Adjustable 50mm diameter spool holder for FFCP

thingiverse

Tired of printing a new spool holder for every brand of filament, because different brands use spools with varying thicknesses? No more with this universal adaptable spool holder that rules them all. It has an adjustable length that allows any spool with a 54mm center hole to be mounted securely. The length is adjusted with a knob. You can avoid spools with recessed axles from rubbing against the side by mounting a spacer ring. See the illustrations in the post-printing section for details. Another advantage of adjustability is that the spool holder can act as a brake, regulating friction by tightening the flange against the spool. For instance, you can lock an unused spool so it doesn't unwind from vibrations while printing with another spool. If a spool unwinds, there's a risk that filament will tangle into itself when printing. Assembly is straightforward. First, put the screw through the end piece and secure it with the circlip (see first image in the post-printing section). Then, screw it onto the base. For spools wider at the edges than at the axle, mount the spacer ring against the base (second image in the post-printing section). There are three end pieces: most likely you'll need the 35mm one for spool thicknesses between 55 and 80mm. The 15mm tip is for spool thicknesses between 35 and 60mm, while the 55mm tip allows spools up to 100mm thick but requires a longer screw. To make swapping end pieces easier, print and mount a screw and circlip for each of them. The screw is standard M12; you can replace it with a metal one if needed. If you have an older Creator with round spool mounting holes, you can use this remixed model. Print Settings: Printer Brand: FlashForge Printer: Creator Pro Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: 0.27mm and 0.1mm Infill: 18% Notes: * For the 15 and 35mm tips, you only need the regular screw. * You need the longer screw for the 55mm tip. * Scale the spacer in the Z direction if needed (most slicer programs should allow this). * Print the screw and circlip at 0.1mm layer thickness to ensure they're strong enough to bear weight. I recommend three perimeters and low infill, as strength will be mostly in the outer shells. The other parts can be printed at any desired resolution; I used 0.27mm. I ensured top layers are at least 1mm thick and provided just enough infill to allow printing correctly. The base comes in two versions: one with a hollow support for easy printing, and one without supports if your slicer can generate them better. To minimize the risk of the support being knocked over by your unused nozzle, orient the part so that the support is at the same side as the nozzle you're printing with (for instance, if you print with the right nozzle, the back of the holder should be pointing to the right). Alternatively, unscrew the unused nozzle. If you plan to use the 55mm end piece, take extra care to print the base in a strong way because it will need to endure extra stress. Moreover, the reason you would want the long end piece is probably because you have a huge and heavy spool to start with... Post-Printing: Mount the circlip as shown to ensure the tip moves freely when turning the screw clockwise or counter-clockwise. For spools much wider at their flanges than at their center, mount the spacer against the side to keep the flanges from rubbing against the printer. The spacer can also be used to clamp very narrow spools with the 15mm tip. Updates: 2017/02/12: Added 55mm tip and longer screw on request. 2018/08/05: Made the 'smooth' screws even smoother.