A while back, a friend of mine asked if I could make her a version of a Fox 40 whistle.

Originally, I tried to make one in Google Sketchup but the result was unprintable. Then I made a close replica in OpenSCAD, but that didn't print well and didn't make any sounds.

So, I decided to go after a design that accomplished the same thing (2-tones & pealess) but had a more printable form. It took me 8 iterations, but I finally got it :)

This thing will create a range of metric and imperial tooth profile pulleys, with any number of teeth, specified in the Openscad file.
Tooth profiles currently supported are MXL, 40DP, XL, H, T2.5, T5, T10, AT5, HTD (3mm, 5mm, 8mm) and GT2 (2mm, 3mm 5mm).
There are a range of editable parameters for editing the fit of the tooth (to account for printer variation), the pulley base, captive nut(s) slot for the set screw, motor shaft diameter, pulley height and belt retainers.
The attached stls are reference pulleys, mostly around the size used on repraps.

Details
After creating the parametric pulley thingiverse.com/thing:11256 I realised this way of modelling them was only going to work for square-toothed pulleys, and a way of producing pulleys for belts with better characteristics for linear motion was required. I found dxf drawings of the relevant tooth profiles here oem.cadregister.com/asp/PPOW_Entry.asp?company=915217&elementID=07807803/METRIC/URETH/WV0025/F and modelled pulley diameter from data here sdp-si.com/D265/HTML/D265T016.html
There were a couple of possible approaches to importing the data, I chose to simplify the bezier curve dxf data in Inkscape, producing vertices with a resolution of around 0.05-0.1mm for each tooth. Another advantage is the the pulleys have the tooth ramp for smooth entry and exit of the belt tooth into the pulley. I'm not really sure 3D printers can take full advantage of this yet, but quality is improving all the time!
If other tooth profiles are required, or you model any, please pass them on to me and I will include them.
Not printed yet... I'm away for the weekend! I'll upload some photos when I do, on Monday.

The Raspberry Pi is a creditcard sized computer which you can buy for $25 or $35 (depending which version)

Never designed a case before, so perhaps things can be better...

- used the Beta board dimensions
perhaps sdslot and USB height will differ in production models
- split case on connector height because every connector sticks out
- used a little indent on the outside, so you could stack them
- used 2 screws for attaching the bottom and top
- top has a raster so you still can get wires in/out to the GPIO connectors
- top has a small square for a logo sticker

v2: Added scad file, with flat outside shell
v3: smoother corners and fliptop option

v4: Different levels of case split (make it 3d printable, thx David)
Looks strange but it fits...
Added frame mode (so no bottom and top deck)
Moved screw locations due to split and added some support structures

v6 Added pcb drawing
Added colors
Cut out better so there is no debris around
DRAwvars and options seperated, so it is easier to do 1 part
Make a low as possible case, let USB stick out

v7: PCB options
Low level case optimisations
SD card location alterations

v8 adapted pcb dimensions, board is really 56mm width
adapted support studs, moved some due to component location
components locations adapted
v9 Added logo in seperate dxf file
Option added to put logo in middle or using whole deck
beautified code, kr style
v10 Added logosunken and bottomsupport structures
Bottom supports are located where no components are located
so the pcb is not only supported from the sides
Well got my case, so based on what I see I changed:
case split level changed, should be better when printed on a reprap
Removed screwholes (far to small) for fastening top and added some more studs
Made frontstud a little thicker
no more changes I think until I get the definite board...

Long Long ago in a land far away, there was a little castle surrounded by an industrious town. The townspeople loved their little castle and wanted it to be perfect. But the little castle was empty. Its owner had left long ago, taking all the fine things with him and locking them away.

The Townspeople resolved to re-furnish there castle. They learned to craft and create. Making chest and chairs, tables and beds, gadgets and gizmo's, they filled the castle with things that reflected themselves and their experiences. They created so many things that at the end of each day it looked like little castle couldn't hold any more.

But the castle had a secret. Every night, it grew. Sprouting new towers, chambers, and cellars. The town's people would awaken and rejoice, ready for another day of crafting and creating. The town was proud of its magical castle, and everyone wanted to fill it with the best that they could offer.

But wasn't a magical castle, it was a MakerBot Castle.

Each night the daring Damsels deftly deployed their wondrous Replicator, creating new rooms to extend the structure. Floor by floor they built up into the sky. Until one day the little castle had become the tallest and grandest in all the Thingiverse.

And the small town around the castle had grown into a great city, filled with the incredible things and spectacular ideas. The Makers, Crafters, and Hackers had learned from furnishing the castle. They had perfected their crafts and honed their skills. When they looked out on the world from the tallest tower, and saw that it too was a place they could rebuild. And they spread across the land, sharing their knowledge and teaching others how to improve the world around them.

Created by Thingiverse user Skimbal, designer of the Turtle Shell Racers, MakerBot Botmobile and the Gothic Cathedral Playset.

