Protective box for 1 (one) inch neodymium magnetic cube (TPU recommended)

thingiverse

Magnets are really cool. Makers are really cool too. Two great things that go together perfectly. Like chocolate and peanut butter. Unless you're allergic to peanuts, in which case it's not so great. Anyway, one-inch neodymium cube magnets are super cool but due to their incredible power they have a tendency to fly out of your hands and slam against the nearest metal object. Hopefully your fingers are clear when this happens. This little thing is a protector that you slip your one-inch cube magnet into, and it... well... protects it. There are two versions: one with solid walls and one with little square cutouts that allow you to more easily extract the magnet (however, it's fairly easy to get the magnet out of either by simply sticking the open face of the magnet against a metal object). The idea is really to print this in TPU to give the magnet a cushion and then place the magnet inside and glue the cover onto the protector. The protector only affects the strength of the magnet slightly (assuming your magnet is a good strong neodymium magnet), so you'd probably want to leave it on anyway. The cutout version looks cooler, but doesn't afford as much protection. The other plus side of the full cover one is that if the magnet breaks (and yeah, it still can break if you let it slam hard enough) the full cover protector will keep the magnet in cubic shape...though I don't know how well the magnet will work if you crack it inside the protector. You could probably use PLA, PETG or ABS, but the protection would be lessened because those are more likely to shatter due to their rigidity...and that could be a danger in and of itself. So I strongly recommend TPU. This is very easy to print and almost any decent settings will do. Best to experiment and see what you think offers the best protection based on your filament characteristics. With that said, I would suggest using at least a 0.8mm shell and perhaps 20 to 50 percent infill to create a small air pocket/cushion. However, this protector is not really that thick, so even 100 filled TPU might work better since the air pocket is not nearly as important as having a good strong wall around the magnet. Anyway, enjoy it and please remember that powerful magnets should always be treated with respect... Neodymium magnets are quite powerful and can easily pinch fingers.