Radioactive Sample Box V2 (2 sizes)

thingiverse

A few years ago, I published a custom sample box which I designed to hold my trinitite collection. At the time, I was relatively new to computer-aided design software. As a result, the original design looked clunky and polygonal, the top had way too much material in it, and the interface between the top and bottom was less than perfect. In short, it was functional but not visually appealing. So, I redesigned it using Cubify Design. The new version has the same dimensions as the original, but now the top and bottom mesh together perfectly. I reduced the wasted material in the top, added grips to the top for easier handling, and rounded off the edges. Overall, it's a 100% improvement over the first design. I also created a 50mm tall version of the base if you prefer something more compact. You can see how the original design compares to the new one by checking out the second picture above. The top and bottom parts are provided separately (rad_box2.stl and top.stl, and rad_box2_50mm.stl). I also made available a plated version with the 100mm tall base (rad_Box2_plate.stl) and the plated 50mm version (rad_box2_50mm_plate.stl). Printer Settings Printer Brand: MakerBot Printer Model: MakerBot Replicator 1 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: .2 Infill: As noted below Important Notes: If you're planning to use this sample box to hold mildly radioactive samples, print both parts at 100% infill. I didn't use supports on the top part, and the trefoil printed just fine without them. Higher density plastics offer better shielding, so it's recommended that you print this in PLA to block as much radiation as possible. Without delving into the details of radiation shielding, a 100% infill will block all alpha particles and a good percentage of beta particles. Plastic actually works better than metal when blocking beta particles because these particles can induce temporary radioactivity in certain metals. However, it's essential to consider how energetic the beta particles are, so it likely won't block all of them. If you need additional shielding, you can always add some lead foil. This sample box will do nothing to block gamma or X-rays! If you believe otherwise, maybe you shouldn't be handling radioactive materials in the first place. If you're printing this solely as a container, 10-20% infill should be sufficient. The top and sides are particularly thick, so reduced infill will help keep plastic use down. The test print included in this post was made with Pet-G and 10% infill, resulting in a very lightweight design.