Printable Wool Winder
Description
Change Log - 12-04-2011
-Updated Spindle Base Design to Make Pockets Faceted for Easier Printing
-Updated Masters to Include New Spindle Base
-Added Counterbalance Hardware
-Removed WIP, Design Complete!
Change Log - 11-25-2011
-Yarn Guide Added
-Ball Winder Base Drawing Added
-Spindle Updated to Remove Mtl
-Spindle Base Updated to Remove Rounds & Add Support
-Carriage Updated to Remove Mtl & Add Spacer
-Spindle Updated to Add Support
-Updated all STL Files
-Added Creo (Pro/E) Native CAD Files
-Added Exploded Assembly Views
-Updated Parts/Fastener List
This printable wool winder creates center-pull balls from raw hanks of yarn, it must be used in combination with a yarn swift, I will work on a printable swift in the future.
I designed this winder for my mother who was having troubles with her current ball winder, a new equivalent winder was priced around $50. I felt like I could design and make a better winder for only a few $ in purchased parts (most I had around) and plastic. Plus I know how it works so if it breaks I can fix it.
The winders function is pretty simple but really fun to watch. The motion of the winder can be explained as such. The hand crank, when turned causes the center carriage mechanism to rotate around a stationary cone. The motion of the carriage in combination with the stationary cone causes the winding spindle to rotate about its axis. The winding spindle completes one rotation for every nine rotations of the hand crank. The dual spinning motion of the carriage and the spindle is what causes the yarn to take the form of a cylinder.
Video of the winder in action. youtu.be/iS2732Mlz7k
To build the winder you will need a few non-printable parts.
Qty 4 - 624ZZ Ball Bearings
Qty 2 - 606ZZ Ball Bearings
Qty 2 - 608ZZ Ball Bearings
Qty 1 - Compression Spring, McMaster-Carr P/N 9435K93
Qty 1 - O-Ring Size -237, McMaster-Carr P/N: 9396K226
Qty 1 - O-Ring Size -254, McMaster-Carr P/N: 9396K245
Qty 1 - 1/4" PTFE Tubing, McMaster-Carr P/N: 5239K12
Qty 3 - M3 x 30mm SHCS
Qty 3 - M3 Hex Nut
Qty 1 - M4 x 40mm SHCS
Qty 1 - M4 x 30mm BHCS
Qty 2 - M4 x 16mm SHCS
Qty 3 - M4 Flat Washer
Qty 2 - M4 NyLoc Hex Nut
Qty 2 - M5 x 25mm SHCS
Qty 2 - M5 Hex Nut
Qty 1 - M6 x 40mm SHCS
Qty 1 - M6 Flat Washer
Qty 2 - M6 Hex Nut
Qty 1 - M8 Hex Nut
Qty 1 - M8 Threaded Rod (65mm Long)
Qty 2 - M10 Hex Nut
Qty 2 - M5 Acorn Nut
Qty 2 - M5 x 35mm FHCS
Qty 4 - 1/2" Tall Rubber Bumpers
Instructions
NOTE: You will only need aprox 10mm of the spring.
* I reccomend slipping the spring over a scrap piece of 8mm threaded rod and using a rotary tool to cleanly cut the section of spring you need.
* Alternativly you can use a pair of side cutters and jam them in between the coils, I do not reccomend this method since you usually just end up chasing pieces of spring all around the shop and bending up the spring in the process.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Just posted my MadeOne photo.
I made it as an Xmas present for my daughter who has developed a strong interest in knitting.
This was a true joy to print, and a good challenge to build. The parts were all so different from each other and great fun to watch as they printed. I started and finished the printing over the course of a weekend on my Makergear Prusa Mendel.
Thanks for including the M-C P/Ns. It was a huge help.
I would suggest a few mods for the BOM:
I substituted 5/16 for the M8 rods and nuts with no ill effects. I also saw in your final photo that you counterbalanced the spindle with Qnty(4) M10 Nuts rather than Qnty(2). I also added some washers beneath the drive pulley to reinforce the hole in my MDF board.
I'm still not sure about some of the blow-up photos in terms of which parts go where (e.g. I think the spring is under the drive cone), because the resolution is a little fuzzy. I ended up leaving the spring out since it was hard to install with the cone at the same time. Also, I have not found the PTFE tubing to be necessary.
Above all, THANK YOU for sharing this online.
IMHO, it is exactly the kind of thing that 3D printing at home was designed to produce.
Of course, now I have to figure out how to tweak the really great yarn swift that was posted here. Would that I also had a laser cutter...
Thanks!
P.S. What program uses the Master Files? I mostly design in Openscad, and I've never seen files like these.
Hey George,
Thanks for the feedback, it's always great to hear what others think of the stuff I design. Most of your assumptions about where parts go we're correct, including the spring. The spring is there to maintain pressure between the carriage and the drive cone. If you are winding thick yarn the spring is not really necessary but if you wind very thin sock yarn like my mom does you will need the spring to provide enough pressure to keep the spindle from slipping. The same thing goes for the PTFE tube, it is not necessary for thick yarn, but if you wind sock yarn you will cut a nice slot through the guide ini no time
This is real neat.
I am currently working on this, not directly related, but perhaps from interest :-)
I am currently printing the parts to this and I cannot see where the drive cone or the drive cone tap guide are used? The blow-ups to not show them. Are they needed? :-[
Hello John,
The drive cone is on one of the exploded views but I admit it's not very clear where it goes, I have attached a picture with an arrow pointing directly towards the drive cone.
As for the drive cone tap guide, it is mearly a fixture to help you align the tap while threading the drive cone. I didn
't use it myself, and it's not a necessary so you can omit it if you like.
Great design, love the simplicity and the reflective base! :)
Video looks like it could be an out-take from one of the Eames' shorts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
Someone needs to make a printable Solar Toy - the original do-nothing machine!
My mother had a commercial version when i was a child and the thing is strangely amusing to work with. I was reminded about it when I saw jvdh's yarn swift ( thing:13776 ) and mused if making one would work and if I could remember how it functioned.
Fortunately I don't have to now. You've gone and made it work.
This would go great with these things:
Video is being uploaded to YouTube now, I have slow internet so it's taking a while.
Agreed I would love to see this in action. I love old timey things being brought into the future. :)
License
More from MatthewLaBerge
Is there any chance the spring is too long? I got the exact one listed in the parts list, but I cannot get the drive cone to sit low enough to engage the spindle base. It's compressed as far as it can be.
Hello Megbackus,
I apologize if the instructions were unclear, I have added a note in the instructions section.. You only need a small portion of the spring to load up the cartridge. I have been cutting about 10mm of the spring off, just slip the spring over a scrap dowel or m8 threaded rod and use a dremel to cut the spring to length. The bonus is one spring can be used to make several winders. Let me know if you have any other questions.