Creating Rail Grid Compatible Objects
Crafting objects that align seamlessly with the rail grids of this storage box system is straightforward. This chapter serves as a concise guide, illustrating how to design a simple platform that fits perfectly onto the rail grids.
Despite the storage box profiles appearing intricate due to their optimization for swift and reliable printing, you don’t need to replicate all these details to create your own rail grid compatible objects.
I deliberately designed this platform using basic geometries and operations, ensuring compatibility with most free 3D CAD software. If you’re an advanced user, you might prefer to bypass this tutorial and directly consult the document detailing the profile geometries.
Download for Fusion360 Users
If you use Fusion360 as your preferred CAD software, you can download the project file which includes all the steps from this tutorial in the design history through the link below.
For those using different software, follow this guide.
Important Dimensions
Before diving into the construction process, familiarize yourself with the essential dimensions required to construct the object, as outlined in the table below.
| Dimension | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Raster Width (X) | 60 mm | The width of one unit in the X direction. |
| Raster Depth (Y) | 60 mm | The depth of one unit in the Y direction. |
| Side Spacing | 0.25mm | The space from the ideal raster line to the side of the box. |
| Cutting Wedge Base | 8.04mm | The base length of the triangle profile. |
| Corner Radius | 4.5mm | The radius of the corner fillets. |
| Target Width | 120mm | The desired width of the platform (equivalent to 2 units). |
| Target Depth | 120mm | The desired depth of the platform (equivalent to 2 units). |
| Target Height | 20mm | The desired height of the platform (equivalent to 1/2 unit). |
Step 1: Create a Box
Begin by crafting a straightforward box. The dimensions of this box should be multiples of 60mm, aligning with the raster size of the storage box system. In this instance, I designed a platform spanning two by two units, resulting in a box measuring 120x120mm, with a chosen height of 40mm.
It’s crucial to position one corner of the box at the origin point of your coordinate system. This ensures proper alignment for elements that will be cut out of the box later.
Your box should resemble the following:
Step 2: Add Spacing around the Box
Subsequently, subtract 0.25mm from all four sides, establishing the necessary 0.5mm spacing between the storage box components. Execute a push/pull operation from each side, causing the box’s corner to shift from the origin point and be inset by 0.25mm on both the X and Y axes.
This added spacing is pivotal for ensuring that your platform is compatible with standard storage boxes. The 0.5mm gap between the storage boxes is essential for ease of placement and removal from drawers.
Step 3: Add a Fillet to Round the Corners
Proceed to add a fillet with a 4.5mm radius to all four edges of the box. While the fillets are not strictly necessary, they enhance the printing process and harmonize the platform’s aesthetics with the storage boxes.
With the spacing and fillets applied, your box should appear as follows:
Step 4: Create Triangle Profiles for the Cutouts
Begin by crafting triangle profiles centered at the virtual raster lines. The first triangle’s center aligns with the origin point, with subsequent triangles centered at intervals of 60mm, aligning with the raster positions.
I sketched these profiles on a plane and then extruded them. To replicate this, create a triangle with a base width of 8.04mm and two 45º angles.
Alternatively, you can construct a long box with a side length of 5.68mm (calculated as 8.04mm * sin(45º)) and then rotate it by 45º.
Step 5: Extrude the Triangle Profiles
If you’ve created a sketch, proceed to extrude the triangle profiles. Ensure that the extrusion spans the full length of the design, which in this example is 120mm.
After completing the extrusion and temporarily hiding the box, your design should resemble the following:
Step 6: Duplicate, Rotate, and Combine the Profiles
To form a grid from the triangular profiles, you should duplicate them and rotate the copies by 90º around the origin point, ensuring that they intersect each other and create a precise grid. Next, combine all the profiles into a single grid object.
The outcome of these operations should resemble the following:
Step 7: Subtract the Grid from the Box
If you’ve aligned everything accurately, the grid you’ve crafted should align perfectly with the box you created earlier. When observed from below, the grid should overlap the box, as depicted in the following illustration:
Once you confirm that everything is aligned correctly, proceed to subtract the grid from the box. The resulting structure should look like this:
Step 8: Final Adjustments
The platform is shaping up nicely, but the sharp edges at the four corners of the box could use some refinement. To enhance both the printability and the aesthetics, apply a fillet with a radius calculated as “4.5mm / sin(45º)” (6.36mm).
Complete!
And there you have it! The platform is complete and seamlessly fits onto the existing rail grids, integrating well with your current storage box setup. Feel free to add more features to this object, transforming it into a personalized storage platform.