Gridfinity 4 Unit (6 Covered Divided Bins) Remix

1/27/2024

Working on STL's is a bit of a pain with my CAD program. I have to first convert them to a solid which may or may not work, and usually takes a long time for the processing (over 10 minutes is not uncommon). When an STL does convert, they end up with so many vertices that ViaCAD (v12 pro) will sometimes (often) choke on using the converted solid for anything useful. That means I have to get creative in order to add or remove from a converted solid, which can mean rebuilding parts of the model or using other tools like spitting and copying. That was the case with this remix, which should have been a quick change, but due to the combination of crashing, long waits to save (which I do frequently due to the crashes), and long waits for the program to process cuts and adds to the model, it took several hours to complete this. In any case, I think it's done now, and I have it printing. This is not really a dig on ViaCAD though, when it works, it works well, and for native models it is pretty stable. It's just not great for working with converted STL models with lots of ugly vertices, or really complex designs with many edits in the history.

That started to go off the rails... So what "it" is, is a remix of a 6 bin Gridfinity bin, which is 4x1x6 units (4 bins long, divided into 6 bins, 6U high). The reason for the remix is to use the bin with very small parts which could otherwise migrate between bins (such as washers), so I added some lids. There are tabs on each lid, which act as a flip up pull to open each bin, since the tops need to be flush for the application (they will go in my Gridfinity Box For Stuff v2.0). The bin was remixed from Ch3vr0n's (@Printables.com) Gridfinity Boxes for Gridfinity Box For Stuff 20 bin version. The covers will use large paperclip wires for the hinges, but the tabs are print in place. If all works out well, I plan to post this remix today, and will update this post with a link. Due to the way this remix was put together though, I don't plan on making other types at this time. Though that could change if I can find a way to get some clean STEP files for the Gridfinity bins (I'm not going through converting another STL for one of these bins again lol).

Update 1/28/2024: After printing the doors I realized that there was not enough room for a label, which requires about 9mm, so I modified the design slightly and am re-printing it to test. I'm also gonna print it with a smooth PEI plate so I can apply the 9mm Brother P-Touch labels. There was another minor change which I made to make this safer to build. The holes for the wire hinge are 1.25mm diameter, and the paperclip wire is about 1.05mm, so it goes in snug. When I was assembling it I realized that it would be better to install two 15mm lengths from each side, rather than one long piece through the center. So I partly blocked the hole through the doors with a tapered section so the paperclip cannot be passed all the way through the doors. That will require that 15mm wires are installed from each side to form each hinge. The last pic shows the modified design. Other than those changes, it should be done (once it's tested).