18650 FIFO Battery Dispenser

thingiverse

I prefer keeping things rotated - they tend to last longer that way. With two flashlights using 18650 batteries and half a dozen spare batteries lying around, it can be challenging to remember which ones were charged first and which ones were just recharged last. I couldn't find any dispensers on Thingiverse that fit my needs, so I decided to create my own. Just my luck, one of the batteries is slightly larger than its siblings, so I had to scale this up a bit to account for that lone outlier. Fortunately, the smaller ones work just fine and this allows for more versatility. You can either place this on a counter or hang it on a wall using the two screw holes in the back. As you drop each battery into the slot on top, it rolls down to the bottom, allowing for FIFO - First In First Out - rotation. This is printed in three parts. All three are printed in their presented orientation. The main body needs minimum supports enabled everywhere. The other two do not require supports. For the text plate, you can either print it all one color or print the plate itself in the same color as the body, pausing the print and switching to a contrasting color as soon as the digits begin printing. The plate is then glued to the body using your preferred adhesive. I prefer to use Weld-On SCIGRIP 16 acrylic cement. This stuff bonds PLA together just like the old model cement used to before Big Brother decided it was too dangerous and demanded a reformulation. But I digress... The lid can either be glued in place or left free-floating so it can be removed as needed. --- **NOTE** Due to either a Thingiverse bug or (more likely) shadowbanning, my models no longer show up under the Newest listings. If you want to see more of my designs, please make sure to follow me. **If you print this, it would really help if you'd post a Make so that others could find this design**.