Rebuilding a idler wheel for recumbent bikes with 3D printer!

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Do you ride a recumbent bike? I haven’t ride my bike recently but I tried to ride it. But its idler was cracked!

Cracked idler wheel

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Here is my recumbent bike “Volae sport”. I used to comute by this bike. but recently I often ride other bikes.

One day, I found it…

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The idler (the small black wheel) was cracked. and then…

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It was completely separated.

Off course I can get it from Hostel Shoppe(Here) But, Sending it from the U.S. to Japan is not affordable. So I decided to build it by myself with my 3D printer.

First of all, I measured the previous idler. After that I started making a 3D model.

Draw the cross-section of half.

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Mirror the body.

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Put a hole for the bearing.

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Add six rib. It helps adjusting a gap with the bearing.2015-03-13_09h39_23

Here is another version which have dents. So called cocked pulley? It is expected to prevent sliding chain.

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Printed idlers with Makerbot replicator2X, ABS, layer hight 0.3mm.

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(L) Cocked pulley, (R) Original shape.

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Putting into bearing.

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Press the bearing with vise.

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Well done!

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Cocked pulley and hard were.

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Finally, assemble it onto the frame.

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Renewed idler and chain.

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Is it seems completely fixed? I rode it the other day. It made a little noise but I wasn’t so concerned about it.

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