Cheap/generic webcam mount for Da Vinci or other printers

thingiverse

I loved the design from guido666 for a permanent webcam mount, but I always found that my webcams were fidgety, the wire was stiff and the camera would often drift off center of the print bed so I couldn't monitor the prints properly. This works for both the Davinci 1 and 2. It may work with the 1.0A and others with some modifications; someone try it out and let me know! I took the original idea, hooking the bracket onto the Da Vinci frame and made a few tweaks to improve its stability. I bolted the webcam directly onto the bracket and made sure the camera stopped drifting off-center. First, you can print the parts needed for this project. The main bracket is the biggest part of the assembly. The post comes in different sizes based on how high you want the camera positioned and how long your bolts are. You'll need an M3 bolt that's at least 1 inch or 25mm long. Print a post that is 10mm shorter than the length of the bolt you've chosen (the bracket is ~5mm thick, and you want to screw in 5mm into the webcam). To mod the webcam, I use the same webcam mentioned in the original post because it's incredibly cheap and works perfectly fine. There are many sources on Amazon for this webcam, but as long as you get one that looks like this (https://www.amazon.com/30-0M-Webcam-Camera-Desktop-Laptop/dp/B0090CS29A/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8), it should work. Some webcams have mediocre reviews on Amazon, but I've noticed that if the webcam has an audio plug in addition to a USB port, it's likely of higher quality. Remove the top part from the base as shown (picture 2) - we won't be using the base at all for this project. You can use a razor blade to slice off the extra part; don't worry if it's not perfect, as we're going to drill through it next. Drill it with a 2.5mm drill bit (approximately 3/32"). Next, take an M3x0.5mm pitch tap and make an M3 thread all the way through that same hole. If you don't have one, you can try forcing a thread with an M3 bolt, but using a tap will give better results. Now, remove one of the screws from the top part (picture 7b). You may need to unscrew the screws in the cradle part if yours is made differently. Once the screw is out, pull out one arm of the cradle and place an oring on it so that when you re-screw it back in, the oring will make it tougher to rotate and keep its position better (picture 7c). Repeat for the other side. To assemble the webcam, follow these steps: insert a 25-25mm M3 bolt through the bottom of the bracket; add a washer between the bolt head and the bracket if you can. Put an oring around the top of the bracket, then slide the hollow post (picture 6, 6b) onto the bolt and screw it into the camera. Make sure the bolt doesn't get stuck inside the camera, but even if it does, the angle should be right for it not to matter. For this project, you'll need a 006 size oring, which can be found on Amazon by searching for '006 buna n o-ring durometer black'. This oring will help stabilize the camera and ensure that your prints come out accurately. I also recommend checking out some of the other projects on Amazon that use M3 hardware; they often have helpful tutorials and designs to aid you in completing this project successfully. You can print supports for the webcam if needed, but it's not necessary - simply snap off supports work great. However, having a good layer thickness (0.1-0.4mm) will make a difference in getting accurate prints, as will choosing a solid infill density of 20-80%. Don't hesitate to poke or drill through the post parts if needed, and remember that supports aren't strictly necessary but are helpful in stabilizing the camera during printing. A few words about this design: I tried making my own supports earlier on, but it didn't work as well; however, snap-off ones from guido666 did a great job. Make sure to read the notes below for further information and clarification.