Thursday, April 24, 2014

hayley's hand: aluminum hex tensioners


























I was just finishing Hayley's hand and decided that I did not feel comfortable with the small size of the hex tensioner pins as I think they might have the tendency to strip over time. Since Hayley is located in the UK, I figured that I should make something that is a bit more resilient and not likely to need maintenance in the future. 

I started with some aluminum hex rod in the size that matched the hex holes in the gauntlet I printed for Hayley. I ordered this from McMaster Carr. I chucked the rod in my lathe and center drilled the end. Then I used a drill bit to bore the hex to the required depth. I followed this by threading the hole with a 0-80 tap and then marked and drilled the end for the string hole. Once this was complete I cut the rod to the proper length and then repeated the steps four more times. The rods are strung/connected now and I have to admit that I feel a confidence in these that I have never had with the plastic hex tensioners when they are printed this small. I realize this isn't the most basic procedure for the novice who does not have access to such equipment, but I still feel it is worth mentioning as most Makerspaces have a lathe and it is within the abilities of most people to learn. Part of my thinking is due to working on developing a hand that is a bit more rugged for outdoor and sporting activities and I am looking at creating more of the components in aluminum for an active young boy named Evan.




2 comments:

Bryan Cera said...

Frankie,

I saw this post an immediately thought of some brass hex standoffs I used in a past project... similar to these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AH8DQBA/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

Could be a good stand in for someone who doesnt have access to a lathe or tap set?

Keep up the awesome work, Professor!!

Frankie Flood said...

Thanks. I'll add this info to the enable site!

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