Overhead Filament Spool Holder (Lulzbot Taz)

thingiverse

This is an overhead filament spool holder designed for the Lulzbot Taz 5. It is sure to fit other printers as well. We needed a spool holder that was easy to use and eliminated the need for filament feed tubes required by the original spool holder. We print with various types of filaments that break easily, have rough surfaces, and often cause the extruder to "grind" and stall. This spool holder has eliminated 99% of the filament feed issues we were having. The "on-top" design allows the filament to cascade directly to the extruder head without any friction. The center tube is a 3/4 inch (trade size) PVC tube, easily found in the hardware store. It has a very smooth surface that lets the filament spool turn without resistance. The actual outer diameter of the tube is 1 1/16". I included a printable version of the center tube for those who want to make their own from scratch. You will need two of these spool holders for each filament spool (one for each side, front and back) and six 3/4" sections of 1 1/16" tube for the center. The spool holder simply rests on the top rails of the printer and is held in place by the ridge that protrudes from the bottom which mates with the slot in the center of the printer rail. Changing spools is as easy as slipping the tube out of one of the holders. We have a dual extruder, so we are showing two pairs of holders in the photo. If you like, you can secure the tube in one of the holders by threading a screw into the small hole in the top. You can also secure one of the holders (likely the rear one) to the printer rail with two screws and a pair of tee nuts or perhaps regular nuts wedged in the center slot in the printer rail. Print Settings Printer Brand: LulzBot Printer: TAZ 5 Rafts: Doesn't Matter Supports: Doesn't Matter Resolution: The resolution doesn't really matter Infill: About 20% Notes: We printed these supports with Innova, because we wanted them to last, but they are super easy to print so they will print well with pretty much anything.