Hello all, I am currently working on a Prusa Mendel and am curious about the specifications of the pulley. Firstly I am using these belts for my build: http://mixshop.com/index I have heard that to increase print accuracy it is recommend that one use plastic or metal pulleys rather than printed ones. What are the specifications I should be looking for? And if anyone has a source for them in Canada/USA it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Nigel https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104640#msg-104640 Fri, 04 Sep 2026 16:56:47 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,105279#msg-105279 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,105279#msg-105279 Moreover, I do not see any difference in quality compared with more professional machines with proper bought pulleys - are you sure that there is a problem with printed ones?

Said that, my axis are very light to move as it is a small machine with bowden cabled extruder.
Syncra]]> syncra Reprappers Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:19:53 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104865#msg-104865 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104865#msg-104865 Greg Frost Reprappers Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:26:15 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104845#msg-104845 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104845#msg-104845
I was using the original 3G electronics that didn't do microstepping (well, it did half stepping, but not 16).

So once I made my calculations for the 10-toothed pulley, I thought I was fine.

What I didn't know was this led to me missing steps. The symptom appeared similar to backlash.
My axes would accumulate error until the next home operation.

My guess was that since a 10-toothed pulley uses less steps per mm, you end up with effectively less resolution, and some rounding error or something in the firmware causes an accumulated error over time during the print. For me the problem was harder to see because I used RepRap host which homes after every layer, so I only saw it on large prints (like an entire bed of Mendel parts).

My experience was that I had far LESS precision with a 10-toothed pulley, even with the math done right for steps/mm.

Use the 8-toothed pulley. Lots of people have RepRaps now - you should be able to get replacements if you damaged them.

[www.keegan.org]

[www.keegan.org]

[www.keegan.org]

..Jeff]]> jkeegan Reprappers Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:35:26 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104667#msg-104667 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104667#msg-104667 here

Regards,

James]]> jim_blag Reprappers Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:58:21 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104640#msg-104640 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,104640,104640#msg-104640 I am currently working on a Prusa Mendel and am curious about the specifications of the pulley. Firstly I am using these belts for my build: http://mixshop.com/index
I have heard that to increase print accuracy it is recommend that one use plastic or metal pulleys rather than printed ones. What are the specifications I should be looking for? And if anyone has a source for them in Canada/USA it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Nigel]]> nigel_mck Reprappers Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:08:36 -0400