Cam and Follower

thingiverse

From "Making Mechanical Marvels in Wood" by Raymond \r\n A cam is defined as a machine component with a surface that sets another part called the follower in motion at the desired speed and distance. Cams can be made to rotate, reciprocate, or do both. This model is a rotary cam featuring multiple lobes of varying heights and spacing, providing lively action to the follower.\r\n\r\nAs part of my Keeping Busy plan, I've transcribed this simple cam follower from the book listed above. Most tolerances are tight but if your printer isn't configured perfectly, it should still allow for a snug fit. If all else fails, there's always sanding or glue. I've added an image called Annotation for Assembly Instructions; feel free to drop me a message with any questions.\r\n\r\nI've intentionally left the Follower Rod guide un-chamfered. My thinking is that the small amount of elephant foot allows for a nice snug connection to the main back plate when pushed through from the back side.\r\n\r\nBe especially careful with the follower rod, as it's susceptible to delamination if tweaked too hard due to its printing orientation.\r\n\r\nTo achieve the white highlight seen in the photo, I simply sanded the letters a bit using a 60-grit sanding sponge and then used a Posca pen in white to paint the tops.\r\n\r\nThe model in the pictures was printed in Hatchbox black and CC3D Silk Silver.