Sauceke
patreon
The wheel thing
🕑 Added 2024-10-26 00:38:24 +0000 UTCAt last, my wheel toy is working end to end: https://files.catbox.moe/9yxkkc.mp4
There still is room for improvement, but it will be much easier to iterate on it from now on. I'll definitely have to experiment with different tire textures, and perhaps a way to adjust the spacing between the wheels.
It also matters a lot what type of lube you use, since the open design means the lube will dry quicker. For the past 1 or 2 years I've been making my own lube (mostly because commercial lube is impudently expensive these days), and it retains moisture much better than anything I'd used before, so maybe I'll share the recipe.
All the files required to make one are in this Git repo. ("Wheels" is a placeholder name, couldn't come up with anything better.) While it works reliably, I still wouldn't recommend building it in its current stage, simply because the design might change, and it will hopefully get a lot better. A lot of potential is also lost in how LoveMachine interfaces with rotators; the device itself has no issue processing 10 commands per second, so it could change its speed and direction a lot more smoothly than what you can see in the demo. LoveMachine 4 will have smooth rotation besides smooth stroking (among other things), so everything will fall into place once it's finally ready.
If, despite these shortcomings, you still want to build it and use it with LoveMachine 3, remember to set the Rotation Direction Change Chance setting to 0%, and to set the body part assignment for the two wheels individually. I also recommend using noise cancelling headphones, because this thing sounds like construction noise.
Comments
ManlyMarco
Yeah, quieter means more expensive (fancy servo), more complex and expensive (BLDC + encoder), or a major design change (linear servos with pads instead of wheels). Why not have one wheel in a slot and use rubber bands to pull it towards the other wheel? I guess you could add a tensioning servo too.
Sauceke
A stepper might get too hot for PLA (and bols π). I've run these servos for an hour under load and they barely warmed up. Quieter servo probably means tighter tolerances and more cost. (God I fucking hate motors.) I'm more concerned about the net experience though. Fixed wheelbase is a brain dead design, there should be a hinge or something between them, with a threaded rod or a spring to adjust the distance. And I really need to make more wheel designs than just one.
ManlyMarco
Have you looked into using quieter servos? Something with TMC2209 maybe.
