Mini Commodore SX-64 (1:5 Scale)

Using a Bambu Labs Printer? Find this model on MakerWorld including the print profiles.

The Commodore SX-64 was a ‘portable’ version of Commodore’s successful Commodore 64 home computer, released in 1983 just months after the C64. Whilst it was undoubtedly portable, the fact that in weighed over 10kg and required an external power supply meant it was a long way off what’s now considered a portable computer. It wasn’t a great success, and was discontinued in 1986.

I decided to recreate the SX-64 in a more portable form at 1:5 scale, tipping the scales at a more manageable 80g. There are always inevitable trade-offs necessary when miniaturising technology though, and one of those was the removal of technology, although I’m sure someone could work some magic and cram a Pi in there or something.

I tried to re-create the computer as accurately as possible in 1:5 scale so it should scale-up well if you want something larger, but I did some rounding of numbers just to make it easier for my head to cope with, so don’t go planning on using this model to print any real parts for an SX-64. That said, the only real compromise I made was the thickness of the metal outer shell, which I thickened significantly for printing (the original is only 1mm thick), but the thicker shell is only visible from the rear.

Due to the level of detail, I would recommend printing this with a 0.2mm nozzle. Even then, you won’t capture the very finest detail of the lettering on the front panel. If you’re using a 0.4 nozzle, you may lose a bit more detail and the fit tolerances might not be as good, but you should still end up with something presentable (or maybe print it at 150% scale). I’ve designed this so there’s no supports required, apart from an easily-removed brim around the base of the handle.

There are two versions of this model, one with separate STLs for the logos and the blue front trim to allow them to be printed in different colours, the other version has these included in the main bodies. The parts that differ depending on which version you want to make are named accordingly (e.g. 'Main Body (Separate Logo Version)" and "Main Body (Logo Included Version). I've included 4 different versions of the separate blue trim at slightly different sizes to allow for printing tolerances. They're only small parts so I suggest you print them all in one go rather than use trial and error. I'd recommend just using the simpler version (with the features included) if you're printing with a 0.4mm nozzle or bigger, as you won't print enough of the logo detail to make it worth while, unless you're printing the whole model at a larger scale.

This was my first attempt at modelling anything in Fusion (or any other 3D software come to that) and 3D printing my own model. It was probably a bit over-ambitious for that and the learning curve was steep, but I’m happy with the end product. However, it does mean I was learning a lot as I went on, getting very confused at times, and as a result the ‘behind the scenes’ of the models and my approach is probably very messy so please bear that in mind if you go poking around in the models or have any issues printing!