Filament Server System Mark II

thingiverse

Since publishing the Filament Server System in 2013, I've sought a more efficient system requiring less printing, fewer loose parts, easier assembly, and simpler spool changeovers. When creating the pipe-based, wall-mounted Spool Storage Rack last year, I became intrigued by the idea of feeding directly from spools sitting on pipes, but the friction of the spool edges on iron pipes is too great. As it turns out, the black drainage pipe sold in Home Depot and Lowe's, made from Charlotte Pipe, is a very "slippery" material that allows most (but not all) filament spools to turn freely. Normal PVC plumbing pipe will not work due to excessive friction. For spools that don't turn freely on the Charlotte pipe (cardboard, for one), or situations requiring minimal pulling force, I designed a snap-on axle support, two of which can support a piece of 2"/50mm OD plastic pipe acting as an axle. The scheme can be seen in action here: https://youtu.be/O7FAWeHpkeU The plastic pipe slides over 3/4" (23.4mm OD) electrical conduit, which is cheaper, lighter, cleaner, and easier to cut than iron pipe, with no threaded ends needing to be concealed. I'm unsure of the nominal size of the Charlotte pipe, but its OD is about 1.25" or 30mm. This system also addresses a need for a free-standing rack not requiring wall-mounting. The vertical members are 1-1/4" perforated square "Boltmaster" tubing from SteelWorks, available on Amazon and elsewhere. In my setup, these uprights are bolted to a butcher block workbench with the help of some bracketry. The mid and top rail guides are a tight friction fit into the square tubing and might require a whack or two with a mallet. The conduit snaps smartly into the rail guides, as do the filament guides and axle supports into the plastic pipe. The system can feed from spools at a significant lateral distance from the printer, but if not prevented from doing so, the spool will creep sideways and run into other spools, increasing friction. To prevent this and provide a smooth, low-friction path for the filament regardless of feed angle, snap-on multifunction guides are provided. Spools can simply sit between them, or the spool edge can be placed in the "groove" provided. There's also a notch-y thing at the front of each guide where a loose filament end can be secured. **Important**: When feeding from a spool resting on the pipe rails, it is imperative that the filament feed from "under" the spool, between the rails. If you feed from "over the top" of the spool, the spool will get pulled off the rails and topple over (don't ask me how I know). Spools using the axle holder can feed either way.