Apple Lisa Mouse A9M0050 - Replacement Shell

[wottle]

PCBWay spends too much money on marketing, failing to realize just as many people know about them as JLCPCB. And JLC doesn't do a lot of marketing that I can see. That's why you see all these YouTubers pitching PCBWay. PCBWay even approached me a year ago by email, and I replied back saying that most of the viewers of my channel might buy 1-2pcs of a PCB, but a MOQ of 5pcs doesn't make a lot of sense for the average hobbyist, or even for me. That was my rather pointed way of telling them No. (I don't allow YouTube Ads on my channel either, so it's not like I have something against PCBWay.)

However, despite the fact the techno-geek world has gone mad over JLC due to its lower pricing (compared to PCBWay), your statement indicates there may be some merit to PCBWay if indeed they will offer vintage Mac hobbyists more liberty when it comes to the Apple logo on 3D prints.

T-shirts are the same scenario. I had some shirts printed up at Printful, initially for my own personal use. The first one slipped through with a tiny Apple logo, but others were nabbed. "Macintosh" text? Nope. They eventually banned just about everything, except for some vintage photos they probably were unfamiliar with. So after designing my Bill Atkinson T-shirt remake, I gave that design to Javier Rivera at 8-Bit Tees, and he's printing it just fine. (No money was exchanged, nor kickbacks to me. I gifted Javier the design because, hey, it's just a remake of someone else's original design, and I want people to find it and be able to enjoy it.)

The point here is that when cloning 1980's vintage Apple stuff, it looks downright silly or odd if the Apple logo is excluded. Sure, you've got the wannabe lawyers out there banging on the legalities, but if you nitpick that much, you probably would decry "realoaded" boards or even Macintosh Garden. Sure glad Mark Jozaitis just plows ahead with his clear case remakes. His Apple IIc cases are great, and they even come with a color-striped Apple logo made in metal, with 2-sided tape on back, so you can affix it to the top of his cases and make them look 100% authentic (just in a different color). Funny thing about the MacEffects clearcases. There was one Apple keynote video where the engineering department had an SE/30 in a MacEffects clearcase in the shot. So even Apple likes Mark's stuff.

Agreed on the 5 minimum. However, at JLCPCB's pricing, it's easier to swallow. And I've gotten into the habit of trying to build out enough I can give them to other Vintage Mac people at cost. Like what Colin did with the SE/30 reloaded board, but on a much smaller scale.

It is nice to see Apple embrace (through lack of legal action) the vintage community. I did think it was interesting that JLC3DP flagged the apple icon, meanwhile what I assume is a larger more established PCBWay not only didn't flag it, but spent a lengthy amount of time helping me correct mistakes I made with my 3d model, specifically the Apple logo! I was certain they were rejecting it when they send me the email about an issue with my print. Turns out the Apple logo I added originally was hollow. Then, I resent it and apparently the logo was actually floating above the surface of the mouse case, despite me not being able to see that in Fusion.

 

[wottle]

So, I had some back and forth with JLCPCB trying to see how strict they would be with the logo. I tried to use a slightly different Apple logo with a smaller bite taken out, hoping I could use the excuse that it was not THE Apple Logo. They still did not allow it. I came up with two options, and ultimately decided on the one I liked more.

So, I decided to see if they would take the one with the Lisa logo on it. It was reviewed and approved this evening. I don't know if they would have taken the Apple without the bite. I'll send an update when it comes in and see how it looks in its finished state. I just realize I chose a different black resin this time than last time, so the mouse will be a darker shade than the bottom and mouse button. I actually think I will like that because the original mouse was two-toned as well. I think the two toned black / dark gray may look good. If not, I will add another mouse button to my next 3d print order.


Also, I posted in the Trading Post about this, but if anyone has the specific Apple M0100 version that can fit in this, I'm looking to buy / trade for it. Thanks!

 

[wottle]

So, I had some back and forth with JLCPCB trying to see how strict they would be with the logo. I tried to use a slightly different Apple logo with a smaller bite taken out, hoping I could use the excuse that it was not THE Apple Logo. They still did not allow it. I came up with two options, and ultimately decided on the one I liked more.

View attachment 19944

So, I decided to see if they would take the one with the Lisa logo on it. It was reviewed and approved this evening. I don't know if they would have taken the Apple without the bite. I'll send an update when it comes in and see how it looks in its finished state. I just realize I chose a different black resin this time than last time, so the mouse will be a darker shade than the bottom and mouse button. I actually think I will like that because the original mouse was two-toned as well. I think the two toned black / dark gray may look good. If not, I will add another mouse button to my next 3d print order.


Also, I posted in the Trading Post about this, but if anyone has the specific Apple M0100 version that can fit in this, I'm looking to buy / trade for it. Thanks!

