Prototype Preview - Battery Dispenser (Proofgrade)

Made on a Glowforge
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This one is currently a problem child that I get asked about occasionally, so I’m reworking it for laser use. (Not quite done yet - it needs some serious size tweaking, this one holds too many batteries, but I figured I could show what it will look like done in the three Proofgrade plywood materials currently on offer. These are 1/8" ply, but I’ve got the current file set up to parametrically adjust for any thickness wood up to 6 mm. Frankly, it’s scary.) :smile:

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The file uses a shallow mortise and tenon treatment (with glue) to hide the construction. The fun part is the interior fins…I wanted to do something different with them, in case I want to play with putting a clear side on the box some day.

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Oldest batteries go in at the top and out at the bottom in the order they were purchased, so instead of digging through a box of double AAs to find the oldest ones to use them up first, the dispenser takes care of it automatically.

Anyhow…future fun. (I need to work one up for AAA batteries too. Got boxes of both around here.) :wink:

(Oh…it has cherry front and back panels, maple side panels, and walnut fins, top and bottom. I love the way we can mix these woods.)

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That is clever. Love that cherry.

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Ha! I made one of these as well for my rechargables. Not quite this big though. Well done

I put a window in the front of mine with acrylic so I could see what my battery level is at currently.

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Wow, this is wonderful! I love the design. I could totally use several of these–our battery box is a complete shambles.

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Shuuuuuttt uuupppp!! You guys are so creative, blows me away

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Yeah, it’s going to be scaled way down. :smile:

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Looks great! Did you try making one that was just a funnel on the back leading to a short raceway for the batteries to drop out? It’s possible there would be too much friction and they’d stick together, but you’d be able to fit way more batteries in it.

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You’d need a pretty steep incline to slide them instead of rolling them.

That one is too deep though, the batteries can get stuck going down, and it’s designed to not do that. So I’ll need to rework it. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Is that a Ficus in the background? Oh, that is gorgeous, I have 3d printed several, I think a lot of things that I have printed will get forged at some point if it translates.

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ROFL! You 3D printed several ficus? (That’s funny!) :wink:

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That is funny but no, battery boxes.

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Which pattern did you use?

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No idea at this point, one of dozens on thingaverse. They do the zig-zag roll down like yours but are not elegant.

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Shoot! I get overly excited every time someone tries one that i posted! :grin:

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Yeah, I don’t remember who’s these are, but they are not near as nice as something you would have designed. The work great but very plain.

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THAT has some real practical use in my house.

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Not for our house :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: I have to buy them by the hundred. We have one of those shoe pocket over door hanging things with each pocket filled with different sizes of batteries. I don’t worry about FIFO - they’re never in there long enough to seriously age. :slightly_smiling_face:

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I need one of these but it must have a slot to put in a token or money…Its like my kids eat batteries…I feel like they need rationing. Its inevitable, I buy a big box, then when I am in need of a battery…they are all gone or theres only 1 or 3 left when I need 2 or 4…

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Gorgeous! This has been in my personal Hopper for a while. I’ve seen many patterns for 3D printed versions on Thingiverse, but always balk at the build time.

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Jules… great idea…thanks for that…also as an aside…you mentioned maple , walnut , birch,have you gotten any PG padauk ?