Maker Box Filament Spool - 180mm total diameter

thingiverse

I've been using Maker Box for a while now, but the loose filament has always posed a challenge. Despite trying many different spools, none of them were well-suited to handle the Maker Box filament. I tried numerous options, but I was never satisfied. Some were too small in size, causing the filament to spring open even when left taped in place on the spool. Others wouldn't print because they were too expensive, and I found myself stuck with spent filament rolls from 0.5kg and 1kg rolls, which had smaller interior diameters, making them prone to springing open and not winding nicely. In the end, I decided to design my own filament spool. I had some design guidelines in mind. First and foremost, it had to work seamlessly with my filament stand. The core needed to be small enough to fit snugly on the stand's rod, but narrow enough to accommodate another filament roll for dual-color prints. I wanted low filament usage, a hole for winding, and a lower guard to prevent skipping out when winding. My design turned out well, and it has withstood two full windings and uses without any issues. The diameter of the spool is just slightly larger than the widest part of the Maker Box filament, ensuring that the wind would be wound tightly on the spool while still being easy to remove. Some key notes about this design: the core where the rod passes through does not need assembly, and I left them shorter. This eliminated any potential alignment issues when trying to snap it together. However, I still included a 'collar' inside to reduce wear and improve alignment. There are currently two versions available: one with a 20mm core and another with a 30mm core. If you'd like a different size, let me know – it's easy to modify. Print Settings: * Printer Brand: RepRap * Printer Model: EG1+ * Rafts: No * Supports: No * Resolution: 0.3mm * Infill: 100% * Notes: Recommended settings: + 0.3mm layer height + 0.5mm layer width (except first layer – use whatever you need for adhesion) + 100% infill + 3 perimeter layers If you want to print at a different layer height, I don't see any issues arising from this. However, I do encourage using the 0.5mm layer width due to how the two halves fit together. Post-Printing: As long as you have zits/blobs under control, these spools will push together with minimal friction. If you feel they are too loose, I recommend applying 2 pieces of tape opposite each other on the inside of the spool. You can slide the filament off smoothly once you split the spool. To ensure a good wind that won't tangle, I recommend winding the filament on by hand. How I Designed This: I used Fusion 360 to design this spool. I've been learning parabolic design for some time now, and this was my first serious project with it.