Inspired by The Bambu Ball, I made a reusable car air freshener based on it's design. It can be customized with your favorite scent or swapped out with a new scent at any time. Use it as an air freshener or just decoration, or as a secret tiny stash if you're feeling frisky!

Designed to hold a wide variety of aroma pads, including any standard sized Cotton Rounds which can be found just about anywhere in the makeup section. I use “premium” woven cotton rounds with essential oils, super cheap, work great and they're easily obtainable.

For even better results, try using specialty build plates! I printed mine using a PEO plate which gives it that fractal looking reflective pattern you see in my photos. Although it will still look good on the standard textured plates, so don't worry, it's not necessary!

Cautionary note: Since this will be left in your car, with summer heat. PLA could potentially warp over time due to the heat. Use your own discretion when choosing which filament to use. But hey, even if you use PLA and it does warp, it's a fast and easy print for a new one!

Outer Dimensions:

Approx. 76mm (~3") in diameter

Internal Dimensions:
60mm (2.36") diameter

4mm (0.16") thick

~Instructions~

There are 2 print profile options. One with and one without ironing. Both have upsides and downsides, pick your poison.

1: The standard (faster) profile, no ironing. This will of course print faster but need some manual cleanup on the inner flat surfaces. This can be done using either a razor or some sandpaper. The goal is to make the inside surface feel smooth to the touch by knocking down any tiny spikes left behind from where the nozzle lifts. If there are any spikes, the pad inserts will get caught on them like hooks which is why this is an important step.

2: The Alternate (about 10 minutes slower) profile which has ironing enabled. This will greatly reduce or even eliminate the need to clean up the inner surface before assembling. Keep in mind my ironing settings prioritize speed and are not meant to look pretty. It won't be a perfect looking finish, but it will be smooth, and since it's the inside, it's never seen anyways.

Assembly is pretty straightforward, just be sure you put the hinge in place first before pressing the 2 halves together. Once it is assembled, it will be difficult to take apart without breaking one of the connections. So don't forget to smooth out the inner surface first.

When closing the latch, press down on the upper section. If you try to close it directly from the side, it will not click into place.

For the inserts, there's no right or wrong way to do it. You can use cotton rounds like I do, or pads specifically marketed as aroma pads. Essential oils work great for the scent, I use 8-10 drops and it's perfect for me, but you could use more or less. Mine has been in my car for a week now, and it still smells great.

Licenses:

Selling physical prints of my files with attribution is OK

Re-uploading or selling my digital files is not