From the Loftsmith community

Cable Box

A big box that gives a long run of cable somewhere to live instead of a tangle on the floor. The walls split into panels, and a small arched opening low on the front and side lets the cable pass through. Change the box size and cable thickness to fit your own coil.

10 parts · 1577 g · 396 × 400 × 228 mm

by RussellEarly member

Large green square box made of joined panels with a small arched opening near the bottom edge
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No adjustable sizes

Ask for the sizes you want to tweak, e.g. “make the width adjustable”.

Change it in the Studio

Parts

  • body-quarter ×4 · PETG · Top face down on the bed, no supports

    Bolt together with M3 x 16 screws and nuts through the inside flanges.

  • door-half-NE · PETG · Flat face on the bed, flange pointing up

    M3 rod hinge pin; M3 x 16 latch screw with its head in the pocket.

  • door-half-NW · PETG · Flat face on the bed, flange pointing up
  • door-half-SE · PETG · Flat face on the bed, flange pointing up
  • door-half-SW · PETG · Flat face on the bed, flange pointing up
  • latch-knob-E · PETG · Door-side face down

    Press an M3 nut into the hex socket.

  • latch-knob-W · PETG · Door-side face down

    Press an M3 nut into the hex socket.

Print settings

Layer height
0.2 mm
Walls
3
Infill
15%
Supports
None
Notes
Print the quarters top-down on the bed so layers run along the walls. Run one door half and one knob first to check the fit.

Hardware

  • 40 × M3 screws and nuts for the quarter seams (M3 x 16) · A rough count at the flange and rim holes; use fewer if you like. They're sized for the holes on the quarters.
  • 4 × M3 rod or long M3 screws for hinge pins · Cut to about 145 mm each; the ends are held with an M3 nut.
  • 2 × M3 x 16 screw plus M3 nut (latch) · The screw head sits in a pocket on the north door flange, and the nut goes in the knob.
  • 8 × 4 mm wood or wall screws · Countersunk, driven up from inside the box into the beam.

Assembly

  1. Bolt the 4 quarters together at their seams with M3 screws and nuts.
  2. Hold the box up to the beam, then drive the 8 countersunk 4 mm screws up from inside the box. A screwdriver reaches all four screws on each quarter.
  3. Push each hinge pin through the lugs and door knuckles along the lower edges, and put an M3 nut on each end.
  4. Close the doors, push each M3 latch screw through the flanges from the north side, and spin the knob on.
  5. To open, unscrew the knob, pull the screw, and let the doors swing down.

Good to know

  • The Use it animation of the doors opening still reports a collision between the south doors and the latch knob. That's because the knob is shown sliding off while the door swings. In real life you unscrew the knob first, then the doors swing.
  • I haven't test-printed or load-tested any of the fits. The M3 hinge pins in 3.6 mm holes, the nut-in-knob fit and the quarter seams all need a test print. Print one door half and one knob first.
  • The doors close about 2.5 mm under the rim, with a gap around the edges and a small drain notch where cable and drips can get out. The box isn't sealed against driving rain. It's under the house, so it should stay mostly dry, but a rubber seal or a gasket would help.
  • The pin and latch loads are my estimates from typical PETG values, not test results. The beam screws and the top are rated for 5 kg of cable with a yank. Your 7 m of cable will be lighter than that.
  • The 13 mm cable thickness is my guess, so use the Cable diameter slider on Adjust if yours differs. The box is mostly flat panels, so the surfaces look boxy.
I printed this Remix

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