Maker and YouTuber Joel, 3D Printing Nerd, has produced a transparent housing for a wireless mouse using 3D printing. The starting point was a kit that contained 3D print files for a standard housing as well as the electronics. Instead of using these, Joel opted for his own design made of transparent resin.
The result is impressive: the mouse’s internal components are clearly visible, providing an interesting insight into the technology. At the same time, the housing is aesthetically pleasing and of high quality.
The use of transparent resin offers clear advantages over conventional FDM printing with transparent filament. While FDM printers have difficulties producing truly transparent objects due to the way they work, resin printers can achieve almost crystal-clear results.
In addition to functional applications such as the mouse, the technology is also suitable for artistic projects. Joel demonstrates this with a “Benchy” – a popular 3D printed test model – which is enclosed in a printed “glass bottle”.
One limitation at present is that the entire print must be made of transparent material. Partial transparency, such as a viewing window in an otherwise opaque housing, is difficult to achieve with current printers. Creative solutions are required here, such as subsequent processing of the print.
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