IBM PS/2 Color Display 8512 (CRT VGA Monitor) 1:4 scale

THIS MODEL IS NOT "PRINT AND USE", some handwork is needed to make it one piece. The difficulty level is above average due to very small size of some elements. Assembling instructions and demos can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlH_bMmJlYQ

This work is licensed under a Standard Digital File License, please read at the end of this page for more information. Free for personal, non-commercial use only. Public remixes are not allowed by default but may be allowed by request under the same license - contact me if you made really a lot of improvements for yourself and want to share your work with the world (not just added a couple of new holes, etc). There were more than 3 months of work beyond this model so please respect the license and those who spent their time on the development and now give it to you free of charge!

Other complementary models you may need.

IBM PS/2 Color Display 8512 - TFT 2.8 inch + ESP32 mod.
IBM PS/2 Color Display 8512 - TFT 2.8 inch 640x480 + Raspberry Pi mod
IBM PS/2 Color Display 8512 - TFT 2.4 inch version remix.
IBM PS/2 Model 30 286 (1:4 scale).
Olivetti M-SQ29-6MD retro mouse (non-scaled).
IBM PS/2 Mouse Replica - USB (non-scaled, by poprhythm).
IBM Model M keyboard - still in plans…

Introduction.

This monitor was produced from April 1987 till 1993(?). It had a comparatively low price ($623), but the picture quality of the 14" 8512 model with 0.41 mm dot pitch was considered rather pathetic in comparison with the 12" 8513 model that had a smaller screen with 0.28mm dot pitch and a noticeably higher price ($750). Maximum resolution is 640x480 pixels, 256 colors, 60Hz refresh rate.

While designing this model, I downloaded more than 200 photos of this monitor from internet and found that there were several versions of 8512 and also several revisions of some versions. They have some differences, so to avoid the questions why the model doesn't look like your 8512 I state here that I designed the UK version of 8512002 monitor. If you are interested in how it differs from other models, please read about it at the end of this description.

I don't have this monitor and I cannot measure every little piece of it, so it's surely not a 100% copy, but hundreds of various measurements were made to make this model as accurate as possible. This model is a result of teamwork and it relies on the measurements made by the following owners of the real monitors:

MadCatSE (https://www.youtube.com/@MadCatSE), made something about 200 measurements of his monitor!
J-Tech95 (https://www.youtube.com/@J-Tech95), measured the stand for the monitor.

Known issues with the current version of the model.

1) The shape of the CRT and the FRONT FRAME doesn't look like the original according to the photos that I investigated. All the photos have different geometric aberrations due to different lens focal length, so I cannot understand the real shape of the CRT and its frame by photos. I've spent a lot of time trying various parameters, but it's still far from what I see on the photos. I need more measurements to make it better and I hope we will make these measurements some day, so these two parts are in the beta state now and I hope they will be improved later.

2) The original upper vent grid seems to have a little slope to the back (it seems to be 4.4 mm in the original size, that would be 1.1 mm in the 1:4 scale). It is hardly noticeable so I made it flat to avoid many problems with my cheap 3D printer, otherwise the quality and the look of the grid would be disappointing.

3) The rotating stand and its mounts were slightly modified to make them 3D-printable in 1:4 scale (the original mounts are too thin for this scale). This difference is not be visible when the stand is attached to the monitor.

4) The screw holes were increased from 2.67 mm to 3.20 mm to fit the screws with 3 mm heads. It's very difficult to find such tiny screws in shops. I had to use ones from a broken mobile phone.

WARNING: The model is still under development. I've made some improvements since I printed my prototypes to compensate 3D printer issues like bridges and supported stuff level, gaps, etc, that I didn't like in the initial version. If you see that the model has some errors not associated with 3D-printing quality, report them in the comments section. If many users report one and the same problem, I will try to fix in the new version.

Additional parts you may need.

All the screws except the one for the stand are optional and can be replaced with glue/hot glue. These are the ones that I found in my household, but a wide variety of different ones of approximately the same size may be also used:
D2.85 L 10mm and a 6mm nut (M3): STAND.
D 1.7 L 7.7mm: COVER, 2 back screws.
D 1.4 L 3.5mm: FRONT, 2 bottom screws.

Print settings.

AC-PLUG (optional).
Color: beige?
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12
Support: no

Ordinary filament can be used as a wire for this plug.

AC-SOCKET.
Color: black
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.2
Support: no

This one is glued after the VGA-CABLE-SOCKET is glued because the VGA socket is easier to align, and the AC socket is glued next to the VGA socket. If you use this model as a box for arduino/esp32, maybe you don't need these parts at all if you are going to use these holes to put the power/data cables inside the box.

