Let's build a simple turntable that rotates light objects precisely and fully automated.
Together with an arduino based controller that will control the stepper motor and the camera shutter, we'll create a powerful tool for automated 360° product photography. The controller is described in a different instructable:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Controller-for-Automated-360-Product-Photo/
Now let's start with the turntable.
Files (find download links below)
Parts
3x Lasercut Acrylic Plates, 3mm thick
Download the template eps-files (see below) and place your order at Ponoko(american/international users) or Formulor(german/european users). Choose one of the 3mm/0.118 inches acrylic P1-Plates in a color you like. For my turntable prototypes, I choosed the material “Acrylic - Black (Matte 1-Side)”. If you have access to an own lasercutting machine or if you want to use a different service, just import the vectorpaths from the eps-files' layer named "Your Design" into your preferred program.
1x Bearing „Lazy Susan“
Hole distance top: 81mm
Hole distance bottom: 90mm
Inner diameter: 54mm
1x Drive Dog / Diver Disc
5mm inner diameter (must fit to the stepper motor shaft)
1x Stepper Motor
NEMA 17 with 5mm shaft diameter
(max height determined by the height of the female-female spacers, see step 4 for further information)
4x Rubber Feet
M3, 17x10mm
Screws, nuts, bolts
• 4x Countersunk Screws, M3 x 8mm (8mm total length including the head!)
• 8x Pan Head Screws, M3 x 8mm
• 4x Lens Head Screws, M3 x 14mm
• 4x Self Locking Nuts, M3
• 4x Washers M3, 9mm outer diameter (washers should fit into the rubber feet. You can also buy rubber feet with integrated washers)
• 4x Female-Male Standoff Spacer, M3 x 15mm
• 4x Female-Female Standoff Spacer, M3 x 35mm (please note: the height of the "female-female standoff spacer" determines the maximum height of the stepper motor, which is here 35mm.)
I also prepared some kits that include all the parts you need to build your own turntable - except the stepper motor:
https://www.tindie.com/products/FluxGarage/turntab...
Tools
Put the 15mm female-male spacers through the plate. Screw the 35mm female-female spacers against them.
Please note that the "female-female spacers" determine the maximum height of the stepper motor, which is here 35mm. If you want to use a higher stepper motor, you have to choose higher standoff spacers accordingly or add additional female-male-spacers. For example, you could add 4 additional female-male spacers with 30mm, this would allow a motor height up to 65mm.
The next step will be to bring the turntable to live. We'll create an arduino + easydriver based controller to control the stepper motor and the camera shutter. Find the detailed instructions here:
https://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Controlle...
If you like this stuff, you can find more of this at www.fluxgarage.com