Nautilus Gears with a stronger connecting bar

thingiverse

The design by MishaT is amazing, fascinating and intriguing but it didn't take long for the pins to snap on two of the prints which I had made of this thing despite me printing out the latest version of the connecting bar, V2. Thinking about it, the pins are a weak point because they rely on the plastic 'weld' of quite a small surface area layer to the one below it in order to provide strength. Saying that, I did manage one print using V2 of the curved connector which is still holding together well. This remix is designed to strengthen the parts which hold the whole structure together and uses an M3 nylon (or metal) nut and bolt to do the job. Instructions At last! I found a use for the M3 nylon screws and nuts which I purchased some time ago, thinking that one day they would come in useful. They are perfect for this thing as they blend in well when printed in natural ABS. The 12mm screws can be cut flush with the nut with a craft knife once you are confident that the gears are meshing well and that you have not screwed things up too tight. You don't have to use nylon of course - the photographs show an M3 metal nut and 8mm bolt. One point - you will see that the holes for the bolt look blind in the STLs. This is on purpose to enable the best print quality - the hole above the nut trap is of a smaller diameter than that of the outside of the M3 nut meaning that without the 'blanking plate' (which is 0.4mm thick), the nozzle would try to print the bolt hole in mid air. Once the bar has been printed, used a 3mm drill bit to ream out the hole. (Using one of these perhaps: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:99046 ) :) I have included MishaT's original Nautilus gear for completeness and assembled a plate which will enable you to print out all parts at once.