Another (Over-engineered) Spool Holder for Creality printers

thingiverse

DISCLAIMER: My English is not very good, so please be patient with me. I had some issues with underextrusions and lines on my prints. After investigating the cause, I narrowed it down to the stock spool holder on my Ender 3. So, it was time to look for a new spool holder. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything that met my requirements. That's when I decided to create my own using Autodesk Inventor and share it with others. This custom spool holder features two types of bearings inside, which enables the filament to roll smoothly off the spool. However, this can also be a problem sometimes, so you may want to consider introducing some drag to the system. The spool holder can be easily attached to the stock Creality spool holder instead of the tube that comes with it. In the File tab, you'll find not only STL files but also IPT files for Autodesk Inventor 2016, which you can freely customize and share your modifications. Unfortunately, I couldn't provide an IPT file for the bearing, as it's a remix of Gear Bearing by Emmett (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:53451) with custom dimensions and a small brace close to the outer edge. This spool holder design is suitable for 80mm wide spools with a 50mm ID hole. You can accommodate wider or narrower spools by scaling the printed "rod" in your slicer to the desired length. The formula for calculating the rod's length is: Width_of_spool (in mm) - 36mm (2x18mm) + 1mm (offset - safe measure) Here are the things you'll need to assemble the spool holder: * M6 threaded rod (available in 1m lengths, cut it to your desired length; I cut mine to around 20cm) * M6 nuts (13x, plus one nut or nyloc) * 626ZZ bearings (2x) * M3 nuts (3x) * M3 x 50(mm) screws (3x) Once you've printed everything, follow these steps: 1. Insert the M3 nuts into the "holder_nut." I had to gently tap them into place using a hammer. 2. Place one of the 626ZZ bearings into the "holder_back" (you can use a hammer if needed). 3. Screw seven M6 nuts onto the M6 threaded rod, spacing them approximately 25mm from the end of the rod. 4. Insert the threaded rod into the "holder_back," securing both bearings with two M6 nuts on each side. 5. Place one M6 nut (or nyloc) inside the "back_wheel" and screw it onto the shorter end of the threaded rod, making sure to tighten it securely but avoid breaking the wheel. 6. From the other side of the rod, insert the metal bracket from the stock spool holder, followed by the "holder_nut," which you should secure using the 50mm M3 screws on the other side of the "holder_back." 7. Next, attach the printed bearing to the threaded rod, then the printed rod, and finally the second printed bearing. 8. Finally, insert two (or one) M6 nuts into the "end_nut" from both sides and screw it onto the threaded rod.