12 Leaf Aperture Box

A 12 leaf version of my aperture box design, producing a sliding 12 sided aperture much like a camera iris. It is opened by twisting the handles on the doors in a clockwise direction.

This was originally uploaded to Thingiverse in 2017, and I have now moved it here as well.

I have 14 other Iris boxes designs and I have an instructable describing them and how to print them.

I have also designed an improved version of this box, 12 Leaf Aperture Iris Box.

The part files are designed for M2x6 countersunk/flathead screws (as with all my other designs); 24 screws are required in total for the box. The parts can be scaled to use larger or smaller screws e.g. M3x8 screws at 150% scale.

The box is approximately 80mm wide, 80mm tall (using the standard container) and has a 64mm container opening. Two versions of the container are included: the standard container which makes the box 80mm tall and a shortened container which makes it about 40mm tall (used for the printed example).

Part testing

Before printing off all the parts you should make sure the sliding dovetail and screw joints work correctly with your print settings.

Supports are required for the overhanging section of the dovetail on the door parts. Be careful when adding supports to only support the outer part. The inner part can be bridged easily, and adding unecessary supports here will likely make it hard to remove them from the parts and add friction to the dovetails. The pictures show support setup and removal from the 'Aperture Iris Box' but the process is much the same here.

I recommend printing just one 'link' and two 'Door' parts to test the joints. The sliding dovetail joints may be a little stiff to begin with but should slide smoothly with very little effort for the box to work well. Materials with low friction are ideal (standard PLA works fine) plus a little lubricant can help significantly. If the joints are too stiff, consider using a lower layer height or contour XY compensation.

Also check that your screws fit securely in the holes on the base of the doors, but are free to spin in the link holes and the head is flush with the part surface. You may need to use XY compensation to get a good fit.

Parts Printing

For the box you will need to print:

• 12x 'Door' parts 
• 12x ‘Link’
• 1x ‘Container’

There are two types of 'door' part: the 'Door handle' which has a ridge to grip and open the box (two are used on the printed example) and the simple flat 'door' part. I recommend printing at least two 'door handle' parts and positioning them on opposite sides of the box for ease of opening.

Assembly

Step 1

Assembly is straightforward and firstly requires sliding all the door parts together.

Step 2

Then screw the non-pointed end of the links to the container. 

Step 3

Finally, loosely open the door parts slightly, and screw the links to the base of the doors.

It is easiest to open the box using your right thumb and fingers near the centre of the box on an opposing pair of door handles.

Let me know if you have any questions or problems with the design.