6 egg carton with lid

This model was made entirely by GPT6 Astra - i wanted a simple egg carton to put the eggs of our backyard chickens in. It is made to fit large and extra large eggs. Below is what Astra spat out as the readme

Six-egg closing carton — Prusa MK4

This is the carton-style design: six deep pockets, a hinged protective lid, and a flexible front snap latch.

Which file to use

carton_MK4_one_print.3mf — preferred for PrusaSlicer. Contains four named objects already arranged on one bed: base, lid, and two hinge pins. This file contains models and placement, not printer or filament settings.

carton_MK4_one_print.stl — the same four parts and arrangement in the requested STL format. The disconnected parts are intentional.

carton_base.stl, carton_lid.stl, hinge_pin_print_two.stl — individual parts for separate printing or replacements. Print TWO pins if using the individual pin file.

hinge_fit_test.stl — an optional small test using the actual hinge geometry and one pin, approximately 8 g of PLA. It tests hinge and pin fit; it does not test the front latch or egg fit.

Size and capacity

Closed envelope, including hinge and latch: approximately 166 x 124.6 x 80 mm.

One-job layout: 238.4 x 179.5 x 48 mm. This fits the MK4's 250 x 210 mm bed. Keep the supplied arrangement; print all objects together layer by layer, with sequential/complete-individual-object printing OFF.

There are six rounded-square pockets in a 3-by-2 layout, at 54 mm centre spacing. Each opens to 52 x 52 mm at the rim and has a 1.6 mm floor. The shell walls are approximately 1.6 mm thick, with a thinner flexible latch tongue.

Designed for large and extra-large chicken eggs, pointed end down. Six symmetric egg-shaped models measuring 50 mm wide and 72 mm tall were checked inside the closed carton without touching either half. Real eggs vary in shape, and size labels refer to weight, so test your actual eggs before printing a batch. The pockets are separated; the carton has small openings between the outside surfaces of the pockets and is not sealed.

Starting settings

Choose your Original Prusa MK4 profile and actual nozzle size. The design is intended for a 0.4 mm nozzle.

Keep the models at 100%, in millimetres, and in the supplied orientation. Both halves print cavity-up; the lid's outer roof lies on the bed. The pins print flat.

Supports OFF; raft OFF. Print all parts together layer by layer.

Start with 0.20 or 0.25 mm layers, 3 perimeters, 4 top and 4 bottom layers, and 10% infill. Most of these thin shells will be solid from the walls and surface layers.

PETG is the intended material for the flexible latch. Use your established PETG filament profile, temperatures and cooling. PLA is suitable for a first fit prototype, but repeated latch flexing has not been physically tested in either material.

If you use a skirt, use one loop at about 2 mm distance. An optional 2 mm brim can help adhesion. Check that any added skirt or brim remains inside the bed boundary.

Inspect the sliced layers before printing, especially the diamond-shaped hinge holes, pin tips and front latch.

The entire set has approximately 115.8 cm3 of model volume: about 144 g at a PLA density of 1.24 g/cm3, or around 147 g at a PETG density of 1.27 g/cm3. Brim and purge material are extra. Use PrusaSlicer's estimate for your actual material use and time. This design has not been physically printed or timed.

Assembly

Remove the four parts from the bed. Clear any strings from the hinge holes and the small slots in the pin tips and latch.

Lay the base and lid open, as in the printing layout. At each hinge, the lid's single central knuckle goes between the base's two outer knuckles.

Insert one pin through all three aligned knuckles. Push the narrow split end in first until the head rests against the outer knuckle and the retaining tip emerges from the opposite end. Repeat for the second hinge. The pins should be snug but should not need hammering; test the small hinge sample first if fit is uncertain.

Swing the lid closed. The front tongue is designed to flex over the small ramp on the base and snap into place. To open it, gently pull the bottom of the tongue outward while lifting the lid.

Test closure, pin retention and your largest eggs before carrying a loaded carton. The geometry is checked; printed hinge retention, latch force, strength and repeated-use life still need a physical test.

Geometry checks

Each individual part is one connected, watertight solid with consistent outward normals and two faces per mesh edge. The complete layout contains four solids. Both the STL and 3MF were reloaded and checked.

All downward-facing surfaces above the bed are at most 45 degrees from vertical in the supplied orientation, including the diamond hinge holes and pin retaining tips. This follows the usual design guideline for printing without supports; actual performance depends on the printer and filament settings.

The lid body clears the base through a sampled 0–180 degree opening sweep. The intended front latch contact occurs in the first few degrees of opening and requires the tongue to flex or be pulled outward. Installed pins clear the hinge holes. Six 50 x 72 mm ellipsoid proxies fit inside the closed assembly. These are geometry checks, not physical or load tests.