BOTTOMLOCK (x2).
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.2
Support: no

Glue it to the corresponding holes in the FRONT part.

BRIGHTNESS.
Color: blue
Nozzle: 0.4 (may be better with 0.2, didn't try it)
Layer height: 0.12
Support: no

Glue it to COVER.

COVER.
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12 (!!!)
Support: partial.

I tried different kinds of support in Orca and Cura, but finally decided that the Orca's “Snug” type with rectilinear pattern works the best here. Paint support as shown below:

You will get the following result and thus save a lot of plastic and time:

Other hanging stuff is printed as bridges.

This is the most difficult part to print. Take your time in the slicer to find the best parameters. Use small simple test models to test supports, bridges and retraction settings before you print this part. Reduce retraction filter to 0.1 mm, otherwise tiny vent holes may be glued. Make the seam in the inside surfaces only, especially in places with vent holes, to keep outside surfaces clean and neat.  This part was optimized for 0.12 mm layer height, other layer height will most likely spoil the whole thing, I WARNED YOU! Don't tell me that the back wall has holes if you print it with 0.2 layer height! Print it slowly, 10 hours is normal time for this part.

I also added a COVER-DIY-MOD version that has a large hole at the back that allows you to pass USB and Micro HDMI cables inside for your arduino/esp32/raspberry projects. It is also easier to print as requires less intricate support.

CRT.
Color: black (or whatever you like)
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: the smaller layer height gives smoother surface.
Support: no

I printed it in the horizontal orientation, but I think the vertical orientation may give better results.

FRONT.
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12
Support: partial (the gray frame perimeter and the standmount panel with the SN label)

Test retraction settings before printing - the tiny holes may be glued if the retraction is not configured properly. Make seams on the inside surfaces to keep the outside surfaces neat and clean.

FRONT-GRAY-FRAME.
Color: dark gray.
Nozzle: 0.4.
Layer height: 0.12 (at least during sloping layers)
Support: no

GRID.
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12
Support: no

I printed it the top side on the bed, but the reversed position with support may (or may not) give better curved corners (not tested). Paint the seam in the middle to prevent starting the lines from the sides. Paint the seams on the inside surfaces to keep the outside surfaces clean.

I think it's obvious that the grid is non-removable in the original monitor. It was made removable in this model only to be able to print in with a FDM printer. It's up to you to decide whether to glue it or not. Basically, it holds firmly without glue and you can store some stuff inside if you make it removable :)

LED.
Color: green.
Nozzle: 0.4.
Layer height: 0.08 (!!!).

The part actually contains 3 different LEDs that have 0.08 mm difference in height and 0.1 mm difference in width (the left one is the biggest and the right one is the smallest). Make the seam at the back. The back side is slightly narrower to make it easier to insert it, so make sure the wider side looks to the front. I recommend to try the biggest one first, if it doesn't fit, try the medium, and finally try the smallest one. This way you can find the LED that will fit the best to the size of the hole and hold inside without glue. Insert it from the front side till the end, then cut the excess of the part from the back side with a sharp knife.

PAD.
Color: gray in the 002-UK, beige in 001 and 002-Korean versions.
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12-0.2
Support: no

The pad is inserted into a padholder and its long tip is used to align the padholder to the installation hole. Test it before gluing! Glue the tip of the pad and the bottom of the padholder with CA (instant) glue, align the tip of the pad to the hole and press hard, allow 20 secs for the glue to do its work.

PADHOLDER-BACK (x2).
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12-0.2
Support: no

Glue it with a PAD to COVER.

PADHOLDER-FRONT.
Color: white
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12
Support: no

Glue it with a PAD to FRONT.

Printed upside-down to get flat visible layers. There is a slope there, and the front side is slightly higher than the back side, keep it in mind when gluing these things to the FRONT part. The left and the right front padholders may seem alike, but they are actually different because of this slope!

STAND (optional).

=== Info for curious persons, can be skipped ===
Most likely it was sold separately in the first years of sales and bundled with the monitor in the late years. Not all 8512 monitors have this stand. I had only basic measurements of the stand, so I used a bit of imagination to design it :)  I'm not sure that the shape of the the rotating sphere is 100% correct, I made it by eye to fit within given dimensions. The differences from the original are as follows:

1) The original stand is able to rotate approximately 45 degrees to the left and to the right. It has a hidden intricate lock inside to prevent wider angles, and I haven't designed it because there is little space for it in my version. The model also rotates 45 degrees to the sides, but it has no locks inside and limits the angle by the side supports only. Do not apply high force to rotate the monitor too much. Both the model and the original monitor were not designed to rotate at high angles.

