Vertical Plotter Gondola v4 (aka Polargraph)

thingiverse

UPDATE: After several test prints I think this version of the gondola is not as good as previous v3. The movable mounts somehow lead to less accurate, very curvy angles in drawings. This is an improved but slightly more complicated version of a gondola (penholder) for a simple vertical plotter like Polargraph, Makelangelo or Drawbot. The design features movable mountings for bead chains that create smoother moves and straighter lines compared to v3. You will need some additional M3 bolts and nuts to connect these mountings to the base platform, as shown in pictures. You can find previous v3, which does not require assembly and uses fewer bolts and nuts, here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:472573. Also, check out my other objects including the bead chain gear: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:467647. To build your own vertical plotter, you will need these models along with some electronic components. A great starting point is Sandy Nobles' Instructables on Polargraph drawing machines: http://www.instructables.com/id/Polargraph-Drawing-Machine/?ALLSTEPS. This is iteration 4 of the gondola design, still a work in progress far from perfection. Features include: * Movable mounting arms for bead chains * Bead chains can be fixed with M3 screws * Pen can be fixed with an M4 screw * Sufficient space to glue servo for pen lift * An M3 hole at the bottom for counterweight (M5 would be better, allowing use of M5 nuts as weight) * More pictures can be found here: http://www.makerblog.at/2014/09/vertikalplotter-im-selbstbau-teil-1-polargraph-kritzler-makelangelo-und-co/