tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371051.post6834257904123042585..comments2023-06-11T02:21:31.803-07:00Comments on Moosteria: Steve Peterson's 3D Printed ClockMoosteronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11876161230067008258noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371051.post-989655498351539522021-09-16T19:18:32.749-07:002021-09-16T19:18:32.749-07:00I printed some test structures to compare the fric...I printed some test structures to compare the friction of different brands of PLA. It's not very scientific, but it lets me compare the friction of A vs B, B vs C, A vs C, etc. I printed 3 silk PLA, 2 translucent, and 7 normal PLA. Most were generic brands in the US$15-25 range.<br /><br />The silk PLA scored 10, 11, and 12. They had more friction than all other types. Translucent scored 7 and 9, just slightly better than silk PLA. Normal PLA had less friction than all the others, except one that scored an 8.<br /><br />I was a bit surprised because silk PLA feels a bit slippery. However, when pressed together it grabs and has a high static friction. The dynamic friction is fairly low after it breaks loose, but the high static friction can stop the clock. Its a shame because silk PLA makes incredible looking gears.<br /><br />SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351277776246436799noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371051.post-86496680432103708052021-09-16T18:58:50.255-07:002021-09-16T18:58:50.255-07:00Thanks for the info. That's certainly interest...Thanks for the info. That's certainly interesting about silk PLA. I first worked on clocks and other mechanisms a couple of years back and one of the things that put me off was the appearance of most regular PLAs. I just don't want to see them on my wall. But perhaps it time to take another look at what's available and see if I can find some that looks good.Moosteronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11876161230067008258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8371051.post-80699002954883357312021-09-16T18:27:09.202-07:002021-09-16T18:27:09.202-07:00Thanks for posting.
I initially designed the clo...Thanks for posting. <br /><br />I initially designed the clock using and recommending silk PLA for the gears. It looks great, but seems to have a lot of friction. One key indication is the ratchet sticking in the intermediate position as seen in your photos. The stickiness seems to get slightly worse over time and some of my clocks stopped completely after running great for a few months. One click on the rewind key breaks it loose and the clock runs again for a while.<br /><br />The first clock I designed was printed in normal non-silk PLA and it is still running strong after two full years. I think I am going back to normal PLA for all my pendulum clocks in the future. Silk PLA can still be used in the motorized desk clock where there is plenty power reserve, but it is just too sticky for weight driven clocks with long runtimes.<br /><br />SteveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351277776246436799noreply@blogger.com