We should switch to metal spacers

[WillAdams]

One concern I had w/ using carbon fiber is that it's splintery, and I worry how well the open ends would hold up under any sort of tension which applied un-even pressure to the ends.

[orangezero]

I haven't finished my build yet, but I'm wondering why you couldn't just get some metal tubing at a hardware store or hobby shop. I think they usually sell brass tubing in 1 or 2ft sections pretty cheap, and it wouldn't seem to be too hard to set up an accurate way to cut them to the exact size needed.

[WillAdams]

I actually bought, and then returned some stainless steel (K&E Engineering?) tubing intending to do that --- the nuisance of course is the need to set up the jigs to cut things accurately.

Just buying the spacers was cheaper too.

[Tobias]

Noticed any difference? Problary going to make some at work. Got quite a few materials to choose from, like aluminium, titanium, aisi316 (stainless steel), regular iron, brass and much more..

Any reason to believe that aluminium won't be as good as any other material? I guess if I made a some of spacers, I could post them? Dunno about postage rates tho, from Norway.

[WillAdams]

The machine seems stiffer, and it looks nicer (IMO). I'll either buy half-a-dozen more spacers the next time I'm in Lowes / Home Depot, or add a 10 pack to my next Inventables order.

Thanks!

William

[Tobias]

Well, just for the looks, could make the spacers to customized lenght (instead of using two) and polish the aluminium :3 I guess that spacer size is a common size? Don't really buy stuff like that so often, and in metric size the measurements just sounds silly
Heres a drawing I made for fun with metric measurements. http://db.tt/3dXUAjXd (hope link works.)

[WillAdams]

Just to clarify, the aluminum spacers are available at Inventables: https://www.inventables.com/technologie ... um-spacers

They're also available at Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/8-x-1-4-in-x ... ai-YeDNB94 (but cash-and-carry is significantly more expensive, hence my waiting to see if I can toss them into my next Inventables order)

Agree that a single part looks nicer --- that was a big part of why I went w/ 7/32" roll pins for motor stand-offs --- just need to get 4 2" pins for when I next tear down my machine.

William

[Tobias]

Well ofcourse, but it took a few weeks to get my packages last time. And it's really expensive with postage 34,5 dollars just for shipping. So much easier for me to make them myself

[cvoinescu]

I have them in my store, too (makerslideeurope.com), and postage to Norway is less prohibitive. They're more expensive than Inventables, though, and the range is much smaller -- sorry.

[Tobias]

Hehe, good to know for other things, but as said, takes about 5 minutes to program and make them at work