Fully Printed Filament Spool Holder

thingiverse

When I first started experimenting with 3D printing, I quickly realized that dealing with filament spools was a major challenge due to their varying sizes. In an effort to create a more efficient filament holder design, I had several projects lined up in my queue. However, upon researching spool filaments on Thingiverse, I came across the PHIL design which closely matched my initial concept inspired by the ANET A8 spool holder. After downloading and printing PHIL, unfortunately, it failed to work as expected, a mistake that could have been avoided with a thorough review of comments beforehand. Determined to create a functional universal spool holder, I continued working on my design. The result is now ready for use and has been documented in videos demonstrating its effectiveness with both new and almost empty spools, featuring two adjustable positions, upward and downward orientations. This design also incorporates compatibility with PHIL, allowing users to print custom pins and spools that can be easily inserted into the holder. Instructions for printing and assembling the spool holder include printing pins vertically and the spool horizontally to minimize friction during assembly. Once printed, all parts should be thoroughly cleaned before proceeding. For optimal performance, the inside of the spool can be sanded but this step is not strictly necessary provided that print quality is good. The next steps involve fitting the pins into the spools and securing them within the holder using screws. The slider can then be adjusted to accommodate various filament spool sizes. While a guide is not required, one will soon be uploaded as an update to further facilitate use of this design. Printer settings used for printing this design include: - Printer: ANET A8 - Rafts: Yes - Supports: Yes - Resolution: 0.4 - Infill: 20 Important notes: - The pins must have at least 20% infill to ensure they are strong enough and do not break if removed. - To minimize friction during assembly, print the pins vertically and the spool horizontally.