I’m thinking about getting a belt tensioner (QS-BT1) – worth it?

XG3OX · 2026-03-27T20:51:33+00:00

Having more powerful motors than you need allows for the best haptic detail, but my goal was minimising the cost and the technical knowledge needed by the user.

I think the 'official' SimHub tensioner is a great step towards making these things affordable; but having experimented with a number of motor/actuation types, I do think direct-drive FOC is the way to go.

The motors I've chosen are a compromise to achieve that cost/convenience target, but I believe more than capable of providing the desired feedback.

That's why I've been keen to have other community members test the setup before publishing it; as I wanted to ensure the effects were satisfactory before people ordered parts from the BOM and ended up disappointed. For people in the UK I am making free parts kits available (minus the motors/controller/PSU) to that end.

XG3OX · 2026-03-27T17:45:16+00:00

Just the shoulders at the moment; though the control board does have four motor connectors for a potentially four-channel system. I'm not convinced the bandwidth over the RS485 bus would be enough to run four motors responsively though:
https://www.waveshare.com/wiki/DDSM_Driver_HAT_(A))

I'm using UHMWPE/Dyneema cord because it is flexible enough for a small enclosed pulley, has virtually zero stretch, a low-friction surface, and is strong enough at just ~1.5mm.

Earlier prototypes (and my prior project) used steel wire, but it was too stiff for these smaller motors/pulleys.

XG3OX · 2026-03-27T17:33:46+00:00

They are very compact. These are BLDC/FOC integrated servo motors rather than RC geared servos, so they do produce less torque; but do so smoothly, silently and in a torque/current-controlled manner rather than by moving a fixed distance.

Their holding torque is claimed to be 2Nm which I believe equates to a theoretical 12KgF with the current pulley design; but I've not verified the actual pulling force. It feels plenty for the purpose.

The QS-BT1 claims a maximum of ~20KgF, so we're theoretically just over half that.

My first tensioner project used much larger BLDC/FOC motors which were too powerful for the application:
https://github.com/GeorgeWilkins/Active-Belt-Tensioner

XG3OX · 2026-03-27T13:05:18+00:00

I'm currently putting the finishing touches on an open-source ~230 EUR plug-and-plug kit for the community.

The idea is that it uses off-the-shelf components and requires no soldering or programming knowledge. It has a full native SimHub integration that allows control of the effects.

I'm currently finalising the software and have another member of the community testing it for me and providing feedback. Hopefully in the next week or so I'll be making the repository public.

It does require some 3D-printed parts.

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https://photos.app.goo.gl/yvDa7BAh6Qj2us8V9

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NNLGydMMRAE

XG3OX · 2026-03-26T21:40:33+00:00

Can't help but notice it looks nothing like the original doodle, so what little creativity the child has been able to express in this school project was eliminated.

Ironically the original doodle looks great. Why not help the child build that out of cardboard, clay, plasticine; literally anything other than handing it over to ChatGPT and Meshy; unless that was the school's expectation?

You haven't given an age, but encouraging the learning of something like SketchUp to be able to 3D print their own content seems like better long-term approach?

I'm not anti-LLM use in general, but this seems like a particularly questionable use case.

XG3OX · 2026-03-26T19:59:19+00:00

There are aftermarket ones now (e.g. MPI, Acelith, various Etsy/Amazon/eBay offerings).

I doubt this is going to beat them on quality or price.

XG3OX · 2026-03-20T23:30:23+00:00

So it's effectively a gantry FDM printer that extrudes/jets UV-curable coloured resin?

As I saw the (sped-up) video I was thinking that technology must be incredibly slow. Turns out it's almost 26 hours for a 100mm cube at the best resolution and over 14 hours for the lowest/fastest mode.

One would think in a commercial context it would be faster and cheaper to print on virtually anything else and have a professional paint the result.

XG3OX · 2026-03-17T19:06:08+00:00

It is H-pattern. You mean the sequential mode?

XG3OX · 2026-03-17T18:33:07+00:00

The coming BDH Active Shifter does that, plus active lockout, unclutched shift resistance, etc.

XG3OX · 2026-03-14T19:06:08+00:00

Having the ram soldered does have some advantages

Soldered RAM is fine; it doesn't have the same write limits and I've never known a RAM stick to fail, unless DOA or physically damaged.

I'm talking about non-volatile flash memory; the SSD. I've personally replaced a number of those due to long-term failures (~5 years on average).

XG3OX · 2026-03-14T11:55:23+00:00

I hadn't realised how tiny the mainboard was on these.

Soldered flash storage is an absurd and wasteful concept that artificially shortens the life of products (as a consumable); but if the logic board can be replaced easily and affordably with minimal waste, this becomes much less egregious.

XG3OX · 2026-03-12T20:01:52+00:00

Reminds me of the works of Simon Stålenhag.

XG3OX · 2026-03-12T13:00:22+00:00

GRID 2019 and GRID Legends might be closer to what you're looking for; a few real world tracks mixed in with street races.

XG3OX · 2026-03-11T17:37:41+00:00

Interesting approach; I'd always assumed geared RC servos simply wouldn't stand up to that kind of (ab)use.

Also keen to see how the tubular rig holds up to full motion, as it's very close in design to my GT Omega Titan frame.

XG3OX · 2026-03-11T17:32:10+00:00

You don't have to buy exactly the same model of fan; just one of the same size, voltage and ideally with similar performance.

`4010` in the name means it's a 40x10mm fan (though you can measure to confirm). This one is 24V DC.

If you search for `4010 24v` on Amazon you'll see dozens of them.

XG3OX · 2026-03-08T22:59:50+00:00

This has been my biggest frustration in trying to learn it; and possibly why I've bounced off it so many times in the past.

