Assembly Guide

THREE-CHAMBER
MOUSE APPARATUS

D.H. Mediane · 2024 · Anastasiades Lab · Cahill Lab

Assembled three-chamber apparatus — conceptual overview

Key Features

IR-transparent (black) acrylic panels
Slot-fit — no glue or screws on main box
Three chambers with arched mouse passages
Two removable cage-cup assemblies
3D-printed corner retaining clips

Key Dimensions

Base: 640 × 440 × 20 mm
Wall height: 230 mm
Cup cage: Ø 102 mm
Passage opening: 100 mm wide
Corner clip: 28 × 28 × 20 mm

× 1 ASSEMBLER

All components overview — verify against this drawing before starting

A

Base Panel

× 1

640 × 440 × 20 mm

B

Front / Back Wall

× 2

620 × 230 × 10 mm

C

Side Wall Panel

× 2

400 × 230 × 10 mm

D

Partition Wall

× 2

410 × 230 × 5 mm

E

Cup Bottom Disc

× 2

Ø 102 × 5 mm

F

Lower Perf. Plate

× 2

Ø 102 × 5 mm

G

Upper Plain Ring

× 2

Ø 102 / 85 × 5 mm

H

Upper Perf. Ring

× 2

Ø 102 / 90 × 5 mm

I

Rotating Lid Disc

× 2

Ø 102 × 3 mm

J

Metal Rods

× ~24 total

≈ 150 mm · steel

K

Lid Screw

× 2

1 per cup · edge pivot

L

Corner Retaining Clip

× 4

28×28×20 mm · 3D-print

Before you start

All acrylic panels are IR-transparent black tinted. Handle carefully — avoid scratching.
Glue is used only in the cup sub-assembly (E–J). Never glue box panels.
The only screws are the two lid pivot screws (K), one per cup.
Corner clips (L) are 3D-printed. Print file: Corner_lid.obj (included in repo).

A Base Panel

640 × 440 × 20 mm · 2× cup recesses Ø102 · 2× partition slots

B Front / Back Wall

620 × 230 × 10 mm · × 2 identical

C Side Wall Panel

400 × 230 × 10 mm · × 2 identical

D Partition Wall

410 × 230 × 5 mm · passage 100 mm · R80 arch · × 2 identical

EFGHIJK Cup Components

E (bottom disc) · F (lower perf. plate) · H (upper perf. ring) · G (plain ring) · I (lid) · Ø 102 outer

L Corner Retaining Clip

28 × 28 × 20 mm · wall slot 10 mm · height 15 mm · 3D-print: Corner_lid.obj

Cup components — E (bottom) · F (lower perf. plate) · H (upper perf. ring) · G (plain ring) · I (lid disc)

1

E Place Cup Bottom Disc flat on the work surface.

Ø 102 mm · 5 mm thick · full solid disc. This becomes the base of the cage.

2

F Place Lower Perforated Rod Plate on E. Insert rods (J).

Place F (Ø 102 mm, rod holes around perimeter) on top of E. Insert metal rods (J) through the perforations — rods stand vertically upward. Space rods evenly (~10 mm apart, ~12 rods per cup).

▲

Glue F onto E. The rods stand upright from this base assembly.

Rod length ≈ 150 mm · steel · ~12 per cup

3

G + H Create the top frame — glue H onto G.

Take the Upper Perforated Rod Ring (H, Ø 90 inner opening) and the Upper Plain Ring (G, Ø 85 inner opening). Stack H on top of G, aligning the rod holes on H with the circumference.

▲

Glue H onto G to form one combined top frame (G+H).

Result: a single combined ring frame, rod-holes in H ready to receive the standing rods.

→ Continued on next page: Steps 4 & 5

Allow each glued joint to set before adding the next component.
Build both cup assemblies before moving to the box assembly section.

4

G+H Lower top frame onto standing rods. Glue rods into H.

Take the combined G+H top frame and lower it onto the upright rods (J). The rods pass through the perforations in H.

▲

Glue rods into H perforations — this locks the cage into a rigid unit.

