Delta Bearing U-Joint

thingiverse

I decided that a printable U-joint for Deltabot rods wasn't out there, so I took matters into my own hands and made one myself. The bearings in this design give it high load capacity with extremely low friction and zero wear at all times. You might be wondering why I didn't make the joint much smaller with special bearings like the ones found on Kossel Pro U-joints; however, using 623zz is a great option because these are common, affordable, and M3-compatible. I've designed the rod pocket to fit 5.8mm rods from TriDPrinting.com perfectly. If you'd prefer a different size, it's completely fine to make any adjustments you see fit. To be honest, I'll be making new file uploads that include up-rev'd models with varying sizes and degrees of motion as I work out the kinks in my design. Please keep in mind that using updated files from one revision won't necessarily work with previous ones. --- Print two sets of each part according to your preference. For ideal results, try a high infill of 50%, use a .5mm extrusion width, set your layer height at .2mm and make sure you're using ABS plastic - though it's perfectly fine to go ahead and use any material that strikes your fancy. Getting the "inner" pieces just right on your printer will greatly impact how snugly they fit inside their outer counterparts. I recommend investing some quality time into making sure your bed leveling is on point before proceeding. Take four 623 bearings and press them securely into their designated pockets - make sure they're in tight so there's minimal play when the printer's calibrated just right. With a solid bond, attach two 3mm shafts to the outer halves with M3 screws, each one thirty millimeters long at minimum. For extra peace of mind, go ahead and add washers along with a lock-nut if you'd like - but do what feels right for your design.