NEMA 17/23 horizontal filament spool support

thingiverse

If you have an unused NEMA17 or NEMA23 motor lying around, you can repurpose it into a fantastic horizontal filament spool base. The motor not only adds stability and weight but also provides resistance against rotation. This ensures that your spool won't be unwound by a filament whiplash, especially with large brand new reels that tend to unwind on their own. Simply attach some M4 and M3 screws along with M3 nuts, and you're good to go. You can remove the adapter to insert smaller spools or create your own custom adapter using FreeCAD's editable sources. As for the colors used in printing, I simply printed what was loaded on my printers at that time. There are two versions available: a standard conical design and a 'cube mod' that is easier to print but requires four additional screws and nuts. I use both designs, but I've printed more of the cube mod due to its modular nature which allows it to utilize excess filament. Regular STL files are provided for NEMA23 versions, while NEMA17 versions can be accessed by printing two NEMA17-named STLs. However, I recommend using the NEMA23 version as it adds weight and requires more torque, resulting in improved performance. That being said, the NEMA17 version is still a great performer and can be used if you have an unused motor of that size. I use these spool supports to feed filament directly into my printers through a PTFE tube connected to the extruder. This setup avoids the weight of the spool resting on the machine, enhancing stability and giving me more freedom to position my spools while also providing protection against filament bending. If you're using 1.75mm filament, I recommend getting a few meters of 3mm inner PTFE tube; trust me, you won't regret it. The optional toolbox is incredibly handy, featuring an optional hinged top that adds even more functionality.