I’m in the process of inserting the aluminum pulleys into our 3D printed center pulleys for our Solo 8. I’ve tried to replicate the process described here. We use a vice instead of an arbor press.
I have difficulties keeping the aluminum pulley vertically straight (orthogonal to the 3D print) during the insertion process, which results with the aluminum pulley being installed at a slight angle. This offset in angle results in the final center pulley having some “wobble” when rotating.
The problem of the offset angle occurs when I push the aluminum pulley in a bit by hand. I feel like the pressure I apply with my hands easily can be uneven. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
I’m looking for any tips/guidance on how to insert the aluminum pulley while keeping it orthogonal. We have a total of 16x 3D printed center pulleys, which means we have 8 spare pulleys.
we haven’t experienced this problem yet.
Are you using the tools? ( Tool1 / Tool2 )
I install the center part in small steps and release the assembly in-between.
That might help to keep it straight.
You could check the alignment and correct after each step it if necessary.
Place your parts in the center of the vise jaws - using the sides of the vise jaws can cause misalignment if the vise guides have large tolerances or have been damaged.
If the pulley still wobbles it could also be a problem with the shape of the 3d printed part.
Which printer was used to produce it?
The pulleys were printed in China using SLA printing. I’m unsure about what material and printer model used. I’ve sent them an email asking for this information.
Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to produce good results by using tool 1 and tool 2 combined with a vice. It might be because our aluminum pulleys are a bit hard to push into the 3D-printed center pulley, due to a very tight fit.
However, by applying heat to the 3D-print with an hot air gun from a distance I managed to insert the aluminum without much force. By heating the 3D print it was easier to guide the aluminum pulley while keeping it as vertical as possible. I’ve linked to a video this pulley in action. It still has some wobble.
My question is:
Do you think this method can be a alternative to what you have done in your build?
How much “wobble” can be tolerated. Is the “wobble” shown in the video to much?
