I Tried 6 Ways to 3D Print This Worm Screw. Only 2 Worked.

I’m building a SatNOGS‑style antenna rotator, and one of the key parts is the worm screw that gears down the stepper motor and prevents back‑driving from wind loads. The official plans recommend SLM metal printing, but I wanted to see whether a regular FDM printer could produce a functional version. This video walks through six different ways to print the worm screw: PLA unsupported ABS unsupported ABS with tower support ABS with HIPS thread fill ABS with HIPS tower ABS split and glued I show the slicer previews, the actual prints, the cleanup steps, and how each method performs. Some prints look terrible but work surprisingly well. Others fail immediately. In the end, two methods produce fully functional worm screws for the rotator. If you’ve printed extreme overhangs like this, I’d love to hear your slicer tips in the comments. Stay tuned for the full antenna‑rotator build. #SatNOGS #3DPrinting #ABS #PLA #HIPS #AntennaRotator #satellitetracking #HamRadio #FDMPrinting #Engineering #bambulab #bambustudio #p1s aka: 3D Printing the “Impossible” Worm Screw: 6 Methods, 2 Functional Survivors