3D-Printed Thin Section Boxes
I designed 3D-printable thin section boxes after the McGill University Field Rheology Rowe Research Group expressed interest in having some made. There are several models available, from a simple box that holds 5 thin sections with a friction-fit lid, to more intricate boxes based on a design of a hinged box with a clasp that you can find here. All boxes were designed for printing with PLA filament.
I provide all the .STL files for these boxes below for free. If you feel inclined, you can show your appreciation by donating to support the Viewing the Rock World outreach project.
For a donation of $30CAD to Viewing the Rock World, I will design a custom branded box for you with a name or logo of your choosing embossed into the lid for you to print! See below for examples and more details. Reach out to me if you would like a design for a custom branded box or one made for a different capacity or slide size, and we can discuss the details.
If you print one of these boxes, please send me pictures, and I will add it to a gallery at the end of this page!
- Simple friction fit box - 5 slides
- Hinged box - 12 slides
- Hinged box - 24 slides
- Customized slides boxes
- Image Gallery
Simple friction fit box - 5 slides
A simple box with a friction-fit slide lid. This design fits both 27x46mm and 28x48 mm glass slides.
Since this box relies on friction, and thus dimensional accuracy, the tightness of your fit might depend on your printer and your printer settings. If you run into trouble with too loose or tight of a fit, drop me a line. While honing in on this model, I made a many different versions of varying tightness, one of which might work for you.
Model for 5 slide friction fit box
Example print of 5 slide box in black PLA
Example print of 5 slide box in green PLA
Hinged box - 12 slides
This design fits both 27x46mm and 28x48 mm slides. Metal wire is needed to fix the hinge and clasp in place. I use 1.2 mm galvanised steel wire, but you could use any sort of bendable wire from 0.75 mm to 2 mm. If you have some other sort of wire on hand that is outside that range, drop me a line and I’ll see if I can make it work for you. (Number 8 Wire might be borderline, but I could probably make it work.)
12 slide hinged box
12 slide hinged box
hinge held in place with wire
1.2 mm wire for holding the hinge and clasp
Hinged box - 24 slides
This design fits both 27x46mm and 28x48 mm slides. Like the 12 slide box above, it requires wire to fix the hinges and clasps in place.
24 slide hinged box
Customised slides boxes
To have a design for a custom branded thin section box made, send me your logo as a vector file. For best results, the design needs to be very simple and the smallest features should be >2 mm. The simplest way for me to incorporate your design is to emboss it on the top, but I’m open to trying other ways. Here are some examples:
Field Rheology research group branded 5 slide box
Field Rheology research group branded 5 slide box
Field Rheology research group 12 slide box
Field Rheology research group 5 slide box
Field Rheology research group 12 slide box
Field Rheology research group 12 slide box