Seb's Awesome Website

The Problem

In March 2025, fresh off the CRC Robotics Competition, and with lots of free time, I found myself playing some Pokémon TCG with my friends.

Playing Pokemon with my bro

The issue? I only had two deckboxes, and they were falling apart. Commercial deckboxes are usually kida flimsy or made of overpriced leather and bulky. I needed something sturdy, unique, and engineered to protect my cards.

Some of my Pokemon cards

The Design Process

1. Constraints & Measurements

The process started in Fusion 360. I used a standard ruler to measure the exact dimensions of a standard sleeved deck (63mm x 88mm). I the box a tolerance of +0.5mm to keep the cards safe without damaging them. I also added a cutout on the front face that allows the player to see the top card without opening the box.

2. Iteration V1

My first print didn't quite work as expected...

Issue 1: The box was too wide, causing cards to rattle.
Issue 2: The wall thickness was too large, wasting filament and print time.

The first iteration of the deckbox (it's the white box on the table).

3. Iteration V2

For the second iteration, I reduced wall thickness, and made the box slightly more narrow.

I also added a Rotary Locking Ring. Instead of a friction fit (which wears out), I designed a turning ring system. The ring rotates to lock the lid in place, kind of like a real Pokéball. 😏

Final Result

I printed the final assembly on a Prusa using multi-colored PLA (Red top, Black ring, White base). The locking mechanism snapped perfectly into place, and the tolerances were dialed in.

The deckbox in all it's glory... I have my Crobat deck inside :)

It’s not just a box... it’s a functional build that protects the deck while looking sick on the table. 🔥