Piper 2 Simple Belt Tensioner

thingiverse

I always prefer my belts to be a bit too tight, and I found it challenging to adjust them perfectly with just zip ties on the gantry, so I came up with this simple belt tensioner design. It proved effective in eliminating backlash on my printer even at extremely high acceleration and jerk settings. The belt tensioner requires four short M4 countersunk screws, four M4 nuts, three M5 70mm screws, and two M5 nuts. Any idlers with a 5mm bore can be used, whether they have teeth or not, making it compatible with both the 6mm and 10mm belt versions of the printer. The tensioner's current travel is sufficient for any printer, but the tension can also be increased by using wider idlers, two tensioners, or a combination of these options. You'll need to print two U-shaped braces (the "Tensioner 1.STL" part). You can also print the idlers if you don't have spares on hand; their roundness doesn't matter much, and the force is minimal.