Blog Archives

Gridfinity Large Lidded Bins Version 2.0 Posted (Finally)

3/31/2024

I updated the earlier post which was following the development of the version 2.0 lidded Gridfinity bins, but thought I'd add a new post with links to them here.

You can find them on Printables and Makerworld:

MakerWorld:

Printables:

Now I think I'm gonna take a break from Gridfinty stuff for a while, at least until my next projects are finalized.

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New Version 2.0 Gridfinity Bins with Tabbed Lids

3/30/2024

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Updating the first version of the Gridfinity Lidded Bins has been a project that slipped due to the other Gridfinity projects, but I finally got it done yesterday.

The new version 2.0 bins are similar to the version 1.0 models, but have the following changes or improvements:

Fully redesigned bins from scratch
Larger and more robust latch tabs
Tabs open a bit wider to 80°
All versions are now in one upload
3MF set up for single and multicolor printing options.

The following attributes were carried over from the version 1.0 models:

These use a paperclip as the hinge wire (or a stiff wire which is approximately 0.85mm to 1.05mm diameter).
All bins are 6U tall
The covers are intended to prevent the migration of tiny parts between the bins, when used in a case.
The compartments on the 1x4 (6 compartment) bins are now identical in size (so all the doors are also interchangeable).
The doors on the bins have room for a 9mm wide Brother P-Touch Label.

You can find the models here:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/403263#profileId-304908

https://www.printables.com/model/824499-gridfinity-1xy-multi-compartment-lidded-bins-with

If you prefer the old version 1.0 bins with lids, you can find them at the following links:

Update 3/31/2024: Thanks to a comment on Reddit, I'm gonna work on a version of these which will use a filament hinge. That should be uploaded next week,

Update 4/2/2024: The filament hinge versions of the 1x1, 1x2(3C) and 1x4(6C) bins are designed, and being printed or tested now. The 1x1 bin is tested, and it works much better than the old 1x1 bin with the filament hinge. The other bins still need to be printed and tested though.

Update 4/6/2024: I "think" I have a final design for the filament hinge version, which will become the v2.1 bins, since I think they are a better and simpler design than the v2.0. The 1x2 (3C) bin will have a simple filament hinge design, where a piece of filament will thread through the doors and bin to form the hinge. Friction alone is enough to hold that hinge pin in place for the 1x2 (3C) bin. The 1x4(6C) and 1x1 models are getting a special lid design, which will have a built in pin on one side, and a spring type catch to grab the filament on the other end. This will make assembly simpler, since there will be no glue needed, and only one side will need a hinge pin. The downside is that the hinge pin will require a tiny support, so I decided to add that as in integrated feature. I'm test printing a slight tweak to the integrated support now, and if it works OK, then this should be the lid design.

Update #2 4/6/2024: The models are now tested and the version 2.1 bins are now uploaded.

They can be found at MakerWorld and Printables:

Makerworld:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/416342#profileId-318602

Printables:
https://www.printables.com/model/834174-gridfinity-1xy-multi-compartment-lidded-bins-with

Update 4/11/2024: I added a 3U and 9U (high) version of these bins. You can find them at the links above.

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Ver 2.0 Update for the Large Gridfinity Lidded Bins (Completed)

3/22/2024

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The Large Lidded Gridfinity Bins have been working great, however they use a bit more material than they should. I took a couple hours today and re-worked them to hopefully print faster and use less material. They will also gain a small amount of extra capacity too. The designs are completed, but I need to test print them, so I expect they should be uploaded in a week or two. If you want to print the existing designs (which are pending the update), they are still posted at the links below:

THESE ARE THE CURRENT (NOT YET UPDATED VERSIONS):

BINNNSS!!!!

I made a few more :D

Update 3/23/2024: I'm not gonna test print all of these, but I decided to print a few of them. I'm currently printing the 1x2 (6U) and the 3x3 (12U) with a grid top. What'sa "grid top" you may be wondering? It's a part that screws into the top of the lid using M3x8 flat head screws (or possibly 6mm may work too). The "grid top" is only gonna be an option for the largest boxes (the ones shown in the pic below), and will hopefully allow near normal stacking of smaller bins on top of the lids. I also designed a magnet version since there is room, however it looked too busy, and may make the lids too heavy with all the magnets, so I may skip that option.

Update 3/27/2024: I'm printing the 2x4 bin to test, and had another idea. It may not work, but it could be cool if it does.

Update 3/29/2024: The 2x4 bin I printed a couple days ago had one extra feature I was testing, which was added to help with assembly. Getting the lids installed on the 1x4, 2x4 and 3x4 bins is a bit more difficult than the smaller bins, since there is and extra hinge in the middle of the doors. I'm experimenting with adding a small ramp to help with installation, but it's a balance, since easy to install can mean easy to come apart. Since I have enough 2x4 bins, I'm gonna use the 1x4 bin to test the ramp, and one is running on the printer now. If the ramps don't work out, it's not a big deal, since the larger doors can be installed without them.

