Roller Shade LIft Cord System DIY
Description
Update: 3 Years Later, My Roller Shades Are Still Working Great In My Outdoor Gazebo !! Design Objective Was To Create A Universal Roller Blind Pulley System, Simple Parts That Could Be Used To Make Diy Roller Blinds For Widths Of Up To 10 Feet !! ..Or As Narrow As Wanted. The Same Pulley Assembly Can Be Used For 2-3 Times Across The Blind Width, And The Same Pulley Assembly Is Used For Routing The Draw Cords To Either The Left Or Right Side Of The Blind. The Shade Is Easily Lifted Out Of Hangers (Useful In Outdoor Applications, To Stow For Winter). The Universal Roller Blind Pulley Assembly Uses A 5 X 23Mm Piece Of Shaft Or Tubing, For The Pulley Axle. Optionally 2 M3 Or Self Tapping Screws Can Be Used To Hold The Assembly Together Prior To Mounting On Top Shade Rod. Note That The Lift Cord Can Pass Straight Through The Pulley Assembly, Or Wrap Around The Pulley And Exit At 90 Or 180 Degrees .. Many Options! (Tip: Insert End Of Lift Cord Into Pulley Assembly, Poke Through Holes To Force Cord To Exit Through Desired Hole). The Upper Shade Rod Should Be Flat Sided Wood .. Preferably A 2 X 2 Or 2 X 4 Ripped Down The Middle (Table Saw). Note That There 2 Types Of Upper Rod End Mounts, One For A 2 X2 Piece Of Lumber, And Another For The Slightly Wider Ripped 2 X 4. Wind The Shade Material Around This Wood Piece, With Double Sided Tape, And Apply Staples On Non-Visable Sides (3 Sides Usually) .. Mount Universal Pulleys On Front Visible Side, Using Wood Screws. The Lower Rolling Rod, Is A Low Cost Piece Of Schedule 40 1-1/4" Pvc Pipe ..(Tip: Paint A Couple Inches Of Each End, Which May Be Visible With Shade Material Rolled On. Insert The 3D Printed End Caps In Each End Some Force Required, Also Fill The Pvc Pipe With Sand, Or Alternative Material, For Added Weight, Prior To Inserting 2Nd End Cap .. If Your Caps Fit Snug To Loose, Add Glue. Note: The Filler Weight In The Pvc Pipe Really Helps The Shade Roll Tightly And Straight, And Helps Resist The Wind Outdoors. Attach Lower Rolling Rod To Shade Using Double Sided Tape On The Bottom 4-6" Of Shade Material That Will Always Remain Rolled Onto This Lower Rod. Some Care Must Be Taken To Squarely Position The Upper And Lower Rod When Double Sided Taping Them In Place. Note That The Design Of The Lift Cord Anchors, Allows Looping The Cord Around An Internal Boss, To Tie Off The Cord On (Use A Square Knot). This Greatly Increases The Strength Of The Lift Cord Attachment, Over Simply Knotting Up The Cord To Resist Pulling Through The Anchor Hole. This Is A Much Cleaner Looking Solution, Compared To The Eyelet Screws Used By Most Diy'Ers. Once The Roller Shade Is Set At Desired Position, Fix The Position By Tying Off The Lift Cords To An Appropriate Cleat (Many Are On Thingiverse .. My Preference Was This One Https://Www.Thingiverse.Com/Thing:2323392 .. I Liked The Shape, And Printing Orientation Which Should Be Strong For This Application Use). If Your Shade Is Fairly Long, I Recommend Using 2 Cleats Per Shade, Spaced Vertically Apart. The Very Long Cord Can Be Wound Between The 2 Cleats Then Wrapped Off On One. For Finishing Your Lift Cord Ends, I Also Suggest Using This Nice Traditionally Styleed Cord End Pull Https://Www.Thingiverse.Com/Thing:334895 ... Fyi - There Are Many Other Styles On Thingiverse To Choose From. Example Roller Blind Build: A 60" Wide X 7' Tall Canvas Blind For An Outdoor Gazebo. A Total Of 3 Universal Roller Blind Pulley Assemblies Are Used. Canvas Material ~ $14, Tape/Glue ~ $2, 5' Pvc 1 1/4 Sch40 Pipe ~$4, Lift Cord 1.8Mm Dia ~$4... Complete Blind Assembly Cost ~ $24 (Compare To $60-100 For A Commercial Unit In Limited Fabric Type & Color Options).
Statistics
Likes
38
Downloads
0