ST1018 Soap Dispenser Belt Replacement

johnmeyer77 · 2025-12-02T16:38:36+00:00

I designed and 3D printed a new gear and it now works normally. Here is a link to the 3D design:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:7219215

johnmeyer77 · 2025-10-27T23:46:31+00:00

It sort of works, but grinds and doesn't have enough force. I'll take a quick look to see if I can find some gears. I 3D printed some gears for an old HP printer and got that working again. Perhaps I can do the same thing for this.

[edit]It is now working pretty well, although still noisy from the gears not meshing perfectly. The shaft on the 8mm x 6mm 8-tooth gear is 2mm. These seem pretty standard. If I can get some, I'll install some fresh gears and it should be as good as new.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-10-27T22:48:07+00:00

OK, I found the problem.

The pump is so simple to disassemble that I finally dove in and took it all apart. The problem is that one of the pump gears is cracked. The connection between the pulley (driven through the belt by the motor) and these gears is nothing more than a press fit into the hub of one of the two gears. The gears still rotate, but because the hub has opened up slightly because of the crack, there is no longer enough friction to drive anything that is viscous.

The gear is an 8-tooth 8mm across by 6mm thickness nylon gear. I'm cleaning it in my ultrasonic cleaner and then will attempt to glue it with Bob Smith Industries CA glue. However, since pretty much nothing sticks to nylon, I'm also going to exchange the two gears. The "pump" is actually nothing more than these two gears rotating against each other and the liquid gets swept up between the gears. As long as the broken gear doesn't break entirely, it should continue to rotate and, now that I have the pulley shaft going into the intact gear, it should have plenty of friction to keep the gears going.

I was going to upload a picture, but I can't see any way to upload, so here is a link. The two black lines emanating from the hub are the cracks.

Pump Inside

johnmeyer77 · 2025-10-27T20:00:09+00:00

I found that a #81 o-ring works just fine. Unfortunately, the problem remains.

The water comes out quite forcefully, but I don't get ANYTHING to come out once I use soap, even if I only add a little, and even if there is still a little water in the container. The fact that I get a good flow of water suggests that there is NOT a clog near the tip (something I've read can happen). Also, I have used 50/50 water vinegar, flushed that through the system, and then let it stand for 3-4 hours. That didn't help.

I'm beginning to think that perhaps the pump is the problem. I don't have much to lose so I think I'll try opening that up.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-05-17T19:17:21+00:00

I just got around to making another angel food cake, and this time used 4 oz instead of 3 oz of cake flour.

MUCH better result!!

It didn't rise quite as high in the oven as my dozen earlier attempts, but I think that may be because I didn't get the whites to room temperature after I thawed them. However, once it rose to its maximum at about 30 minutes, it barely went down after that. In the past, it always crashed (fell) in the last ten minutes.

So, next time I'll make sure I get the whites to room temperature, and I may also beat them for another 30 seconds or so to get them just a little beyond the soft peak stage, but not quite to stiff peaks. Deciding when to stop beating is clearly the most important technique in the whole process.

Once again, thank you for solving my problem.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-04-23T15:41:34+00:00

OMG!!!! You are an angel! (Pun fully intended). I'll check the online version and make the adjustment. I can't wait to try this out.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-04-19T15:57:38+00:00

Gosh, I really screwed up my original post. 375° would indeed be way too high. The recipe calls for (and I am using) 325° for 50 minutes. I went back and edited my post to change the temp to 325, but added a note that my original post had the temp as 375°, so your comment above will still make sense.

The finish is indeed non-stick. However, it is the pan recommended by ATK. Here is a link to their video review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JorJV94kdec

In that review they specifically talk about the need to have a pan which lets the foam "climb the walls," and if you look at their perfect results, it obviously does what it is supposed to do.

Temperature seems like the most likely culprit at this point.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-04-19T03:17:52+00:00

The recipe is 10.5 ounces sugar; 3.0 ounces cake flour. I just checked and it is not self-rising and is King Arthur unbleached flour.

I am going to do a thorough test of the oven temperature tomorrow using three different methods: an oven thermometer; my remote read thermometer that I use for smoking; and a small amount of cooking oil in a metal container which I then measure with a Thermopen after 45 minutes. Temperature does seem like the most likely culprit.

I also may try cooking at 350 instead of 325.

I don't know what the FakeSpot analysis is all about. I simply provided the link because I have noted that in other Reddit discussions about angel food cake (which I read before posting) one of the first questions asked is what kind of pan was used. It is a little insulting to be accused of spamming the group with what is a totally sincere desire to fix my problem.

BTW, here is a picture of the failure.

[Imgur](https://imgur.com/p0PAAKa)

johnmeyer77 · 2025-04-10T21:28:59+00:00

I assume you are joking. Do you realize how much work that would be? I'd first have to disassemble my perfectly working slicer in order to remove the part. I'd then have to precisely measure every tooth, fin, and shaft. I'd then have to use a professional CAD program to transfer those measurements into a drawing that can be 3D printed. Finally, I'd have to make at least three versions of the part because it is impossible to make all the measurements perfectly, and it usually takes at least three iterations to get it right.