The flip up tab on the top latch, as shown in the pics from the 3/27 update, has also been re-worked, and is now larger. The tabbed latch design has gone though several iterations, and what is hopefully the final design, is on the printer now to test.

Finally, the last update for now, was the addition of the grids for the smaller "large" bins. Now all the 2x and 3x large lidded bins will have an option for a grid, which will allow proper stacking of even more bins as normal. I'm not planning to add this option to the 1x large bins though, since there is no good way to attach the grids to those.

It feels like this is getting close to being done, thanks to everyone for the feedback on the current designs, hopefully the wait for this next version will be worth it.

Update 3/30/2024: The new large lidded bins are now posted on Printables and Makerworld:

MakerWorld:

Printables:

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Gridfinity Box For Stuff Test Model

3/22/2024

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This is just a small test design for a 1x2 (6U) "case" which is really just a test model, so folks can test the hinges and other components before running the larger model. It's not really that practical, and not meant to be. But maybe it's not completely useless.

Update 3/23/2024: It's now published on MakerWorld and Printables:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/389651#profileId-290588

www.printables.com/model/815611-1x2-mini-gridfinity-box-for-stuff-2-bin-6u-version

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Gridfinity 4x4 BFS 6U and 12U Versions (Completed)

3/8/2024

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Somebody suggested a 4x4 version of the Gridfinity Box For Stuff (to fit the Ender3). I thought it would be simple, and ended up spending 3 hours on it, but I sort'a like it. I just need to print it, or find somebody who will test it for me :D If you are interested in testing this design, and are willing to provide feedback on it, please message me on Printables or MakerWorld and I will post it up as a work in progress. Otherwise it may be a couple weeks before I can get it printed and tested.

The logo in the pics is the "Unofficial Gridfinity Logo", which I had to model from scratch since for some reason the SVG files would not work in my CAD program (so it's a close copy).

Update 3/9/2024: I designed a deeper version of the 4x4 version of the Gridfinity Box For Stuff, really just to see what it would look like since it was also suggested. This is a 12U deep version and has overall dimensions of 99.4mm tall and a footprint of 203x220mm. It's a bit chonky looking, but it's kind'a cool.

Aaaand, just when I thought I'd start prepping the files to print, I see this:

Some sort of mobius strip like error that I should have been expecting. Fortunately the version with the TPU gasket is not affected by this problem, but it's gonna take a bit of reworking to fix it.

Update 3/10/2024: Well it didn't take as long as I thought, but putting together a profile for it did. I plan to print the chonky version, but uploaded both of them. They are still untested though, so if you print them, please provide some feedback.

Gridfinity 16 Bin (6U) Box For Stuff:
www.printables.com/model/799599-gridfinity-box-for-stuff-bfs-16-bin-version-21-unt

Gridfinity 16 Bin (12U) "Chonky" Box For Stuff:
www.printables.com/model/799629-gridfinity-box-for-stuff-bfs-1632-bin-12u-extra-de

I will import these into Makerworld soon.

Update 3/14/2024: There is a V3 coming soon. I got some feedback on Reddit about this box being a bit of a chonky thing, so I decided to put it on a diet. The V3 will be the same box, with walls that are a bit thinner and therefore quicker to print. I'm leaving this up until I get the V3 finalized and tested. It does not look much different, but the models below are about 5.5-7.5mm smaller in the X-Y. The only compromise was that I had to shorten the handle by a few mm to get it to fit. The labels however still fit and all the other parts are carried over from the other Gridfinity boxes. I'm going to print the 16 bin 12U version of these to test the design, and then they will be uploaded to Printables if they work out OK.

Update 3/15/2024: So I just compared the largest parts (the 12U deep bottom part of the case) between the old v2.1 and the new v3 versions, and there is an improvement, but it's not much. Maybe it will save some plastic trees in the long run though, so I still think it's worth it. The results were:

5% savings in filament
2% savings in time 790m vs 777m

In the image below, the V2.1 is on the left and the V3 is on the right:

Update 3/16/2024: Well I wasn't happy with the modest gain from shrinking the walls a bit on the V2, which resulted in the V3, so I poked it this design some more today to see what is the maximum I could remove from it while still keeping it sturdy. Turns out about 55g of material was removed between the V2 and what I call the V3.1. I'm not sure it's worth it, since the V3 looks more balanced in my opinion, but it's nothing to sneeze at. More importantly is the time savings which is significant:

V3.1 vs V3.0
8% Savings in filament
9% savings in time (710m vs 777m)

V3.1 vs V2.1
12% Savings in filament
10% savings in time (710m vs 792m)

12% is a big improvement, and what I was looking for. But I'm still not sure I like it. The V3.1 design just looks sort'a plain to me. when I compare it with the V3.0.

