Taz 6 style Externally Accessable Y axis belt tensioner

thingiverse

This project is a completely accessible M4 bolt driven Y axis belt tensioner for the Taz 6 series printer. Co-designed by Kevin Davis, it is specifically designed to work with this particular model. It will not function on any other Taz printers. For older models or to see how this concept works, check out the Taz 1-5 Variant here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1656341 Photos are provided courtesy of Luke Marut and are used with permission. All photo copyrights remain with Luke. To assemble this project, you will need one M4 bolt, one M4 washer, an M4 nyloc nut, two M3 heat set inserts, three 1/4" smooth threaded spacers (likely the 1-inch long ones), six 6-32 1/2" long bolts to fit those spacers, five 6-32 washers, and the stock idler hardware from your Taz. You may also want four long M3 metric bolts and nuts to temporarily secure the drill guide in place and an at least 4mm drill bit. One spacer is bolted to the middle of the base, with the bolt head recessed so as not to hit the mounting plate. The other two replace two of the stock M3 bolts and heat set inserts. Instructions: 1. Remove the idler hardware from its mounting plate and temporarily attach the drill guide to the outside using M3 bolts and nuts. Drill a 4mm diameter hole (as long as an M4 bolt can pass through, you are okay). Remove the guide and clean up the hole. 2. Use the M4 bolt and washer to pull the nyloc M4 nut into the new tensioner nut socket. Then remove the bolt. 3. Assemble the idler pulley hardware. 4. Insert the two heat set inserts into the baseplate. 5. Bolt one of the 1/4" threaded spacers to the center-ish hole using one of the 6-32 bolts in the recess (after cleaning the hole). 6. Bolt the base plate to the idler mount plate using two of the stock M3 bolts and washers in the heat set insert holes, and two of the 6-32 bolts and washers and nylon spacers in the other two holes. 7. Place the tensioner on the spacers and adjust for fit as needed. 8. Thread the M4 bolt and washer from outside the plate into the tensioner. 9. Assemble the belt as usual, then use the M4 bolt to add tension. 10. Put three 6-32 bolts and washers in the other end of the threaded spacers. In case the M4 bolt ever breaks for some reason, these washers will prevent the tensioner from flying forward into the machine's internal components. Edit 1: If you are using my Openbuilds Y axis parts, here is an adjusted endplate that will clear the tensioner bolt and washer. If you are using a more standard Taz, you do not need this part.