Bend a paperclip and place it onto the belt to add some tension to the belt, that also provides spring

This is Thing-a-Month #12, previous things can be found here
iheartrobotics.com/search/label/thing-a-week
or here
iheartrobotics.com/search/label/thing-a-month

This month's thing is a tripod adapter that is compatible with the Kinect and most tripods.

The TriK Tripod Adapter is available for sale with all of the necessary fasteners from the online store.
store.iheartengineering.com/TriK-tripod-adapter-XBOX-360/dp/B004ET5VLG

Print and enjoy.

Some people get away without using springs on wade's geared extruder (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1794), but I felt that this was too sensitive to being over/under tightened. I wasn't able to find appropriately sized springs at the local hardware store either.

I did cut some longer springs down to size, but I also made these. At least in the short term, they seem to work about as well as actual springs. The biggest difference is that they don't have as much travel. In my opinion, that actually helps with loading new filament since you aren't fighting as hard to push the bearing back. I just made them today, so I do not know how well they will hold up over time though.

EDIT:
I have attempted a dozen or so prints using these springs. Most had to be aborted due to filament jams or bad settings, but I do not think this was related to the springs. They did develop flat spots on the side that presses against the idler block, but turning the screws one full revolution seemed to fix the resulting loss of pressure. I have yet to see if they will take the heat of a 3+ hour print though.

This is a mounting plate to attach a mk5 hot end to any mendel extruder design.

note: the first one is the initial design and I found that the mk5 mounting holes were a little bit close together, and the corey extruder wouldnt mount to the standard mendel mounting holes, the middle one is just the first one reoriented by repg and the last one has a added hole for the corey struder and the mk5 holes moved out a bit. I havent bothered to print the last one yet since the first one actualy worked fine by just drilling out the holes a little bit.

I have changed the design to put the bearings in the spool itself. This way you can be more flexible in what you use to support the axle.

Its finally here, heatbed is tested and ready to make your prints flat as pancake. It is a long story of testing and developing to make it really working and long lasting, you can check some background info in previous version here thingiverse.com/thing:2172 .

Active heated area is 20x20cm big and overall size is 214x214mm, its compatible with Mendel and all kinds of other RepStraps, just check if you can fit it on your bed. Its double-sided, so its more rigid and will not damage the heating element if you set wrong Z offset (thanks Joaz for this idea).

Its powered by 12V, prototype draws 9.9A when cold which goes down to 7.5A when hot. With isolation on the bottom of this heater, it reaches 100°C in about ~4,5 minutes, measured on the side of the heat field. These ratings may be slightly different on each PCB. It can be easily converted to use 24V or 48V.

I know guys from RepRapsSource and convinced them to fabricate these beds, so you can buy professionally fabricated version at reprapsource.com/en/show/6403 and trust me, I have had troubles etching first prototype which was only 1/4th of size so its worth to buy it, its made in Germany..

If you want to etch it by yourself, you need 35um copper layer and be sure to have all traces perfectly same, if some place is thinner it will generate more heat and burn the board. Also, you have to cover it before heating otherwise copper will corrode really quick.

This is based on Vik's vertex however it has been completely rewritten in OpenSCAD. It no longer needs a DXF file. There are options for the stock vertex, footed vertex, or experimental arrangments like thingiverse.com/thing:4050.

This is a retractable Z-Probe.
With a Z-Probe your Makerbot is able to "auto home" not only X & Y but also the Z axis. This is done by mounting the endstop on your Makerbot in a way it senses the build platform directly (and nearby the real nozzle).
In order to get out of the way during printing, the sense-pin is retractable.

Although this is a working thing, especially the software changes are still beta. Both, firmware and ReplicatorG/host software, need to be updated. The extended versions are available as source code on GitHub.

For more information (and a sample video), see
pleasantsoftware.com/developer/3d/2010/09/14/finding-home/

A set of snap-on covers for the MakerBot's stepper motor printed circuit boards and its motherboard.
I have included the SolidWorks part files and the STL files.

Got a purty new Mk5 and relay board but don't know where/how to attach the relay board? This design makes use of two existing holes under the motherboard. I used T10x16mm screws since I had them lying around. Use wood screws, sheet metal screws, whatever. Put two screws through the holes from the inside of the Makerbot to mount the Standoff. Use four screws (or only two if you are feeling lucky) to attach the relay board to the Standoff.

This part has been replaced by version 2.0: thingiverse.com/thing:3843

This is a parametric one-piece y-bar clamp. It replaces two y-bar clamp pieces from Mendel or Mini Mendel, and requires no screws! This is part of a larger project to overhaul the entire Mendel / Mini Mendel Huxley design to make the printable parts print faster and the non-printable parts easier to obtain.

Some weeks ago i found chris schaie's [1] iris on hackaday [2] and i was so amazed that i took a screenshot from the video and made my own iris based upon his design.
From there it was a long road but eventually my own design worked out and i managed to create a mechanical iris that can be opened with a stepper motor.
Now we have a welcoming system at the metalab [3]

[1] schaie.com
[2] hackaday.com
[3] metalab.at

I hit the store to buy a ceiling mount for my Optoma HD66, but the store was out of stock. So I designed up this one, and printed it out. It's designed specifically for the HD66's slightly odd 100 x 100 x 110 mm triangular M3 mount, but a redesigned ProjectorPlate.stl will let you stick any projector on there. Swivels in XX, YY and ZZ, and is fairly stable too.

