Mechanical Valentine

Happy approaching-Valentine's Day!

Funny thing, I'm usually terrible about modelling things for specific events like that, and the timing on this one, I have to admit, is purely luck - the whole Valentine's Day thing wasn't something that occurred to me until this model needed a name!

You see, I started out to make a box with a hidden latch.  Somewhere along the way I ended up deciding to see if I could make some hidden hinges instead, and I figured the box needed to be a more interesting shape, too, and so the gothic heart idea came about.  

Back to the hidden hinges thing, though: the asymmetry of the lid and base meant that the box was going to need long hinges, and in this case it meant that part of the side would have to fold down.  I wondered if I could make it not obvious which side the hinges were on!  As you can probably tell, I really just approached that by making both sides look like they could have hinges, and by masking the join between the hinge and the lid.  And then I added a bunch of detail as a distraction, too.

The big cog is actually a screw mechanism that securely closes the box.  Amusingly, this design went from trying for hidden latches to making the most obvious closure mechanism possible :)

Print Description

This is an articulated print so make sure your first layer is nice and neat, and that there aren't any print issues like overextrusion or stringing that might bind moving parts together.

The first layer has quite a few individual parts, so you'll also want to make sure your bed adhesion is dialled in!

Multimaterial Version

Files are provided for multimaterial printing, and are meant for the likes of Prusa MMS, Mosaic Palette and Bambu AMS systems that permit multiple filaments in a single print.  I'm going to assume that if you have such a setup that you already know what to do with the files.

Print Dimensions

The Mechanical Valentine occupies 197mm x 167mm on the print bed and is 37mm tall.

Supports Needed?

Not at all!  Designed for straightforward printing!

Scalability

This one can probably be scaled up a little with care, and down a little, too.  The screw thread will take up slack nicely in terms of closure, so it's mainly the hinges you'll want to take care with.

Print Orientation

The Mechanical Valentine prints open, with the outside surfaces down.

Further Thoughts

Funny thing, after making a multimaterial version I've decided I actually prefer the single material version!  The textures and moving parts just form a more coherent whole when it's all one colour.  Hmm, maybe I should print one in two similar colours, rather than going for extreme contrast?...

Make sure to be extra nice to your printer this Valentine's day!

xoxo

Sven.

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607 Mechanical Valentine