Introduction: How to Make a Butter Stick Dispenser

If you love putting butter on your bread or toast then you know that butter in a stick is way better then butter in a tub. Butter in a tub has one advantage though; it is easy to spread. Well now butter in a stick can be just as easy to spread with this butter stick dispenser.

This butter stick dispencer is simple to use; just push the butter through the screw to get it in the dispenser. To get the butter to come out just simpily twist the bottom like deoderant or chap stick.

There is three parts of the dispencer. The first is the shell. This is the part that the butter goes into. The next is the platform, this is what the butter rides up and down on. The last part is the base. This is the portion that the you twist so that the butter moves up or down on the platform.

This instructible will diminstrate how to make the butter stick dispencer in Autodesk 123D Design. If you do not have this program then you can download it for free or use the web app at http://www.123dapp.com/design. These instructions are broken up into 5 section: Making the Butter, Making the Shell, Making the Butter Platform, Making the Base, and Adding the Finishing Touches. The dispenser and butter are to scale so this model is as realistic as posable. Keep in mind: during this instructable the units are in inches. To swich to inches click on the Units: mm in the bottom right corner. Anouther thing to keep in mind is that I used a different document for each step so that the only thing you see in the pictures is what is being made in that step. You do not have to use different documents, you can use the same one for the whole tortuial.

Step 1: Making the Butter

In this step I will be going through step by step on how I made the butter. I measured a stick of butter to get these dimensions so that the model is as realistic as possible. (Make sure to change the units to inches in the bottom right corner.)


1. Add a Cubefrom the primitives menu and give it the dimensions: Length 1.5, Width 1.5, Height 3.25.
2. Select all of the edges and add a Fillet of .075.
3. Give the butter the Material: Matte Plastic and the color number: #EAE895. Make sure to select: Apply Overlay.

Step 2: Making the Shell

In this step the shell will be made for the butter dispenser. To do this I the shell and then hollowed it be using the shell tool.


1. Add a Cube with the dimensions: Length 1.52, Width 1.52, Height 3.45.
2. Select the Top Face and add a Shell to the box.
3. The shell should have an Outside Direction and a Thickness of .075.
4. Adding an outside shell makes the box extend downward .075 of an inch. Making it flush with the grid is essential for the next step so it will need to be Move Up on the Z Axis by .075 of an inch.

Step 3: Making the Butter Platform

In this step the butter platform is made. I did this by making a shell with no bottom and by using the threads from a nut that was in the kits menu


1. To start the platform, add a Cube with the dimensions; Length 1.5 Width 1.5 height .15.
2. Select the Bottom Face of the box and add a Shell to it.
3. The shell should have an Inward Direction that is .05 of an inch.
4. In the Kits Menu add Nut–1 under Hardware-Bolts.
5. In the same place on the Kits Menu add Bolt–1.
6. Add the Default Material to the Nut and Bolt.
7. Rotate the Bolt 180° so that it is pointing upward.
8. Select both the Nut and the Bolt and Scale by .15 on the X and Y Axis and 1.05 on the Z Axis by selecting Non Uniform. (It is important to scale these objects at the same increments because if they are scaled differently than the threads will not match up)
9. Move both the Nut and the Bolt Up on the Z Axis so that it is Flush With the Grid. 
10. Add a Cube and then Duplicate It by pressing control+C and then control+V. (The duplicated cube will be in the same spot as the original cube so it will not like nothing happened. Make sure to leave the cube there)
11. Select one of the Cubes and press the Spacebar, this will Mirror it Over the Grid.
12. Move the Top Box Upwards .15 of an inch.
13. Now move Both Cubes Up by .1 of an inch.
14. Move the Nut Into the Cubes as Shown.
15. Subtract the Cubes from the Bolt. (Click on the combine button to do this; it is at the top on the main toolbar)  Make sure that the nut is the target source and both cubes are selected as source solids.
16. Add a Cylinder In the Middle of the Top Face of the Platform. The Cylinder needs to have a Radius of .075 of an inch. (You do not need to change the cylinders height)
17. Move the Cylinder Down so that it completely Intersects the Platform
18. Subtract the Cylinder from the Platform. Make sure that the platform is the target solid and the cylinder is the source solid.
19. Now Snap the Bottom Face of the Bolt to the Top Face of the Platform. (The snap tool is on the main toolbar)
20. Now Ungroup the Nut and Platform. (Ungroup is on the main toolbar under grouping)
21. Move the Nut Down .15 of an inch.
22. Combine both the Nut and the Platform.

Step 4: Making the Base

This is the step where I make the base. I do this by mirroring the shell, making it shorter, adding the bolt to it, and using a rack to make the groves for grip.


