Quick change bearing based spool holder

thingiverse

I was fed up with having to use a hex wrench to remove my spools from the bearing based holder I was using, which always caused me frustration. This one uses super magnets to join the two sides, and springs to keep tension on the spool at all times. It's pretty straightforward, and self-guides as you push the two sides together perfectly. Everything is fully functional just as it is now. Here's a video of it in action: https://youtu.be/HKhCh__cVko Updates: I added a shorter shaft to take advantage of the shorter spring in the 4-pack from Home Depot, and I'm calling this new design Main-short.stl. I made some additional changes - I added a spot to press in the nut, and recessed the M3 screw into the tensioners. This way, the bolt will be long enough as needed. I also added a press-in cover that can be installed after the bearing is pressed in. I found that once the PLA gets too warm, the bearing can loosen, but this new design seems to keep everything together nicely. Tomorrow, I'll see if I can put up an assembly diagram for everyone's reference. I uploaded an experimental wall mount that I'm currently printing out based on feedback from FMA. Preliminary testing suggests that the shorter arm can hold the spool by itself, but I'll test it out tomorrow night and report back with my findings. The experimental spindle holder seems to work okay so far. If you decide to print it out, let me know if you encounter any issues - I'll be making a version for the M2 soon as well.