Milkcarton recycle boxes

thingiverse

I'd like to introduce this project, which combines 3D printing with materials that are commonly discarded or recycled. This approach saves printing material and reuses precious resources that were intended for single use. Here's how to make little boxes using four easy-to-print parts and an empty milk carton. Every household and workshop could benefit from having plenty of storage containers for small items lying around. Why buy new ones when we can create them with less new material at a low cost? A clever material: Milk and beverage cartons are typically laminated combinations of aluminum, cardboard, and plastic films. This "raw material" is stable enough for tiny boxes and easy to cut with scissors. The surface is also smooth, easy to clean, water-resistant, and insensitive. Introducing: The common 1-liter milk carton The cartons I use are sold in every supermarket in Germany and likely in other countries as well. They have square-sized bottoms measuring 70x70 mm or 72x72 mm. The usable height is approximately 190 mm. This height allows us to create one larger box or two smaller ones. However, the box is not entirely waterproof, so it won't keep water inside. If you plan to plant kitchen herbs inside, you'll need to fill the gaps with silicone before assembling. Print Settings: Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa Mendel Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Doesn't Matter Resolution: < 0.3 Infill: < 15% Notes: The introduced boxes were printed using HD Glass from Formfutura. This material is transparent, strong, ductile, and ideal for clamping fixation. Post-Printing: Tools and assembling The tools we need are: Tailor scissors - for making even long cuts. Steel ruler Cutter Waterproof fine liner 4 x Paper clips (used to clamp the print bed) Preparation: After cleaning the carton inside with water and dish liquid, dismantle it carefully as shown in the photo. Dry it with a cloth or towel. In most cases, the tip of the carton can be ripped off by hand. The bottom may need to be cut with the sharp cutter, close to the edge. If there's a welding crease, make the bottom-to-top cut on a place where the crease points towards one outlying edge. At the drawing table: Draw lines on the carton using the ruler and pen as shown in the photo. Imagine that the surface in the middle will be the floor. Draw horizontal lines downwards at 5 cm and 6 cm, then do the same upwards. You can use the given creases as references. Now draw three vertical lines: two to limit the left and right edges on a clean point, and one in the middle to set the future length of the box. Decide whether you want two boxes with the same size, two different sizes, or one large box. Cut along the lines (except for the 5 cm lines) to separate the carton into two pieces. Don't discard the leftover piece; we'll use it to fill the front and rear walls. Take care to maintain perfect geometry and avoid sloping lines. Use a plane-angle to keep everything parallel. Sloping lines can compromise the stability of the box. Cutting from the leftover material, create two pieces that fit into the frames. You might find an interesting pattern for these pieces. Insert the folded main part into the frame, starting with the bottom of the box. The inlet has two tiny gaps, which should point towards the top of the box to keep the folded edges in place. Keep one finger on the inlet while flipping it down and pressing it firmly into the frame. You may need a screwdriver to push it down. Be careful not to get hurt by a slipped screwdriver. Repeat the same process on the other side of the box. If everything goes smoothly, the box will remain stable without needing glue. Congratulations, your first box is complete! How I Designed This Thoughts out of the box: The print parts come in two sizes depending on the milk package size. I discovered that there are mainly two sizes of square-bottom packages sold in supermarkets: 72 mm and 70 mm edge length. The 70 mm size is commonly used for fresh milk, while the 72 mm size is often used for long-term storage milk. Remember to use your calliper on your next food shopping trip! The height of the box is determined by the printed parts at 50 mm, which I believe is a useful height. Feel free to create other versions with different heights or shapes of milk cartons. The open long side is folded to provide a clean and non-sharp surface. This also prevents water or dirt from entering through an open cut.