Leveling feet, 3/8" bolt with washer insert (originally a replacement for Sole Elliptical leveling feet)

Leveling feet for furniture / fitness equipment. 3/8" bolt, mid-print washer insert. Best with TPU.
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updated February 23, 2025

Description

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My elliptical has rubber feet that are not great. When we've moved the elliptical they've torn apart and make the entire machine unsteady and potentially unsafe, but the replacement feet are hard to find and often prohibitively expensive, because they contain an embedded fender washer that is supposed to make the entire part more stable (shown in the second photo), but their tear-able (sorry for the pun) choice of rubber rips apart from the inside (see the third photo). With this print though, you can make your own! This print would also work for anything that uses a 3/8 inch bolt for leveling.

This leveling foot is designed around a sturdy 3/8 inch bolt with two leveling nuts and two washers, which provide a very stable leveling system. The vertical rigidity of the foot is enhanced greatly by an embedded fender washer that is inserted midway into the print.

Materials per individual leveling foot:

  • Filament, preferably a flexible filament like TPU that can absorb vibrations.
  • A 1 ¼ inch washer with a 3/8 inch center opening, approximately 1/16 or 1.45 mm thick. (See fourth photo for example part from hardware store).
  • A ¾ inch washer with a 3/8 inch center opening, approximately 1/16 or 1.45 mm thick (See fourth photo for example part from hardware store).
  • 3/8 inch diameter bolt, length dependent on user's needs
  • Two 3/8 inch nuts that match the threading on the bolt for leveling.

Filament will not want to stick to the washer directly

Experimenting on this has led to two different versions of this foot, both are available here. I have tested both and both work, one of each version is shown in the first photo. I personally recommend the second method.

Type 1 - 

The first file is a single body print, and has layer steps built into it to try to bridge over the washer while printing. Despite this, curling will probably still occur and may affect a few layers even on a good print, and hopefully does not affect the overall finish on the print. To print this, you will need to insert a pause when slicing at the layer where the first bridging step occurs, as shown in the fifth photo. When printing, the printer will pause at this point and the user will need to insert the 1 ¼ inch washer, then resume the print. Again, some curling will likely occur!

Type 2 - 

The second file has two parts, the main body and a printed washer. This printed washer is inserted above the metal washer, providing a surface that will much more readily accept being printed on. To print this, a pause will need to be inserted in the slicer at the first bridging layer  as shown in the sixth photo. When printing, the printer will pause at this point and the user will need to insert the 1 ¼ inch washer and then the printed washer on top, as shown in the seventh photo, then resume the print. This method was much less prone to curling in my tests and resulted in an overall better print.

My Fusion 360 model file that includes both leveling types is available for remixing.

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The author marked this model as their own original creation.

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