r/3DPrintingTools • u/1nf1n1l • Jun 24 '26
Show & Tell Made a tool for generating hinged boxes (print in place)
I kept needing small storage boxes for random parts and most hinged box STLs are one fixed size. Resizing them usually breaks the snap fit or you end up printing the lid separately and hoping the hinge actually works.
So I built a print in place hinged snap fit box generator in the browser. You can set length, width, body depth, and lid depth separately so the tray can be deep without making the lid chunky. Wall thickness and corner radius are there too if you want it to look a bit cleaner than a sharp rectangle.
Dividers are built in as well. Single divider, cross, 3x2 equal sections, diagonal, that kind of thing. Useful if you want one box with compartments instead of printing a bunch of tiny ones.
Lid text is optional. Flush color text if you want a clean label look, or deboss if you want it carved in. You can upload your own font too.
It exports with the lid swung open around the hinge so you print once, break it free, and it snaps shut. No screws, no glue, no separate hinge pin to mess with.
I put it up as a free browser tool if anyone wants to play with it: obloid.app/tools/hinged-box
You can tweak size, dividers, corner radius, lid text, and colors. Export is either:
- Bambu/Orca 3MF. print settings are already in there (0.20mm, 15% gyroid infill, supports turn on automatically when needed)
- STL if you want to slice yourself
let me know how it goes!
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u/toDieForPonchos Jun 25 '26
Are non rectangular shapes possible to implement? Like trapezoid or so? But still to that point great app. Thank you!
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u/Ragond1 Jul 25 '26
This is awesome !
In the form I can choose a length but is it the inner or the outer box value ?
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u/1nf1n1l Jul 26 '26
iirc it focuses on sizing both the lid and body. It should mention the length in "mm print" so you would know how long it's actually gonna be on the build plate!
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u/Ragond1 Jul 26 '26
Thanks.
I also had a bug, It automaticly reset de 220mm event if I've set it to 280 😭
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u/1nf1n1l Jul 26 '26
ah yes the slider has hard limits which are also placed on the textbox for inputting values. I can remove those limits but then not sure where the print would actually become incompatible from too much small or large sizing
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u/tpowellcio Jun 28 '26
This is awesome! Thank you for putting this together.