I built these small battery boxes for a couple of 7Ah LiFePO4 batteries I had lying around and wanted to use for ham radio field ops. The goal was a clean, serviceable design that’s cheap, easy to replicate, and way better than my old messy wire-filled box.
The main feature is a fully removable side panel that contains almost all the wiring, fuses, switches, and ports. Just remove a few screws (they thread into heat-set inserts in a printed backing plate) and the whole panel pulls out for easy access, repairs, or changes. No more digging around inside a cramped ammo can.
###Key Features
- All fuses are user-facing on the panel — quick and easy to replace
- Standard 12V socket (independently fused + switched)
- Combo USB + PD charging port (independently fused + switched)
- Two Anderson Powerpole ports in a custom printed housing (each separately fused)
- Master distribution fuse
- Charging circuit passthrough fuse for extra protection
- Panel-mount SAE port for plugging in the LiFePO4 charger
Inside the box it stays super simple — just the battery (I temporarily hot-glued mine in place). I plan to add custom-cut foam from Harbor Freight kneeling pads on the bottom for better padding and to keep the battery from shifting.
The enclosure is a cheap $3 .30cal plastic ammo can from Harbor Freight. Tough, compact, and perfect for this size battery.
###What’s Included in the Download
- Main removable panel
- Backing plate with heat-set insert locations
Materials
###Print & Assembly Notes
- Printed in PETG at 75% infill
- M3 heat-set inserts and M3x12 screws for attaching the front panel to the backing plate
- M4 heat-set inserts and M4x10 bolts to build mini bus bars on the back of the panel
- Most non-printed parts (sockets, switches, fuses, Powerpoles, wiring, SAE port) came from AliExpress. A couple faster-shipping items from Amazon.
- Wiring is straightforward: charging wires pass through the panel for fused protection, then to the battery and back out for distribution.
- Fuse panel is made by crimping 12AWG house wire into female spade connectors and then heat-setting them in place.
Most of the non-printed parts are cheap and easy to source. Total build cost stayed low thanks to the $3 ammo can and AliExpress bits.
###Future Plans
- Version 2.0 will have cleaner wire routing and a few layout tweaks. I’m also thinking about a panel-under-the-lid version for the bigger metal .50cal cans, maybe even integrating a small radio someday.
- If you print this or build something similar, I’d love to see your makes and hear any improvements or tips. Especially interested in what enclosures other people like for small battery projects.
- Feel free to remix or scale it for different battery sizes — that was one of the original goals.
Happy printing and tinkering!
hixreate
