Squash Ball 4040 Foot Damper (no-tap)

thingiverse

This is a foot I designed specifically for my BigDelta 3D Printer project. The BigDelta utilizes Openbuilds 4040 V-Slot vertical towers for stability. The foot features a cushioning system consisting of a cut-in-half squash ball with a diameter close to 40mm, which effectively isolates vibrations and contributes to the printer's ultra quiet operation. My design aims to eliminate the need to tap the ends of the 4040 for securement, instead utilizing a wedge-like mechanism inspired by drywall anchors. The mechanism includes holes for M3x16 bolts to be screwed in, which taper down to a diameter smaller than that of the bolt itself. As the bolt is inserted, the adjacent parts are pushed outward and bind against the inner walls of the extrusion. In addition to its primary function, this foot also features a channel for wiring to pass through the center of the 4040, as well as a funnel-like feature guiding wires out of the foot piece. I intend to utilize it for endstop wiring and possibly some lighting around the top of the printer if time allows. As a non-squash player, I'm not familiar with the various types available; however, I ended up acquiring double yellow dot-style squash balls, which surprisingly turned out to be more squishy than anticipated. The ball can be carefully cut in half using an xacto knife, following the seam as a guide. Print Settings: Printer: Voxel Ox 8 Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.3 Infill: 20% Notes: I used eSun solid red PETG for this project, sliced with Simplify3d. Despite struggling to find an optimal setting for the support interface layer with PETG, resulting in a somewhat rough finish visible in one of the photos, it remains under the squash ball and therefore doesn't pose a concern. PETG's inherent flexibility likely contributes to its ability to push the parts out of the way as the screw is inserted. A harder material like PLA might crack when subjected to similar flexion (though this remains speculative, as I haven't attempted this).