Rope Machine 4 Strand/Hooks

Made a 4 hook rope maker for a local BSA troop. I had one of these as a kid made of wood, figured I would try to print one for others that might want to keep one in their pack.

This design is 100% printable no supports. There is no hardware or bearings needed! I designed everything to interlock with tolerances that keep things in place while allowing the parts to move freely.

EDIT: 1/1/2018 - Happy New Year! I've noticed a lot of unexpected interest with this design! I've made a few hundred feet of rope with it already and noticed that it is a little awkward to hold without putting your fingers near the moving bits. I am very happy with the tolerances and the moving parts but thought I could do a bit more for the holding or mounting of the machine. I have added two new parts that snap in between the main brackets and onto the clips. This makes it easier to hold or mount the rope machine when you use it. Enjoy!

UPDATE: 2/21/2020 After remixing this for 3 hooks, I also made an additional "grip" accessory. GripSpacer.stl is for bridging clips on a side of the machine you are not using a grip. This can help keep the machine more rigid when working with larger ropes.

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

SeeMeCNC

Printer:

Rostock MAX v2

Rafts:

No

Supports:

No

Resolution:

0.3 mm

Infill:

25%

Notes:

I printed with a brim to ensure no warping. this was printed in PLA though my next print will probably be nylon.

you need to print the following:

2 x MainBracket

8 x BrackClip

1 x MainGear

4 x SecondaryGear

4 x Hook

4 x GearClip

1 x Handle

1 x Knob

1 x KnobClip

1 x AnchorHook

1 x AnchorMount

1 x MagicWand

Post-Printing

Assembly

This entire thing goes together like a sandwich.

1. Place main bracket flat with rims around holes face up.
2. Put a hook up through the bottom on each corner
3. Put secondary gear down on hook, make sure to keep gear slot facing up and aligned with hole in hook
4. Push gear clip through hole in hook, firmly push hook + clip into gear
5. Put main gear in middle of four corners
6. Put second main bracket on top of assembly with hole rims facing down

(The rims in the backet are to give the gears some spacing to slide and roate, they MUST touch the face of the gears) 7. Push knob clip throgh hole in handle (until it clicks, it will fee a little loose) 8. Push other end of clip into knob 9. Use 8 bracket clips (2 in each corner) to secure the brackets together 10. Insert handle into center of main gear. 11. Push AnchorHook into AnchorMount (use this for the opposite end of the rope) 12. Use MagicWand to keep double strands arranged in square shape and slowly pull it towards the rope machine as the rope is being twisted, the four strands should wind together like rope!

You should be good to go!