100% printable filament spool

thingiverse

This filament spool design is a result of the user's inability to find a 100% printable option on Thingiverse. The first attempt was from thingiverse.com/thing:4337, but it had issues with printing and bearing rollers. So, the user experimented with a cylinder capped by two 45-degree cones as an alternative to spherical rollers, expecting better results on a MakerBot. However, the tolerances were too loose. The extend-o rod idea was borrowed from thingiverse.com/thing:5551. There's room for improvement in the hub design and skeinforge35 handling. To print, one needs to produce 1x mount, 1x hub, and 4x spoke for a radius of 100mm, with an additional 4x extender for another 80mm. Cleaning the hub involves cutting away an annular raft and using a knife to pry the balls apart. The hub can be spun in a drill for smoother operation. Spokes are inserted into the hub with optional extensions, requiring some persuasion if needed. The mount replaces one of the extra two z-endstops on a Thing-o-Matic and mates with the hub's center square hole. If M3 bolt holes print small, they can be drilled out. Lastly, filament is placed on the spool and tightened for optimal use.