Plastruder MK5/6 Tensioner Spring

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This is a spring designed to reduce the stiffness of the thumbwheel tensioner system to make the pressure on the filament and drive wheel more consistent. The spring is designed to be made from 1.6mm 2024-T3 Aluminium I have FEA'd it to check stiffness (about 40N/mm) and yield strength (more than sufficient, I think!) Instructions Using the supplied flat pattern .dxf, cut the profile from 1.6mm 2024-T3 Aluminium sheet or similar. (Note, steel, stainless steel etc will probably be too stiff and difficult to work, unless you make it from thinner sheet) The sheet is bent (according to the bend lines in the .dxf file) with an internal bend radius of 3mm. When correctly bent, the distance between the mounting flange edge and the plate where the thumb screw goes through is about 1mm You will need to remove the two screws that retain the thumbscrew nut. The spring should be installed on the four (of six) bolts that hold the drive assembly together. The thumbscrew nut hex is allowed to run flush with the edge of the drive assembly.