Iris Box - Twist-Open Aperture Container with Hidden Compartment

Turn the lid and three leaves sweep open like a camera aperture. The mechanism is entirely 3D printed — no bearings, no fasteners — running on printed pivots and a threaded lid. It also hides a compartment you would not spot unless you knew to look for it.

You will need superglue for final assembly. Magnets are optional, see below.

What you print — 14 parts

• Container ×1 — 127 × 127 × 130.5 mm

• Container - Bottom ×1 — 127 × 127 × 8.0 mm

• Lid - Base ×1 — 127 × 127 × 19.8 mm

• Lid - Top ×1 — 127 × 127 × 10.8 mm

• Lid Bottom ×1 — 127 × 127 × 10.0 mm

• Leaf ×3 — 80.9 × 53.0 × 26.8 mm

• Leaf Holder ×3 — 14.0 × 14.0 × 2.3 mm

• Ring ×3 — 7.6 × 7.6 × 2.0 mm

The file names match the part names in the assembly instructions exactly, so you can follow the guide step by step without guessing which file is which.

The Container is the tall part: you need at least 130 × 130 mm of bed and 135 mm of Z clearance.

Optional magnets

Magnets (2mm tall x 3mm diameter) can be glued into the Leaves and into the Lid - Top in opposing polarity so they attract each other. The included instructions show where they go. This step is entirely optional and the box works without them.

If the fit is wrong

Every mating surface in the model is driven by a single clearance value of 0.2 mm.

• Parts seize or will not go together — increase by 0.05–0.1 mm

• Parts rattle or feel sloppy — decrease by 0.05 mm

• Fits on one machine but not another — this value is printer-specific, retune it once