Introduction
So what do you do with a spare Nanuk 905 IP-67 case? You design and print a 3D insert for said case to store… wait for it … batteries. I can hear you all now… that’s completely ridiculous! Well of course it is, but thats not really the point. The point is, because I can.
I ended up with this “spare” case when planning out another project. I loved the case but it didn’t quite fit all the other requirements for the other project (more on that one in the future). The smart thing to do would be to return the case, but I never been accused of being smart.
The great thing about the design is remove the ten M3 bolts, remove the insert and you can repurpose the case. The only modification I made to the case was installing heated inserts into panel mount holes. This allows me to change out inserts without eventually stripping out the mounting holes.
Battery Capacity
So what does it hold?
- 6 – D Cells
- 8 – C cells
- 11 – AA or 14500 cells
- 12 – AAA cells
- 27 – 18650 cells
The Build
The print is 256 mm x 205 mm and 50 mm (W x H x D). I printed the insert in ABS and the print time was just over 26 hrs. It took over 560 grams of filament. The batteries regardless of type extend 20 mm past the top of the insert, to make them easy to grab. I would recommend a nonconductive foam insert for the lid to keep the batteries from falling out. Nanuk kindly provides downloads for each of there products and the inserts, however I did redraw it based on their dimensions. Scroll down to the bottom of the Nanuks web site for the 905 and look for the Downloads section.
If your interested in downloading the FreeCad version of the battery insert for personal use, click here.
Weight
The case and the insert (no batteries) weigh in around 4.2 lbs (2kg). Add in the batteries and the weight jumps to 10.2 lbs (4.6 kg). That weight will vary slightly based on the battery chemistry.
Practicality
The short answer is… zero. The case is around $ 80.00 CDN, the printed insert would cost close to $ 30.00 CDN for the filament, to run the printer, mounting hardware required, egg crate foam. So we are looking at minimum of a $120.00 battery case.
This makes no practical sense at all. But it still looks cool.
I think thats it for today. Cheers!