This is a teminal block that I designed more for a test than anything. Buried inside the object are five hex cavities for holding nuts (see the cut-away photo). During the print, the ToM is paused and five nuts are dropped into place. When the print continues the nuts are covered over except for the screw hole. The design places a single layer completely over the nut to assist the structure above, but it is easily punched through when the screws are installed. This produces a much stronger screw thread than tapping the plastic.
Included is the source in Alibre Design format.

This is version 2.0 of a 3-digit, base-10 register for an electromechanical computer I'm working on. It is stepper-driven, and works like a 3-digit counter, counting from 000-999 before rolling over. When all three digit wheels read '0-0-0', 3 reed switches will close and a circuit will be completed to detect the condition.

This one uses fewer parts and has at least been slightly tested. It also has larger digit surfaces for better visibility, and comes with printable labels!

Ok, once you have an involute gear library AND a trapezoid thread library, you can easily make the simplest of worm drives, i.e. the non-throated kind.

Like all worm drives, the gear advances by one tooth for each revolution of the screw but with non-throated ones, there is only a single point of contact at any one time, and so torque and wear capabilities are limited.

UPDATE:
As I pointed out in the comments, AFAIK a trapezoidal profile for the worm screw is all you need to match the worm gear's involute.

To make them mesh, all I did was to make sure that:
1. the pitch is the same (distance from crest to crest),
2. the pressure angle of the gear is equal to the angle of the sides of the screw profile,
3. the distance between screw and gear is equal to the gear's radial pitch plus the screw's mid-profile radius, and
4. the twist on the gear is equal to the gear's pitch radius divided by the screw's mid profile radius, with a sign depending on the screw's handedness.

So after seeing the printable threaded rod replacements I got to thinking.

I didn't really understand why people were designing such high lead angles, I've been playing with printing overhangs lately, which coupled with my experiences printing a screw-cap for a bottle led me to this:

An attempt to design a printable worm drive.

Its hard to find much data online about any kind of worm other than the standard form. So whilst making a worm that can be printed (with a 45 degree tooth profile) is easy, designing a worm gear to go with it is surprisingly hard.

Here is my first attempt, with a (slightly) enveloping gear to fit the worm.
The worm just has an 8mm hole down the center, the gear is designed to fit an M6 hex bolt.

Updated:
I've added a new wheel that when used with the existing worm will function as a 'wormiod' or skew axis, worm drive. Its a bit rough, but the second wheel looked nearly as bad but printed and works just fine.

A mini digger executive toy. 4 moveable joints, rotating base, 2 arm joints and bucket control from the 2 levers at the back.

These are available as kits through my website.
msraynsford.blogspot.com/2012/01/mini-digger.html

Paste extruder based on the Moineau pump principle.

The pump geometry is based on thingiverse.com/thing:7958

Should work as a plug-in replacement for a hot plastic extruder in a 3D printer. However, I have NOT used this to actually print anything. I'm just publishing it in case someone else wants to try it out. (I think it's ready for printing a very small pizza without toppings, but beyond that I cannot say.)

Almost everything is parametrized and adjustable from the SCAD file. However, the resulting design should be evaluated to see if it is still sane after adjustment, since not all of the features are automatically calculated. Particularly the flange and driveshaft diameters must be adjusted by hand to match the other measurements.

See it in action: youtu.be/OHQiKuQvuEU

Note: obviously it is impossible to build an object from material that flows on it's own - the object would not hold it's shape. So in practice the material has to either be pulled into the extruder by a negative pressure (impossible with PLA printed pump parts) or pushed into the extruder by a positive pressure. In either case the motor axle has to be sealed, or it would either relieve the negative pressure or allow the material to flow up and out from the inlet block.

This is an OpenScad script to generate modular and parametric racks, for a printable rack & pinion system for Reprap 3d printers, as a replacement for belts or threaded rods.
More info here : kaosat.net/?p=1670
Please note that this is an experimental , work in progress version

Edit 07/01/11:
-Added the herringbone version , in wich you can set the center angle (see schematic), that script can also generate the straight teeth with an angle of 0
-this version is cleaned up and optimized, and much faster to compile so please use this one preferably
-i haven't printed this one yet, and i am not 100% if all is ok

Edit 04/01/11:
-just a short video of a very very basic "platform" movement test : youtube.com/watch?v=8_KtJL7Gmto
-for testing simplicity, the motor is on top , but would ideally be underneath the platform
-i will try to have the herringbone version finished by next week

This is a tubular drive mechanism. It is designed to use 1/2 inch aluminum conduit. This is a work in process, and I am already working on a newer version that will use dual rails. I think that this type of mechanism will work well as an linear axis drive mechanism when combined a stepper motor, and magnetic linear encoder would provide high accuracy large scale positioning.

