Fractal North Pi

A Fractal Design North Pi on top of a Fractal Design North case, showing the difference in size, yet the similarities between both cases.

    When Fractal Design launched the North case, I knew I had to have it because it's stunning! Since then, it has been my computer case. A few weeks ago, I found a YouTube Video showing a prototype case for a Raspberry Pi called "Baby North." The case is a small replica of the North case. Sadly, it is not for sale since it was made for promotional purposes. Many people fell in love with it and wanted one, so Fractal Design decided to free the model, including all STL files and the assembly guide.  This one is officially called "North Pi."

3D printing time and costs
    Depending on your Raspberry Pi model, the model has 10 pieces to print. I used an Ender 3V2 (stock build) Creality CR-PLA Black and Creality Silk-PLA Red Copper for the project. It took me 21 hours and 16 minutes. Still, newer printers will get it done faster. A few pieces need support. The document is well-detailed and explicitly tells which ones need support to be printed; if you follow the guide, you'll have no problem.  

Day 1 
  1. Front Inner Frame
    Filament: 26gr.
    Printing Time: 4 hrs 7 min.
    Support: Tree

  2. Front
    Filament: 21gr.
    Printing Time: 2 hrs 50 min.
    Support: Tree

  3. Top I/O
    Filament: 1gr.
    Printing Time: 10 min.
    Support: -

  4. Top I/O Cover
    Filament: 2gr.
    Printing Time: 18 min.
    Support: -

  5. Foot Ring (x4)
    Filament: 1gr.
    Printing Time: 7 min.
    Support: -

  6. Front Bar (x3)
    Filament: 14gr.
    Printing Time: 2 hrs 8 min.
    Support: Tree
Printed 3D parts for Fractal North Pi. Front frame, front bars, front inner frame, top I/O, top I/O cover, and foot rings

Day 2
  1. Main Body
    Filament: 48gr.
    Printing Time: 8 hrs 15 min.
    Support: Tree
Printed 3D parts for Fractal North Pi. Front frame, front bars, front inner frame, top I/O, top I/O cover, foot rings, and main body

Day 3
    The side panel is recommended to be an acrylic window, but since I haven't found a place to make it custom for me, I decided to print a black panel for now. 
  1. Rear Panel
    Filament: 7gr.
    Printing Time: 1 hrs 9 min.
    Support: -

  2. Bottom Hatch
    Filament: 3gr.
    Printing Time: 40 min.
    Support: Tree

  3. Side Panel
    Filament: 13gr.
    Printing Time: 1 hrs 32 min.
    Support: -
Fractal North pi assembled, showing side panel, black panel and bottom hatch

    After having everything printed, I started assembling it. Just now, I realized my husband's Raspberry Pi is a model 1, so it's not compatible 😅 Anyway, I enjoyed this project so much that I'll get a new Raspberry Pi to install Octoprint and a camera next to my trustworthy Ender 3. I'm super grateful Fractal Design decided to release the files since they had no intention of putting this model into production. 

    Seriously, look how cute this thing is! It's perfection!

Fractal Design North Pi next to Fractal Design North for scale.


    K.


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