Hadley Telescope Azimuth Bearing
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Azimuth bearing for the 3D printed Hadley telescope using a PTFE bowden tube for smooth rotation.
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Model information
- Source
- Printables
- Category
- Physics & Astronomy
- License
- Creative Commons — Attribution — Noncommercial — Share Alike
This is an azimuth bearing for the Hadley telescope that uses a PTFE bowden tube as a low friction interface material. Bowden tubes are inexpensive and readily available, making them an ideal source of PTFE material for the bearing.
The tube sits in a V-groove. The centerline of the groove is 150mm in diameter so the bowden tube must not be longer than 471mm; leave it a little shorter than that. I used a 4mm OD, 2mm ID bowden tube. To help the tube hold it's shape and stay in the groove when assembling the telescope, place a length of filament into the tube connecting each end (see second picture).
Print Settings:
- This isn't a high-stress part so default print settings are probably fine, except as noted below.
- Grid infill is probably preferable because it's denser at a given infill % and is aligned with the direction of loading.
- You can reduce print time by approx. 25% by using zero bottom layers.
- IMPORTANT: there is a flared section of the groove which is meant for the z-seam so the tube won't catch on it. Make sure the z-seam is located in that flare (see third picture). In Cura, set “Z Seam Alignment” to “Sharpest Corner”. A little bit of manual touch-up with a hobby knife may be needed to get a nice smooth transition.
You will need to print two of these; one for the top raceway, one for the bottom.