If you know anything about me it is probably that I like lockable containers, puzzles and complex things that are interesting and fun. The BinaryBin pressed all the buttons for me as I started designing it. It is super fun.

The truth though is that I have not used binary and hex for so long I could barely get my mind going but once I did it all came back to me. And, that felt really good.

Click here to download STL (Affiliate Link)

This BinaryBin is about 1 litre in size and features a single-piece base that is secured by the lift of the top. However, the top can only be lifted off when the correct binary code is used by setting the switch values. With a 16 bit code there are 65,536 possible combinations.

I feel one of the most fun aspects of this lockable container is that the 16-bit combination can be saved as a hexadecimal number which means you need to do some conversion and exercise that skill. That adds another layer of “security” to it. So it could be a great teaching (and learning) tool also.

The design uses a planetary gear approach so that the centre gear (the sun gear) is the handle and can be turned if the correct code is selected on the switches. And, when it turns it rotates the ring gear which has the lock latches on it. Therefore, once turned, the lid of the container can be opened and when returned to its original position the lid can be locked again.

I feel the pop-up and lay flat centre hand is a good design that I will likely use again in the future. It makes for a tidy finish when not in use.

Setting the lock combination involves choosing a “0” or “1” switch when assembling the lid. Each of the switches represents one bit of the combination.

I have included TPU bumpers which are entirely optional. I feel they give the container a more rugged look and a bit more finish.

Print Settings

Functional designs (such as this one) generally require more strength than non-functional designs and more strength than the typical default slicer settings provide, so please review your slicer settings carefully.

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height. For best results I suggest the following:

Assembly Notes

Please see the following video for assembly instructions:

There is one piece of support to be removed after printing as illustrated here.

The post BinaryBin first appeared on logicalplanet.

Click here to download STL (Affiliate Link)

The sides and ends of the CardDock assembly rotate freely and are positioned off-centre so that their own mass causes them to flop outward. Once cards are placed on them they swing back and at the same time force the cards into the centre of the base. Simple.

I also designed a lid that could be popped onto the base for card storage in a drawer or something like that. And, the lid can also be used as another card holder. Or as a stand to place the CardDock on. The stand is not a necessary function but sometimes it can be helpful.

I have also now added hard cases for the whole line of card docks. The cases come in two styles, one is a simple 1-piece sleeve and the other is a hard sleeve with bumpers and or caps so you can complete

And, I have created a bunch of variants. Please look through my collection on Thangs.com for all the existing versions. Here is a listing of the specific variants and links to their postings.

Print Settings

Assembly Notes

Assembly is quite simple but it is important to note that the Side and End parts must be installed into the base from directly above (a vertical direction). Once the parts are rotated they are designed to be self-contained in the base.

The post CardDock and Crib first appeared on logicalplanet.

This is my first sequential discovery puzzle and the biggest design undertaking I have embarked on so far. And, it has been awesome. The puzzle is really fun and very challenging. I hope a lot of people will get a lot of pleasure out of it. But unlike all my prior postings and designs, I am keeping the details a little more carefully controlled. I do not want to let the solutions to the puzzle be too readily available for the sake of those doing the puzzle.

I am not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed by the amount of time I have put into this design but it has been substantial. Definitely in excess of 100 hours. And, I do feel a little cheated that people will be able to solve it in much less time but I am not sure too many people would want to attempt a 100-hour puzzle. Instead, this puzzle should be expected to take 20 minutes to 1 hour from what I can see so far. A few people I tested early versions on did it in around 30 minutes but with the help of additional people and some clues. So I am very curious to see how fast people will generally do it without clues.

The idea is that you can complete the puzzle without anything other than what the puzzle provides. The rules are fairly straightforward…

Puzzle Rules

1. Hands-Only:
   • No external tools or objects are allowed or required. Use only your hands and the tools, keys or elements from the puzzle to solve the puzzle. Every move has a purpose within the design.
2. No Excessive Force:
   • The puzzle is designed to be solved with gentle manipulation. Do not attempt to take the puzzle apart by force or break it open. If something doesn’t move easily, reconsider your approach.  Do not bang, shake excessively, pry, or drop.
3. Inspect Carefully:
   • Observe and interact with all parts of the puzzle. Pay attention to subtle details—they may hold the key to the next step.
4. Keep Track of Removed Pieces:
   • Any piece you remove may be essential to solving the puzzle. Set them aside carefully and remember to consider them as potentially part of the puzzle.
5. Use the Clues Sparingly:
   • Clues are available only if you’re truly stuck. Use them one at a time, starting with the most obscure. But know that there is a way forward at all times.
6. Patience is Key:
   • Solving the puzzle requires logic, exploration, persistence, trial and error and possibly even guesswork. Take your time and enjoy the challenge.

