Printrbot Simple Metal Z axis filament spool holder

thingiverse

v2.8 is fully functional and functioning perfectly. v2.7 and v2.8 are essentially identical, except for the spool tab holder. I moved it back a bit to accommodate larger spools, specifically Bumat ones. It still worked great with my adapters, which I made myself (and can upload here if needed). However, I wanted to make it easier for everyone else, just in case. I highly recommend printing the filament guide. It's available on the links below. The guide keeps the filament in line and aligned perfectly with the hobbed gear. To print the way it sits with support, I use a 30% infill setting. This ensures smooth and effortless spool spinning. The new spool holder will ride along the z rails. Its design was inspired by necessity, born out of frustration. Before installing my matrix precision upgrade, my existing spool holder was working perfectly fine - mounted on top of the Z rails for my printrbot. But after upgrading, it ended up nearly a foot off the print bed, drastically increasing the machine's center of gravity. The machine would shake violently during printing. Despite the impact being less than I anticipated, it still significantly affected performance. To counteract this, I came up with a new spool holder that would lower the center of gravity, providing stability and minimizing vibration. And indeed, version 2.7 has been working extremely well since its inception - it rides great and spins the spools effortlessly. Some of my spools will actually rotate backwards when Y is moving in reverse. For future updates, I plan to focus on eliminating wasted plastic and further simplifying the design to maximize efficiency. v2 comes with a recommended 150mm version that supports a single spool, while its full counterpart has a longer rod designed for a 203x203 print bed. The latter can hold two smaller spools simultaneously. Conversely, v1 will only function properly on a 203x203x254 printer and mainly offers support for the filament guide, which I have never utilized anyway. For any individuals looking for a comprehensive guide on version 2, please let me know, and I'll include it for reference. Some notable resources worth checking out are: * Fan Add-on - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:581670 * Fan Duct Pictured - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:367602 * Wire Management - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:561148 * Filament Guide - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:590750