In Case of Pandemic - Mask Storage Case
Introduction: In Case of Pandemic - Mask Storage Case
Instructions for use:
1. No, it's not glass
2. No, you don't need to break it
3. I hope the rest is self explanatory
By now, many of us have a decent supply of masks at home, and I have definitely found the need to have a place to store them, so why not have some fun with it? Now, you may be thinking, "We may not even need masks in a few months", and best case scenario you may be right. But that's the beauty of it! Now you have a place to keep them just in case (god forbid) we need them again in our lifetime.
This Instructable will detail the steps for making this project, including the necessary CAD and laser cutting files.
If you enjoy this Instructable, please consider voting for it in the Plywood Contest!
Supplies
Consumables:
* Plywood (I used 0.2" thick)
* Wood Stain (I did one with "true black", and one with "dark walnut")
* Wood Finish (I used a polycrylic finish)
* Brushes for staining
* Glue (wood glue may be good enough depending on the wood you choose, but I used an expanding glue to help ensure adhesion/contact)
* Acrylic sheets (roughly ~12" by 12" sheets)
* White Spray Paint
* Hooks to hang the masks
* Canvas Offset Clips (or similar) to hold the acrylic sheet in place
* Chicago Screws. I originally planned on using M4x6mm, but ended up going up to M5x6mm. I mention this because the hardware that I use below had holes that don't fit the M5, so I had to manually widen the holes in the hardware
* Butt Hinges (if you get hinges with any different dimensions from mine, you will likely have to adjust the design in some way to fit the different size or hole locations)
* 6mm Round Neodymium Magnets (optional, but helps hold the case closed)
* 1/8" offset bracket to hold the acrylic sheet (optional if you get a taller acrylic sheet)
Tools:
* Laser Cutter
* Clamps (corner clamps can really help)
* Drill (if you need to oversize the holes in the hardware you get like I did)
* Screw Driver
Step 1: Designing the Case (CAD and Laser Cutting Files)
For this project, I used the now infamous Fusion 360. 74
I went through two iterations, which you don't really need to know about, except that the first didn't work (hence the 2nd!). This project included a couple firsts for me; it was my first time designing a project with a hinge, and my first time trying out Chicago screws (which I really like and will definitely be using again).
Since I already made the design, you don't (necessarily) have to! But if you use different thickness material (not 0.2") or different sized hardware (in particular the hinge), you will need to update the design so that what you laser cut will have the correct joints, gaps, and hole locations for your case. Otherwise you will have a very bad day when you go to assemble it.
The CAD files are attached here for posterity. Here's an online model of the project, but I don't believe it is downloadable without the paid service.
With the case designed, I used Inkscape to make the acrylic cover design, and prep the files for laser cutting. I based my virus picture on the cover from this picture by Starline.
As an explanation of what each of the attached files are:
* The .step and .f3d files are the original 3D CAD Model of the shelf I created
* The two .svg files are the exported surfaces of the CAD model, and the cover design design that I made
* The PNG (last image in this step, open to get full resolution), is the raster to laser cut the cover design
* And the DXF is an alternative vector graphics format of the exported surface
Step 2: Laser Cutting
The laser cutting process is pretty straightforward; the pictures speak for themselves! Files needed for laser cutting are in the previous step.
Step 3: Applying Stain
The staining process is also pretty simple. I tried out two different colors, one with "true black", and one with "dark walnut". The one shown is the dark walnut.
Step 4: Gluing
Now things start getting a little tricky. I originally just used wood glue to put the frame together, however I found that in this case, it wasn't strong enough to hold the joints together (possibly because I stained first). 215