You will need the following components to assemble the Tape Gear Motor
- N20 Geared DC motor
- M3 20mm machine screw
- 2 Pin 2.54mm cable (cut in half)
- FeederBase 3D Print
- 1mm-20deg-8t-key-axel-0.4mm-nozzle 3D Print
- 1mm-20deg-7t-m3-0.4mm-nozzle 3D Print
Don't want to source all these parts? Buy the kit!
Note: There are multiple 3D print files included in this repo to account for tolerances of different 3D printers. Print a couple and see which fits the shaft of the motor and M3 20mm screw best for you.
Take the N20 motor and push it in and pull it out of the keyed 8 tooth gear several times. We want to loosen the hole a little.
Pro Tip! Mark the keyed 8 tooth gear with marker to help with lining up the key in the motor shaft.
Insert the 8 tooth gear into the housing. The keyed side of the gear should face the left side, and the round side of the gear should fit onto the small bump on the right side of the housing. Bend the housing slightly so the gear will drop into place.
Spin the gear to line up the key in the gear with the keyed motor shaft. Press the motor into place, it may take a few attempts and some wiggling to get it to fit.
Push the N20 motor all the way in
Screw the M3 20mm screw into the hole below the motor. Stop when you see the tip of it coming out of the 3D print.
Slide the 7 tooth gear into place.
Screw the M3 20mm screw all the way in. Then back it out slightly so the gear isn't being squeezed.
If you find that your tape isn't catching in the gears later you might need to tighten this screw more.
Cut the 2 Pin 2.54mm cable in half, and strip about 2-3mm of insulation off the ends.
Poke the wires through the holes on the contacts of the motor, making sure to match the Red wire with the + side of the motor.
Solder the wires to the motor
Pro tip: after soldering, add a small dot of hot glue to secure the soldered wires to the motor housing. This will prevent the wires from being ripped off accidentally. If they get ripped off, don't worry it's easy enough to resolder them.
Push the motor wires into the strain relief as shown above.