Someone asked me about the plans, and that caused me to look back at this old thread. I don't need the slip roll often, but it is very nice to have when I do need it! It continues to work to my satisfaction.
About the gears ... I had the idea to use my 3d printer to print out a couple of different set of gears to try. I figured they'd tear apart pretty quickly, but they would let me test engagement at different thicknesses. Well ... it's been three years now, and I'm still using the 3d printed plastic gears! It turns out that there is not a lot of force exerted on the gears, since friction makes the rollers want to roll. The gears do help with feeding in the piece, so I'm glad to have them. And one of these days, if they do break, I can always go ahead to make them out of steel or brass or whatever is handy. Or I could just print another set ... !
About the gears ... I had the idea to use my 3d printer to print out a couple of different set of gears to try. I figured they'd tear apart pretty quickly, but they would let me test engagement at different thicknesses. Well ... it's been three years now, and I'm still using the 3d printed plastic gears! It turns out that there is not a lot of force exerted on the gears, since friction makes the rollers want to roll. The gears do help with feeding in the piece, so I'm glad to have them. And one of these days, if they do break, I can always go ahead to make them out of steel or brass or whatever is handy. Or I could just print another set ... !
