LACK enclosure filament guide

thingiverse

After scouring countless filament guides for LACK enclosures and failing to find exactly what I needed, I decided to create my own. My main objectives were to produce a visually appealing guide while minimizing the contact area and drag on the filament as much as possible. I began with a simple venturi shape featuring wide openings at the top and bottom and a gentle radius to guide the filament. I wanted the top guide to be neat since that is the side most people will see it from. I also wanted the bottom guide to be nice and wide to soften the filament's radius when the printer reaches its uppermost Z-axis height. I believe this design achieved both objectives. My OpenSCAD code may not be the prettiest, but I've included it here in case others wish to modify the design. I printed a round top guide and an oblong bottom guide. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but the bottom is twice as wide as the top, which worked out perfectly for my needs. To connect the top and bottom guides together, I also created a simple ring coupler. Assembly: Measure carefully, then drill holes through the top and bottom of the LACK table to allow the depth of the model to recess into the table housing. With the holes drilled, use a small dab of silicone or other glue to attach the coupler to one of the guides. Giving the glue a minute to set up, recheck the alignment and fit of both top and bottom guides. Place another dab of glue on the remaining guide then press the two guides into the coupler, sandwiching the table in between. Hold everything tightly together while the glue sets up. I turned the table upside down and placed a heavy stack of books on the underside to keep things snug while the glue cured. Once the glue is cured, flip the table back over and you're all set. I only put glue on the coupler itself and the result came out nicely tightly sandwiched together with the table. Since I only intended to print this once, I didn't waste much time refining or optimizing code. The code is included but use it at your own risk. Good luck and happy printing.