10 Penny Cross Roller Bearing

thingiverse

A single cross roller bearing is able to handle high axial, radial and moment loads. (Maybe less so if printed in PLA rather than made of steel.) This version uses pennies for rollers, and is a good excuse to empty your change jar! Instructions Mostly, just follow the photos: Print the lower races and upper races. (I use 0.2 mm layers and 3 perimeters.) The inner and outer races are split , and the lower inner and outer races (as well as the upper races) are connected with tabs to simplify assembly. Make sure you scrape smooth any blobs left from printing. You'll need 10 pennies and some superglue. Assemble the 10 pennies at alternate angles in the lower races. Tilt the upper races and use something pointy to tease the pennies into place. Press the outer race halves together lightly and apply drops of superglue, allowing it to wick into the gaps. You might want to use a gel-type superglue which will fill small gaps if the two halves don't press together completely. Glue the inner race halves together in the same way. Trim away the connector tabs so the inner and outer races can spin. Currently, if the bearing is not loaded, the pennies can bind a little bit against each other. If I can think of a good use for this bearing, I may design up a separator cage to prevent this binding.