I'm building a media server out of leftover PC parts and a 3D printed case

I've got 3D printers and lots of low-power single board computer (SBC) and related items in my office, so what do I do with them? Of course I had the crazy idea to 3D print my own file / media server.

I'm not designing this from scratch, rather I am using the excellent Modular Attached Storage Stack (MASS) from Haydn Bao. Specifically the free version of the kit, but from what I have seen, I shall be paying the $27 (£20) for the premium model.

MASS is a compact and modular NAS enclosure that has been designed by Bao to print on many of the best budget 3D printers. I printed 99% of my parts using an Elegoo Centauri Carbon, and 1.5KG of Elegoo Rapid PETG filament. The remaining 1% of the 3D print process was completed on my older Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro. Why? Because it prints TPU (flexible filament) extremely well and I need four feet to stop the case sliding around the desk.

The brains for this project is a LattePanda Mu with an Intel N100 and a mini-ITX motherboard. Inside the Mu's module I have a quad-core Intel N100 CPU capable of up to 3.4GHz, 8GB of LPDDR5 and 64GB of eMMC. I'll be installing a Linux based operating system and to manage the drive, OpenMediaVault.

Right now, I have a plethora of 3D printed parts which have been printed over the past week. I'll have a breakdown of the times and amount of filament used over the entire build process, and I will have links to key tools and products used so you can make your own.

I know what you are going to ask. "Why are you 3D printing a case when you can buy one?" The simple answer is, because I can and I want to give my Elegoo Centauri Carbon a real project so it can show just how good it is. So join me in this live blog as I show you the ups and downs of 3D printing your own NAS device.