DIY Wire Spool

thingiverse

I often find that the wire I buy for my electronics projects is wound too tightly, too loosely, or on a very poor-quality spool. Using this handy enclosed wire spool helps hold wire of any size in place. It's labeled as "30 Gauge" on top, but you can easily re-label it if needed. The lid fits snugly onto the top and one 4-40x 3/8" screw holds it securely in place. This spool is ideal for use in a tool bag or traveling toolkit because the wire is protected from damage by being held in one place instead of exposed to other items that may be jostling around in your kit. Its thick walls make it nearly indestructible. Print Settings: Printer Brand: Printrbot Printer: Simple Black Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: No Infill: 35% Notes: This can be printed on any printer at any resolution in almost any rigid material. I used PLA with a 1mm nozzle and .3mm layer height to print it quickly, but the design is chunky and robust by design so small details aren't necessary. If you have a 3D printer, you can print this. Note: The Printrbot Simple Metal usually can't print multiple filaments, but with the upgraded Gearhead extruder, I'm able to manually switch filaments during a print. I used the last of three almost empty rolls of PLA lying around and it looks pretty neat. How I Designed This A bad spool of 30 gauge wire plus frustration sparked an idea that became a custom wire spool using calipers and 123D. That custom wire spool gave me a sense of pride, which led to the desire to share it with the community by uploading it to Thingiverse.