm)
   • 125B - XL (121 × 66 × 39 mm)
3. Choose a render option under [Render]:
   • enclosure - Just the main shell (top side up)
   • lid - Just the bottom plate (base plate up)
   • both - Both parts positioned for printing (with default flip options)
   • assembled - Parts together to see the final result
4. The default settings use hex nut fasteners, board standoffs enabled, no corner bosses, and flipped print orientation — ideal for most builds
5. Click F5 to preview or F6 to render
6. Export as STL when ready to print

Custom Dimensions

1. Set preset to custom
2. Enter your desired dimensions in the [Custom Outer Size] section:
   • custom_length - X axis (long direction)
   • custom_width - Y axis (short direction)
   • custom_height - Z axis (vertical)

Customize Components

The Customizer provides sections for fine-tuning:

• [Shell] - Wall thickness, corner radius, smoothness
• [Screw Mounting] - Boss type (on/off), diameter, inset, clearances, counterbores, and fastener type (self_tap, hex_nut, square_nut)
• [Lid Locating Lip] - A raised plug on the lid that drops into the enclosure cavity, preventing lid shear under foot pressure
• [Board Mount] - Standoff diameter and height (optional posts hanging from the top wall for proto board mounting)
• [Top: Knobs] - Number of knobs (auto-distributes across rows), center-to-center spacing, hole diameter, row spacing
• [Top: Footswitch] - Hole size and position
• [Top: LED] - Hole diameter and position (optional)
• [Sides: Audio Jacks] - Hole sizes, heights, and symmetric offset to prevent jack hardware collision
• [Back: DC Jack] - Hole size and height (optional)

Coordinate System

The design uses a standard orientation (top-down view):

      +X  (back edge — DC jack)
   +-------------------+
   |       [dc]        |
   |  o   o   o   o    | knob row
[O]|                   |[I] -Y = output, +Y = input
   |        *          | LED
   |                   |
   |       ( X )       | footswitch
   |                   |
   +-------------------+
      -X  (toe)

Printing Tips

• Enclosure orientation: Controlled by flip_enclosure_for_print (default true — top face on bed for the cleanest finish on the labeled side)
• Lid orientation: Controlled by flip_lid_for_print (default true — nut pockets face upward, away from the bed, so they don't sag during printing; the raised locating plug prints first as a solid foundation)
• Support Material: With both flip options on, neither part needs supports
• Tolerance: Adjust lid_clearance_d and screw_hole_d if you have fit issues with your printer
• Wall Thickness: For durability, keep at least 2–2.5 mm walls
• Lid thickness: Use at least 3 mm when using hex/square nut modes; the raised lip will be lip_height taller (default 1.5 mm)
• Locating lip fit: The plug is sized to the cavity inner profile minus 0.3 mm clearance so it slips in smoothly without binding

Assembly

Fastener Options

Choose a method in the [Screw Mounting] section:

boss_fastener	Hardware needed	Notes
self_tap	M3 self-tapping screws (from below)	Simple, but repeated opening/closing will eventually strip the plastic
hex_nut (default)	M3 hex nuts + M3 machine screws (from above)	Screw enters the top face, passes down through the corner, and threads into a hex nut pocket captive in the lid's underside — provides reusable fastening
square_nut	M3 square nuts + M3 machine screws (from above)	Same as hex, but with a square pocket which is easier to print accurately

Note: Nut modes recess the nut pocket into the lid's underside, so set lid_thickness to at least nut_pocket_depth + 0.6 mm (default 3 mm is recommended for M3).

For nut modes, set nut_pocket_depth to match your nut (hex ≈ 2.4 mm, square ≈ 1.8 mm).

Assembly Steps

1. Print both parts (use default flip settings for cleanest results)
2. (Hex/square nut modes only) Drop an M3 nut into each nut pocket on the lid's underside
3. Install your components (pots, jacks, footswitch, LED) into the pre-drilled holes
4. (Optional: board standoffs) Insert your proto board (e.g., CircuitMesh) from below the enclosure, aligning its screw holes with the standoffs, then secure from underneath
5. Insert screws from the top into the corner posts and tighten (they will thread into the nut pockets on the lid's underside)
6. Mount the lid to close the enclosure — the raised locating plug will drop into the cavity for a snug, shear-resistant fit

Pre-Rendered STL Files

All preset Hammond enclosures are available as pre-rendered STLs in the renders/ directory, ready for immediate 3D printing. Each preset is exported in three configurations:

Preset	Size (mm)	Enclosure	Lid	Both
1590A	92.5 × 38.5 × 31	1590A_enclosure.stl	1590A_lid.stl	1590A_both.stl
1590B	112 × 60 × 31	1590B_enclosure.stl	1590B_lid.stl	1590B_both.stl
1590BB	119 × 94 × 34	1590BB_enclosure.stl	1590BB_lid.stl	1590BB_both.stl
125B	121 × 66 × 39	125B_enclosure.stl	125B_lid.stl	125B_both.stl

Note: All presets default to 3 knobs. You can customize num_knobs in the Customizer for any preset — the layout automatically wraps to multiple rows as needed.

Quick Print Guide

• Use *_both.stl files for a complete assembly view with both parts positioned for printing
• Use individual *_enclosure.stl and *_lid.stl files if you prefer to print them separately or scale one part differently

File Structure

Pedal-Enclosure/
├── README.md                  # This file
├── LICENSE                    # MIT License
├── pedal_enclosure.scad       # Main OpenSCAD design
└── renders/
    ├── preview.png            # Visual preview
    ├── 1590A_enclosure.stl     # Pre-rendered STL (small, 2 knobs)
    ├── 1590A_lid.stl
    ├── 1590A_both.stl
    ├── 1590B_enclosure.stl     # Pre-rendered STL (medium, 3 knobs)
    ├── 1590B_lid.stl
    ├── 1590B_both.stl
    ├── 1590BB_enclosure.stl    # Pre-rendered STL (large, 3 knobs)
    ├── 1590BB_lid.stl
    ├── 1590BB_both.stl
    ├── 125B_enclosure.stl      # Pre-rendered STL (XL, 3 knobs)
    ├── 125B_lid.stl
    └── 125B_both.stl

Customization Examples

Reduce Material: Thin-Walled Version

• Decrease wall_thickness to 1.5 mm
• Decrease lid_thickness to 1.2 mm

Smoother Finish: High-Detail Render

• Increase facets from 72 to 96 or higher (slower render)

More Knobs

• Increase num_knobs to any value. The layout automatically wraps knobs to multiple rows based on enclosure width
• Adjust knob_spacing (center-to-center distance) and knob_row_spacing (vertical gap between rows) as needed
• Rows with different knob counts are horizontally centered (staggered effect); rows with the same count align vertically

Offset Audio Jacks

• Use jack_x_offset to prevent 1/4" jack connectors from colliding (typical range: ±15 mm)
• Positive values move the input jack forward and output jack back
• Negative values reverse the direction
• Useful for compact builds where jack hardware extends into the enclosure

Hide Optional Components

• Set include_led to false to remove the LED hole
• Set include_dc_jack to false to remove the DC jack

Contributing

Feel free to fork, modify, and share improvements. If you have suggestions or find issues, please open an issue on GitHub.

Credits

Designed by Graham Franz. Inspired by the classic Hammond die-cast enclosure series.

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Tips: For the best results, always preview your design in OpenSCAD before printing. Test-fit your components (pots, jacks) in the STL file to ensure proper spacing and clearance.