Window - An Artisan Box (ARCHIVED)This project is no longer being supported - at a bulk cost of ~$180 for an MOQ of 100 units, it didn't seem feasible. The design was too expensive, and would need to be re-designed to be more affordable and accessible. If you liked this project, I highly recommend checking out the Archetype Chronos artisan box - it checks all the boxes that this one did, and even has a cleverly-designed stand that is both elegant and price-efficient!Thanks to Shannie for supporting my designs and always giving great feedback, and Dandruff for helping me and giving me functional advice on this design.
The DesignFor a while now, I have been wanting to make something after a feeling. It's weird and abstract, but it's the sense that I get when I see warm sunlight pouring through a window, with dust suspended in the sunbeams. To me, it gives a really strong feeling of warmth, nostalgia, old books, and comfort. While it's near impossible to actually get that feeling from a keyboard, I figure this would be the best time to whip that idea out - this artisan box will be called Window (because there is literally a window). I was bored one night and was looking at my case - a few thousand dollars worth of resin plastic, but I was storing them in a $15 3D-printed PLA box ... something didn't feel right about that. I decided I'd look into making something nicer to store my plastic in. I wanted to pitch this out there to see who may be interested in something like this.
Picture in my head (artist: arsenixc)More
While I may be making tweaks and adjustments to the design of the lid (i.e. side profile, curves, radii, etc.) I first wanted to gauge the interest and collect feedback. Would people be willing to fork over the money for an artisan case with these features? My concern is that I am the only one, or there are few people out there who have these caveats with lidded artisan cases. There are a few key questions that I'd like to ask, and have prepared in an IC form:
IC form for feature requests / preferences: https://forms.gle/nBK3Y7U3DrTNjaTc8Some niche, key design features that I wanted in this case were:
- A lid that slots over the bottom case - simple one-handed opening and closing, as well as being reminiscent of a seamless keyboard (also gives way to the next "feature")
- When opening the box, the walls of the bottom case are low and do not tower over the artisans - slots are on the shallower side @ 5.5 - 6.0mm.
- Replaceable viewing window without glue or friction - possible to have an add-on for a 'domed' viewing window that allows clearance for taller artisans, i.e. commissions, taller sculpts, etc.
The Idea & The IssueOne of the biggest pet peeves I have with my artisan case, apart from being 3D-printed and looking a bit less beautiful than I'd like, is that the walls are much higher than the artisans themselves. This is just a byproduct of a lidded case, as most lids are flat sheets that slot into the bottom case. I didn't like the feeling of putting my fingers so deep into the box to dig out an artisan.
I thought the solution would be simple, but it gave me a bit more of a headache than I'd have wanted. These were the key points that the design revolved around:1. I wanted low case walls when the lid was removed.
2. I did not want to use glue to secure the window into the lid - felt a bit too permanent and irreplaceable.
3. I did not want the internal walls to be overly distant from the artisans (the most annoying part here..).
To read about the issues I ran into (and an explanation as to why I needed to add an extra midpiece to the design), feel free to expand the following...More
First thought was to simply have the window screw into the lid from underneath, like top-mounting a keyboard plate. This solved some problems, but caused other problems...
+ I could have low case walls when the lid was removed
+ I didn't have to use glue to secure the acrylic window onto the lid
- There would have to be cutouts / clearance on the internal walls of the lid to accommodate the window's 'mounting points'
- Using 'mounting points' for the window means that the lid could flex when pressed between mounting points. We don't want flex here... if we add more mounting points to kill the flex, we'd have to have more cutouts on the internal walls.
- If we just space the internal walls far enough from the edge of the lid to give a uniform wall (no cutouts), then the internal walls would be distanced from the artisans.
Second thought was to sandwich the acrylic window between the bottom case and the lid, similar to a sandwich-gasket keyboard build. Again, it solved some problems but caused other problems...
+ No glue required to secure the window into the lid.
+ Internal walls aren't distant and 'sucked away' from the artisans, i.e. large overhang from the lid.
- High case walls are required to sandwich the window against the lid.
I really did not want to involve a third piece (to cut costs), but after brainstorming I think it's the best solution for what I'm looking for. There is a midpiece that screws into the lid, sandwiching the window in between. This ticks all the boxes:
+ Low case walls
+ No glue required, lids are easily replaceable if damaged.
+ Internal walls are replaced with the midpiece, which should be indistinguishable from the lid. While assembled, I shouldn't be able to tell there's a midpiece at all.
+ Having a midpiece sandwich the lid around the entire perimeter kills all flex.
Explanation for the midpiece design:
To Be Confirmed / TBD:- Finalize external lid design to be more fitting to the theme I'm aiming for.
- Due to the screw placement securing the midpiece to the lid, there may be a possibility that magnets placed on the four corners of the bottom case can give the lid magnetic securing! Fingers crossed this works, but that's what the prototype is for... to find out.
- Pricing depends on feedback I receive - number of slots can possibly change over the course of this IC, but I really want to hit a price point in the mid-100s or lower.
- Consider sources for UV-filtering acrylic
IC form: https://forms.gle/nBK3Y7U3DrTNjaTc8
(your feedback / requests will greatly influence the outcome of this project!)
Discord: https://discord.gg/XPEFcn8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjw_kb/
A functional prototype has been ordered to test the sandwiched lid design as well as potential magnetic fastening. Please feel free to fill out the IC form if you are interested in such a design. 
