Makerbot Z18 Top Mounted Spool Holder

cults3d

As with all Makerbots, this standard design has a dumb old-fashioned filament tube that causes 90% of filament jams. So I created this top-mounted spool mount, which does not require the tube and feeds the filament directly to the extruder. This allows for faster printing times without sacrificing quality. However, as I hate spending 20 hours printing a silly spool mount for my printer, I made this one, which prints in less than 4 hours but requires 6mm & 8mm round tubes (carbon, brass or aluminum). This reduces the print time by less than 1/6th compared to traditional designs. The result is almost no friction and no ball bearings are required. I have also added 2.5mm holes in case you need to add M3 mounting screws for extra security. Keep in mind that this design requires printing both left and right sides. To explore more innovative designs, be sure to check out my other creations and follow me for daily updates on new projects!