# Polestar Armrest Bucket My dad's Polestar 3 center console was too deep, so I designed and 3D-printed a bucket that fit in perfectly. ![An armrest bucket for a Polestar 3 in colored light](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/colored.jpg) > Modern problems require modern solutions. Shortly after my dad got his Polestar 3, an electric car slowly gaining popularity, he asked me to solve its biggest flaw. Okay, that wasn't its biggest flaw. Being a recent car, and one of the Polestar's first, it had many issues. The seatbelt alarm would always go off with the back row of seats down, the car had a bug where it would only open through the app (this was disastrous in areas with no cellular coverage), and the infotainment system often froze up. These problems were all solved with software updates. ## The Problem But there was one flaw that couldn't be solved with an OTA update. The center console storage area was extremely deep. Simply grabbing a dry-cleaning reciept or office building keycard required reaching one foot down. ![Deep hole in the Polestar 3's center console storage area](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/hole.jpg) After my dad showed me this issue, I suggested a removable "armrest bucket" that would fill up the empty space while still allowing other storage underneath. But how would I manufacture the bucket? I could mill it out of metal, or CNC it out of wood. However, I didn't have any of those tools and didn't have any experience with those methods. Then it jumped at me—I would 3D print the bucket. I have experience 3D and printing, and after getting a [new 3D printer](https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/a1), I realized I could find a 3D model online and print it out of PETG. I found a [model online](https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/gadget/polestar-3-armrest-organizer) that could work—but I could do better. The model would have costed $7.89 to buy, which wasn't too bad, but I knew I'd rather custom model it instead of buying a model online. I have experience 3D modeling, so I measured the hole and printed my first prototype. ## Version 1 ![The first version of a 3D-printed bucket](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/v1.jpg) The prototype had some issues—such as not fitting—but I knew that would happen. That's why I only printed the top inch of the bucket. I could have printed the whole bucket, but printing only the important part saved material and time. **Iteration** is defined by [Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/iteration) as *"a procedure in which repetition of a sequence of operations yields results successively closer to a desired result."* [Asana](https://asana.com/resources/iterative-process) notes the key parts of the **iterative process** as *"trial-and-error methodology, continuous improvement, and flexibility."* I looked at the flaws of Version 1, such as sharp corners that would prevent it from fitting and no easy way to remove it. Iteration then called for the solving of these problems. I modified my 3D model by rounding the edges and adding a lip that would allow for easy removal. With these changes, Version 2 was born. ## Version 2 Once the 3D printed had finished, I eagerly rushed to the car and inserted the bucket. Version 2 was a big improvement—it actually fit this time! It wasn't perfect, however. The bucket was just a millimeter to narrow, causing it to slide a bit forward and back. More importantly, the lip that kept it from falling down had corners that weren't round enough. The "sharp" corners kept the bucket from sitting flush. Again, following the iterative process, I focused on fixing these issues. I made the bucket a bit wider and rounded the corners, ready to test Version 3. ## Version 3 ![The third version of a 3D-printed bucket](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/v3.jpg) Just like my first and second versions, I only printed the top inch of the bucket. I knew that even Version 3 wouldn't be my last. I couldn't wait for my dad to come back from work to test my (hopefully) last prototype. As soon as he arrived home, I grabbed the keys from his pocket and ran to the car. I quickly opened the center console and put in the bucket, and—**disaster**! Instead of rounding the corners from Version 2, I accidentally made them sharper! I was so close to finishing—so I had an idea. The sharp corners made it even more impossible to insert the bucket—so I couldn't see if the rest of the bucket was good. Instead of making yet another prototype, I decided to perform quick-and-dirty **post-processing**—literally cutting corners. I used a pair of flush-cutters to trim the corners so the bucket would fit. It didn't look pretty, but **it worked**! The bucket fit perfectly—prototyping was done. ## The Final Armrest Bucket ![The final Polestar 3 Armrest Bucket](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/final.jpg) This time, I didn't print just the top half of the bucket with scrap PLA. I printed the whole thing out of [PETG HF](https://us.store.bambulab.com/products/petg-hf). Everything fit perfectly—from the notch for the latch to the inner lip for easy removal. The black color fit the interior perfectly, and it was just what my dad needed. Then, I realized that my dad wouldn't be the only one facing this issue. I've previously uploaded models to [MakerWorld](https://makerworld.com/en/models/1228829-customizable-polestar-3-armrest-bucket#profileId-1247182), a wide community of people sharing their 3D models online for free. I added a short description to the model and uploaded the `.3mf` file. People went nuts! I didn't expect that many 3D-printing enthusiasts to have this same issue, but I'm glad I was wrong. Just 16 months later, I had **73** downloads, **41** verified prints, and even a couple of remixes! I recently added parametric support, allowing people to change the depth of the bucket to their liking. Even though I attached the raw `.f3d` model file, not everyone has Fusion 360 or knows how to 3D model, so the customization added further value to my model. ![The final Polestar 3 Armrest Bucket](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/notch.jpg) ![The bucket from a top view](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/top.jpg) ![The bucket in use with a few things inside](https://maxparisi.me/assets/projects/armrest-bucket/in-use.jpg) ## What I learned Beyond learning how to model buckets, I taught myself the **iterative process** and the enjoyment of solving problems with fun solutions. I hope you find this project as fun as I did.