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DIY Universal Joint in less than 5 mins for less than £3.50!

Discussion in 'SimTools compatible interfaces' started by bigtalltim, Oct 31, 2010.

  1. bigtalltim

    bigtalltim New Member

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    Hi to all! :hi:

    I am mid build with my simulator project, but thought I would share this - it is so cheap and effective that I thought others could benefit from it!

    There are many ways of improvising universal joints, but not many of them can be made in less than 5 minutes and for less than £3.50 8)

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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1FQ4L9Dzk

    You can stick it together with a weld if you like, but if you have a very tight fit (as I do) by ensuring that your angle grinder disc is the same thickness as the hinge, even solder is enough! - remember that the joint will always be under compression when in use

    I intend to weld the hinge into the ends of two bars (similar to the slots in wood in the demo video) but you could clamp between two pieces of wood or metal if you prefer - or even screw it onto a block on the frame if you dont mind losing some of the range of motion.

    Enjoy! :cheers:

    Tim
    bigtalltim, Oct 31, 2010
    #1
  2. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    It is crucial for most applications that an U-joint has no play, as one millimeter play in the joint, causes several centimeters movement in some distance.

    I appreciate your effort, but solid automotive steering column U-joints with no play are quite cheap and available via the junkjard or ebay.

    Example:
    http://cgi.ebay.de/Saab-9000-CS-Kreuzge ... 3f045a6f47

    Regards
    egoexpress, Oct 31, 2010
    #2
  3. bigtalltim

    bigtalltim New Member

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    Thank you for your advice - you make a fair comment, but as a joiner, I can tell you that it is just as critical with a fire door weighing several hundred pounds that there is no play in the joint...

    There is little (less than 0.5 millimetre) play in this joint, and that will result in less than 0.5cm deviation over the maximum distance in my build...

    As I understand it, this would be way more critical for guys who use actuators as lateral play would allow an actuator shaft to twist and be damaged... not a problem for me with wiper motors, but again, there is less than one millimetre lateral play here

    I have looked at steering column U-joints on ebay already... they usually go for about £20-£30 :( the local scrap yards are looking for about the same - maybe that is just a UK thing... thank you so much for the example link - I may have to import! :D

    Going by the videos in the post 2dof simple wipermotor chair by ua6aak which also features a joint based on door hinges, it will be good enough at least to get me started while I save up for the real thing :D

    Once again, thanks for your comments - any advice from you guys is superb!

    Regards

    Tim
    bigtalltim, Oct 31, 2010
    #3
  4. egoexpress

    egoexpress Active Member

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    Yes, that's right.

    Keep us posted
    Regards
    egoexpress, Oct 31, 2010
    #4
  5. Frakk

    Frakk Active Member

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    Good thinking there Tim!

    I have to agree with egoexpress though.. Those hinges will wear out rapidly in the material itself, the pressed metal sheets will bend and loosen over time and you will have to replace them every so often. Using a sturdier door hinge with bearings will also run you in the $30 range.

    An other thing is that you vertically separate the longitudinal and lateral pivot points. This may not be a problem, but it could easily cause false movements if the geometry doesn't compensate for it.

    Ebay is your friend! :)


    Please continue posting when you get all your parts and start using this joint! It will be worth the testing to see how long it lasts! In the meanwhile you can look for cheap U-joints too.
    Frakk, Oct 31, 2010
    #5