Result: a complete cylindrical barred cage — E+F at bottom, J rods, G+H top frame.

5

I Place Rotating Lid Disc on top. Fix with screw (K) near the EDGE.

Place the Lid Disc I (Ø 102 mm, 3 mm thick) on top of the finished cage.

⚠ Screw (K) goes near the EDGE of the lid — NOT the centre. This is the pivot point.

The lid disc rotates around this single edge screw to open/close. It does not slide.

Cup components reference

E · F · H · G · I — left to right (Ø 102 outer for all)

Lid rotation detail

Lid pivot

Screw K at edge acts as the pivot. Lid disc I rotates around it.

Screw at edge — NOT at centre.

Result × 2

Two identical cup assemblies. Set aside — they drop into the base recesses in Step 6 of box assembly.

1

A Place Base Panel on a flat surface.

Orient with the cup recesses (Ø 102 circles) near the back edge. Partition slots run the full depth of the base. Front = side furthest from cup recesses.

Base A · 640 × 440 × 20 mm · cup recesses Ø102 near back · partition slots visible as dashed lines · FRONT = away from cups

2

D Lower both Partition Walls into the two internal slots.

Slide each partition wall vertically into its slot. The arched mouse passage faces inward and is centred on the wall. Both walls are identical — no left/right hand.

Partition wall D · 410 × 230 × 5 mm · passage 100 mm wide · R80 arch · × 2

Insert sequence

↓ Lower vertically into slot

↓ Arch faces inward toward centre chamber

↓ Repeat for second partition

Chamber widths

Left & Right: 197.5 mm each

Centre: 195 mm

3

B Insert Front and Back Wall Panels into the perimeter slot.

Lower both B panels vertically into the perimeter channel. Push down until fully seated. Front wall = side furthest from cup recesses. Back wall = side nearest cup recesses.

Front / Back wall B · 620 × 230 × 10 mm · × 2 identical panels

4

C Insert both Side Wall Panels into the perimeter slot.

Lower both C panels (400 × 230 × 10 mm) vertically into the left and right sides of the perimeter slot. Push fully down until seated. Box frame is now complete.

Side wall C · 400 × 230 × 10 mm · × 2 identical panels

5

L Press Corner Retaining Clips onto all 4 outer corners.

Press each 3D-printed L-bracket clip firmly over an outer corner of the assembled box. Clips hold the wall panels in position and prevent them from lifting. × 4 total — one per corner.

Corner Retaining Clip L · 28 × 28 × 20 mm · wall slot 10 mm · height 15 mm · 3D-print file: Corner_lid.obj

6

E–I Lower cup assemblies into the two base recesses.

Lower each finished cup assembly vertically into the Ø 102 mm recess in the base. Cups rest by gravity — no locking tabs. Positioned in left and right chambers, near the back wall.

Dismounted reference view — all panels separated · cup assemblies shown before insertion

Completed assembly · IR acrylic panels · cup assemblies seated in left and right chambers near back wall

Disassembly Sequence

1

Rotate Lid Disc (I) open

Twist around edge screw (K) — do not slide.

2

Lift out Cup Assemblies (E–I)

Lift straight up from base recesses. Cups are permanent glued units — do not disassemble them.

3

Remove Corner Clips (L)

Pull off all 4 outer corners.

4

Lift out Side Walls (C)

Straight up from perimeter slot.

5

Lift out Front / Back Walls (B)

Straight up from perimeter slot.

6

Lift out Partition Walls (D)

Straight up from the two internal slots in the base.

Cleaning & Care

Wipe all acrylic surfaces with a damp cloth. No solvents or alcohol directly on acrylic.
Cup assemblies (E–I) are permanently glued — clean externally only, do not disassemble.
Inspect corner clips (L) for cracks — reprint from Corner_lid.obj if needed.
Ensure all parts are fully dry before reassembly.

Re-assembly: Follow box assembly steps 1–6 in forward order (pages 06–07). Cup assemblies are permanent — do not glue any box panels.