Gotcha Box

thingiverse

Many years ago my cousin and I would create hilarious gag gifts for Christmas. As an engineer, I had a significant advantage, but it made for some really fun times with the whole family gathering around to see us open each other's presents from a safe distance. I came up with the Gotcha Box, which was an incredible success. The original versions were made of wood and required a huge amount of work, including precision cuts using walnut or cherry wood. However, making these was extremely hazardous due to the intricate cuts needed and the relatively small parts that put spinning blades close to fingers. I took the original design and scaled it down for 3D printing, which works well but expect to spend quite a while making one of these. To use: Print all of the parts and clean them up so they fit together slightly loose. Using a rubber band to hold everything in place, insert the side pieces into the bottom with the "hook" in the beveled inside edge. With all of the sides inserted and held together by a rubber band, fill the box with marbles or hard candy. Place the top on top of the box making sure that the sides are engaged in the top slots. Once the top is on, you can remove the rubber band. Warning! Once the rubber band has been removed, the box is armed and ready to go, so be prepared for it to come apart and spill its contents all over the place. If using marbles, keep in mind that they may cause a choking hazard for small children! The bottom part has a raised pyramid-shaped center that I call the accelerator. When the box opens up, the sides become a ramp to the marbles, and the accelerator will shoot marbles across the room. You'll be finding them for days as they will go EVERYWHERE. To contain an accidental discharge, I recommend loading the Gotcha Box inside an open cardboard box. Once you have the Gotcha Box loaded and ready to go, you can carry it by the sides and it will remain together. Place it on a table, add some empty candy wrappers around it, and wait for the fun. As soon as anyone removes the top to see what's inside, KABOOM! GOTCHA! Marbles are everywhere with a loud crash. The expression on the victim's face is worth all the effort. Another way to get your victim is to walk into a room of people while holding the box and show it to them, explaining that it's 3D printed (don't let them touch it). Now sit the box down on a table. Believe me, someone just can't resist touching it or picking up the top, KABOOM! GOTCHA! https://youtu.be/vQmWfsx5M_w