3D Solutech Bearings for Ender 3

thingiverse

I use 3D Solutech filament exclusively now, but I was unhappy with how the filament spool dragged on my Ender 3's spool rod. Even with the filament guide in place, it still caused problems. So, I took matters into my own hands and built some bearings along with a sleeve to allow the spool to spin freely. These bearings work incredibly well. However, they do require a specific quantity of Airsoft BBs - 22 to be exact (6mm diameter each). When the z-layer reaches 8.0mm, I pause my print, insert the BBs, and then resume printing. If I exceed 8.0mm, the balls won't fit properly in place. It's essential to keep an eye on your printer after inserting the balls as the extruder nozzle might accidentally pop one out. My first bearing printed without any issues whatsoever. However, my second attempt resulted in a BB popping out during printing, so I paused the print once more, reinserted the ball, and continued with no further problems. I opted to print these bearings without supports, which led to some minor clean-up afterwards due to overhangs over the balls. Using a hobby knife, I simply cut out the excess material. ===================== **Update** I've updated my wall STL file to "Wall Only v2.stl". This revised design features a lip that prevents the spool from sliding off the cylinder. For added stability, I highly recommend applying spot "welds" of hot glue to keep the bearings securely attached to the wall. After running a 2-hour print, one of my bearings shifted inward by approximately 1mm. While it's not a significant issue, longer prints might cause further movement and potentially tilt the spool.