NASA Ratchet - Scaled to 1/2" Drive

thingiverse

NEW! A REVERSIBLE version of the scaled up NASA wrench is now available at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3434855 A scaled up version of the NASA ratchet driver wrench that was the first part to be 3D printed in orbit to meet the needs of an astronaut. The .STL file was emailed to the ISS where it was printed on a 3D printer. The original NASA file is at https://nasa3d.arc.nasa.gov/detail/wrench-mis I have included the original .STL file from NASA, which has a square driver size of 10mm. I've never heard of a 10mm square drive ratchet -- must be a NASA thing. The scaled up version was scaled to 127% resulting in a 1/2" (12.7mm) drive size. To break the ratchet drive part away from the handle I used an arbor press. Place the handle on the anvil of the press with the drive part facing down over air, that is, with the handle supported and the driver unsupported. Place a steel washer on the print bed side of the drive part and press until you hear the cracking sound of the part breaking loose. After breaking it loose, I sprayed a small amount of silicon oil into the crack between the drive and the handle and held the drive in a vise while spinning the handle in the ratcheting direction to loosen everything up a bit. The ratchet is not reversible, so this model only tightens things. Print a mirror version of it to make a ratchet that loosens things, or see my reversible version of the NASA wrench at (coming soon).