Randco Nut Buster 2000

prusaprinters

I needed an ergonometric heat insertion tool, that is horizontal in design, that supports brass nuts placed upon the TS101 iron heat insertion tip without falling off (to help deal with effects of essential tremors). I needed a design that is easy to insert/remove the iron and provides sufficient travel to support larger objects.While I was noodling the pregnant idea around in my head, trying to avoid rocks and other clutter, I decided to create a sort of ‘steampunky’ vibe with gears, levers and slides.Instructions for assembly and use:Route the soldering iron power supply wire up through the bottom of the tool, through the hole in the slide and attach the cable to to ironGently press the iron down into the slide (it will clip in place)Attach the appropriate (3mm) heat insert adapter tip onto the iron (I use the CNC Kitchen pack)Ensure the power cable has sufficient extra length for the full slide travel before securing it into the provide cable holders on the bottom of the pedestal feet (routes to the rear)Insert the pedestal rails into the slots on both sides of the mechanism support plates, position to the proper movement depth and secure with the two rail pinsHeat the iron to 200C (for PETG)Use tweezers to add a brass heat insert nut onto the iron tip (ensure correct direction with knurled shoulders toward the iron and the narrower sleeve forward)Hold the object against the pedestal plate and slowly rotate the spur gear forward to set the nut into the plasticDepending upon your work surface, you may need to add anti-slip pads to the bottom of the pedestal feet to prevent slippingParts for assembly:3mm Brass heat insert nuts H8, 6 each for securing side supports H6, 4 each for interconnect plateH8, 6 each for pedestal feetH8, 4 each for pedestal railsM3 Hex button head cap screws12mm, 6 each for side supports6mm, 4 each for interconnect plate12mm, 6 each for pedestal feet15mm, 4 each for pedestal railsTS100/101 soldering ironHeat insert iron adapter tip with interchangeable nut tipsParts sources:Heat insert nutsTS101 soldering ironTS101 adapter tipsHex button head cap screwsSlicing/printingI used Prusa Slicer on an OPXL 5H printer (.4 HE, input shaper, either .20 or .25 layers). As such, you'll need a 360x360 bed for printing.I used Polymaker PETG for all partsI used Hatchbox white PLA for the support interface layer using the .20 soluble interface profile (it provided the best adhesion/release combined with Polymaker PETG)Three parts required interface support, the iron slide, the spur gear shaft and the rail pinsI've included PrusaSlicer projects for all parts, that include mouse ears and appropriate settings for the PLA interface layer (where appropriate)To maximize part straightness, I position long object towards the outside edge of the print bedAlthough heat insert holes are set to 4.2mm, you may need a 4mm drill to clean out the holesThe pedestal plate has a text modifier for the “Nut Buster 2000” namingOther notesIn the future I may design additional pedestal plates with adaptations for stabilizing cylinders and round objectsI thought about adding an auto-retract mechanism, but I'm still debating the idea