Saddlebox

thingiverse

Update Update: I've completely revamped every aspect of this box to make it more rugged and reliable. I've been testing it out on my bike for a couple of days now, and it's held up perfectly even on extremely rough roads, curbs, and other challenging terrain. The increased number of parts is worth it for the added robustness. I created this saddle box specifically to store my bike road tools, so I tailored it to fit my bike and seat precisely. Unfortunately, that means I can't guarantee it will work with yours. To assemble this project, you'll need some additional hardware: * Two M4 x 10mm x 6mm brass screw inserts * Two M4 bolts, 6 - 10mm long * Three M3 x 4mm x 5mm brass screw inserts * Three M3 bolts, 6mm long * 1mm rubber sheeting Print the following parts: * One each of the strap and top piece * One bottom piece (this will require using supports on the build plate only) * Three latches and three guards To assemble the box: * Install the M4 brass inserts into the holes on the sides of the strap. * Install the M3 brass inserts into the holes in the three spindles on the sides of the bottom piece (the pictures don't show this modification). * Line the grooves in the strap and top piece with 1mm rubber. * Attach 1mm rubber to the large groove on the front of the body using an adhesive. * The three latches snap onto the spindles; it takes a bit of force, but once they're seated properly, they rotate easily. * For each guard, insert an M3 bolt into the hole and screw it into the brass inserts in the spindles. These keep the latches from popping off when riding over hard bumps. If you don't need that level of robustness, you can leave these off entirely. * Place the strap on top of the support bars under the bike seat so that the support bars rest completely in the grooves. * Slide the top piece up from below the support bars so that the mounting block mates with the fingers of the strap. * Attach the top piece to the strap using 2 10mm M4 bolts (I used 6mm bolts, but I wouldn't go much shorter than that). The bottom is attached and removed from the bike using the latches. Each latch has a lock tab where you can install a small lock; this won't provide great security, but it might be enough to prevent casual theft. **Note**: There's a groove on the rim of the top piece designed to accept a gasket for improved water resistance, and a Gasket.stl file to print the gasket with flexible filament. However, in practice, this is unnecessary. I included it just in case you want to make this box hurricane-proof.