Hot Wire cutter tensioner with sevo

thingiverse

This supersedes https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2485744 because it was discovered that finding good linear potentiometers can be quite problematic. Several other features have been improved as well. A simple solution is to utilize the potentiometer from a servo, which is removed from its housing and connected with some wire instead. What's required for this setup is a center pulse for the servo to function properly. Generating a single square signal is easiest done using a small Arduino of some sort. Alternatively, building an 555 timer circuit can also achieve this. Note that mounting holes are designed specifically for my application and may need to be adjusted to accommodate the cutter it's intended to be attached to. This project is not suitable for individuals who lack experience with tinkering, but those who are building their own CNC machines likely know what they're getting themselves into.