Sentinel Tube

Have I mentioned how much I love that printers are so amazingly precise?  I wondered whether that precision could be brought to bear on printing a screw-closed container that actually printed in a closed position, with the screw already done up!  Of course, the screw couldn't be actually tight, as that would require contact between parts, and that's not a good idea, but just a little back from tight. Closed but relaxed.  And while we're at it, we should have a drawer!

So, that's what this is - a cylinder with hexagonal stylings that containers a round drawer with a screw-thread closure.  There are other features, of course, like tabs to limit the movement of the drawer, and guiding elements to keep things in the right orientation, but ultimately it's a slidey cylinder thingy.

One thing I did quickly discover was that it was quite tricky to actually pull the drawer open by the handle, which is why there's now a neatly flared section in the middle for easy grasping.

Print Description

This is an articulated model with a lot of surfaces that print next to other surfaces.  So, make sure your first layer is nice and neat and that there aren't any printing issues like stringing or overextrusion that might bind moving parts together.

I generally found I needed to unscrew the lid a little and tug gently on the drawer to get it open the very first time - just unscrewing it alone didn't pull the drawer out, and instead just got the handle tightened up in the other direction.  Your prints might be different, however!

Print Dimensions

The Sentinel Tube occupies 92mm x 79mm on the print bed and is 135mm tall.

Supports Needed?

Not at all!  Designed for straightforward printing!

Scalability

Scaling this one is going to be tricky!  The gaps will of course scale along with the objects, so it'll get looser or tighter as a result.  But you should totally try :) 

Print Orientation

The Sentinel Tube prints standing up, with the "door" facing down.

Further Thoughts

This would be a fun one to print with a gradient filament, or even better, changing filaments for horizontal stripes on both the inside and outside bits!

Happy printing!

xoxo Sven.

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573 Sentinel Tube