Filament spool bearing

thingiverse

I needed to secure filament spools onto a spindle so they could rotate freely. I opted to use a half-inch wooden dowel as the spindle and National Bearings A-1 bearings, which were the smallest available in local auto parts stores. The components required for spool bearings are as follows: bearing_housing_inner - slips over the spindle and remains stationary; inner part of A-1 bearing inserts into this housing; bearing_housing_reverse - outer part of housing, referred to as "reverse" due to its inverted orientation from my initial design; outer part of A-1 bearing inserts into this housing with a small ledge preventing contact; buckle_m3 - an M3 buckles designed for attachment outside inner housing to prevent slippage, meant for securing with M3 nut; knob_m3_20mm - knobs used in conjunction with 30mm M3 screws for screwdriver-free tightening. Filament spools come in varying opening diameters, requiring the addition of a spool adapter. I included adapters for openings measuring 14.5mm, 16mm, 27.5mm, and 28.2mm to accommodate various spools. For smooth spinning, an exact fit isn't essential - narrower spindles or slightly larger opening diameters are tolerable. Assembling the components necessitates gluing knob onto M3 screw, as well as securing M3 nut into buckle when needed. Each component must be duplicated for successful spool mounting. Model designed in FreeCAD is open-source and user-friendly for modifications. Print Settings Printer: TwoUp Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: No Notes: Support features are built into the model; supports integrated into Knob_m3, bearing_m3, and bearing_housing_reverse might require a brim on materials with high melting temperatures. Depending on your specific printer and settings, some parts like the buckle may benefit from added adhesion via a thin raft or small layer of bridged extrusions for best results