Tic Tac Mini Ammo Can

thingiverse

OK, you made one of those popular "Tic Tac Guns" ([TTG](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4883696) or [TTG2](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4892417)) for yourself or the kids. So where do you keep your stash of Tic Tac "Ammo" for handy access? How about an appropriately styled "**Ammo Can**" designed specifically for Tic Tac "Magazines?" This ammo can is sized to hold up to 5 large 1oz (29g) Tic Tac containers. Inside dimensions (approx.): 86mm long, 46mm wide, 73mm deep. This simplified mini ammo can has been designed specifically for **easy printing and assembly**, while still basically resembling and working like a common "real" ammo can. There are only four parts to print, and one clasp to be made from wire (such as a common wire coat hanger, etc.). If your printer can span a gap of about 6mm (most will), you can print these parts without supports. Fill it up with ammo as a great gift for someone who has one of these cool Tic Tac Guns! *Of course, it can also be used for storing many other small objects. Be imaginative!* **Update 8/19/2021** Added **Optional** *moisture-resistant lid* for purposes like Geocaching, and *fold-flat handle* for more realistic ammo-can appearance and operation. See details in the "Optional Features" section below. **Wire Bending and Assembly** Three photos above show the steps (and suggested dimensions) for bending the wire that needs to be cut and bent to connect the lid to the latch, similar to how real ammo cans latch. I use *16 gauge* galvanized wire (from the hardware store) because the slightly smaller diameter seems to fit the can size better (and is easier to bend). Better yet, try [16ga Green Stem Wire](https://www.michaels.com/green-stem-wire-16-gauge-by-ashland/10345652.html) from the floral department of hobby/craft stores like Michael's - already painted green like on army-green ammo cans! Even jumbo paper clips could be used for wire. However, the holes are dimensioned for coat hanger wire (the smaller the better, like 2mm diameter), if you want something handy. Note that if you use coat hanger wire, you may need to clean out the holes a little with a drill bit, depending on how well your printer prints these holes. *Steps for bending the wire:* 1. Cut a straight piece of wire about 4" (~10 cm) long. Use pliers to bend one end 90 degrees about 1/4" (7mm) from the end. 2. The 2nd bend is the most important - bend it to match the inside distance between the lid's hole and the latch's hole when the latch is inserted fully into the can's catch bar. This is about 21.5 mm from the inside of the first bend, but you might want to "pre-assemble" the parts to verify the length. When latched, the fit must be fairly tight to keep the lid on. After making this 2nd bend, you can "test" the fit by assembling the parts with just the first two bends, and testing how tight the connection is when latched. 3. As shown in the 2nd latch photo, you can use the latch itself for the 3rd bend - just bend tightly along the length of the latch, so you don't break the plastic part. Make sure the wire can still move freely in the latch hole. 4. Using the same dimensions as the first two bends, complete the bends to finish the wire bale. You will probably have a bit of excess wire at the top; just cut to the 1/4" (7mm) distance like the first bend. 5. Insert one end into one side of the top lid's wire hole. Carefully bend the other side just enough to fit in the other side of the hole, and adjust as needed. *Installing the Handle* The handle is designed to just "snap" into the two slots in the top of the lid - no glue necessary. Insert one leg of the handle into one top slot, then carefully bend the other leg into the other slot. If you really want a permanent handle mounting, you can use a couple drops of glue (like CA, or "Super Glue") in the slots. **Modifying the Ammo Can** Source files are included, in case you want to adjust dimensions of the ammo can for your own purposes. I designed this in FreeCAD, so the .FCStd files are the source FreeCAD files for each part. Even if you do not use FreeCAD, you can download it (yes, for free!) and make many changes without knowing much about FreeCAD itself. To change basic dimensions, most changes can be made only by modifying dimensions that are in a built-in spreadsheet, in the file "TicTacAmmoCan_MainCan.FCStd" - since several of the parts rely on dimensions on other parts, this spreadsheet is linked to the other files. Just note that if you want to modify a linked part (like the lid), you **must** also have the file "TicTacAmmoCan_MainCan.FCStd" also loaded in FreeCAD when you make changes. Normally, just loading the linked part file will also load the main file. Use the "Model" tab of FreeCAD (left side of window) , and double-click on the "Spreadsheet" item below the Body tree. This will display a spreadsheet with all the cross-linked dimensions. Just change one of the values (in mm) in the yellow-background cells. You may need to then right-click on the "Body" tree item of the part, and select "Recompute object" to update the model's dimension as edited in the spreadsheet. Experiment, have fun, and let us all know what you've created!