New pics added to the Flickr Simpson set. The two arms have all of their major hardware installed (the endstop is missing, but that's because I haven't printed the new eccentric bit yet). Some tips on that:
- I didn't need to drill out any holes, but I did have to clean out the flash and strings pretty well in order to get things to fit.
- Despite not *needing* to drill them out, I did clearance the M3 holes for the motor with a #31 bit, just so the screws wouldn't bite into the plastic and make it harder to get the motor installed.
- Installing the four M8 bolts is a little bit weird, though you'll get used to it quickly enough (you have twelve to do). First, take a nylock nut and thread it onto the bolt the wrong way. This takes a little bit of doing; I found that the best way was to put the nut in a 13 mm closed end wrench and set it on the table, put the bolt into a deep 13 mm socket, then carefully line up the bolt and work it into the nylon. The socket gives enough grip to hold the bolt without having to use a ratchet handle. Get the nut about 3/4 of the way along the threads, then work the bolt into position in the arm (if you thread it all the way, it'll be hard to line up with the hole). Grab the nut with an open end wrench and turn the bolt with another wrench. Once you have the nut threaded as far as it will go, push the bolt through the arm all the way and put another nylock on the outside. Don't rely on the plastic to hold the nut; it might work, or it might split.
- The guitar tuner might need just a little bit of enlarging on the smaller hole, the one the shaft fits through, but the large hole should be a nice snug fit.
- The bolt on the end of the motor arm was a nice fit; the bearings on the slave arm, as expected, needed heat. I used a hair dryer for <30 seconds, then pushed the arm onto the bearing while it was sitting at the edge of my workbench.
I ran out of time before I could try stringing the arms, but I am not certain I understand how they're going to be set up and I'm also not sure how the pulley is supposed to go - screws closer to the motor makes sense to me, but I could imagine doing it the other way so you'd have a chance of removing it without dropping the motor (not that it's a big deal either way). I'm also trying to figure out whether the pulley is supposed to have grooves or holes for the string on the outside; I think grooves, but my printer pulled strings across them and filled them in so I'll have to clear them out again.
- I didn't need to drill out any holes, but I did have to clean out the flash and strings pretty well in order to get things to fit.
- Despite not *needing* to drill them out, I did clearance the M3 holes for the motor with a #31 bit, just so the screws wouldn't bite into the plastic and make it harder to get the motor installed.
- Installing the four M8 bolts is a little bit weird, though you'll get used to it quickly enough (you have twelve to do). First, take a nylock nut and thread it onto the bolt the wrong way. This takes a little bit of doing; I found that the best way was to put the nut in a 13 mm closed end wrench and set it on the table, put the bolt into a deep 13 mm socket, then carefully line up the bolt and work it into the nylon. The socket gives enough grip to hold the bolt without having to use a ratchet handle. Get the nut about 3/4 of the way along the threads, then work the bolt into position in the arm (if you thread it all the way, it'll be hard to line up with the hole). Grab the nut with an open end wrench and turn the bolt with another wrench. Once you have the nut threaded as far as it will go, push the bolt through the arm all the way and put another nylock on the outside. Don't rely on the plastic to hold the nut; it might work, or it might split.
- The guitar tuner might need just a little bit of enlarging on the smaller hole, the one the shaft fits through, but the large hole should be a nice snug fit.
- The bolt on the end of the motor arm was a nice fit; the bearings on the slave arm, as expected, needed heat. I used a hair dryer for <30 seconds, then pushed the arm onto the bearing while it was sitting at the edge of my workbench.
I ran out of time before I could try stringing the arms, but I am not certain I understand how they're going to be set up and I'm also not sure how the pulley is supposed to go - screws closer to the motor makes sense to me, but I could imagine doing it the other way so you'd have a chance of removing it without dropping the motor (not that it's a big deal either way). I'm also trying to figure out whether the pulley is supposed to have grooves or holes for the string on the outside; I think grooves, but my printer pulled strings across them and filled them in so I'll have to clear them out again.