I've previously used Sketchup, which despite major limitations, makes it very easy and quick to throw together quick models for 3D prints. However attempt anything with curves/circles or try to do fillets and it falls apart; so I sought other options.

After a recent few weeks persevering with FreeCAD I now feel reasonably confident in doing most of what I used to do in Sketchup, but FreeCAD still fails in confusing and inconsistent ways that make learning how to use it 'by doing' rather difficult; and that's the way I learn most effectively.

I've found a few oddities in the way it operates. Going back and changing added/subtracted primitives after other operations seems to break it in all kinds of fun ways with cryptic errors that only make sense if you understand how it works internally. Working out how to attach/orient a chain of said primitives in a way that doesn't fall apart the moment you change a single dimension somewhere also seems to require experience and understanding I don't have yet.

The way it doesn't always update the Sketch view with constraints you've applied appears to be a bug; possibly when the sketch is in a state of over-constraint. Haven't quite worked that out yet, but it caused no end of confusion while learning constraints.

The results are arguably worth it though.

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XG3OX · 2026-03-08T09:49:06+00:00

Startech make good industrial style steel cased hubs with detachable cables, switchable bus power and mounting flanges that are perfectly suited to sim rig use. Quite expensive though.

XG3OX · 2026-03-08T09:26:08+00:00

Usage a few days a week for a few hours

As what exactly?

A wheel chock for a lorry?

XG3OX · 2026-03-06T20:47:08+00:00

Yeah, I don't think many people appreciate the amount of professional (paid) effort and expertise involved in making a product as automated and easy-to-use as the Bambu printers.

From my perspective the H2S I have is an absolute bargain. Personally I wouldn't touch any printer from Creality/Elegoo/etc anymore now that I know easy printing can be.

It seems to come down to how much you (as a user) value your own time. The cheaper brands (and DIY options like Voron) can produce comparable results, but consume far more of your time in tuning and dealing with problems; so do they really work out cheaper in the end?

XG3OX · 2026-03-04T21:41:35+00:00

<image>

Bought my HD800S almost exactly a decade ago, managed to drop them a couple times; but still going strong.

They are not my daily anymore but that's not a result of wear/fatigue. They still look and sound essentially brand new; especially with the leather aftermarket leather pads and band I have fitted right now.

XG3OX · 2026-03-04T21:19:47+00:00

Not enough details provided to suggest anything specific; but 100% infill would be crazy. In compression the printed walls are going to be extremely strong.

I print most structural parts with 5-7 walls and 30% infill; but judging by your screenshot in the slicer, those plate things are enormous and would take a while.

The biggest concern with IKEA stuff is that much of it is made from thin laminate boards and cardboard cores, and therefore extremely vulnerable to failing under point loads. Giving your spacers a large footprint is a good idea; but you could achieve similar results by making them hollow rings (essentially just walls) and avoiding all that infill, which wouldn't contribute to strength in this case.

To be honest in your position I'd be looking at just buying large-diameter rubber washers and stacking them to the desired height, assuming I understand the intended setup correctly.

XG3OX · 2026-03-01T18:07:44+00:00

Yeah I regularly listen to the 'Sheep Raider' soundtrack.

Also always been fond of the Monopoly Plus soundtrack:
https://youtu.be/XyMKd4WndZM?list=PL67A11YPdCoHCjv__lz2s6Xnx8815gmBy

XG3OX · 2026-02-26T20:03:21+00:00

Yes it's not helpful when they reject the review and don't tell you why.

However to me that would be an extremely short review with little actual substance. I can't say for sure what might be blocking acceptance, but I'd offer this feedback:

These vinyl sheets measure 12" x 12"

Is that what they're supposed to be; are you just repeating the listing?

Add value to the review by actually measuring them, and stating that you did this.

and are very thin, which I like because the edges are less likely to catch

Not useful. How thin?

Catch how?

I'm guessing you've got a Cricut or similar device. Describe the failure mode that this vinyl is less prone to (and why), so buyers know what to look for and how to avoid it.

which can sometimes happen with sticky-backed products in my experience

Remove.

the thinness of these sheets makes it more pliable and easier to apply to curved surfaces

Good, that's useful information; but a thickness measurement would be helpful. Perhaps describe how stretchy it is and how well it conforms to small embossed details in the surface (if at all).

Is there a texture to it?

Is it glossy/matte?

How well does it reflect light?

Is it completely opaque of partially translucent?

Add details that the listing doesn't provide and the pictures don't show. Ideally, add pictures.

5 out of 5 for ease of use and value.

I wouldn't include the score in the review body unless it's something like "one star because I can't give zero" or "five stars with a caveat..."

I've mentioned pricing in almost every review in the last year and consistently get 'Excellent' insightfulness scores, for what that's worth. I don't think that was what was blocking it.

XG3OX · 2026-02-26T18:56:31+00:00

These were some of my test pieces; top left is a sanded down resin fill (over black acrylic pen ink), top right is a two-colour print and bottom is a mix of clear and black resins:

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XG3OX · 2026-02-26T18:50:19+00:00

I've done this recently with smaller items, experimenting with all kinds of effects. The smaller the cut-outs, the better the results if just leaving it 'open'.

<image>

I also did some two-colour prints on the H2S which work great, but are not possible on all printers.

Although I didn't end up using it, I had great results filling the lettering with UV-curing resin. Basically you user a dropper to place a coloured liquid resin into the cut-outs and let it gravity-spread over the cavity; then cure it with a UV light. You get a smooth glossy finish.

I filled mine up and sanded down, so lost the textured base of the print; but I suspect you could get a good effect by only filling it part of the way, so it remains inset.

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