Parametric ellipsoidal housing for switch and indicator neon

I wanted a mains power switch for everything to do with my WorkBee, i.e. the WorkBee, the router, and the control PC. A switch needs to live in some sort of enclosure. This could've been a simple rectangular box with cutouts for the switch and the mains cables. But no, I made it complicated. First I wanted the switch housing to have a smooth ellipsoidal shape. Then I added a neon indicator light I had lying around. Then I added switch guards. And then I thought maybe someone else will have a use for it (but they won't have the same exact switch and indicator that I did or will want a different shape/size) so I rewrote the code for the model to be completely parametric.

This model is a fancy housing for one switch and one indicator (I used a neon and a mains-rated switch but there's no reason it couldn't be used for a smaller, low-voltage switch and an LED). Housing size and position of switch and indicator are completely customisable (within reason of course).

DO NOT PRINT THE STL/GCODE SUPPLIED UNLESS YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE THE SAME SWITCH AND INDICATOR THAT I USED, OR IT MAY NOT FIT!

ALSO, DON'T PRINT THE SWITCH AND NEON STLs PROVIDED: they are only used as visual aids for customising the housing in OpenSCAD and they are models of the switch and neon that I used! Yours may be different: model your own!

I used this switch: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B084WZMFXZ/ and a red neon pilot light (the type found in kitchen appliances) I had lying around of about 8.5 mm diameter where it protrudes from a housing.

If you don't have the same switch/indicator, don't fret! Everything is completely customisable. But you will have to edit the source file in OpenSCAD and create your own STL from it. Some basic familiarity with OpenSCAD is required. The source code is pretty well annotated so you shouldn't have any issues customising it but if something is unclear, just play around with the parameters and re-render to see what effect they have on the model. To visualise how the switch/indicator will sit inside the housing it will be useful if you create models of the switch and indicator that you plan to use…

For printing, the model needs supports under the cable entry ports (turn it around to see it from below and you'll know what I mean), and possibly to support parts of the housing/shell depending on what size you make it, although the STL provided here did not need those. Supports are also beneficial for the cable clamp tabs, although they may print ok without.

The cables entering the housing are clamped with tabs held together with bolts and nuts. The nuts fit into traps on top of the entry port blocks inside the housing: you will see them during printing but not after the print is completed. Fitting the nuts into the traps can be tricky especially after you've already fitted the switch and indicator (angled tip tweezers can be useful here). I poked a small Allen key up through the bolt holes and threaded the nuts on it, then wiggled it until the nuts fell into the traps. While holding the housing fairly horizontal (so the nuts don't fall out again), I fitted the clamp tabs around the cables and screwed them together, being careful that the bolts don't push the nuts out of the traps before the threads have engaged the nuts. You could also put the nuts in before fitting the switch and indicator and securing them in place with a piece of sticky tape or BlueTac.

Designed with OpenSCAD 2021.01.