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Scarab Beetle Box (with secret lock)
Small stylized box with secret lock
Art
Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike
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Description
The scarab beetle is a small model with a secret compartment which is accessed by pulling back a "drawer" and opening up the beetle's wing case. The box is locked by closing the wing case and pushing the drawer back into place.
This model is styled after the "Egyptian Revival" of the 19th and early 20th centuries rather than Ancient Egypt. For more information, please this excellent page
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/erev/hd_erev.htm.
It is worth researching this style as it is beautiful and striking.
To the ancient Egyptians, the scarab beetle was symbolic of the sun (Ra) moving across the sky every day (the beetle rolling a ball of dung was seen to represent this). My model has a stylized beetle with a winged Ra between his two front feet.
The model consists of 12 parts which must be fitted together. Assembly instructions are here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Scarab-Beetle-Box-Assembly-Instructions/
UPDATE: I have uploaded a new version of the drawer file after it was noted that the drawer was too loose and would tend to fall open. The new file has less tolerance and testing so far shows that it stays in place.
Materials and methods
- PLA
- ABS
Documents
Issues
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Comments

- Printed on:
- Ender 3
- Result:
- I had a bag of filament samples that I've been wanting to use. Each sample piece is around 1 meter or less in several colors. So I used them on this project. The only full spool I used is the Gold Silk. All other colors are samples. For the wings, I used 4 colors and just fed each one behind the previous into the extrusion motor as the printer continued to print. It's not perfect, but still quite pretty. The shiny of the silk filaments looks really nice on this model.
- Feedback:
- I would suggest 2 small holes in the "beetle seat" & "catch drawer". Scavenge a ballpoint pen spring, trim is and set in holes. This will help to keep it closed.