First, I have ditched the quadlink idea and have gone back to the simple two link arms. I just couldn't get my head around a simple design that didn't send my vitamin count through the roof.
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Not a rendering! (I probably shouldn't have removed the background in GIMP so it would seem real.)
I couldn't just let myself wait to get my Polypropylene laser cut. I had to CNC out some 1/4" wood to see how everything will look and get an idea for the stability of the design. The wood can't stand up to the press fit bearings but even so there is remarkable stability. I can only pitch and roll the head by 10 degrees or so. The yaw play is practically zero. (Not that the yaw will affect the quality of a print at all.)
That sounds like a lot of play but I am missing some parts and remember the wood is broken where the bearings insert. Most importantly, I didn't have the big bearings so I printed out a loose fitting approximation so I could see everything together. With the real bearings bolted on it should get much stiffer. Also, I was able to identify another area to could be improved. The biggest problem is torsional stiffness of the members so I will bolt on some spacers between the sides of the arms and this whole design should be rock solid. I was excited about this design before. Now I am ecstatic. I am just waiting on vitamins to be delivered and this thing will take shape shortly.
Great News: I contacted QU-BD about using their small extruder for this design and they offered to provide one for free. I also went to them to try to buy all my electronics and they offered to sponsor me for the whole project! How cool is that?
Not a rendering! (I probably shouldn't have removed the background in GIMP so it would seem real.)
I couldn't just let myself wait to get my Polypropylene laser cut. I had to CNC out some 1/4" wood to see how everything will look and get an idea for the stability of the design. The wood can't stand up to the press fit bearings but even so there is remarkable stability. I can only pitch and roll the head by 10 degrees or so. The yaw play is practically zero. (Not that the yaw will affect the quality of a print at all.)
That sounds like a lot of play but I am missing some parts and remember the wood is broken where the bearings insert. Most importantly, I didn't have the big bearings so I printed out a loose fitting approximation so I could see everything together. With the real bearings bolted on it should get much stiffer. Also, I was able to identify another area to could be improved. The biggest problem is torsional stiffness of the members so I will bolt on some spacers between the sides of the arms and this whole design should be rock solid. I was excited about this design before. Now I am ecstatic. I am just waiting on vitamins to be delivered and this thing will take shape shortly.
Great News: I contacted QU-BD about using their small extruder for this design and they offered to provide one for free. I also went to them to try to buy all my electronics and they offered to sponsor me for the whole project! How cool is that?