Parametric Universal Joint Generator (WIP 4.4.1)

🛠️ Parametric Universal Joint Generator (WIP)

This OpenSCAD project is a work-in-progress parametric generator for creating customizable universal joint (U-joint) components. Everything is fully adjustable through sliders, letting you size, offset, and tweak each part to fit your own applications.

⚠️ Note: This is still in its raw development stage. Expect rough edges, unfinished features, and some parameters that may act unexpectedly at extremes. Feedback and testing are very welcome!

✨ Features

• Yoke Control: Adjust diameter, wall thickness, ear spacing, and ear thickness.
• Ear Tuning: Independent offsets for ear position, bore placement, and spacing between pairs.
• Pin Options: Set pin diameters, lengths, and even a small retainer hole through the big pin.
• Cross Block: Define block width, height, thickness, and bore sizes.
• Assembly/Exploded View: Toggle exploded layouts to visualize fitment or collapse into assembly mode.
• Debug Tools: Optional bore axis visualization to check hole alignment.

⚙️ Quick Guide (Sliders & What They Do)

🔩 Pins

• x / y pin diameter & length – set the main pin sizes.
• drill small hole in big pin – creates a cross-hole in the large pin.
• small hole clearance – tolerance for the small hole.

🟨 Cross Block

• cross block width/height/thickness – defines the cube in the center that carries the pins.
• corner round – rounds edges for cleaner looks.

🥽 Yoke Tubes

• outer diameter & wall thickness – overall yoke tube size.
• yoke length – tube length.

🦾 External Ears/Lugs

• ear thickness – thickness of the ear walls.
• ear gap – distance between ears (can offset inward/outward).
• ear length – how long the ears extend.
• ear z offset – moves ears up/down.
• ear pair delta A / B – moves ears closer or further apart.

🎯 Ear Bore Placement

• ear bore pot A / B – positions holes within each ear.
• pin height offset – shifts hole placement vertically.

🌀 Ear Clocking

• clock deg – rotates the ears around the yoke.

🛠 Clearances

• x, y, z clearance – tuning tolerances between parts for printing/fit.

📌 Notes

• Works best when experimenting slowly with one parameter at a time.
• Negative values on some sliders may flip or invert geometry — use carefully!
• Assembly is currently designed for visual preview, not final mechanical strength.

✅ This is the raw V1 parametric build — the foundation is here, but refinements (tolerances, fillets, fastener captures, print-friendly tweaks) are still coming.