clockspring3D

Lots of bits for a Bolted Cube

Added 2020-01-07 14:02:16 +0000 UTC

That's right, it's not a print-in-place design! Lots of little parts in this one. Four bolts per face, six faces, so 24 in total. One corner piece for each of the eight vertices a cube has. And, the six face plates. So, that's 38 bits, if my late night calculations are correct (*takes sip of dubious energy drink*)

Now, what is this? Well, it's a cube. It's hollow, so you could call it a box. In fact, it can be an open box if you print the variant face that has an open section instead of the hex mesh. Or, it can be completely enclosed, trapping its contents until a few bolts are removed.

Much as I get a kick out of designing print-in-place stuff, I do also love putting things together. And this has a lot of that. It's kind of meditative, really. Also, I really liked the way those faces came out printed with a gradient colour mix :)

One thing I do like about screw connections is how solid they are. They really don't tend to come undone. One day I'll put a bit more thought into closure mechanisms, but until I do, bolts and screws are pretty great.

Oh, and I really had to use all my restraint and willpower to make this a cube rather than a dodecahedron :P That said, if anyone else is really excited by the idea of applying this same approach to tetrahedra, octahedra, dodecahedra, or icosahedra, do let me know... :D

(The model is under Bolted Box on Dropbox!)