Filament Stand & Centering/ Stablizing Caps

thingiverse

I want to share a simple yet well thought out, free flowing design for a super strong bearing-free 1kg filament holder that spins smoothly. To make this filament holder, you'll need to purchase a 1/2" steel pipe from Lowe's and cut it to 5.75"-6" long. For an extra smooth flow, I took fine sandpaper to the steel tube on my lathe. You can also achieve this by hand or using a drill if you don't have access to a lathe. Note that the reel center caps (which keep the spool centered) require precise attention. Using a "stepper drill bit," I carefully drilled holes into each side since I intentionally printed the parts slightly smaller than the pipe for a snug fit. These holes must be tight-fitting, as loose ones won't hold the spool in place. You can also use a 1/2" drill bit if you have one handy. To find the necessary materials, visit this link to purchase enough steel pipes to make six holders: https://tinyurl.com/y7jxygea For the stepper bits, refer to this link: https://tinyurl.com/ybojmbqz This design was printed using my Da Vinci Jr 1.0 Pro at 210c temperature, 70% infill, 30mm per second speed, and a .04 nozzle with a 1kg roll of 1.75 makerbot/Chinese eBay filament.