Guided Spool Stand

thingiverse

Simple compact spool stand using 608 ball bearings requires just two parts and four bearings, two per side of the spool. Clean out holes in large cylinders thoroughly, sanding or filing until both are perfectly round if necessary. Push bearings onto larger cylinders, pressing them firmly down, then place two assemblies together, gently but firmly pressing them into place. Repeat on the other side. Filament should be pulled from a low position for best results. This stand differs slightly from others: bearing mounts are 7.9mm wide, allowing some printing tolerance without ruining the print. The hole and pivot measurements - 3.5mm and 3.3mm respectively - also allow for a little extra wiggle room. If it sits too loose, just use a bit of glue to secure. The bases of the cylinders are thickened so that the whole part can be printed lying flat without tearing off when assembling the stand. If they do tear off, printing vertically with minimal support required only for the cylinders is still possible. The "horns" rising above the bearing act as an effective guide for the filament spool to prevent it from jumping off the stand.