Printable Threaded Rod
by PacManFan, published
Description
For a standard 200 step/ rev stepper motor
50mm / 200 step = .25mm per step
add in a 2:1 gearing or half step motor controller and you have .125 mm/step
add both and it's .0625 mm/step
From what i can tell, there is no perceptible backlash and the nut slides very freely.
I'm sure I'm going to incorporate this into my shuttle system or a printer somehow.
Enjoy...
Edit:
As per request, Here's a video of it:
youtube.com/watch?v=Hkjf8x__SrE
The video shows that it's loose enough to slip down on it's own.
I would recommend printing one to test tolerances for yourself.
Edit 6/18/2011
Uploaded the quad helical nut/thread. This should help with any wear issues, as well as addressing any concerns with backlash.
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If the curve is slight in relation to the thread pitch, and the nut is not too tight, then it'll turn. They use this idea in telescopes - see the "curved rod mount" picture here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B... and also here's a guy that made some by bending straight bolts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
From what I can tell this shape (a curved, threaded rod) isn't possible to create in openscad. However, blender can probably handle it. If you beat me to the solution I'd be grateful if you'd post it. I'm a noob with Blender right now.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Arc the extrusion rod". If the threaded rod had a curve along it's length, I do not believe the nut would be able to twist along it.
Is there a way to arc an extrusion? Basically I'd like to use this code, but arc the extruded rod somewhat, say by 5 or 10%.
I'm using openscad and trying to modify your code, but so far no luck.
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Instructions
print a nut
The center of the threaded rod is hollow, connect multiple pieces using a 5mm rod.
The nut might be a little tight at first. Once you work it on the threaded rod, the interior edges become very smooth.
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This would be awesome to test casting in aluminium. (PLA burns away cleanly...) "Needless to say" in the same lingo, MIND=BLOWN!
http://reprap.org/wiki/High_Te...
Thank you!
I may have to try that. Earlier this year, I attempted to do a casting using ABS in place of the "lost foam". I figured that because ABS has a high degree of styrene, it would vaporize. It didn't work out so well. Only portions of the ABS vaporized, then the aluminum set to quickly to vaporize the rest. I will have to try again with PLA.
I printed out the nut and screw, but can't quite wind the latter through the former. Is it possible to carefully gouge out the nut's channels? Would simply sanding the interior help? I'd prefer to keep the printed look on the screw itself
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Maybe a light sanding of the threaded rod would help. Initially, the fit was tight for mine as well, after working the nut on the thread for a few minutes, it loosened up to the point where it spun freely on it's own.
What are your plans to deal with wear?
That screw has an insanely high lead angle and I can see things wearing very fast. Any tests under load?
I did some early work on a printed ballscrew, but gave it up as too complex to be worth the trouble
One other way to account for the high angle is to add more tracks. As you know a normal leadscrew has 1 helical. This is printed with 2, I could easily make it 4 to share the shear forces more evenly. 4 might be a good test and would probably be preferable provided that it doesn't add too much friction.
It DOES have a very high lead angle. I may print the nut out of PLA so it doesn't wear as fast, it will slip more. I had also considered dipping the nut in a tough, thin epoxy to "fill" the gaps between the threads. Until I build a threaded-propelled shuttle, I won't know how fast it wears. So far, it seems alright.
At what layer height are you printing? Looks pretty fine.
The real trick is to match the model up with my known layer height. In the scad file, I use the extrude function with 256 steps, that's exactly the # of layers when the model is sliced at .40mm
Mate, that's amazing! Would you have time to post a video of how easily the nut moves along the threaded rod? VERY COOL!
I'll probably modify my shuttle design from here : http://www.thingiverse.com/thi... to incorporate a nut holder. I'm thinking about creating an endstop to hold a motor with some gears to increase the gear ratio.
Is there a way to arc an extrusion? Basically I'd like to use this code, but arc the extruded rod somewhat, say by 5 or 10%.
I'm using openscad and trying to modify your code, but so far no luck.
I'm not quite sure what you mean by "Arc the extrusion rod". If the threaded rod had a curve along it's length, I do not believe the nut would be able to twist along it.