Catalyst Capsule

Perfect for storing lunar samples and glowing alien artifacts, this twist-top container will look at home in any contemporary space home.  The deep lid slots into the top of the container and rotates into a locking position, keeping your important possessions safe from space pirates and other ruffians.

You'll notice that the lid and container have points for adding 6x3mm magnets, should you so choose.  Those are completely optional and the Catalyst Capsule will work just fine without them, but boy do they make it satisfying!  At the end of the lid rotation, the magnets suddenly engage and pull the lid into the locked position with a nice clack, and hold it securely.

Now, from a mechanical design aspect, there's a feature of this design that really differentiates it from the other magnetic closure things I've published recently (e.g. the Knit Bowl): the magnets are not the thing that keeps the lid from coming off.  It's the mechanical interface between the lid and body that does all the work, and the magnets just keep things in position.  

Multimaterial Option

That's right, as you probably see in the photo at the top of this post, this model has a multimaterial version.  The side panels are separated out into individual parts, positioned appropriately relative to the main body.

Printing Tips and Optional Magnets

This model requires no supports and is designed for straightforward printing!  The tolerance between the lid and the base is pretty generous, too, so fit shouldn't be an issue.

The lid and base both print right-side-up, like so:

This model will function just fine without magnets, but should you choose to add the amazingness that is magnetism, you'll need six 6x3mm cylindrical magnets, which you'll want to glue into the provided holes, ideally without getting any glue outside the hole, as that will cause friction.

Dimensions

The base occupies 77mm x 78mm on the print bed, and is 79mm tall.

The lid occupies 63mm x 62mm on the print bed, and is 33mm tall.

File Location

You'll find this on Dropbox under 743 Catalyst Capsule

(Dropbox link post:  https://www.patreon.com/posts/dropbox-and-are-31697592 )

Further Thoughts

3D printing really is a good excuse to explore so many things.  While there's plenty of obvious stuff going on with the mechanics of the lid, this model is also an exercise in having fun with textural contrasts.  I did have some spiral textures on the body for a while, but they just didn't really suit the overall visual style.  There are no spirals in outer space!  Okay, okay, spiral galaxies, fine, there are spirals in outer space :P

Happy printing!

xoxo

Sven.