2) The bottom side of the stand has a tricky pattern. This pattern reduces the weight of the original stand, but it makes little sense in the 1:4 scale with 5mm base height. To say the truth, I was too lazy to make it because it's a huge waste of time for no use - the bottom side is not visible anyway. Maybe when I get old and have nothing else to do, it will be interesting to clone this pattern into the model, but not now :)

3) Invisible mounting parts were redesigned to ensure strength in 1:4 scale (the original ones just won't print or will break at once in this scale).

4) The IBM logo has a simplified font to be able to print it with a 0.4 mm nozzle.
=== End of info ===

Color: white.
Nozzle: 0.4.
Layer height: 0.12 for upper and lower, 0.2 for fixers.
Support is needed for the central hole of the STAND-LOWER. Other hanging stuff can be printed as bridges (at least in OrcaSlicer). The assembly requires one M3 bolt (9mm length) and one M3 nut. The nut should be put/glued inside the STAND-NUT part. Join the parts and screw the bolt.

Depending on the quality of the bridges, the upper part may slide too loose or too hard on the lower part. If the upper part feels too loose on the lower part, slightly reduce the height of the central pin on the lower part. Do it slowly and carefully, cut off ~0.1 mm with a sandpaper and try to rotate again, repeat cutting if needed. Don't cut too much at once, otherwise it will be hard to rotate the monitor.  If it goes too hard, add a thin spacier between the central pin and the STAND NUT (it can be made from paper). When you are happy with the rotation, fix the tip of the thread with small amount of glue or varnish to prevent unscrewing during rotation.

The pads are the same as these for the monitor, but their "tail" should be reduced to 1-2 mm with wire cutters after printing to fit inside the holes. Finally glue 4 stand fixers into 4 holes on the upper part (the rounded tip looks front, the sharp tip goes inside the hole).

The assembled STAND is mounted to the FRONT the same way it does on the original monitor! Slide the STAND to the front until the flexible locks click, now it is securely fixed. To remove the STAND, push the flexible locks to the center to unlock them and slide the STAND back. The locks are proved to be working automatically, at least with PETG. If you use harder plastic like PLA, you may need to help it with your fingers or slightly cut the tips of the locks to make them pass through the fixers easier.

SWITCH.

Color: white on 002-UK, red on 001 and 002-Korean.
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.12
Support: no

Slow speed is recommended to keep the sharp part of the switch really sharp. Glue it to COVER.

VGA-CABLE-SOCKET.
Color:
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer height: 0.2
Support: no

Glue it to COVER. Ordinary filament can be used as a wire for this socket.

LABELS DIMENSIONS TO PRINT ON PAPER (mm):

back-label: 16.1 x 17.35
back-logo: 6.75 x 4.67
bottom-label: 19.3 x 9.5
front-logo: 6.0 x 4.13
front-sn: 7.5 x 1.9

Known versions of the IBM 8512 monitor and their differences.

The IBM specs state that there were 4 variants of this monitor:
8512-001: Low Voltage (90-137V AC)
8512-002: High Voltage, Northern Hemisphere (180-264V AC)
8512-003: High Voltage, Southern Hemisphere (180-264V AC)
8512-102: High Voltage, Very Low Magnetic Field, Northern Hemisphere (180-264V AC)

The following are the differences between 8512-001 and 8512-002 that I found in more than 200 photos downloaded from internet (only the ones I noticed):
8512-002 has a Panasonic CRT while 8512-001 has a Hitachi CRT (maybe not all but depends on serial number?).
8512-002 has a detachable power cable while most 8512-001 have non-detachable power cables.
8512-002 front cover is locked with 2 security torx screws while 8512-001 requires to push a special long key inside the holes to unlock the clips hidden inside the monitor.

There seem to be several revisions of 8512002 that differ in the power plug orientation and the vent holes position on the bottom. I named them the UK version and the Korean version:
The Korean version has a vertical power plug, the other parts seem to be the same as on 8512-001.
The UK version has a horizontal power plug, noticeably more vent holes on the bottom side with a slightly different stand mount design, removable lid on the bottom near the VGA cable, slightly different upper vent grid, slightly different position of the green LED, and a white power switch. It also turned out that 002-UK has clips/locks instead of screws, the way 001 has. There may be other less noticeable differences.

I've never seen the photos of 8512-003 and 8512-102 names on the labels so I have no idea how they look like and what the visual differences are (if any). I also found photos of one 8512-004 that was made in Korea and looks like the Korean version of 8512-002. It has a red power switch and a detachable vertically positioned power cable plug, 200-240V Voltage, and there is no specific information on it in internet.

Final wishes.

As always, if you get some worthy results, don't forget to share the photos in the makes section. I feel happy to see the makes of my models that are printed with better printers and better filaments than mine and show higher quality :)