Better filament guide for Wanhao i3, Maker Select, etc.

thingiverse

This filament guide is a complete overhaul of the original "updated" guide for the Wanhao i3, boasting three major upgrades: Firstly, the notch for the angled support of the spool holder now perfectly aligns at the correct angle, eliminating the need for manual modifications; secondly, it has been significantly shortened to bring the filament closer to the X-axis, where the extruder is located; thirdly, the tolerances on the screw holes are precisely correct. Holding the filament as close to the extruder as possible is crucial. By shortening the guide, we achieve two benefits: the filament is brought closer to the X-axis, and the guide itself becomes stiffer and uses less plastic. A second component is also included - a teflon tube holder that fits snugly into the filament guide. My printer used to experience a problem where the filament would unspool and coil up above the extruder. This coil would sometimes strike the x-axis limit switch, causing layer shifting issues. A teflon tube prevents this coiling from happening in the first place. The length of the teflon tube is not particularly critical; it just needs to be long enough not to interfere with either the spool or the extruder. Since the picture was taken, I have trimmed it down to about 3 inches. You may need to drill this part out using a 4mm drill bit, depending on the tolerance of your teflon tubing and how finely tuned your printer is. This component is held in place within the filament guide hole by just one tiny dot of CA adhesive, allowing for easy removal if needed.