A desk toy that is also a real gearbox. Turn the crank and the sun gear drives three planets round the inside of the ring; the carrier and its pointer follow at a fifth of the speed, so five turns of the crank take the pointer once round the dial (a 5 : 1 ratio). The herringbone teeth run smoothly and hold every gear in place, and it all clicks together without screws or glue. Nine printed parts, no supports.
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The back half of the ring gear (72 teeth), the back wall with an 8 mm axle pin for the sun, a groove for the cover's hooks and a foot that runs forward under the crank.
18 herringbone teeth on an 8 mm shaft. It turns on the axle pin, and the crank presses onto the flat at the front.
27 herringbone teeth, with a bore that runs on a carrier pin with 0.3 mm of play.
Three arms with a pin for each planet and a hex socket for the pointer. It turns once for every five turns of the crank.
The front half of the ring gear on a sleeve, and the bezel with the dial: five big marks, one for each turn of the crank. Three springy hooks click into the groove round the housing.
The output hand. Its hex peg plugs into the carrier, and it sweeps round the dial.
A knurled knob with a handle. Its D-shaped hole presses onto the end of the sun shaft.
For a 0.4 mm nozzle. Filament amounts are estimates for these settings.
Nothing needs supports. The teeth have 0.2 mm of play per side and the pins 0.3 mm, so turn on elephant's foot compensation or scrape the bottom edges of the teeth, and check that each planet turns freely on a carrier pin.
Stand the sun on the table, shaft up, and set the three planets round it so their teeth mesh. Lower the carrier over them, pins down and the shaft through its middle, so a pin goes into each planet.
Lay the housing on its back. Hold the bundle by the carrier (the herringbone teeth keep the sun from dropping out) and lower it in, with the sun's bore over the axle pin. Herringbone teeth only go in with a slight twist, so let the gears turn as they slide into the ring until the bundle sits on the bottom.
Set the cover on, hooks down, and push: let it turn a little as its teeth find the planets, until the three hooks click into the groove round the housing.
Push the pointer's hex peg into the carrier. Then press the crank onto the end of the sun shaft, flat to flat, until it stops. It is a tight fit; if yours turns loose, add a drop of glue.
Stand it up and turn the crank: the pointer goes round once for every five turns. Each big mark on the dial is one turn of the crank, each small mark a fifth. To take it apart, pull the hooks out and lift the cover off with a twist.
Small parts: keep the gears and the pointer away from young children.
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