Adjustable spool holder for FlashForge Creator and pre-2016 Pro

cults3d

There will be no more updates to this page. Go to the new GitHub page for the latest updates. This is a remix of my FlashForge Creator Pro 2016 adjustable spool holder. This version has been modified to fit the older Creator and Creator Pro models (from 2015 and earlier) which use round holes for mounting the spool holders. This model also offsets the holders similarly to the model by ajwammock, such that there is extra room for larger spools. This was made on request from enriquem50. The main photo is from his make. The spool holder has an adjustable length that allows any spool with 54 mm center hole to be mounted securely, if its thickness (at the hole) is between 35 and 80 mm or even up to 100 mm if you wish. The length is adjusted with a knob. You can avoid that spools with a recessed axle rub against the side, by mounting a spacer ring. See the post-printing section of the original Thing for illustrations as well as assembly instructions. Another advantage of the adjustability is that the spool holder can act as a brake, i.e. the amount of friction can be regulated 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 the other spool (if a spool unwinds, there is a risk that the filament will tangle into itself when you print with it). There are three end pieces, most likely you'll need the 35 mm one, which allows spools with thickness between 55 and 80 mm to be mounted. The 15 mm tip is for spool thicknesses between 35 and 60 mm. There is also a 55 mm tip, which I added on request but which I have not tested, so I don't give any guarantees that it will work well. This requires the longer version of the screw and allows spools between 75 and 100 mm thick. To make swapping the end pieces easier, print and mount a screw and circlip for each of them. The screw is standard M12, should you want to replace the printed version with a metal one.