Magnetic Filament Guide

thingiverse

The funniest thing about this project was that I needed a filament guide to attach to a plastic part, and I didn't want it to get damaged visually. At the same time, I wanted the filament guide to be secure but also have some flexibility to it. What I came up with is magnets! The guide has several neodymium magnets in its base, and there's another matching piece with magnets that snaps into place on the other side of the panel, holding everything very securely. I had 1/4 inch by 1/16 inch magnets on hand, but 1/4 by 1/8 would work just fine. Six millimeters by three millimeters magnets would fit too, although they might be a bit loose, so there's an option for everyone else in the world as well. After printing, I mixed some epoxy and put a small amount into each of the round holes, then started pushing the magnets into place. They should be a snug fit, but it was likely that pliers would be needed to get them all the way in. The bottom piece will hold one 1/8 inch magnet in each hole, while the base for the guide will hold two in each hole. Make sure you get the magnetic poles pointing in the same direction! I specifically made this filament guide to sit on top of a daVinci 1.0 printer. In that case, hold the bottom clip under the lid with the magnets facing up and set the guide over it. Everything will snap into place. After I was satisfied with the hold and position, I epoxied the lower clip in place underneath the lid. You don't have to do this, but I was worried about someone moving it and having the clip fall onto my bed or print. It holds very well on a metal piece of the frame or with the clip attached to a plastic panel. The opening in the loop also allows you to insert or remove a filament strand even if the end of the strand is already loaded into the extruder. Get your supplies ready. The magnets should fit tightly, so press them into place with pliers. Make sure you get the poles pointing in the right direction, so the pieces attract each other. What are you doing taking pictures? The epoxy is starting to gel! Finished!