Remember cassette tapes? A maker named C Forde just built a tiny music player that looks exactly like one, and the whole shell came off a 3D printer. It is a great reminder that printing is not only for figurines and tools. It is also a fantastic way to build a custom home for your own gadgets.
The shell is printed in four pieces, with openings already designed in for the USB socket, the memory card slot and the headphone jack. Even the little spools are printed, and they really turn. Planning those openings in the model is the secret: when the holes are part of the design, nothing has to be cut, drilled or forced later.
Inside, a small ESP32 chip with a built-in screen runs the show, and a compact audio module plays the songs. A thin lithium battery powers it, and five little buttons handle play, stop, volume and skipping tracks. In this second version, a flexible circuit board replaces most of the loose wiring, so everything fits neatly in a space barely bigger than a real tape. The player can be used alone with headphones, or slid into an old cassette deck.
Projects like this are perfect practice for beginners because they teach three skills at once: measuring parts, designing around them, and testing the fit. You do not need a fancy printer either. A basic machine and a roll of PLA are enough to make a snug, good-looking case, and each failed fit teaches you something for the next try.
How to use the idea: measure your electronics first, then design the case around them. Add about 0.2 mm of extra room around parts so they slide in, keep walls around 1.2 to 2 mm thick, and split the model into pieces that print flat without much support. Printing flat surfaces against the bed gives cleaner edges and stronger parts.
Try it on your printer: print a simple two-part box for a coin battery or a small circuit board, with one rectangular cutout for a cable. If the fit is too tight or loose, adjust by 0.1 mm and print again. Looking for models, filament and gear to get started? Visit flarelab.com.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really 3D print a cassette-shaped case?
Yes. A cassette shell is just a small, thin-walled box with a few cutouts, so a standard FDM printer can handle it. Printing it in several pieces, as this maker did, makes it easier to fit the electronics inside.
What does a microcontroller do in a project like this?
A microcontroller is a tiny programmable computer chip. Here it reads the button presses, shows information on a small screen, and tells the audio module which track to play.
Do I need to know electronics to start printing enclosures?
Not at all. Start by printing an empty case for a small board or battery and practice getting the measurements right. You can add the electronics once the fit feels easy.
Which filament is good for small electronic cases?
PLA is the easiest choice for beginners and works well for gadgets that stay at room temperature. PETG is a bit tougher if the case will be handled or bumped a lot.
Inspired by reporting from Adafruit Blog. Rewritten by Flarelab for beginners.