Is your MK4 sitting unused and lonely since you've upgraded to the MK5? Give it a new lease on life and turn it into a handheld welding gun! Use it to patch up any holes or loose threads in your prints or to glue broken plastic parts back together. You can see me welding the lid of a very poorly printed and particularly dangerous teapot shut to prevent accidental use.

The STL files include parts for a hand grip that slips over the DC motor, a finger guard so you don't burn yourself on the retainer washer, and a trigger bracket for a push button. SolidWorks 2010 model files are also included.

This derivative of the Mendel frame vertex part has the option in the SCAD file of having a foot. The default file has one. I've oversized the holes slightly so that even people with wonky printers in development stand a chance of having a part they can use directly without having to ream the M8 holes out.

Using vertices with feet helps prevent the Z gears and drive hitting the table or objects that have rolled under the Mendel.

Solves the following problems:

* mounted horizontally to improve clearance
* prevents motor collision on left side at 0mm X above ~50mm Z
* now only collides frame on right if you go past 160mm X and above 90mm Z
* hot end now centered in carriage
* can now be removed from carriage without having to dissasemble first
* makes it look like a miniature version of Adrian's extruder (hey it's a feature to me!)

I would like to create this using a 3d printer. Dental rubber bands for braces act as tendons and hold the hand in a rigid state. When strings are pulled corresponding joints will fold, making the fingers open and close. I plan to have servo motors pull and release the strings.

Here is a video of an earlier revision:
youtube.com/watch?v=fKrzORMTyOE

A crude prototype of the concept made from tubing, rubberbands, and zip ties:
youtube.com/watch?v=_mID_RQ7qIs

Testing of the "controller" glove. Only a single flex sensor installed:
youtube.com/watch?v=OmnV2m10Eyk

Original inspiration for this project is from:
sciencetoymaker.org/robothand/assembl.html

Video of the Printed Robot Hand in action:
youtube.com/watch?v=WPuke73UgL4

Flickr Set:
flic.kr/s/aHsjvC1JYr

A printed spur gear driven extruder for Mendel or Darwin.

Jig for cutting worm type pinch wheel on M8 bolt for Wade's geared nema 17 extruder thingiverse.com/thing:1794 with a drill, but without using a vise.

This bracket combines all 11 parts for an X axis end piece and Z axis nut holder into just 3 parts requiring no bearings and only 6 screws to assemble. It features a little semi-circular pad to hot-glue a limit sensor onto. Two M8 nuts are used with internal printed anti-backlash springs to attach the Z drive rods.

Four of these feet will support a Mendel deposition bed. The semi-circular recess rests on the Y rails, so no bearings are required. The bed can be levelled by tightening the 2 Nylok nuts on each foot, thus compressing the spring structure.

The heads of the two M4x40 machine screws are recessed into the attachment bracket, and three small holes are provided. These nicely take No.4 3/8" to 1/2" countersunk or pan-head woodscrews - the SCAD file has an option for it. The M4 screws are held captive by two nuts which are recessed, so no washers needed there.

This allows just one layer of bed to provide an adjustable flat upper surface for deposition.

This is a clamp that attaches directly to the underside of the Mendel deposition bed when used with thingiverse.com/thing:1708 feet. Like the feet, it used No. 4 1/2" countersunk woodscrews or equivalent. The belt is clamped in place by 2 M4 nuts, M4 washers and M4x16mm machine screws.

It's kinda neat in that it uses the mess caused when trying to cap a hexagonal hole as a means to entrap a nut.

This is a spindle to hold you filament while printing. This version is more robust than thingiverse.com/thing:1188

youtube.com/watch?v=k7Zzq97feIM

This is a set of simple T-Track clamps for a CNC router (could be useful for drill presses, table saws, or anything else with a t-track clamp system).

They are made out of MDF, which is surprisingly strong, resilient, practically free, non-marring and the best part: If you plow a $75 carbide bit into it at 150IPM, the clamp gets destroyed instead of your bit! Why let $10 metal clamps destroy your expensive bits?

Designed to work with T-Track clamps systems like this one from Rockler: rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21276

They come on sale pretty regularly, so keep your eyes open. T-Track is a "standard" clamping system, so other manufacturers may offer compatible track, bolts and knobs.

The hole in the middle is for hanging on hooks! The attached DXF will make three clamps, one small, one medium, one large.

This 43" tall, 46" square dining table assembles with no hardware or glue. It is incredibly sturdy.

The table is square because it promotes better community with no one placed at the head of the table and everyone equidistant, allowing for better conversation.

The table takes 2 4"X8" sheets of 18mm plywood. Most cabinet grade plywood from Home Depot is 18mm and inexpensive. The one in my home is made from high grade birch ply.

Please check out jeffreymatthias.com to see some of my other work.

Someday, I will alter the design to allow for an expanding top to accommodate 8 people.

I've added a photo of it in our home for an idea of how big it is.

Use this to guide your cables with.

This is my version of z-stage crank.
Felt natural to design this when I got my bot up and running but if someone feels lazy, here you go.