Steampunk Heart Box - Mechanical Valentine Gift

Steampunk Heart Gear Box – Mechanical Valentine Gift

This is a mechanical heart-shaped gift box with a visible, gear-driven opening mechanism. A rotating drum located at the tip of the heart drives the entire system. Turning the drum causes both heart-shaped lids to swivel open simultaneously, while multiple exposed gears on the top surface engage and rotate, creating a dense steampunk-style motion.

Inside the box there is space for a small gift, jewelry, or a folded letter. Optionally, small magnets can be added to help the heart halves stay firmly closed.

Key Features

• Heart-shaped mechanical gift box
• Fully functional visible gear system
• Single-point actuation via rotating drum
• Optional magnetic closing support
• Steampunk-inspired design
• Interior space for a gift or message
• Print-only design with optional magnets
• Assembly required

Optional Parts

• Ø4 × 2 mm round magnets
• Bambu lubricant Oil

Modular Interior Insert System

The heart box features a swappable insert system, allowing the interior to be tailored to the type of gift you want to present. Each insert drops into the box without modifying the mechanism and can be exchanged freely.

Included insert designs:

1. Text Insert – “Would you be my Valentine”
   A clean, minimal insert featuring only the embossed message. 
2. Scroll / Letter Insert
   Features an open circular holder designed for rolled-up letters, notes, tickets, or vouchers.

3. Watch / Bracelet Insert (Adjustable)
   Adjustable diameter insert suitable for watches, bracelets, or wristlets. Can be set to different sizes to ensure a snug fit.

   Assembly Note: Use filament as pins to fix the moving parts into place after adjusting the diameter.

4. Ring Insert
   Dedicated ring holder to present engagement rings, promise rings, or jewelry securely.

   Assembly Note: Use a sharp cuter knife to cut along the grove to separate the fine strings.

5. Card / Voucher Insert (Credit Card Format)
   Designed to hold standard credit-card–sized vouchers, gift cards, or tickets.

6. Necklace Insert
   Shaped to support necklaces or chains without tangling, keeping the presentation clean when the box opens.

   Assembly Note: groves need to be cut open in order to be able to pinch in a necklace or chain. Holes can be used to fix the necklace with a piece of filament.

All inserts are print-only, require no additional hardware, and are fully compatible with the standard heart box.

Use glue when needed to secure the inserts into place.

Important Notes – Print Profiles & Tolerances

This model uses tight mechanical tolerances and therefore requires selecting the correct print profile.

Available Print Profiles

• Tight Tolerances
  Intended for standard PLA and dimensionally stable filaments.
• Loose Tolerances
  Intended for PLA Silk and other filaments known to print slightly oversized.

Test Print (Strongly Recommended)

A tolerance test file is included.
Print this test part before printing the full model to determine which profile works best with your filament and printer setup.

Assembly Guide

1. Decorative Bands

Glue all 12 decorative bands around the outer walls of the box. All bands are identical and cannot be placed incorrectly.

2. Drum and Gears

Insert the drum at the tip of the heart. Install the 12-tooth gear on the 6 mm shaft with the cylindrical hub facing downward.

3. Left Gear Stack

Assemble the 12-tooth gear, spacer, and 7-tooth gear on a 3 mm axle. Insert with the 12-tooth gear facing downward into the left hole.

4. Center Double Gear

Place the 12/7-tooth double gear in the center using a 3 mm axle. The 12-tooth side must face downward.

5. Swing Arms

Install both swing arms upright so they mesh correctly and align vertically.

6. Mechanism Lid

Close the mechanism with the round lid and test motion. You may need to run the mechanism several times to achieve a smooth motion. Lubricate lightly if needed.

7. Optional Magnets

Glue the magnets into the heart halves, checking polarity so they attract when closed.

8. Attach Heart Halves

With the mechanism fully open, connect the heart halves to the swing arms using the short dowels. Use the printed tool for pressing in the dowels. Check if the dowels are flush with the surface.

9. Decorative Gears

Glue the central heart gear in place. Use the triangular connector for alignment.

Install all decorative gears using bridges and the headed-dowels as shown in the reference image.

You can use the printed tool to press in the dowels.

10. Optional Filament connections

Use Filament pieces as additional connectors for the bridges. Insert Filament into the holes and cut it flush with a wire cuter.

Happy Printing and have fun assembling.