Simple 2020 Filament Tube Guide (Customizable)

thingiverse

This simple filament guide utilizes a PTFE tube, and I've mounted it below my filament spool for easy access. You can place it anywhere to smoothly guide the filament around corners. The reason for this guide is quite straightforward. When a new or mostly filled spool is used, the filament tends to jump off the side of the spool on retract or when the print head moves towards the spool mount. The filament between my TronXY X5's direct extruder and the spool gets pushed towards the spool, causing it to wind sideways and become tangled. A secondary benefit of this guide is obvious: if the filament breaks between the guide and the extruder, the backlash won't reach the filament spool, allowing you to simply re-feed the printer to resume printing. No more tangled filament! Requirements: 2x M5 10mm screws 2x M5 extrusion nuts 1x 5cm PTFE tubing (default model is for 4mm diameter tubing) Note that the length of the PTFE tube doesn't matter, but I recommend using at least 2cm towards the print head to allow for smooth bending. On the spool side, ensure it's long enough to bend in the direction you want to feed the filament from. The longer the tubing, the more backlash compensation occurs. Be cautious not to overdo it with the tube length; having it dangle on the head bed is a clear indication that you're using too much tube! There's no need to glue the tubing in place. If the hole is too big or small, simply adjust the diameter in the FreeCAD spreadsheet. I designed it for 4mm diameter tubing, and it should fit snugly without any issues. If your tubing has a smaller diameter and you don't want to reprint, a small dot of hot glue on both ends will secure it in place while still allowing for adjustments. As always, feel free to edit the design as I've included the FreeCAD source file. I prefer robust parts that can be tightened with screws, and I also like to sink the screw heads. If you disagree, simply tweak a value or two to adapt the file to your liking! You can find the 2020 filament spool mount used in these images here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3362785 Happy printing!