Heat-Set Insert Press with Spring Return

thingiverse

This remix replaces the pulley and counter weight system used in the adafruit and atmakers design with a constant force spring, offering a simpler solution. A constant force spring works similarly to what is found in a tape measure - it always pulls with the same force, regardless of the distance pulled. The Arm, Handle, and 2020 Mount are used as-is from the adafruit design. The Roller Plate is symmetrical in design so the Handle can be mounted on either side of the tower, or even on the front or back of the Roller Plate. I added a tension adjustment to the Roller Plate design to eliminate wheel play on the 2020 extrusion. The 2020 Mount from the atmakers design appears sturdier than the adafruit version, but it was not printed. The adafruit design uses #4 woodscrews, which feel too small for this application, but are working fine. I designed the Iron Mount specifically for a Weller WES51 soldering iron. The Iron Mount used on adafruit design is interchangeable with this design. Included are drawings for brass tips for the WES51. The tips sold by adafruit will not fit on the Weller WES51 iron. The 3mm heat-set inserts are used on the short section of the Arm that attaches to the Soldering Iron Mount. The holes in the long section of the Arm serve as through holes for the 4mm button head screw. The CF Spring is sandwiched between the Arm and Roller Plate, accepting the 4mm button head screw. Counter sunk holes were used in the Roller Plate and Iron Mount because they print well from either direction. Flat head screws mate well with the printed countersinks, and are used for the soldering Iron Mount and the Handle. The internal holes printed a little undersized, so I opened some up with an appropriate sized drill. The Bobbin needs to spin freely on the thru-hole bolt. Bill Of Material Bobbin Qty=3, M4 2020 T-Nut Qty=3, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x8 Qty=1, Button Head Screw, M5x0.8x30 Qty=1, Lock Nut, M5x0.8 Qty=1, Constant Force Spring, 0.7 lbs, McMaster 9293K17 Roller Plate Qty=3, Ball Bearings with Wheels, www.amazon.com/dp/B01FJHZ42M/ Qty=3, Flat Head Screw, M5x0.8x25 Qty=3, Lock Nut, M5x0.8 Qty=1, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x25 Qty=1, Nut, M4x0.7 Handle Qty=2, M3x0.5 Brass Heat-Set Insert Qty=2, Flat Head Screw, M3x0.5x10 Arm Qty=2, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x16 Qty=2, Nut, M4x0.7 Qty=2, M3x0.5 Brass Heat-Set Insert Iron Mount Iron Clamp Qty=4, M3x0.5 Brass Heat-Set Insert Qty=6, Flat Head Screw, M3x0.5x10 Stop Qty=1, M4 2020 T-Nut Qty=1, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x8 Cable Clamp Qty=1, M4 2020 T-Nut Qty=1, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x8 2020 Mount Qty=4, M4 2020 T-Nut Qty=4, Button Head Screw, M4x0.7x8 Qty=4, Wood Screw, #4 x 3/4" This is a rewarding project to build because it is a useful tool with a good feel. Printing and redesigning some of the parts was fun too. I had not used heat-set inserts until building this project, but I can easily see that this tool will be helpful in providing true alignment of the inserts as well as holding the iron in the ready position.