Carousel Box

thingiverse

My husband and I were glued to our screens, watching a show called "The Repair Shop" on Netflix when we stumbled upon a mesmerizing musical carousel. It was absolutely captivating! Further investigation revealed that these enchanting dispensers not only played music but also served as lipstick containers. (Google "cigarette music box" for numerous examples) This intriguing find sparked an excellent 3D printing challenge, so I purchased a budget-friendly one from Etsy. We disassembled it and recreated it using Tinkercad, incorporating custom gear designs found on Thingiverse. Our version operates manually without the music box, but it's still an incredible project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpRs0ENBUac (not our video, but it showcases a similar design - ours features a dancing ballerina in the middle - except she lost her head) We utilized the gears from this website (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:185912) and adjusted their size to suit our needs. Everything else was crafted from scratch. Technical Details: Printed with PLA on Creality CR10-S4 at 60c bed temperature and 200c nozzle temperature Base (1) and lid (1): Both the base and the lid can be printed flat-side down without supports, using a 20% infill for balance between rigidity and print time. A .2mm layer height provides smooth detail. Print one of each. Center stem (1): This connects the turning knob at the top to the gears inside the base to rotate the carousel. Print at 80-100% infill for strength, using a .2mm layer height. Print one. Doors (6): For an optimal finish, print these standing up with supports. Adding auto-supports in Simplify3d can add supports to the indented door design, but those can be manually removed. Use 20% infill and a .2mm layer height. The top and bottom pegs are a bit fragile - handle them with care. Print six. Gears: Large gear (1): 20% infill - .2mm layer Print one. Small gears (6): 20% infill - .2mm layer Print six. Rings (7): 20% infill - .2mm layer Print six. Assembly Instructions: The assembly can be a bit fiddly, so make sure you're patient. Place the doors in the holes of the base and the notches on the lid. The center hex cylinder should be seated in the hex cutout on the base. Ensure the doors are all in the same position (on the outside of the stops in the lid). Insert the middle stem. Align the hex of the knob with the hex of the lid if desired. Tape the doors together. Trust me - it's necessary. If it keeps falling down, tape as you go. Flip everything over. Add on the gears. Place the side with the little ridge facing the base. This allows for a bit of space for movement. Top it off with the small rings. The ring, gear, and bottom door stem need to be glued together. This allows them to move together as a unit. Be careful not to glue anything to the base or the lid. (We lost multiple doors because they got stuck and snapped when we tried to move them.) Let it dry and flip it back over. Voila! Turn the hex knob to operate. I'm unsure how we'll use this. Print a taller version for pens and pencils? The opportunities for design are endless. It would also make an excellent woodworking project. It would be neat to work out the music box piece. Maybe next time! We'd love to see what you do with this idea!