Which toothed replacements for idlers?  

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

cant see them on Amazon at moment

GT2 IDLER PULLEY - 20 TEETH - 6MM WIDE - 3MM BORE

my mk2 is pretty much standard... I have toothed rollers, not fitted yet...

have printed an X motor cable strain relief tab for back of x motor to take weight off motor wires
have printed different part fan cowling and fitted it
have printed reverse copy of filament spool holder, to make 2 colour printing easier
printed JLTX X Axis back panel to allow access to X belt, fitted it, never needed to adjust belt since initial build
printed y belt tensioner, but not fitted it yet
printed two filament guides

that's about it...

heat bed wires have fractured, replaced with flexible silicone cable...
Pinda cable has fractured, currently temporary repair using flat USB cable

both due to cable flexing!

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Found the idlers on amazon... 5-pack for $9.95.

Thanks Joan!

YEah a number of the other things I'll certainly be printing post initial build to upgrade with. I could use my current printer but it only prints PLA and the quality is pretty crap so don't see the point in bothering.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

as it happens my X axis back panel, and cooling nozzle are both PLA

I dont print ABS because it upsets my chest...

and so far, I dont print exotic filaments

so PLA is holding up...

I also printed an indicator that clips onto the extruder motor shaft with an 8mm diameter 2mm thick neodymium magnet and it indicates extruder motor movement as the pint progresses

regards Joan

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Found the idlers on amazon... 5-pack for $9.95.

Share the link for the rest of us?

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Found the idlers on amazon... 5-pack for $9.95.

Share the link for the rest of us?

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Found the idlers on amazon... 5-pack for $9.95.

Share the link for the rest of us?

I found these using a simple search on Amazon. I can't vouch for their quality as I haven't purchased them.

https://www.amazon.com/WINSINN-Aluminum-Timing-Pulley-Printer/dp/B07BPKWM9D/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1525957053&sr=8-20&keywords=gt2%2Bidler%2Bpulley&th=1

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Found the idlers on amazon... 5-pack for $9.95.

Share the link for the rest of us?

I found these using a simple search on Amazon. I can't vouch for their quality as I haven't purchased them.

https://www.amazon.com/WINSINN-Aluminum-Timing-Pulley-Printer/dp/B07BPKWM9D/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1525957053&sr=8-20&keywords=gt2%2Bidler%2Bpulley&th=1

I saw those, but I am hoping to get a link from someone who has confirmed they work. I've already purchased one set of incompatible idlers from Amazon.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Well... I opted for a 16t idler for both my Y and X axis for good reasons. I modified the belt holder to take a White steel core belt instead of the stock one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748CNTFR/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The thickness of the belt plus the fact that once you put a toothed idler in it drops the center of the belt, making for the motor pulling unevenly. I have a bunch of upgrades (pretty much not a prusa anymore) that I did due to the issues I had with the stock pre-built units I have of the MK3. The belt upgrade was a huge difference after it was properly stretched and centered.
I also used a tensioner for the Y-axis that I could adjust on the fly.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Carefull with the parts you buy, always buy high quality parts to avoid future problems.
I had buy a 5 x 16T pack and the inside is becoming dust with small usage, my Y axis 16T idler is droping alot of iron dust on the table. With a magnet i can clean table and pick that dust and it will affect the movement and create a lot of noise.
Right now i'm waiting for new replacement.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

I ended up with these... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0788J1QDY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We'll see how well they work. I have another 3-4 weeks before my kit comes.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Well... I opted for a 16t idler for both my Y and X axis for good reasons. I modified the belt holder to take a White steel core belt instead of the stock one.
...
I also used a tensioner for the Y-axis that I could adjust on the fly.

Is that mattyVee's Y tensioner by chance? What modifications were necessary, it seems like just a bit of sanding or did you design a whole new part?

I plan on tearing mine down in the near future to do the idlers and also upgrade to the R2/B6 carriage and endstop/holder as well as a Y tensioner. Considering the white belts as well but I've heard different stories on their efficacy.

Really lack of anything better to do at the moment, I don't trust the mk3 on larger prints with the extrusion issues (mine is hugely improved on newer firmwares, but still not perfect).

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Last weekend iI installed the following toothed idlers on my mk2s.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H3DSGAC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I would not recommend them as some of them are pretty beat up and they all required the bearings to be lubricated however i can comment on how they affected my printer and the following prints.

The idlers are narrower than the stock mk2s idlers which reduced the belt walk but the a side affect was that the belt would attempt to walk up the sides of the idler. This lead me to fine tuning the angle at which the idler was facing as both idlers were slightly canted. I saw some slight belt shreds after a few hours of printing before adjusting the angle and am hoping that the adjustment has corrected that.

