Brand New Damper Design - "The Micro Damper"


 
My MicroDamper built and in use, Awesome!


Here is my MicroDamper. Built on a MakerBot Mini...


And here are the traces while using it...
 
Hey Steve. I just placed an order on your website and wanted to confirm that these are the rest of the parts I need to pick up. I guess my only concern is that I'm getting the correct Servo. I thihnk the rest of the parts are pretty standard.

Fan - Delta EFB0412VHD
4 Pole 3.5mm Female adapter - SJ5-43502PM
4 pole 3.5mm male TRRS plug
SG90 Servo - Does brand matter?

Thanks for your contribution!
Jeremy
 
Jeremy_D said:
Hey Steve. I just placed an order on your website and wanted to confirm that these are the rest of the parts I need to pick up. I guess my only concern is that I'm getting the correct Servo. I thihnk the rest of the parts are pretty standard.

Fan - Delta EFB0412VHD
4 Pole 3.5mm Female adapter - SJ5-43502PM
4 pole 3.5mm male TRRS plug
SG90 Servo - Does brand matter?

Thanks for your contribution!
Jeremy
Click to expand...

Yup that's all. The fan is good for pits all the way up to UDS in size. Just so you know (if you want to save a few bucks) you don't need the jacks at all. You can just hardwire the ethernet cable to the MicroDamper - if you don't mind the ethernet cable always hanging from it. I've purchased many different brands of SG90 servos and I have found ZERO difference between them (unlike the unreliable MG90 servos) so just choose one that's cheap.
 
Thanks Steve! I will probably hard wire it like you said. Sounds like fewer steps and a few bucks cheaper. I can't wait to try it on my Akorn. Now, I just need to fab up an adapter. Have a good one!

Jeremy
 
It certainly easier to hardwire the ethernet cable. If you use heat shrink around all the wires, and extend it into the body of the microdamper you can put a zip tie around it and it will act like a strain relief
 
What is the recommended material to print a microdamper with? Will PLA do, or do I need to use a more exotic plastic like ABS?:cool:
 
Steve, What size WSM did you buy, and what settings are you using on the HM with your damper? Looking forward to getting the MicroDamper!
 
David Carter, I bought a 22WSM. I haven't used the HeaterMeter on it yet. I've only done 4-5 hr manual cooks on the WSM so far. I imagine it'd be something close to what I run on my UDS though 7, 0.01, 4. By close I mean P within 1, D within 0.01, and D within 1.

Peter F, PLA will be fine, no need for "exotic" plastic. I recommend printing with 0.4mm nozzle, no taller than 0.3mm heights. Anything with less resolution and the threaded portion probably won't come out well.
 
Since when is ABS an "exotic" plastic? I print everything in ABS. You need the right build plate material. I use a product supplied with my printer (Flashforge) that is comparable to BuildTak. Never had a problem with warping.

I just prefer the look of ABS. PLA in my view has a bit of a sugar candy look.
 
Hey, just wanted to chime in and say what a great guy Steve is. I've had some trouble receiving my shipment from him and he has helped out tremendously, very much appreciate it.
 
Can anyone post a screenshot of their Akorn settings or tell me if mine are okay? Also, should the damper ever be fully closed during the cook? I wouldn't think so for fear of choking out the fire. I could maybe see that happening if there was an overshoot, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks for the feedback.

I should mention that this is for a 225 to 250 range type cook. Low and slow. Thanks!

y3mRQehzHwdohYS29OyfyOpQKx_pO0jjbSlNrY_SNT_pUCCKVMUl5_nVtPOqwieu2FyGl9VjtEWE9w9WTJR8PHQ5SJmoUJZbOHen5vuuIMGxO_1VNDr60292x73Jpt0UfcroEw6USYTq1NaMrqdjibS_7W0p8rDD0UB2bu-FNrnCuo
 
Below is how I run my Akorn. Some things to note, you have your fan set to turn on only above 25% and you also have it set so that when it's at 25% the damper is set full open. You can experiment running it anyway you want, just wanted to point that out in case you were not familiar with the settings. Also do those servo pulse durations translate to good full open and full close on your MicroDamper? To address your one question, "should the damper ever be fully closed during the cook?", yes you want the HeaterMeter to be allowed to fully close it. With properly set PID values snuffing out the fire is not a problem. Since I've spent a long time tuning with the MD and my Akorn your PID values shouldn't change any, but if you feel like tinkering a little bit I'd suggest only changing the I value, and I wouldn't change anymore than 0.00025 increments since I've found those settings to be already darn near spot on.

 
Thanks for the response Steve. I don't fully understand the fan/servo settings yet. I think I pulled those settings from someone else's Akorn settings. Let me know if you think those are not a good option. Here is a link to my cook.
stingray240cs.asuscomm.com
 
Well the servo pulse duration numbers are individual to everyone. They represent the location of where in your servo's rotation the MD is open and closed. You cannot take those from someone else. Make sure you test your MicroDamper by inputting 0% and 100% into the Set Temperature Box on your main HM page (the page where you watch your cooks). This will force the MicroDamper to be either at 0% or 100%. Adjust numbers accordingly to make sure you have your MD operating in it's full range. The Invert box next to those numbers reverses the direction of motion. If you get odd movements, chances are you need check or uncheck that box. With the MD unplugged, rotate the top disc attached to the servo and ensure that it can rotate freely from an open to a closed position, if it can't you need to unscrew the servo horn and install the top disc on the MD body in a new position so that it will. I suggest you using my PID and fan speed settings for your first cook.

Also, if you need faster responses to any question you have you'd be better off shooting me an email than waiting for me to check the forum. I don't check here everyday, especially during work hours, but I'm pretty good with responding quickly by email.
 
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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

I'll be on vacation from Oct 29-Nov5, so I will be shutting down the shop during that time. If anyone is interested in a MD Kit, be sure to keep this in mind. Seems whenever I get to take a vacation I get a large surge of people wanting them when I can't deliver. Also, recently I've gotten two orders from people who wanted a full MicroDamper but only ordered just the 3D Printed pieces becuase they didn't know full kits where available. There are full kits available which include the fan, the servo, and both jacks. Also keep in mind that the jacks are not a required part for the kit. The jacks allow you to have a removeable ethernet cable and that is all. If you don't mind having a hardwired cable to the microdamper you can save a few bucks there. It's also a little easier to assemble if you don't have the jacks - for those of you with shake hands / bad eyesite / etc.
 
The cook has gone great with your help Steve! I really appreciate you helping me out with the settings. The Microdamper is awesome!
 
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