MBot kit filament guide

thingiverse

MBot's single extruder 3D printer kit is a fun and affordable option, but it falls short in one key area - providing an easy way to guide filament from the rear spool hanger up to the extruder. After considering a few alternatives, I decided on a traditional 6mm x 4mm guide tube. The rear panel of this guide tube is a simple tube with two brackets attached to it. To print, you'll need to create two copies of the rear bracket - one for each end of the tube. The good news is that these brackets are interchangeable; they simply flip over to create the opposite end. The extruder side of the guide tube fits snugly into a gap in the sheet metal umbilical holder. To secure it in place, you'll need to push the slotted side until it snaps into position. I found that ABS filament works well with this design due to its flexibility, but PLA can also be used with a bit of care - or by carefully filing down the end of the bracket. To support customization, STL and STP versions are included in the kit. I'm glad they were added, as trying to modify STLs can be frustrating; the results often don't turn out well. In particular, the extruder side bracket could probably benefit from being made slightly beefier. For the tubing itself, I recommend using a length of 6 x 4 mm PTFE. Alternatively, you could use 1/4 inch poly tubing - but be sure to ream the brackets with a 1/4" drill for a secure fit. Update: If you're looking for an alternative take on the rear holder, check out this design on Thingiverse: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2580309