Mini Wheelie Bin Desk Tidy

You can make this miniature wheelie bin with working flip lid and moving wheels just by 3D printing and using some of the spare nuts and bolts from your Prusa upgrade kit. It makes a great accessory next to your 3D printer or desk, perfect for collecting those untidy blobs of PLA or PETG plastic that often come off prints!

It's also a great way to test your MK3.5 or MK4 as it will print twice as quick on those printers!

Specifications:

• No Supports required
• No Brim required
• 0.4 Nozzle
• 0.2 Layer Height
• PLA or PETG

Printed Parts List

Use one of the pre-sliced .gcodes (make sure you choose the MK3.5 version if you have one). Alternatively, you need to print the following: 

• Lid
• Hinge back support 
• Bin Body
• Spool badge
• 2 Wheels
• 2 Wheel washers

Note that there are some long bridges which PrusaSlicer will warn you about, but have faith — they print great!

Additional Parts List

• 2x M3x18
• 2x M3 Square Nuts (M3nS)
• 2x M3x10 (can be larger)

Nice to have but not essential List

• Super Glue
• A slightly smaller Allen key

Instructions

It's simple. Get the bin body, screw the wheels on, attach the lid, snap on the spool badge and you're done! More detailed instructions are below:

Wheels 

Rotate the wheelie bin so you can see the seam at the back. Below this, near the wheels you should see 2 slots.

Insert the M3 square nuts into each of these slots, gently pushing with the back of a tiny Allen key. Be careful not to push too far as there isn't an easy way to pull them back!

Look through a hole at the side of the wheelie bin and ensure that the centre of the nut aligns with the centre of the hole. It might be easier to partially insert the nut and then wiggle an Allen key from the hole to align it.

The wheels have an outer side (with the spokes and a recess for the bolt head) and an inner side. Take one of the M3x18 bolts, insert it into a wheel, and then through a washer. 

Insert the bolt thread into a wheelie bin hole on the side, at the base. Repeat for the other side. 

Tighten the bolt carefully so that it doesn't move but that the wheel can still spin freely.

Lid

Get the hinge back support and align on the back top of the wheelie bin body using the two hex cut-outs. Press firmly until you hear a click and it locks into place. If it isn't a firm fit, you may need a tiny blob of superglue but that is a last resort! It has been designed to get a satisfying snap when fitted correctly.

Next, get an M3x10 bolt, this can be larger if needed but an M3x10 bolt is the ideal size. Careful insert it into a hole on one of the back arms of the lid so it points inward. Rotate the bolt back and forth to "wear it in" as the bin lid arm holes should allow for free rotation. Next remove the bolt slightly, then align the hinge back-support hole at the top with an arm hole. Press the bolt through and tightly enough to ensure the lid will still move back and forth. Do the same for the other side.

Spool Badge

Finally we'll assemble the spool badge. You might want to print with two colours so the filament has a colour and it is possible to do this with a one colour printer! Once you have your printed part, just snap fit it onto the raised circle on the front of the wheelie bin. You may need to use some superglue but in most cases it will stay fixed on.

Congratulations

You've now assembled your wheelie bin. Place it on a table, tip it back slightly and push it along your desk to your 3D printer! It's time to make some mess to fill it up with!

If you like my design or found it fun to build, please like and share with a friend. I have spent hours designing and testing it, and your support will motivate me to design more :-)

Variations

Print another one to store spent batteries in or perhaps to store a different colour of plastic. Alternatively, print a complete set in a different colour and mix and match the parts!