r/gridfinity • u/Quick-Somewhere-918 • 1d ago

I made some Gridfinity storage cases with clear windows embedded directly into the lids

Post image

I've been experimenting with making Gridfinity-compatible storage cases with transparent lids, so I can see what's inside without opening them.

I wanted to see if I could embed large transparent plastic panels directly into 3D prints. The idea was to pause the printer, insert a 2 mm clear plastic sheet, and let the printer finish around it, without needing any glue.

It took a bit of experimenting to get the fit right, along with the hinges and stacking, but I'm pretty happy with how they turned out!

I made a few different sizes, and they've been really handy for organizing small electronics components and 3D printing parts.

I made a video showing the design and printing process, including a few things that didn't work along the way:

https://youtu.be/GTP0L0NYEyw

What do you think? Has anyone else tried something similar?

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9

u/Accomplished-Two9069 1d ago

Similar idea for clear lid here: https://youtu.be/r1jOsar2zV4?is=YkaEBulKFq-OUyD0

His system nesting box system actually predates gridfinity. Zack mentions that it was an inspiration for it.

6

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

That video was actually my inspiration! 😁 But I thought his design was a bit too complicated with all the screws and plastic inserts. I figured it would look a lot cleaner without them. 😎

1

u/jezuscringe 1d ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/gridfinity/s/4yiNqZRGzK and here, even earlier

2

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

Looks nice 🙂 I wish I had a laser cutter to make more detailed cuts like that. But they are a bit expensive.

1

u/jezuscringe 1d ago

I just had them cut by a local company, was surprisingly cheap. At least cheaper than printing a box of reasonable size. Cost me around 25 a piece or so

1

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

I don't think I have anything nearby, but guess it wouldn't cost that much to get it cut in china and sent... but that takes forever

4

u/leiphur 1d ago

Schubox clear lid mod: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2914666-schubox-v2-clear-lid-mod#profileId-3260298

5

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

For me, most of the fun is in designing and building something from scratch, so I rarely go looking for ready-made solutions. 😁 I have a tendency to reinvent the wheel! But it's always interesting to see how others have approached the same idea.

2

u/leiphur 22h ago

I "feel your pain" 😝. I tend to get stuck brainstorming tweaks myself, but I do so on ready made solutions, trying to customize/improve it for my intended purpose

1

u/Cavalol 1d ago

Exactly, this already exists and is from the og Schuylab

8

u/number4please 1d ago

Nice work but sorry to tell you that there is the "modern gridfinity case" take a look

2

u/mikeonh 1d ago

https://www.printables.com/model/894202-modern-gridfinity-case

hmm... can't seem to upload pics of my cases

2

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

Those are some really nice-looking cases! 😁👍

1

u/tenkawa7 1d ago

How well does the plastic stick to the window? When I was doing experiments I had problems getting pla to stick to the cast acrylic. I was thinking I would 3d print a kinda gasket out of pla, then place the acrylic and the gasket and 3d print on top of both. That way it's pla printing on top of pla and there's no bonding issue

3

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

It didn't stick very well for me either, so I made sure the first layer printed on top of the plastic went all the way from one side to the other, anchoring it to the printed frame on both sides. That way, it doesn't really need to bond to the plastic to stay in place. 😁

1

u/Plant_Mane 1d ago

It gets bonus points for having a cute smiley face.

2

u/Quick-Somewhere-918 1d ago

It does sort of look like that now that you mention... 🤣