12V 8AA Portable Power Pack

thingiverse

This project was sparked by an article on AutoWeek: http://autoweek.com/article/diy/cheap-double-battery-pack-works-magic-immobile-junkyard-power-seats. Regular tape would have done the trick, but I wanted to tackle this challenge with a 3D printing solution since I already had a printer. I was working on another project that required test leads and sockets, which ended up being repurposed for this battery pack build. This gave me an opportunity to play around with print-in-place mechanisms again. The box has a clever design: the top latches shut, the test leads snap into place along the sides, and there's a small flipper at the bottom that allows you to pop up the batteries for easy removal. Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer: MakerBot Replicator Rafts: No Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.2 Infill: 5% Notes: The box can be printed without support, but the top needs it, and the "fix" also requires support if/when you break the top while cleaning up that support. I chose to print this in Inland Translucent Blue PETG. Post-Printing: Non-Printed Parts: I used test leads from http://www.ebay.com/itm/1set-TD-112S-Silicone-1000V-10A-Universal-Digital-Multi-Meter-Test-Lead-Probe-/321832743293, and sockets from http://www.ebay.com/itm/10PCS-5-color-Multimeter-instrument-Binding-Post-Banana-Terminals-Test-probe-/130902146648 (both cheaper when bought in bulk at http://www.ebay.com/itm/321834385157 and http://www.ebay.com/itm/141822046043). The 8AA holder and 9V snap connectors came from RadioShack.