Drop in replacement for the ultimaker extruder big wheel/gear

thingiverse

To improve my plywood wheel performance, I'm creating a replacement using my 3D printer. The original design features LeemonBaird's library with added holes, including a large nut slot in the center. I printed the new wheel with 0.2mm resolution and 1.8mm walls, along with 35% infill. Although I forgot to enhance the infill, the result seems satisfactory so far and displays less backlash than my previous plywood gear. Printing took under an hour. For installation, attach a flat washer, spring washer, and butterfly nut to achieve a clean and sturdy setup. The upgraded wheel has been in use for over six months and exhibits less play, wear, and wobble compared to the original plywood gear, which I used for about one month. A picture is provided for reference (with the butterfly nut attached). Recently, I updated the files (wheel2.scad and wheel2.stl) along with an internal image (wheel2_internals.jpg). The enhancements include 0.5mm thicker walls to prevent the captive nut from protruding and causing wobble when securely fastened. Additionally, I repositioned the small holes outwards for increased robustness. With a 0.4mm nozzle and 2.0mm wall thickness, these design changes ensure that the holes touch each other, further improving the part's strength. A closeup picture is included to showcase this feature (with a total weight of 1.6mm and slightly insufficient for subsequent layers).