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.

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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.

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