The Damping System

Play "Test & Recognise" by "Seekae (Flume Re-Work)"  to see this post. 

I shall lead or die trying to lead. I won't come back, you all have one chance.

This one's my favorite song. This post is my favorite? Nah, Every post is otherwise it wouldn't exist this website. 

This contraption DOES NOT have anything to do with  Commander Keen.

The story is pretty much - Got an expensive desk + got a fancy 3D printer -> both didn't like each other and started fighting. 

So?

I stepped in and fixed the fight. Made this damping system to completely stop the desk from wiggling around when the printer violently moved the axis'. My dad got two pieces of Saint Gobain 12mm glass for it. Looked crazy fancy, see the pictures they are amazing. 

And No, It doesn't affect the printer quality if you calibrate the vibration compensation and make sure you know what settings to use on each print. For example a flush wall surface is required on a sliding contact joint so you make sure to put 50mm/s on the outer walls and etc. I mean you just gotta be very very experienced with 3D printing to use this system so don't try it if you just bought the printer. 

The Dampner

The damper itself is a simple spring powered sliding contact surface device. There's a few parts to it. I truly believe this piece of assembly is the greatest use of common 3D printing materials available in 2025. I used PLA for the Base because of its stiffness, PETG for the top plate due to its thermal properties relative to PLA, TPU for both the inner springs and the top surface for springiness and cushioness.

Using the materials to their appropriate use was the main focus of this assembly. The springs were just any other spring I could get from anywhere. The bolts are just ISO M3 and M2 from the market.

The springs are constrained between m3 washers so they don't make noise once they start moving around.

The star of the show, 51108 bearing. YES SIR, A thrust bearing used as a near frictionless sliding contact.

I had to model the springs for this post, which took a while since I had to make it as close to real life like as possible.

In the 3D models provided below I gave the full system assembly, the assembly without the top plate and the exploded view of the assembly to develop understanding.

Interactive 3D Model of The Damper

The Full System

Do you know how I got this whole idea?? THE GLASS slabs! YESSSSSSS. The glass slabs when my dad bought and brought them to the house started slipping when kept on top of each other. So I rushed to my old stash of bearings and found a few thrust bearings. I remembered playing around with them back in January and found they slip a lot when turned around and sandwiched with the wrong faces touching the balls.

So I maximized the effect, put the slidy thing in between the slidy things and voila, we have landed on Mars with this situation.

The Results: Youtube Video - Fancy Printer Gets A Fancy Damping System

Here's the 3D models of the entire system along with the printer on it and without the printer. 

Update: The one with the printer is on hold due to inaccurate models of the A1 Mini printer available online.

The Full System Without The Printer

Couldn't see your eyes, they were up inside

"

I know what to do (Do)

Then come back for you (You)

I know what to do (Do)

Then come back for you (You)

"

I really don't know what to do but I will come back one day but maybe not for you.

Send me Chartreuse Verte now. 

 Made in Rudra, India by RolandThsive

Have a nice day
- Rohit

THE THE THE THE THE DAMPER

All the Parts

The Head With Springs

The MASTER PLAN STUFF