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Spool Guards

by tbuser, published

Spool Guards by tbuser Jun 22, 2011

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Description

Update: If you mount your spools horizontally on top, I'd recommend using this filament guide instead of using spool guards: thingiverse.com/thing:9604

These are OpenSCAD Parametric MakerBot Filament Spool Housings. I always found Pax's excellent Spool Housings to be very difficult to print and kept thinking if only it were a little thicker so they don't delaminate or a slightly different shape, it could be even better, unfortunately I don't have Solidworks... so after having a few disasters with my stackable spool thingiverse.com/thing:9198 causing filament to fall off the side and failing yet again to print enough spool housings to surround it, I wrote my own in OpenSCAD. Now that it's in OpenSCAD I can experiment with different sizes and dimensions. I can also do cool things like putting an embossed logo on the outside to add some style. :)

Some changes and options I added:

Caps - you don't really need to completely enclose the spool, you just need to enclose enough to prevent filament from falling off the sides, you can use caps as spacers to save time and plastic.

Added a lip to the bottom to try and prevent filament from bending the housing and slipping under the spool.

You can change the thickness and the degrees that each slice of housing encloses to make it much easier to print cleanly.

Option to print a slice with a hole in it to tuck filament into when you change spools so it doesn't unravel.

You can change the tolerance to make it fit tighter or looser on the spool.

Option to print a slice with a nifty embossed MakerBot M in a circle logo (or a plain solid one). Use it as an example to make your own customized spool.

Recent Comments

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Why size spool is this designed for? Looking to use this with the 2.2lbs Octave spools.

I've been using the guard with the spool mounted horizontally on top of my TOM with no problem. As a matter of fact, the guard keeps the filament organized on the spool.

I've made a guard for each color I have. It's important to be color cordinated. :)

I ended up designing this filament guide which feeds the filament in such a way that you don't need any housings around the spool at all when mounted on top! http://www.thingiverse.com/thi...

Makes

Liked By

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Steampunk Single Digit Nixie Clock II

License

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Instructions

I'm still printing slices so I haven't fully tested it, so until then this is still a work in progress. I'm thinking to fully enclose a spool, you can print 3 caps at 60 degrees each and 4 guards at 30 degrees each. (I'd suggest 3 guards with a MakerBot logo and 1 guard with a hole) Each slice takes about an hour to print. I'd suggest 0 extra shells and about 0.1 fill seems to be sufficient to get a good print.

Comments

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Brutalsnowman on Feb 8, 2014 said:

Why size spool is this designed for? Looking to use this with the 2.2lbs Octave spools.

jimcook on Jul 23, 2011 said:

I've been using the guard with the spool mounted horizontally on top of my TOM with no problem. As a matter of fact, the guard keeps the filament organized on the spool.

I've made a guard for each color I have. It's important to be color cordinated. :)

elspeth on Jun 24, 2011 said:

Lovely job, tbuser!

tbuser on Jun 24, 2011 said:

After testing this today, I wouldn't recommend using this when mounting the spool on top of the ToM, should work great when mounted on the back with the spool vertical. Unfortunately, when it's horizontal the tight angle pulling filament down causes the housing to rub against the ribs under the spool causing jams. I have some ideas to minimize that, but I might not get to trying a new design until this weekend.

hellphish on Jun 24, 2011 said:

Where is the makerbot_logo.stl?

dnszero on Jun 24, 2011 said:

Awesome, I can't wait to see your new designs, because that's exactly how I mount my spools. On top ;-)

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