iPod Touch Gen4 Dovetail Case

For an iPhone4 version, go here: thingiverse.com/thing:65553
For an iPhone5 version, go here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:59126

It's a case for an 4th Generation iPod Touch. There are many important differences between this case and others on Thingiverse. The most sensitive part of an iPod is the edge of the glass. (The face of the glass is also sensitive, but we can't cover that!) Other cases do not offer much protection for the edge of the glass. Also other cases have a sloppy fit. This case solves both problems.

This case is made from two halves that slide onto the iPod and snap together. When it snaps together, there is a strangely satisfying click! The two halves fit together very tightly, and will not accidentally come loose.

Print both halves separately. Because the surface finish is super important for a good looking case, use the highest resolution settings and slow down the speed. Having the filament diameter dialed in is also important.

Do not use rafts or supports. This is designed with "mouse ears" and supports included in the STL.

After printing, some minor filing/sanding might be required on the dovetail joint. Also, break off the built-in "mouse ears" and file/sand down the spot where they broke off. The amount of filing/sanding should be minimal. It takes me about 2 minutes to do this step.

I printed this on a Replicator 2 in PLA with ReplicatorG/Skeinforge. My settings were:
Layer Height: 0.1
Infill: 100%
Shells: 0
Feedrate: 40
Travel Feedrate: 75

Remember to get your temperature and filament diameter set appropriately for your filament.

On my Replicator 2 it took about 3-3.5 hours for each half. About 6.5 to 7 hours total.

Taking the case off of the iPod can be tricky the first time you do it. What you do is pry up two of the dovetails on the same side with shim-like things. They don't need to be raised very much, just so they clear the case back. With the shims in place, just pull the halves apart. Make sure that your pry-bar/shim will not scratch the iPhone. I have used things like bamboo skewers, saxophone reeds, and nylon zip-ties for this task.

I have included the Solidworks file for this design, so people can modify it. There are two elements in the design called "Top Cutoff" and "Bottom Cutoff". Use the suppress/unsuppress functions to basically select which half of the case is "active", then save the STL file for that half.