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Oct 19, 2024

3D Print This Mesmerizingly Smooth Universal Joint With Mini Bearings

The way this 3D printed universal joint moves is just hypnotizing. Yes…yes, you can 3D print a universal joint with mini bearings. Almost meditative, in this video, the 3D printed part moves

The way this 3D printed universal joint moves is just hypnotizing.

Yes…yes, you can 3D print a universal joint with mini bearings. Almost meditative, in this video, the 3D printed part moves effortlessly. As we have mentioned before, additive manufacturing is not just great for business; it is perfect for hobbyists, DIY makers, and young inventors. So why not create one of the most beloved joints in engineering?

In our case, this universal joint in the video uses 1/8 x 3/8-inch bearings mounted in the central ball. The design helps it turn more smoothly compared to what you might see in a simplistic pivot. The quality of the print itself is excellent. But what can you expect? It was made with an Ultimaker.; the brand described as the Rolls Royce of printers. The file was designed by John Beale in OpenSCAD and can be found on Thingiverse and Youmagine. Depending on the task, any filament should be fine. However, we recommend PLA, as it seems to be a fan favorite for rapid prototyping.

After uploading a file, your print will produce one ball and two clevis parts. The ball takes 4x mini-bearings (1/8 x 3/8 x 5/32 inch) pressed into four faces, and 4x M3 screws + 4x M3 (8mm long) hex nuts which fit in the two arm pieces and go into the ID of the bearings.

If you are looking for great things to print in general, the sites mentioned above are great places to start. CAD files on almost anything you can think of are available there. What will you be 3D printing this week?

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