Front Facing Filament Holder

thingiverse

This is a front-facing spool holder designed for easy loading. To achieve smoother feeding, I've incorporated bearings into the rod. The ones labeled 608 are specifically sized for a 608 bearing and a 5/16 threaded rod with 1/2" OD hex nuts. In contrast, the original design was tailored to some surplus store bearings. The part numbers in the title correspond to identical sizes from McMasterCarr, featuring 5/8" OD and 1/4" ID. To complete this spool holder, you'll need a single threaded rod, two lock nuts, and one regular nut or one 5" hex bolt, accompanied by a regular nut and a lock nut of the appropriate size for either bearing size model. Installation involves attaching it to the extruded rail where the factory one was mounted, reusing the original nuts in the rail, but requiring longer bolts to reach them. To assemble this spool holder, start by placing a nylon lock nut on the end of the threaded rod and then inserting it through the spool rod. Next, place a regular nut onto the spool rod until it's finger-tight. Insert the assembly through the base with the regular nut entering the hex recess in the base. Finally, add another lock nut to the back of the base to secure it in place. Alternatively, you could use a long enough hex bolt for easier tightening.