"Just" In Case Key Chain

This was a fun project to work on and it went through a few different designs before I found one that pleased me. The first one that actually worked was posted to Facebook to show a prototype and was using toothpicks as the hinge. However, through use during the day, I noted that the hinge was not very functional long term and I wanted this to be sturdier and, to be honest, just a little bigger. So I went through another 2 designs before I came to this one. 

This is using hinges that were designed for another completely different project of mine and it worked great. It is a little time consuming to piece the hinge together, but go slow and pay attention to the directions and you should have no problem

There are 4 colors in these plans. Red and Green are the cut lines. (More on the reason for the different cut colors in the next step), Yellow is scoring, and Purple is engrave.

NOTE: This is very important. Settings for this, particularly the engrave, were on my machine using birch wood. If you are using a different wood and/or machine, I would do an engrave test prior to doing this project. You want a very deep engrave that leaves a thin wall of wood on the opposite side.

The settings listed here are for my machine (P2) and using birch wood. The cut lines are 2 different colors, Red and Green. The reason for this is that the green is for the hinge parts. I found it better to cut these last so that any pieces that fall through the honeycomb into the tray have less of a chance of being marred by lasers passing over. You will also note that there is twice the number of hinge pieces than you actually need. This is also a “Just in Case” a piece falls through and gets damaged by the laser passing back over it.

To set the order of the pieces you want to cut, go the bottom left of the screen and click the “sandwich” there called “Layer and object list” Be sure that Red is next to the last color shown and Green is the last. Then go to the bottom right of the screen, beside the “Process” button and click the three dots. A sub screen pops up and in the first box you want to select your processing path as “User Defining” and then be sure the button to the right of “By Layer” is turned on. It will be green when activated. This will cut each layer in order by color. 

Once cut, lay out your pieces. (I had already assembled the hinges so you will see those assembled in the picture) You should have the same pieces as shown in the attached photo. You will need two button magnets 10mm x 1mm in size. You can get these from Amazon for a very good price. I buy them in packs of 100. 

The hinge, as I stated earlier, is your most time consuming. There are 3 different parts to the hinge. 

The post

Round Hole Key x2

Square Hole Key x3

When assembling the hinge, you want the keys to face with the teeth in the same direction. however, the round hole hinge keys will point to the opposite side from the square hole keys.

For a better idea of what I mean, look at the first photo attached to this step.

Take a square hole key and lay it flat. Take the post and enter it in the hole. It should be snug but not too snug. If loose, no worries, we will fix that momentarily. Take a round hole key and, making sure it points in the opposite direction of the square hole key, slide it onto the post. Again, the teeth of the keys will face in the same direction. Next, place another square key on facing opposite the round, followed by another round back to the other direction and finishing with a square facing back the same as the other squares. 

Once you have the keys on, you may want to put a single drop of glue on the top of the post. Be sure it is a very tiny amount as you do not want it to seep down the bost and lock your entire hinge. You especially want to do this if the post is loose. I use Starbond thick adhesive and it dries fairly quickly. Once dry, flip the hinge over and put a single drop on the opposite end of the post. 

You want to assemble two of these.

This part concentrates on assembling the hinges and inner case with the magnets. 

First you want the two pieces that have slots and holes cut out as shown in the first picture. Lay then out with the hinges just as it shows. It is very important at this step to note that you want the hinges facing with the teeth down and the magnet slot (The round engraved hole) facing up. 

Start with the 3 hole side and lock the teeth into the holes and be sure the hinge locks flat to the wood. It may be tight but it will fit. Do the same for both sets of hinges. DO NOT PUT ON GLUE HERE - even if it feels loose. 

Then attach the two hole side, again locking the teeth into the holes and making sure the hinge lays flat against the wood.

Lay the entire pieced together hinge and inner case flat. You want the magnet holes facing up. 

VERY IMPORTANT STEP: Magnets need to face the correct way to prevent them from pushing apart. Take your two magnets and put them together so that they connect solid. Then separate them and lay each magnet into the hole with the part that magentized to the other facing down. If you do not do this then the case will not magnetize shut and instead pop open as they will be polarized AGAINST each other.

Once you have your magnets in, put a little glue around the edge of each magnet and let dry. Be sure the glue does not come above the edge of the hole. 

Next take the two pieces that have long cut outs (6 on one and 4 on another) These are made to slide on top of the inner case in such a way as to create a flat surface. Run a VERY thin line of glue around the edge of the inner case and then slide these pieces on and make sure the edges line up. You have a few seconds of work time with the glue before it sets. If you look at the last picture attached to this step, you will note that the hinge backs do not protrude above the top of this piece.

Done correctly, you should be able to open the case and lat it flat with the cut out inner case facing up. 

This step is just about the outside pieces. These are the parts with the words “Top Secret” and the stiching scored on. Pretty self explanatory and easy. 

Flip your case over so the backs of the hinges are facing up. Take each of the “Top Secret” pieces and line them up so that you have an idea of which side they go on. 

Working on one side at a time, put a bit of glue on the backside of the inner case. At this point, you can run some glue over the hinge backs if you want to help secure them in. (See Photo) Just be sure to keep the glue away from the post areas. Then lay your outside “Top Secret” piece atop the glue and line up the edges so that it is smooth. Do this on both sides. 

I use a pair of tweezers here as the letters are very small and will need to be manipulated into a tight space. 

Simply line your letters up to esure they are where you want them and then, one letter at a time, put a couple of drops of glue on the back of each and place them into the case where you want them. There should be a small gap at the top and bottom of each. 

Let dry completely.

Again, another simple step. Add your keychain of choice. I get the beaded chain and key rings from Amazon in bulk and they are pretty inexpensive.

Your “Just” in Case Keychain is now complete.

I sanded this AFTER assembly. I recommend sanding pieces prior to assembly. This way you can get the edges free of burn if you want. I do not recommend sanding the hinge pieces as they need to fit tight and sanding any part can result in a loose fit.

You can replace/remove the words and or stitching scores on the outside. Replace it with whatever you like.

If you want to not put the word “Just” in the case, you have that option as well. It was recommended to me that the middle piece, the part with the grooves cut out to fit over the hinges, should also have a hole cut out the same size as the inner case to create a sort of portable keychain case that can carry things like pills. That is completely up to you to do if desire. I did this as a play on the statement “Just in Case” and so did not pursue that line. 

But you could if you wanted to .

If you liked this project and want to check out my other projects (alot of them are free) then you can check them out here: https://www.atomm.com/profile/15190?utm_source=Social_Share I have plans for the F1, M1U, and P2 but most of them can be done on most machines.

Happy Crafting