Not sure what flair it falls under (could use the editable flair and put 3D printed) so Free Post Friday! for this one even though it’s 5 minutes past Friday but timezones make it still Friday in some countries.
I just decided to announce that I am making some faceplates that you can 3D print if you have a server tape drive without the bezel or if yours broke in any way, decided to announce this early as a separate post instead of a data storage mediums post even though the mediums were related (LTO-4 tape and cleaning cartridge, probably next week).
I decided to make my own as IBM support said I needed to be a company to get any new bezels (looks like I just got a string of bad people because someone else was able to get one for free (LTO-7 for the curious) even though they weren’t a company) and also because my dad just got a new 3D printer for Christmas.
I started with some measurements of the original bezel that I got with my drive from work experience and compiled a sheet of paper with all of the measurements (ended up remeasuring some parts when I put it into Tinkercad) and some drawings of the bezel to help me place the measurements on a location which helped me make the replica.
(Will add image of drawings tomorrow here)
I then started printing prototypes of the bezels (5 fully printed prototypes and one that was obviously too big and stopped) and each one had its issues which I fixed in each revision.
Prototype 0: this is the prototype (if you can call it that) which was stopped early because I compared the original and saw it was 1cm bigger for some reason, the printer only got to print the layer 1 walls and that’s it before I stopped it.
Prototype 1: this is my first fully printed prototype, it didn’t fit the tape drive at all despite being shortened by 1cm but I could see the hole for the display was off by a few millimeters.
Prototype 2: the second one had some adjustments, the first was screen hole which I did an oopsie and moved the hole in the wrong direction which made it worse, the second adjustment was shortening the bezel again by a millimeter, the final adjustment was thickening the larger clips by 0.5mm because the first prototype’s button side clip broke (square holed one for the people following at home).
Prototype 3: I moved the hole in the right direction this time which made the screen fit now, I also moved the side clips (not the big ones with the screws, the ones that snap into the holes in the metal case) back by 1mm as they were causing some issues with it going in, I also reverted the big clip with the round hole (opposite to the button side) back to its original thickness of 0.75mm and added a small wedge on the outside to reinforce it as it too was causing issues with the fit.
Prototype 4: getting closer, I can put the bezel on without forcing anything now but still had a bend because it was still slightly too long, I made the pit on the back deeper and moved the button mechanism down to try and make the button not click the actual button inside already, I also added an extra part on the button to make it reach the actual button as it wasn’t reaching but that failed horribly.
Prototype 5: shortened the bezel again by 0.5mm which worked as it fits now, deleted the extra part on the button but somehow made another oopsie and the button couldn’t move as I somehow made the gap too small during the process, added a cross to the button pushing part which I made too tall (whole millimeter instead of 0.5mm) which caused the corner with the button to stay up (tried sanding the cross but not much effect).
Prototype 6: this one hasn’t been made but my plan is to remove the cross on the button altogether, make the button “backboard” thinner in the hopes of it being enough and make the gap bigger so the button can move again and see where it will get us, hopefully onto designing the door and it’s hinge.
I also intend on putting a door on the bezel but my intentions are to make the bezel fully 3D printable without any extra external parts or at least make the required external parts common enough (small framing nail for hinge pin, most people have some laying around) which means the original design of the door might not be possible to implement as it used a push spring so I might (will) have to make the door manual instead of self closing, I’m thinking of using a similar design to a server hard drive enclosure handle but without the complex clip where you open it to the left and put the tape in and there will be a pin to keep the door shut when not in use but I’m still thinking about door designs so not yet finalized.
One more thing before I sign off, when I do put the .STL (50p commission for my hard work but more than worth it as finicky IBM support and £100 eBay bezels are next which aren’t worth suffering through or paying up for) and printed ones up on eBay, I will have to use the generic LTO-X text instead of the LTO Ultrium logo to reduce the risk of getting copyrighted (IP violation) or sued by IBM like the unlicensed CD-ROM drive manufacturers did back in the old days but you can easily modify the .STL yourself to have the LTO Ultrium logo but ones I distribute will have to be plain text LTO-X for that reason but my personal drives will be getting the full logo and any drives I sell will also get a bezel with the full logo as it’s not just the part.
I hope to finish the IBM bezel by the week or the week after and have it online and on eBay and if you have any advice on the hinge issue then I’m glad to accept advice but that’s ask for now, thank you for reading! :)
IBM original on the right with prototypes 1 to 5 right to left
Prototypes 1 to 5 top to bottom
Prototypes 1 to 5 left to right (you can see the broken square holed clip on prototype 1)
Prototype 5 on the LTO 4 tape drive in the computer, it looks like it was made for the drive originally (there will be a door on the final product but I’ll also make a doorless version if you need it doorless), you can just about see the top right corner a little out of place because of the stuck button and the tall button cross, I didn’t power the drive and only put it in the computer for demonstration purposes
