Filament Rack Brackets for Wire Shelves using half-inch PVC

thingiverse

This is a set of brackets for use with wire racks to store your filament spools. They are designed for use with four sections of 1/2 inch standard PVC tubing (I used schedule 40). There is a slot if you want to use a zip-tie to secure it to the rack if the fit is not as snug as you like, although I have found it is not necessary. They clip on to the wire racks quite nicely.You can make it any length you want simply by printing a support bracket every 2 feet or so. In the photo you can see I am using a total of 6 brackets to cover two heavy duty wire shelves spanning almost 8 feet. Half-inch PVC is cheap at your local hardware store (usually less than $3-$4 for a 10 foot section. Print the end-cap normally and then once mirrored for the opposite end. I used Gorilla glue on the end-caps to hold the PVC tubing in place. I used a 10mm brim during printing. No print supports needed. The structure is quite strong. Mine is about 3/4 full of spools which is about 60 pounds and it's not flexing at all. It could easily hold 45 1-kilo spools (approx 100 pounds for my 7.5 foot long rack). Unrelated Side Note: Yes, I keep my spools in gallon zip-lock bags with a desiccant packet because I live in a sub-tropical climate. Despite having an 800sq foot dehumidifier in a 120sq foot room, it barely keeps the humidity down to 45%. So far I have never had a problem with wet filament. Heat is a bigger problem for me. With 4 printers, 12 computers, and several other pieces of equipment, it is hard to keep the temperature below 90 degrees (and I even have air conditioning installed in my lab). Most people cut their PVC with a hacksaw, but if you like to use PVC for projects then I would recommend getting a PVC cutting tool. Unlike a hacksaw, the cutter slices through PVC up to 2 inches or so like a hot knife through butter! And... with a perfectly clean and straight edge and no PVC shavings. Enjoy my designs? You can buy me a coffee... I love coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/hrhkn9p4vh1 Thank You for your support! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can get a PVC cutting tool here:https://amzn.to/3RuWgI3Or if you need a hacksaw, you can buy one and do it old-skool style here:https://amzn.to/3rfdajxOriginal Gorilla Glue:https://amzn.to/46OcQrvIf you enjoy my designs you can show some love completely FREE by simply installing Temu and signing up using my Temu Associate link:https://temu.to/m/u35zqoy1w8mNot only can you buy 3D printer items and parts needed to make my designs, you also get a really nice discount. Temu ships pretty quickly, the prices are really low, and the quality is very good. The credits I earn from referrals help me buy filament and publish more free useful designs.