The puzzle is complex having approximately 28 components to it. It has hidden doors, sprockets, latches, and secret keys to name a few. It requires creative thinking and persistence to solve but in the end, it opens to a cavity in which you can put a prize, present or reward for the person opening it.

To keep the puzzle solution secret, limited details are available until you download the puzzle. Everything you need to know to print, build and solve the puzzle will be accessible after you download it. As well as instructions and clues for the person you give it to to solve it. The QR code tag on the puzzle links to instructions for the user. The QR code tag can be printed on paper or with an AMS.

Three levels of clues (obscure, indirect and direct) are available for each step of the puzzle if needed by the person trying to solve the puzzle.

This sequential discovery puzzle is available only to logicalplanet members on Thangs. Please consider becoming a member to support my design efforts and enjoy products like this one.

The entire model is 100% 3d printed. No hardware, fasteners, or adhesives are required. Multi-filament printing (AMS) is not required.

Printing and Assembly

I have created extensive documentation for printing, assembling and solving this SD puzzle, but to keep the solution secretive, I am only making the documentation available to people who have the design files from Thangs. If you have been given access you can find the portal to the documentation here.

Want to buy the Puzzle

If you are interested in purchasing the puzzle to do (rather than printing it yourself) please send me a message via my contact form.

The post Sequential Discovery Puzzle Gift Box first appeared on logicalplanet.

After making my collapsing tree ball ornaments this week I could not help but create these. It seemed like just such a natural thing to do and several people asked for them. Basically, numbered tree balls so you can make your tree into an advent calendar-style game for your loved ones.

Of course, you will need a multi-filament printer (AMS) to make these. Once printed the balls simply fold open and closed to collapse or conceal a prize that you put inside.

The balls are 3.0″ (76mm) in diameter. I have made the balls from number 00 to 24.

The balls are 100% 3D printed and no hardware, fasteners, or adhesives are required.

Good simple fun. But give yourself lots of time to print them!

Printing

Your default slicer settings should be ok with the design except for a few minor adjustments. For sure you need to enable Arachne (automatic if you are using Cura) and also consider setting Walls Seams to random to avoid a seem.

Here are my recommended settings:

• Material: PLA
• Nozzle: 0.4mm
• Layer Height: 0.2mm
• Line Width: 0.4mm
• Wall Count: 2 (0.8mm)
• Top and Bottom Layer Count: Minimum 3
• Detect Thin Walls: ON
• Infill: 0%
• Ironing: Not required
• Brim: No, should not be needed. But if you are having trouble you can enable it – but it will create a lot of extra post-print processing for you to do.
• Support: No
• Wall Generator: Arachne
• Detect Thin Lines: Yes
• Wall Seams: Random (to avoid a seam)
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As illustrated and as per 3MF files

Post Print Processing and Assembly Notes

After printing the ball sections can be difficult to separate for the first time. Using a thin flat and flexible blade like a feeler gauge works excellently to “unstick” the parts.

Rotation of the sections of the balls may be slightly more difficult the first time you attempt it. Take your time to twist the balls open and closed until the parts move easily. There are slight detents at the full opened positions to help keep the balls opened in equal proportions.

Also, note the 3 sections of each ball can be fully separated if needed to help clean and smooth them. Just squish the inner section to pull it out and then the next one. Squish them slightly to return them.

The post Advent Tree Ball Ornaments first appeared on logicalplanet.

This is the classic cribbage board made better.  It is a standard full-size folding Crib board with the following improvements…

• Square pegs – are stronger and less likely to snap off in the hole
• Through holes – if a peg does break off you can push it through to clear the hole (no more blocked peg holes)
• 3D printed – you can make more pegs any time
• Peg storage – that is visible and organized so you can see your pegs at all times
• More pegs – You need 3 pegs to play and count games but this board stores 4 so you always have a spare

And, for those who love Crib, I want to share with you the way we sometimes play which we call “19’s”.  Since scoring 19 in Crib is impossible, we give 19 points when a player gets zero in their hand (or Crib).  This added twist changes the game dynamics in a really fun way so that a new player or someone getting a run of bad cards can still be competitive.  Very fun!  Give it a try if you have not played like that before.