So, the new top case came in. I ordered it in the JLC Black Resin this time, which they claim is a darker black and I wanted to see if it would be a closer match to the Macintosh TV black color. And I'd say it is a very close match. I may see if I can 3d print a new mouse case for it, replacing my painted version. However, the finish on it seems to be not as consistent. Almost like there are sanding lines in one direction. It's only noticeable when the light reflects off the surface, but the standard black resin, while more of a dark gray, had a near perfectly consistent finish. Anyway, here are some photos of the top cases, including the one with the Lisa logo embossed in it.

 

[JDW]

Wow! Love it!

 

[wottle]

FYI, looks like transparent is unavailable again until early March (https://jlc3dp.com/blog/temporary-suspension-of-oil-spraying-and-spray-painting-services).

Was trying to get an order in for a transparent mouse to go with my upcoming transparent SE/30 case and transparent option is unavailable again. I did place an order for the Lisa Logo mouse in the regular black resin, as I like the look and feel of it better, despite it being a bit lighter than the Macintosh black plastic.

I may hit the black version with the Mac TV spray paint I've used to see if it will hide the surface scratches.


Also, I mentioned earlier that there are a few different revisions of internals for the Apple M0100 mouse, and only one of mine is the right one for this replacement shell. I decided to take a look at one of the other mice I have that is similar (larger board without cutout at the top for the supports, and a bump out in the top right of the PCB) and see how close it is to fitting. The lack of cutout means that the supports for the mouse button interfere with the board laying flat. Also, the bump out in the upper right also hits the plastic towers for holding the mouse button. However, the PCB bump out in the upper right, where the plastic hits, doesn't have any traces. So I carefully removed a segment of that bump out with a Dremel tool.

The lack of cutout was going to need a different fix, since the area where the cutout is on the correct board do contain traces. I considered cutting the board out and running bodge wires, but I decided a safer approach would be to see if I could remove the two support legs that help hold that tower that the back side of the button switch sits in. Worst case, it looses strength and the button will slip down too far. Given the lower case piece is a ~$2 3d printed part, I could always just order another if I need to, but it's cheaper than buying M0100 mice on eBay hoping to get one that will work. So I clipped off the plastic support legs that were in the way. With those two adjustments, my board now fits!

I'll try to open up the mouse and show the modifications. but it got me thinking that maybe I could adjust the lower case to handle the board without having to cut part out of it, while also trying to preserve some of the support for that tower that holds the button. So I modified the original design in TinkerCad. I removed what I hope is enough space from the right side, angling the cutout to allow the board to slide in if necessary. I also removed the two support legs in the middle that interfered with the second board. To help support that piece, I added supports in the middle, under where the button will rest.

It won't match the original, but it gives a part that I believe will work for either board revision. It still won't work for the one that is all one board with the button soldered on, but I may look to make a revision of this bottom case that could handle that as well. @Stephen, any objections to me posting this as a remix if it works when the printed part comes in?

 

[JDW]

Will finger oil wear off paint over time?

 

[wottle]

Will finger oil wear off paint over time?

I’m not sure. I know my Mac TV mouse, which is a standard platinum mouse painted with the Duplicolor flat black vinyl and carpet paint has stood up to about a year and a half of occasional usage without any signs of wear, even on the flexible cable, which was the part I was most worried about.

And this would be better as at least it would have a black plastic underneath. Also, different people have different levels of oils. I remember a coworker who literally had the metal on his MacBook’s palm rests pitted from something in the oils on his hands. So YMMV..


EDIT: unfortunately, it looks like the standard black resin that I was using and preferred may no longer be available. I tried to pay for one of my orders today and received this message:

 

[wottle]

So I followed up with JL3DP support and it sounds like the oil spray finish needed for transparent prints is on hold until after the Chinese New Year. So they should be back soon.

Separately, I decided to see if I could print one with an Apple logo at PCBWay and so far they haven’t rejected it. It’s quite a bit more expensive - cost me $45 shipped for just the top shell, but I really wanted the clear apple logo on mine. I plan to use the clear button and bottom from JLCPCB. Will be good to see if there’s a quality difference.

So, the Lisa Mouse I ordered from PCBWay finally arrived. The production and shipping process, at least for this is WAY slower than JLCPCB, which is unfortunate because I paid way more for shipping (JLC3DP shipping for this mouse parts usually runs me $1.50 and arrives in about 1.5weeks. PCBWay was $20 shipping. I ordered this mouse on January 21. It arrived on February 25th. Not great...

HOWEVER, I must say the quality is very noticeably better. Here's some side-by-side shots with the JLC3DP version:



So if you're looking for a display piece, it may be worth it to get the PCBWay version for the most visible parts.

Also, they had no issue with the Apple logo.

However, I actually ordered a transparent version of @Stephen 's other Apple mouse models (G5431) to accompany my clear SE/30 case I just ordered in the Kickstarter. I liked that it was the same as the original, with a 4 piece design. Although now that I know the difference in quality, I may have to see what it would take to get it from PCBWay (probably will be cheaper to just get the official MacEffects one).

