3D Filament Storage/Holder In situ

thingiverse

So far, I haven't had any problems with moisture as I only print with PLA+ and keep my spool on the 3D printer until I need to change it to another color. I store my used spools in a plastic cake container with silica gel when not in use. Since the Australian summer is approaching and humidity will rise soon, I decided to create this hybrid spool storage container and holder that can stay attached to the printer. This design is specifically for the Cocoon Create Touch, a Wanhao duplicator i3 plus clone, but it can be easily modified for other printers where it can be placed elsewhere as a standalone with only slight modification. I designed the Cocoon Create Touch spool holder because the one that comes with the machine is not tall enough for the cake container. In addition to the printed parts, you will need: - A plastic cake container (4 Lt, internal diameter 26.5 cm x height 8.5 cm) - mine was from a $2 shop - Screws 4Gx20 mm - Screws 4Gx15 mm - Screws 4Gx9 mm - A file - A drill for the hole for filament to come through To assemble the spool holder, place the U-shaped cradles in the middle by aligning the circles on the bottom and lid of the cake container. Using a light facilitates this alignment. Note that the inside hole of the part where the filament comes out is bigger to minimize friction. This part should be placed last as the placement will depend on any filament guides you are using on your machine. Assemble the bottom half of the container with the spool and try out the potential site of exit to see if there's any resistance, then do the attachment. I have printed a screw-on lid that can be used when the filament is not in use. Simply bend the filament into a U-shape and insert it into the hole on the side of the part where the filament comes through, then screw the lid. I made some holes in the middle tube that holds the spool and allows the spool to spin, so you can keep your silica gel desiccant inside to maintain low humidity. It's possible that the lid may come loose over time from opening and closing; if this happens, you could use some tape or a clip to prevent it from opening. Addendum: I realized that I didn't upload the inner tube with holes, so I uploaded it instead. I also uploaded two types of clips that can be used to prevent the container cover from becoming loose by wear and tear over time or to further reinforce the lid.