Designing a Mechanical Calculator
18 days ago
- #Mechanical Engineering
- #DIY Projects
- #3D Printing
- Author decided to 3D print a mechanical calculator, combining old and new technology.
- Explored existing 3D calculator designs, from simple to complex, like the Curta Type I replica.
- Wanted a modular and simple design but found only complex modular designs based on Pascal’s calculator.
- Chose to design from scratch, starting with a basic 10-tooth gear system for number display and carry function.
- Initial prototype had issues with gear teeth not interlocking correctly.
- Discovered involute gears, an optimal tooth shape, and used CAD libraries to design better gears.
- Realized a miscalculation in gear movement: gears turned two teeth instead of one per full tooth pass.
- Redesigned with 30-tooth gears and a protruding carry tooth for accurate movement.
- Solved gear slippage with c-clips initially, later improved with a peg-based fastener system.
- Final version is stable and shared on Printables for others to use.