Update 3/16/2024: I'm probably gonna stick with the V3.0 design for the 16 bin versions. I just finished assembling the V2.1 12U 16 bin and the V3.0 6U models, and I think the extra bit on the sides of the V3.0 vs the V3.1 is worth keeping. When I revisit the 20 or 25 bin versions, I will give them a diet though, and may take some queues from the V3.1. There are just a few design changes I need to make to the V3.0 before it will be uploaded, such as fixing the handle location on the 12U so it sits closer to the center of gravity, and adjusting the hinges so it will be easier to assemble (they need to be moved closer to the edges). I expect to get those done this week or next, and then the final design will be posted.

Update 3/17/2024: I decided to take another crack at this case, since I felt that maybe some middle ground between the more efficient V3.1 and the better looking V3.0 could be found. What I think will be the final design is below. It's gonna be the V3.3 (don't ask about V3.2, it's still a mystery). Compared to the currently posted design, the V3.3 is a bit more efficient, and has several improvements to make the case easier to assemble. I'm also considering a version which will have two places for labels, instead of just one label on the lid.

V3.3 vs V2.1
7.5% Savings in filament
5% savings in time (753m vs 792m)

It's not a perfect compromise, but it's what I think works best. I plan to print the larger 12U tall version to test, with all the bells and whistles. Once I have it printed and tested, it will be posted to Printables and MakerWorld.

Update 3/20/2024: The V3.3 is printed and tested, aside from the TPU gasket, which is gonna be printed today. So this update is just some pics of the various versions, showing the differences.

16Bin 12U Version 3.3 (latest version, but yet to be uploaded).

16Bin 6U Version 3.3 (latest version, but yet to be uploaded).

16Bin 12U Version 2.1 (Current version, available on Printables).

16Bin 6U Version 2.1 (Current version, available on Printables).

Update 3/21/2024: The new Version 3.3 16 Bin models are now uploaded:

Makerworld:

Gridfinity Box For Stuff 16 bin (6U) (Ender 3 size)
Gridfinity Box For Stuff 16 bin - 12U deep version (Ender 3 size)

Printables:

Gridfinity Box For Stuff 16 bin (6U) (Ender 3 size)
Gridfinity Box For Stuff 16 bin - 12U deep version (Ender 3 size)

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Some New Lidded Bins (Completed)

3/8/2024

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I found a small error in the model for the base of the 4x2 (6U) Gridfinity Lidded Bin, so I fixed that just now, the updated models have been uploaded to Printables and MakerWorld. The error did not appear to affect the sliced version, and I did not see any issues with the model I printed (that had the error). Still it's best to fix it, so I did. And since I had a few minutes, I modified the 4x2 Lidded Bin into a 2x2 and 3x2 version. These are gonna be tested today, and should be uploaded tomorrow.

Update 3/10/2024: The 2x2 and 2x3 versions are now posted:

MakerWorld:

Printables:

Update 4/4/2024: There is a newer version of these bins, which include a few new sizes as well. You can find the new version 2.0 models at the links below:

MakerWorld - New Version 2.0 bins :

Printables - New Version 2.0 bins:

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An Update for the Bambu Spares Box and A New Gridfinity Bin (Work in Progress)

3/7/2024

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It was suggested in the comments on MakerWorld that since some folks do not use the Bambu Liquid Glue (for their beds), the space allotted for it in the Bambu Spares Box could be put to better use. That makes sense to me too, so I re-worked the base to add a covered bin, which can also hold the glue bottles, or whatever else that will fit in a 68x152x28mm space. The first two images below are the new (optional) design, and the last is the current design, which shows how the glue bottles fit into the case. For my use, I prefer the current design, since the glue bottles are held securely, so I won't be switching mine out. But at least there will be an option for folks who want something different.

Since I was already working on the bin with a lid, I thought "why not make something similar for Gridfinity?" The design below is the result. It's a 6U high 4x2 Gridfinity bin with a cover. Since Gridfnity has to stack, I had to make a compromise and lower the lid 3mm due to the latch (so it's low enough that it does not interfere when stacking bins). But I still think it's worthwhile, and should be large enough to be useful. This bin will be posted once it's tested (and it will also serve to test the lid design for the spares case too, since I don't want to waste half a spool of filament to reprint the entire base again).

Quick update - the Gridfinity 4x2 lidded bin is done, and tested. It will be posted soon.

2nd Quick Update - The Gridfinity 4x2 Lidded Bin is now posted, you can get it at MakerWorld or Printables:

https://makerworld.com/en/models/236728#profileId-252785

https://www.printables.com/model/796878-gridfinity-4x2-6u-lidded-bin-with-latch

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The Front Fell Off

3/4/2024

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It happened, I've seen posts on Reddit about this, but thought it would not happen to my X1C, but it did. I'd add though that it's not very typical, I'd like to make that point.

The hot end snapped during a print, likely because it could not handle the awesome coaster it was making, or it may have been due to metal fatigue. Either way it was quick to swap, though I only had a 0.2mm nozzle ready to go, so I'm using that size, while I wait for some Boron Nitride paste to assemble the other raw hot ends I have. This nozzle had over 800 hours of print time, so I guess that's fair at $15 a pop. It also gave me an excuse to whip out my Bambu Spares Box, which is probably one of the top three things I have made for my printer.