ConectarI developed a puzzle photo frame with a secret compartment for a gift
 | In 2015, my friend received a handmade cardboard maze card as a wedding gift—a present that couldn't be opened without solving the puzzle. Eight years later, I redesigned this DIY project using a 3D printer. The result was a 3D-printed photo frame with a secret gift compartment and a long creation story. First, a few words about the puzzle's design. The maze was a multi-layered structure. The bottom layer was a sturdy cardboard base; the middle layer was the maze itself, made of matches glued to cardboard; the top layer was thin plexiglass. The glass was covered with a sheet of paper with windows at the start and finish... To turn the lock, you'll need a pair of small magnets. The author of the original card used a 200 by 300 mm cardboard sheet—too large for my 3D printer. Of course, I could have split the model into parts, but I thought this would negatively affect the aesthetics of the final product. At first, I decided to base it on the dimensions of the first card that caught my eye—120 by 160 mm. The second notable change concerned the gift placement. The only thing that bothered me in the original card design was the envelope and the locking bar, which looked like a symbolic obstacle to accessing the envelope's contents. Instead, I wanted to create a container that could hold a note, money, and even a small souvenir. I lacked the visual experience to come up with a successful solution right away, so I went online. A model of a rotary latch from Thingiverse helped me choose the working principle for the locking mechanism. To avoid creating a maze from scratch, I used an online service with a dozen maze generation algorithms. Generated maze. The redder the cells, the harder they are to reach The puzzle was based on the result of the Kruskal algorithm with minor modifications. The outcome was a quite decent maze, and there was even room left for a second slide. To place a magnet inside, I decided to make holes in the edge of the card. I could have used wrapping paper, but when you have a 3D printer at your disposal, you want to use it to its full potential. So, I needed to frame the maze and create embossed patterns along the edges. Then it clicked in my head: I could cover the maze with a photograph and make a photo frame! I wouldn't have been able to model a beautiful frame on my own, but I soon found boothyboothy's work on cults3d. This frame doesn't look too ornate, is available in CAD format, and is distributed under an open license. I imported it into the project and adjusted the dimensions to fit the common 150 by 200 mm photo format. The first assembly of the photo frame didn't go entirely smoothly either. I expected the connections would need some filing, but even after that, the fit wasn't perfect. When designing the models, I should have left a gap of at least 0.2-0.3 mm at all contact points between parts. What I didn't expect was that the maze would be visible when held up to the light. Next, I needed to make a key piece for the puzzle—a cylinder with a ball-shaped top served this purpose. I glued a 5 mm magnet into the base of the cylinder, and to prevent the piece from getting lost, I made a storage compartment in the upper part of the frame. A couple more magnets were glued in there to securely hold the contents inside. Additionally, I added hanging points for wall mounting and a stand, like a real photo frame. I made the stand's pin from a straightened paper clip. The wire is inserted through a special channel from the box side. The result was a set of 14 parts ready for painting: the maze, maze cover, 5 frame fragments, a pair of slides, a box combined with the upper part of the frame, a stand tongue, a pair of key pieces (one spare), and a cover for the key storage compartment. Plus 10 identical magnets: 2 are glued into the key pieces, 4 into the key storage compartment, 2 into the compartment cover, and two more will freely travel through the maze. To open the frame, you need to take such a "free" magnet, place it in the hole at the bottom of the frame, and use the key piece to guide the magnet through the maze by feel, turning the slide at the end. Then you'll have to go through the maze again to reach the second slide. Rough estimates put the work on the puzzle at about 60 hours of tinkering with Fusion 360 in the evenings (I don't know much about 3D modeling), but in reality, it stretched out over almost half a year. In many ways, it was a first attempt with some flaws, but despite the mistakes, the project was a success. I finished it in time for Christmas and hid musical tickets inside. The maze photo frame delighted someone close to me, and that's the main thing. Bring joy to your loved ones, friends. [link] [comments] |
