Simple slide together box

thingiverse

I was experimenting with different small box designs, and I thought it would be great to create one that only needed a single piece. My new design allows multiple boxes to be connected in order to form larger containers. Originally designed to hold items like earrings and rings, this box had to be printed on a MPMD printer, so its size is about 50mm x 50mm. I included different heights that can be combined into a larger block. The design should allow connecting boxes in a staggered formation as well as corner to corner. The tolerances on this box are very tight, so if your printer isn't calibrated accurately, parts may not fit together perfectly. I included a 5mm part for testing purposes. There's a taper on the bottom of each tab that makes it easier for them to fit together. This can be deceiving, as smaller heights will fit looser than taller pieces. Make sure you let the piece cool before trying to fit it together. If the pieces are very tight, try placing them in the freezer for a short period and see if that helps with the fit. Using a smaller nozzle may also provide a better fit. I used a stock 0.4mm nozzle and printed at 0.35 line width and 0.28 layer height. If your printer is not calibrated correctly, you may find that the sides fit differently. Try rotating the pieces to find the best fit before pushing them together. They can be very difficult to separate if they are tight. To remove tight pieces, try walking them back and forth carefully in small increments. A small jeweller's file or some sandpaper could be used to smooth out the walls of the sliding pieces and get a better fit as well.