 

[JDW]

@wottle
So it seems the on the LEFT in your photos is PCBWay because it "clearly" looks better than the one on the right in terms of transparency. And the fact it has the Apple logo is a huge difference that cannot be understated. I therefore would consider the COST and WAIT TIME to be insignificant in light of that, and I shall start using PCB way to create any 3D prints where QUALITY MATTERS. Because... wow. The difference is big.

 

[wottle]

Yes, you are correct that the one on the left was from PCB way. You can really see the difference in clarity when I put it over the paper with printing on it.
But I do agree with you that when quality is a concern, it seems like there’s a drastic difference. I may need to look into optimizing shipping costs with pcbway for my important parts. I just wish it wasn't 7x the cost!

 

[JDW]

It's maybe 2x better in quality, but certainly not 7x better.

So yes, it is important to order many things at once. I ordered 5 different kinds of prints when I submitted my JLCPCB order, and I wanted to order more than that, but some STL files were "imperfect" according to JLC, and some of the creators of they STL files never wrote me back, so I gave up on them. One of the STLs I wanted to get printed was a plastic case for the BMOW Drive Switcher, which I really wanted quite badly, but the STL creator never wrote me back. And the other were a pair of "legs" to raise up your SE or SE/30 classis so you can sit the thing on a desk without the back case on and you need not worry about the motherboard solder side digging holes into your desk. A truly must have pair of feet, I must say, and I wish the creator would just sell them rather than forcing us to print them, but it is what it is.

I think the issue is that people who design the STLs do it for their own personal benefit, find they print "good enough" on their own printer, then post the STLs for everyone else to use, which is great. But professional services like JLC have a protocol they must follow, and if an STL goes outside that protocol, they feel it will warp or otherwise prove fault USING THEIR MACHINES TO PRINT IT, so they refuse it. Some "iffy" STLs can be printed if you press them on it, but not all.

If we could all get optimal prints at great prices, none of this would matter. But many of us aren't 3D printer savvy, nor can we make 3D models, and when we start getting into the 3D print game, we find there to be so many considerations that one's brain starts spinning. That's why I like places like Javier Rivera's 8-Bit Stuff site, because you can just buy the finished product and don't need to worry about the technical details.

But at the same time, I am grateful to @Stephen and countless other 3D model designers who put forth their creations for the entire world to print. We wouldn't even be having this conversation without their amazing work!

 

[wottle]

It's maybe 2x better in quality, but certainly not 7x better.

Yeah, I need to see if there's a way to get the shipping costs to be more reasonable. nearly half the cost was in the shipping of the small, lightweight shell.

So yes, it is important to order many things at once. I ordered 5 different kinds of prints when I submitted my JLCPCB order, and I wanted to order more than that, but some STL files were "imperfect" according to JLC, and some of the creators of they STL files never wrote me back, so I gave up on them. One of the STLs I wanted to get printed was a plastic case for the BMOW Drive Switcher, which I really wanted quite badly, but the STL creator never wrote me back. And the other were a pair of "legs" to raise up your SE or SE/30 classis so you can sit the thing on a desk without the back case on and you need not worry about the motherboard solder side digging holes into your desk. A truly must have pair of feet, I must say, and I wish the creator would just sell them rather than forcing us to print them, but it is what it is.

If you have links to the STLs, I can try to get them "JLC3DP compliant".

I think the issue is that people who design the STLs do it for their own personal benefit, find they print "good enough" on their own printer, then post the STLs for everyone else to use, which is great. But professional services like JLC have a protocol they must follow, and if an STL goes outside that protocol, they feel it will warp or otherwise prove fault USING THEIR MACHINES TO PRINT IT, so they refuse it. Some "iffy" STLs can be printed if you press them on it, but not all.

I learned this the somewhat hard way with the Lisa Logo on my model. In all the views I could see in TinkerCAD, everything looked good. When I ran it through my slicer, it still looked like one complete model. However, it got rejected and JLC3DP support kept telling me the model was separated and the logo was a separate model. I tried increasing the overlap in TinkerCAD. I tried using MeshMixer. I finally got to the point where I could see if the models were separating in the Analysis tool on JLC3DP's site, but I think it was maybe my 4th or 5th attempt before I got one that could work and print properly.

I am making sure the shells for my HDI-45 adapters will be printable on their site, and I hope that will translate to working on any service, but I do worry because the tolerances are going to be very tight on the shroud that slides into the port.

If we could all get optimal prints at great prices, none of this would matter. But many of us aren't 3D printer savvy, nor can we make 3D models, and when we start getting into the 3D print game, we find there to be so many considerations that one's brain starts spinning. That's why I like places like Javier Rivera's 8-Bit Stuff site, because you can just buy the finished product and don't need to worry about the technical details.

But at the same time, I am grateful to @Stephen and countless other 3D model designers who put forth their creations for the entire world to print. We wouldn't even be having this conversation without their amazing work!

Agreed. Having done some very simply models, I cannot imagine how challenging it would have been to get this model created in the exact scale and position of the original. I'm hoping my new base will allow for even more flexibility with other variants of the M0100 mice.