Replacement Small-Parts Drawer

Replacement Small-Parts Drawer

An improved replacement drawer for common small-parts cabinets.

The plan was to print a replacement or two for common parts-cabinet drawers when they break or get lost.  Pleased with the improvements, especially the labels, I printed an entire set.  One improvement was to provide five stations for dividers, not just three, with a sixth station at the very back to hold a label.  This boosts the capacity and flexibility of each drawer.  A second improvement was to 3D-print the dividers with labels, stopping the print part way to change to a contrasting colour of filament.  A front outside slot for a generic label was added.  Thus the front label might say "Op Amps" while the interior labels might specify the actual part numbers, LM324, LM358, and so on.

This style of drawer is common but there is a little variation in the dimensions of the cabinets that house these drawers.  I recommend printing just a few mm height of drawer at first to make sure it does not bind against its enclosure.  Slicer adjustments can then be made on the principal axes for a perfect fit.

Along with the .stl for the drawer, I include its OpenSCAD source and the source for the divider-labels.  The divider-label source may be customized as needed.  With a slicer-programmed halt after 0.8 mm, I switch filament and resume printing the label as another 0.8 mm.  Instructions on label printing are tucked in as comments in the OpenSCAD labels file.