Prusa I3 Steel filament holder

thingiverse

On a Prusa I3 Steel, the filament roll drags over a metal strip as seen in the first photo on the right bottom side and rolls very poorly. Replacing it with a cylinder featuring 2 ball bearings is an improvement. The outer diameter of the cylinder is 42mm, possibly too much for some filament rolls. FreeCad files are included, easily modifiable. To create this modification, you'll need: a rod 8.0 mm in diameter and 17 cm long (axis), I used an 8x1 mm aluminium pipe which was already on hand. 2 ball bearings 608ZZ (8.0 mm inner diameter, 22.0 mm outer diameter). 4 printed bearing caps. 1 printed cylinder. 2 printed rod-holders (axis-holder). Use two printed bearing caps to enclose each of the 608ZZ bearings. Push the enclosed bearing assembly into the printed cylinder until a firm resistance is felt. The enclosed bearing assembly is now entirely in the cylinder plus 2 mm more, as seen on the left side in the first photo. The fit is tight; no glue is required. The rod/axis-holders slide over the metal holder arms of the Prusa I3 Steel, with a tight fit. Slide the 8.0 mm rod through the bearings and insert this assembly into the rod-holders. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa I3 Steel Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Infill: 100% Notes: If problems arise with printing the cylinder, consider increasing shell thickness up to 3.2 mm, preventing shaking diagonal movements used for infill.