This board can also be made in a single filament/colour and colour with permanent markers if you do not have an AMS.

Printing

Your default slicer settings should be ok with the design except for the pegs and the hinge components. I recommend printing those with thicker walls and 100% infill for added strength.

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

For the pegs and hinge clips:

• Wall Line Count = 4 ( 4 x 0.4mm = 1.6mm walls )
• Top and Bottom Layer Count = 5 ( 5 x 0.2mm = 1.0mm top and bottom )
• Infill = 100%
• Ironing = OFF (not needed)
• Support = NO
• Brim = NO (a brim can complicate details of print-in-place parts and parts printed close together – If you have to use a brim, set it to “outside only”)
• MATERIAL: PLA or PETG
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As illustrated.

For the board halves:

• Wall Line Count = 2 ( 2 x 0.4mm = 0.8mm walls )
• Top and Bottom Layer Count = 3 ( 3 x 0.2mm = 0.6mm top and bottom )
• Infill = 15%
• Ironing = OFF (not needed)
• Support = NO
• Brim = NO (a brim can complicate details of print-in-place parts and parts printed close together – If you have to use a brim, set it to “outside only”)
• MATERIAL: PLA or PETG
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As illustrated.

Assembly Notes

After printing, flip the boards face down, and press the hinge clips into the hinges.

The post A Better Crib Board first appeared on logicalplanet.

My sister recently had shoulder surgery and was unable to use an arm for a period of time during recovery. She wanted to play cribbage to pass the time but needed to do it with one arm only. And so, here is a collapsible, adjustable, card holder for her…

There are many card holders out there but I could not find any that were collapsible and adjustable which I thought were two good enhancements for portability and convenience.

I have made two versions so far, a 6-card version and a 10-card version. It is possible to make a larger one but large would be inherently less portable so unless someone specifically wants it I will probably stop here.

One of the nice features of this design is that you can turn your hand down to the table quickly and conveniently if you need to step away from the game.

The assembly prints in 2 pieces, the main body, and a spring plate that snaps onto the main body. The spring plate gently pinches the cards so that when you slide them into the holder they stay in place.

Using the holder is as simple as sliding cards in and out. But you can adjust the viewing angle by repositioning the support arm on the back side of the device.

Four optional gripper feet (printed in TPU) can be installed to reduce sliding on a table surface.

Printing

Functional designs (such as this one) generally require more strength than non-functional designs and more strength than the typical default slicer settings provide, so please review your slicer settings carefully.

This product was designed for a 0.4mm nozzle, a 0.2mm layer height and the following settings:

• Wall Line Count = 2 minimum, 4 recommended ( 4 x 0.4mm = 1.6mm walls )
• Top and Bottom Layer Count = 5 ( 5 x 0.2mm = 1.0mm top and bottom )
• Infill = 40%, Cubic
• Ironing = OFF (not needed)
• Support = none required
• Brim = NO (a brim can complicate details of print-in-place parts and parts printed close together – If you have to use a brim, set it to “outside only”)
• MATERIAL: PLA (any material should work fine), TPU for the gripper feet
• PRINT ORIENTATION: As shown

Assembly Notes

Assembly is as simple as snapping on the spring plate to the main body. Flexing the main body slightly is necessary to get the spring plate on but once it is on it will stay in place.

Four optional gripper feet (printed in TPU) press fit into the main body as shown.

The post Card Holders first appeared on logicalplanet.

I already have a lot of regular-sized boards so I really did not have too much interest in just making another board. But making a bigger board also meant I could print larger more durable pegs. But I should warn you, this was about 100 hours of printing.

The base of the crib board is designed in two parts that permanently snap together. They will fit onto a 300mm print surface. Then the tracks are inserted afterwards to create a very rigid final board. It is easier to understand when you see the images below that show the print arrangements.

Once printed, all the parts snap together and I did not intend for it to ever be disassmbled.

The post Giant Crib Board first appeared on logicalplanet.