As for print quality, I have noticed a slight and i mean slight reduction in ghosting but not enough for me to directly correlate the change to the idlers. When installing the idlers you affect too many other variables that could also affect the print quality such as belt tension and bolt angles. I will most likely remove them in a few weeks if i still notice any additional belt wear.

I have been chasing down the ghost for a long time now and the only thing that i have seen dramatically affect it is the power mode you print in. When printing in automatic or silent, my ghosting is 3x as bad as when i run in high power mode. I will post back if when i conclude my testing.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Well... I opted for a 16t idler for both my Y and X axis for good reasons. I modified the belt holder to take a White steel core belt instead of the stock one.
...
I also used a tensioner for the Y-axis that I could adjust on the fly.

Is that mattyVee's Y tensioner by chance? What modifications were necessary, it seems like just a bit of sanding or did you design a whole new part?

I plan on tearing mine down in the near future to do the idlers and also upgrade to the R2/B6 carriage and endstop/holder as well as a Y tensioner. Considering the white belts as well but I've heard different stories on their efficacy.

Really lack of anything better to do at the moment, I don't trust the mk3 on larger prints with the extrusion issues (mine is hugely improved on newer firmwares, but still not perfect).

It is, but modified just a touch. The base I printed from White PC and lengthened the bottom for a custom thumbscrew I added to adjust on the fly. Behind the thumbscrew I have a locking collar to make sure it doesn't come out of adjustment. But yea... The 16T idler and that, my Y axis is completely centered! With the Steel core belts I had to modify the belt holder and other things as well, but a world of difference it has made! I have a total of 6 days nonstop on this setup so far and the only wear I am getting is grime from the toothed motor gear where the belt primarily runs. No frays, no breaks, not any nightmare stories. You just need to properly stretch it and it is good to go!

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

20180502_000320.jpg20180502_000232.jpgIMG_20180501_234848_383.jpg

Looks awesome! If you don’t mind, can you share your STLs and the link to the idlers you are using?

Cheers!

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

20180502_000320.jpg20180502_000232.jpgIMG_20180501_234848_383.jpg

Looks awesome! If you don’t mind, can you share your STLs and the link to the idlers you are using?

Cheers!

Thanks man! It has worked out really well so far! After a little more time I am seeing some negatives though. Because of the smaller profile of the pulleys and the thicker belt I do get a bit of belt noise depending how tight I have the belts. Also the tightness of the belt combined with the igus bearings kinda make things a little sticky and trigger crash detection sometimes. Still adjusting 🙂

The link for the STL is https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2786671 I modified this by reversing the tightening bolt and then adding a barrel adjuster and collar to tighten it down.

I used these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H3EY4X4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 for the pulleys. Keep in mind that there are probably at least 2 bad bearings per set, so its a game finding out what pulley works smoothly.

I just tested this setup again monday by printing a 48 hour print nonstop and I think I have finally stretched the belts to perfection 🙂

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

I've tried to find an answer to why so many printer designers use smooth idlers instead of toothed. Given that the cost of toothed idlers are essentially the same as smooth, I assume that the smooth idlers are somehow better than the toothed. I've posted this question on FB before with no answer. Would be nice if Josef Prusa could chime in on this. I've used both types on various printers and haven't seen any difference in print quality.

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

I've tried to find an answer to why so many printer designers use smooth idlers instead of toothed. Given that the cost of toothed idlers are essentially the same as smooth, I assume that the smooth idlers are somehow better than the toothed. I've posted this question on FB before with no answer. Would be nice if Josef Prusa could chime in on this. I've used both types on various printers and haven't seen any difference in print quality.

I have no idea, but I would like a answer on this as well seeing how the toothed idler is waayyyyyy better in my opinion. It keeps the belt centered and prevents it from wandering to the sides of the pully. I was having terrible ringing issues with the stock belt and the smooth pulley on my other printers. I simply changed out the pulley ( not the belt) on it and the ringing is gone!

Re: Which toothed replacements for idlers?

So after a week of printing i will say that i am happy switching to the toothed idlers. I noticed a reduction in moire and more consistent layers. I did add a bit of machine oil to the sides of my belts which did reduce the belts trying to creep up the edges of the idler and i no longer see any belt shreds below my printer like i did with the smooth and toothed idler before. I am content for now with the quality of my prints and will start to dive into printing mi miniatures. I have a few requests from friends for some tiny prints so now that i have my printer rock solid i am confident to dive into something more challenging.