1. Select the Shell then Copy and Paste it. (When you do this it will paste a second shell in the same place as the original shell so it will look like nothing happened)
2. Select one of the Shells and Press the Spacebar.
3. Select the Bottom Face of the Bottom Shell.
4. Move this Face Upwards -3.10 inches.
5. Select the Shell and Move it Up .02 of an inch.
6. Now select both the Shell and the Base and Move them Up .425 of an inch.
7. Move the Base out from under the shell 3 Inches along the Y Axis.
8. From the Kits Menu add the Gear-60 Degree-60CA 10T Rack.
9. Select the Rack and Copy and Paste it.
10. Move one of the Racks Forward so you can see it.
11. Select the snap tool on the main tool bar and Snap the Faces of the RacksShown. (Select the bottom face last)
12. Combine both of the Racks together.
13. Copy and Paste Four of these Double Racks and Spread them ApartAlong the Y Axis so you can see all of them.
14. Select all of the Racks and Scale them by: X Axis = .5   Y Axis = .15   Z Axis = 3
15. Snap the Back Face of one of the Racks with one of the Sides of the Base. (Select the base side last)
16. Select the Base and the Rack and Ungroup them.
17. Rotate this Rack 180 Degrees so that the points are facing the base.
18. Move the Rack Toward the Middle of the Base by .06 of an inch.
19. Do the Last Four Steps for the Remaining Racks and Sides of the Base.
20. Subtract all of the Racks from the Base. (Make sure that you select the base as the target solid and the racks as the source solid)
21. Add a Cube that has a Height of .63 of an inch so that it is Completely Covering the Bolt.
22. Subtract the Box from the Screw. (Make sure that the bolt is the target solid and the box is the source solid)
23. Snap the Bottomof the Bolt to the Top of the Base.
24. Combine both the Bolt and the Base together.

Step 5: Adding the Finishing Touches

In this final step I finish the butter dispenser by adding a clasp to the bottom of the shell so that it can still spin but is attached to the base.


1. Add a Cylinder with a Radius of .075 of an inch to the Middle of the Inside Face of the Shell as shown.
2. Move the Cylinder Down .30 of an inch.
3. Subtract the Cylinder from the Shell. (Make sure that the shell is the target solid and the cylinder is the source solid)
4. Snap the Bottom Outer Face of the Platform and the Inside Face of the Shell.
5. Sketch a Circle that has a Diameter of .3 of an inch.
6. Sketch another Circle in the Center of the First with a Diameter of .35 of an inch.
7. Create a third Circle in the Same Place with a Diameter of .375.
8. Select the Second Circle and Extrude Upwards by .121 of an inch.
9. Select the Outermost Circle and Extrude Up by .025 of an inch.
10. Start a New Group of Circles to the Right of the First Group. The first new Circle should have a Diameter of .24.
11. The next Circle should have a Diameter of .29.
12. The third Circle has a Diameter of .376 of an inch.
13. The last Circle needs to have a Diameter of .426 of an inch.
14. Select both the Second and Last Circle and Extrude up by .57 of an inch.
15. Select the Third Circle and Extrude Up by .025 of an inch.
16. Group the all the Rings that were made From this Second Group of circles.
17. Move this Ring to the Right so that it is out of the way of the second group of circles.
18. Create a fifth Circle that has a Diameter of .351 of an inch.
19. Extrude a 1/2 inch ring from the Third Circle.
20. Move the very First Ring to the Left so that it is out of the way of the first group of circles.
21. Select the Bottom Outermost Edge of this Ring and Chamfer it by .025.
22. Select one of the Top Faces of the Second Ring and Snap it to the Bottom of the Base.
23. Ungroup this Ring from the Base.
24. Now Combine this second Ring to the Base.
25. Select the Top Face of the Tallest Ring and Snap ittothe Top of the Base.
26. Ungroup this Ring and the Base.
27. Move this Ring Down .075 of an inch.
28. Subtract this Ring from the Base.
29. Snap the Top Face of the first Ring with the Bottom Face of the Shell.
30. Ungroup and then Combine this Ring to the Shell.
31. Add a Cube with a Length of .15.
32. Add another Cube in the Same Place with a Width of .15.
33. Group these Cubes to form a 3D cross.
34. Snap the Bottom Face of the Cross and the Bottom of the Shell.
35. Ungroup the Cross and the Shell.
36. Subtract the Cross from the Shell.
37. Delete all the Circles.
38. Ungroup the Platform and the Shell.
39. Move the Base 3 inches to the Left.
40. Select all Side Corners on the Shell and Base and add a Fillet of .15 of an inch.
41. Select Everything and give it a Material of Your Choice. (Shown with Glossy Metal)
42. Put the Butter back by Snapping its Bottom Face to the Top of the Platform.
43. Ungroup the Butter and the Platform.
44. Move the Butter and the Platform Up by .2 of an inch.

Autodesk 123D Design Challenge

Runner Up in the
Autodesk 123D Design Challenge