Modular Dremel Drill Press System

thingiverse

TL;DR I design supports into most prints where needed, and print with a PrusaMK3S+ and cheap PLA. The only part here without built in supports (and needing them) is the Shroud. Slice everything here at 0.3mm layer height. Most hardware I design with is M3 and square nuts. Most bolts are M3*10. When slicing look at the holes in each part to be sure it is oriented correctly. Holes that print horizontally have 45 degree upper edges and flat tops. Most are already oriented for printing. Holes through overhang bridges have a single 0.3mm layer to complete the bridge. You may need to use an x-acto knife to trim this layer, but this takes far less time than auto gen support removal. If you print at a different layer height, the designed supports will probably fail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Why did I go through all this design effort when I already had a simple functional design? A plate adaptor mounted on top of the original drill adaptor made it hard to see the drill bit, and I was also sick of my lungs blowing off drill dust from circuit boards, all while the motor cooling exhaust air from the dremel teabagged me in the face. Multibase - I intend to use this to make other attachments like a soldering iron adaptor for thread inserts. There is a PNG image and PDF tech drawing for this part, in addition to the FreeCAD file if anyone wants to make their own attachments. This has intigrated print supports. Dremel Mount - The dremel thread does not print pretty but after printing this thread dozens of times, it always works for me after carefully threading it the first time. The design just clears the collet removal button and places the dremel center 55mm from the rack rod center. The small profile was originally intended for a modular air shroud but I abandoned it due to a better, friction fit shroud design. This may work with other dremel models. Alignment Mount - This replaces the original alignment rod and has a much tighter clearance than the original. You may need to do some sanding to get the upper rod section to fit perfectly. It probably depends on how rough the slot was cut at the factory. It also helps to add a little bit of oil or grease to make the surface lower friction. The primary source of slop in this machine originally comes from the alignment rod and body clearance. I designed this part to use almost the entire slot width for much more accurate alignment than the original rod. Note, in the freeCAD file there is another mount to attach the original alignment rod to the multibase too. For this print there are two single layer width wall supports for the overhang that wraps around the front of the Multibase. Just bend and break them, then cut anything that remains with flush diagonal wire cutters, (IMO this is far better than the giant auto gen supports). AuxLight - This is a small single LED DIY light used to cast a shadow of the drill bit tip as it contacts a surface. This is one of the most accurate ways of visual alignment. See the tech drawing for more details and a BOM. Body Clamp - This adds a set of mounting points that mirrors the front-sides of the Multibase but is independent of the Rack Rod. It clamps to the body casting and spline on top. I have not uploaded any parts that use the front mounting points. There is a version in the freeCAD file without front mounts and one with just right or just left side mounts as well. The top of this clamp has two mounts for... Body Clamp Upper Rack Rod Clamp - This is a two arm system that has a circular offset from the Rack Rod. When this clamp is tightened it presses against the front of the Rack Rod and displaces the clearance tolerance between the bore and rod. Normally, with how this machine was made, when the drill press is actuated, the drill bit will make initial contact, then there is a tendency for the bit to wander and push in one direction by about a millimeter. I think this is due to the contact angle of the pinion gear and rack combined with the rod to bore clearance. My clamp design eliminates this motion. Putting it another way, I can drill 0.8mm holes in a pcb exactly where I want them even if the small center pilot hole didn't get etched, and I am confident I can now try drilling accurate holes for 0.4mm vias. Clamp Stop - this is a simple way to stop breaking tiny drill bits because of the original height adjustment knob coming loose or letting the head fall without warning. This clamp will contact the large side area of the adjustable head, and clears the horizontal ring mount under the main body casting. PrusaSlicer reports a few errors in the mesh, but it printed fine for me. The error is due to the curved side step up transition. MultiPro Upper Clamp - This adds a lot of rigidity, but it only works with the old Multipro Dremel models with the alignment ring on the back. This has a print support ring built in.This will take a bit of effort to remove. Take a look at the sliced layers to get an idea of how I weakened the mate surface. Multipro Shroud - This works, and I really like it so far. I am redirecting the air from the motor cooling fan and using it to keep the work surface clean. This is the only part on this page that does not have built in supports in the STL file. You're on your own with this one. The supports I tried to build in didn't work very well and this is a tricky print. It is thin and has a complex transition from duct to pipe. The whole thing stays in place remarkably well for just a friction fit. This was actually my first of five versions I designed and tried, but none could beat this one. It can be rotated to change the air flow. More importantly, it can rotate easily as the dremel is threaded into its mount, and it is mechanically simple. Disclaimer - I chose the air tube diameter to match the overall area of the largest pair of the 3 pairs of vents on the dremel body. That is the full extent of my thermal engineering here. - Rather naive at best! I have not pushed to see how the machine handles long duty cycles, or maximum output. I use this occasionally to drill a bunch of tiny holes in circuit boards for like 20 minutes at a time. Height Clamp Lever - This is designed for a 3/8 bolt with a nut threaded up to the bolt head end to increase the contact area of the hex. A bolt around 1in long will work. Just be sure to grind or sand the pipe contact end flat or it will mare up the pipe. This is designed with a chamfer on the side facing the print bed and a fillet on the top. It makes a nice looking contoured part that prints without any supports. If you have your first layer elephants foot compensation perfectly dialed, maybe detune it a bit. The tiny lip on the inner hex makes a great little retainer without needing to glue anything. Pipe Clamp Accessory Mount - The two bolt versonn is included in the STLs. There is a single bolt version in the FreeCAD file. This is the mount for my Cord Carrier. Cord Carrier - This is pretty self explanatory. Print this with a 3d cubic infill somewhere around 10%. The angles are designed to print without supports. FreeCAD file included. Printed. Tested. Works.