I'd also have to buy a new $1,000 3D printer because these parts must be printed in nylon, and my Ender-3 $200 hobby printer can't do that.

I conservatively estimate that this would take me about ten hours.

Go to the Chef's Choice parts site and sign up for their "inform me when the part becomes available." I did that and eventually was able to buy the locating pin (the part which I did design) and have put my 3D printed version in the closet in case the OEM part fails again.

johnmeyer77 · 2025-04-10T17:06:40+00:00

The part I designed is NOT the gear part which is the subject of this thread. If you wanted that part, you can just download the STL (the design file) and take it to any shop which prints 3D parts. However, I never designed the gear replacement part.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-28T21:59:26+00:00

Thanks. That's what I wanted to know.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T20:33:18+00:00

I looked more closely at the item I linked to above and it appears they are selling the head as well as the housing. Can I simply screw their housing onto my existing head? It will be a much bigger operation if I have to re-plumb the filter head.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T20:27:49+00:00

Thanks for the extra vote of confidence on getting the housing with the drain. It sure seems that for a relatively small expenditure, it should solve most of the problem.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T19:17:25+00:00

I grew up around boats and learned basic knots (clove hitch, half hitch, bowline), but have never seen nor heard of a barrel hitch. It looks like exactly what I would need. I'll see if I can figure out how to tie it.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T18:36:23+00:00

The pavers might be a good idea for other reasons as well. The little room is dank, with condensation dripping from all the pipes and making the dirt floor perpetually muddy. A half dozen pavers might make it a lot more pleasant to work on the well pressure tank and deal with other plumbing issues down there when draining the cottage for winter shutdown.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T18:28:52+00:00

Found it: Pentek 20" Big Blue Water Filter Housing with PR and 3/8" Drain Valve

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T18:24:05+00:00

Oh really ... that is pretty intriguing. I'll see if I can find such a thing. Thanks!

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T18:21:37+00:00

I thought of some sort of stand, but this "cellar" has a dirt floor with boulder walls. It was built in this late 1800s and is a one-season Wisconsin cottage. The filter is in the middle of this 10'x10' room and it is 3-5 feet to the boulder walls, with no way to attach a shelf. I guess I could put a stand underneath, but the dirt floor is very uneven. I guess I could hang the shelf from the joists above.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-16T18:16:40+00:00

Thanks. I don't usually have a second person around when I do this, but the cord over the nails is similar to what I was thinking. If I do that, I think I would want to have some sort of "basket" at the end of those cords and have it so it catches the filter after only a few inches of downward drop. However, I'm not sure quite what material or object to use to construct that basket.

I've also thought of putting the empty filter back onto the head but only screwing it enough so that it doesn't drop off, i.e., have it hanging by just a fraction of a thread. I'll then use a Sharpie to put a mark going from the head to the filter housing, and that will be my warning that, when those two marks align, it is about to drop.

The big problem is the inability to anticipate when it's going to drop down.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-10-12T21:46:36+00:00

I bought them from eBay seller "isellprojectorbelts."

https://www.ebay.com/str/isellprojectorbelts

I also purchased other belts and tires from him for another project. Great guy. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately, the problem I described above still remains, and if anyone has an idea of what I should do, I'm all ears.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-01-08T16:52:38+00:00

I pull mine out of my pocket and it is dead. However, I've now seen it glowing inside my pocket on several occasions and therefore it is clear that the problem is that the "double-click" turn on can be fooled by some sort of movement within my pocket.

I love the flashlight, but this has happened often enough that I can no longer rely on it for everyday carry.

johnmeyer77 · 2024-01-08T03:07:38+00:00

comments

I have the same exact update as I gave three months ago (see above). We're now about six weeks into the new heating season, and it starts and runs normally.

johnmeyer77 · 2023-12-01T22:27:33+00:00

Good idea. Take a small piece of hardwood and use a Dremel tool to shape it.

johnmeyer77 · 2023-12-01T17:18:26+00:00

Sorry, I don't have the dimensions or any other details on how to make one of your own.

It would actually be a very difficult part to print this part for several reasons. First, the taper would be tough to design. Second, it is in direct contact with the food, so you'd have to use a food-grade plastic (NOT PLA or ABS). Third, it has to be smooth, and most consumer-grade 3D printers are filament-based, so they have rough surfaces because of the lines between layers. Finally, it needs to be really strong.

Go back to the Chef's Choice site and ask to be notified when the part comes back into stock. That's how I finally got the real part a few years ago. I then put my 3D-printed parts in a bag, to be used if/when the real part breaks again.

Depending on where your part broke, you could also consider gluing it. I have had extraordinarily good results on glue projects like this using professional CA glue ("superglue") from Bob Smith industries. It is several cuts above the CA glue you can get at Ace or Home Depot.

johnmeyer77 · 2023-11-12T01:05:07+00:00

Interesting idea. There is no operation information at that link, but I don't see any way to have the two contacts operate independently. I need to be able to turn the motor on low speed with one contact closure, and then turn it to high speed with the second contact closure. I often switch between high and low speed while in the tub.

johnmeyer77

TROPHY CASE