Japanese Puzzle Box

A simple Japanese Puzzle Box. Slide the sides to open the box.

There are many puzzle boxes in this style. The design here is adapted from one by Erhan Çubukcuğlu. The document linked here also contains the solution.

To make the puzzle, first print all the parts. I used 0.2mm with 15% infill, though other settings should work. Each side is printed in two pieces to avoid the need for support. The pieces for each side clip together. If they are too tight, try sanding down the circular pins; if too loose, use a little glue. The top should also clip to the base. It's a little looser and so glue may be needed. I suggest assembling the cube without gluing down the top to make sure all the parts fit together. The sides should slide with a little effort. It they are slightly stiff at first, try working them back and forward a few times and they should easy up. If they are very stiff or you can't move them at all, sand down the runners in the base and top. Once you are happy with everything, you can glue to top in place.

I am not the first person to have created 3D-printed versions: also see https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3089561 and https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4352666. As well as overcoming the need for supports, I used straight chamfers at 45 degrees for the edges, rather than rounding them off with fillets. Rounded edges don't print well in some orientations.

If you want a different size, it should scale. I have a Fusion 360 file which attempts to use parameters for all the dimensions, but it's not quite right yet, so I haven't released it. Note also that the dimensions are very uniform, for example the sides, runners, etc are all in multiples of the same amount. This stems from the original design which was intended to be made from wood of a given thickness, and it's not really necessary for printing.

My goal in making this was to get to know how these puzzle boxes work, as a step towards designing my own.