Tubular Drive Test Fixed Drive
youtube.com/watch?v=k0G8B77UOJs

Tubular Drive Test Fixed Conduit
youtube.com/watch?v=70dTRN7zSpU

Canoe

Stake

I made this for my wife to keep her thread bobbins in order.
It has a divided pen holder area in the center.
I added four 624 bearings underneath to let it spin.

If you print this i'd love to hear about it.

UPDATE:
I added the .blend file for anyone who wants to play around.

Use these connectors to connect dowels and make kites of your own design. Can also be used for anything that uses dowels as well.

Well, its a snowflake decoration!

Table saw is overkill for the 10mm extruded aluminum (translation, nearly hurt myself yet again trying to feed it to a full size table saw). So, Makergear Prusa Mendel to the rescue.

Pictured is Microrax microrax.com/

Also will work with Makerbeam makerbeam.eu/

Espresso Coffee Tamp, it works.

This set I made for his wife. She is studying at the Art Institute.

This is a bracket for mounting a Wade's Accessible style 3mm filament drive on an Ultimaker with an integral 1/4" OD tube bowden cable interface to slide in the retaining nut.

This is a thing describing how to make timing pulleys for an Ultimaker style printer. It describes how to combine inexpensive polycarbonate plastic MXL timing pulleys with aluminum spacers to make a robust timing pulley for an Ultimaker style printer with 8mm outer shafts.

This is a fully functional microphone shock mount for a side-address microphone. (Also called a "spider mount.") It's functionally equivalent to equipment that can cost around $50 to buy retail. This design is meant to be printed on a RepRap style 3D printer.

polygonal cup like thing, works great as a tea light candle holder, or a pot for a plant, or just a plain ole cup..

A parametric spring fit lens cap for an SLR camera.

Recently, a friend of mine had a birthday. She has a love of all things vintage, including pacman. As such, I wanted to make her a set of 8 bit cookie cutters.

Paulforest's ( thingiverse.com/PaulForest ) offerings are cool (although not 8 bit), and the tool he used to create them is fantastic. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer the ability to create multiple levels. I wanted to include the features of each of the ghosts.

So here they are, Pacman, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde all in lovely 8 bit form.

Same as thingiverse.com/thing:14462 but bigger and with some supports that act as handles.

Just in time for Christmas! Festive Dr Who themed Cookie Cutters. The Tardis and Dalek.

These cookie cutters come in two parts, one to make the impression in the dough, while the second one cuts the outline.

17 December 2011 - The Dalek stamp has been updated - provides more definition for it's "Arm" / "Weapon" - you know... those things it waves about from time to time! - EXTERMINATE!

Who said we couldn't print useful things? Here's a flat-pack modular rotary hydroponic unit to be produced by most CNC tools.

My Blog Post about this here: engineeringourfreedom.blogspot.com/2011/05/do-cartwheels-feed-people.html
For working examples of such a system, see OmegaGarden.com RotoGro.com or H2ODynamic.com

Call it the ModRotoHydro, RapFarm, FeederBot, Farm@Home, or whatever else you like, I don't care, just help me build them and feed the world. ;D

Some bits of the assembly are made from or based on standard mendel parts, such as the frame vertex and Prusa's Y-bar clamps. The current gear-tooth profile is based on thingiverse.com/thing:8077; I might try a version with an easier-to-print zigzag, though it may be less efficient.

The cylinder has an outer diameter of 1 metre, ID of 80cm, and the trays are designed to hold 75mm/3" rockwool cubes, though it would be very easy to design alternate holders for smaller sizes.

Currently I have designed the system to use a gear ratio of 11/1056, i.e. 44 teeth on each of 24 segments, using a 3-3.6rpm synchronous motor pulled from the base of a broken halogen heater. If you want me to release alternative parts, e.g. with different numbers of teeth on the segment, just say so and I'll get on it for you.

I have been designing the base-frame to try and use 1m lengths of studding with as little random waste as possible, but you could construct this at different sizes with odds and ends if you so wish. It doesn't make a difference so long as a tray and reservoir can fit under the cylinder.

The tray support designed is now up. It uses 8mm studding to span the gap in the design, but I think you could possibly use some 6mm dowel, but don't take my word for it until you or I have done a stress calculation. I'm thinking of having it so you simply hang a polyethylene sheet across the gap in the base to make a sump for the nutrients. There needs to be a hole in the bottom to drain excess away into a reservoir though, and some kind of hose line up from the reservoir to pump it in.

The weight-saving gaps have mostly been placed conservatively using intuition and best practice of avoiding sharp corners, but I have yet to do any FEA on the components to see if this can be improved for even more strength and less weight. However, I expect design 1.0 to work as it is with lightweight infill settings.

Any DXF files that end with a measurement are giving the reccomended thickness of sheet to cut the part out of, in order to fit within this design, however you may be able to change these around a bit and file holes down to fit.
More files to come, and a parts list once the design is finished. Let me know if you want another format.

This file contains all parts needed to create one set of cuffs. Beware that it took me over 3 hours to generate gcode for this file with Skeinforge.