Simple & Smart Spool Holder for Anet A8 - base and filament guide

thingiverse

Warning: This spool holder has a major problem with filament constantly falling off the spool. The solution could be to use some PTFE tube to guide the filament, just like in this other holder, but it will completely ruin its ease of use. So I've abandoned this holder and started working on a roller holder version, a remix of this one, for Anet A8. This thing mounts Simple & Smart Spool Holder directly onto the top of the Anet A8 printer. The result is an extremely compact and very easy to change spool holder. The included filament guide prevents the filament from falling off the spool at all times. The base and filament guide attach securely to the case using existing screws (as shown in the photos). You can also use them if you want to mount it on the right side, but I recommend mounting it on the left above the X motor. OpenSCAD source code is included for your convenience. Update 2016-11-01: Added a 52 to 56 mm internal spool diameter adapter model that fits stock Anet A8 filament spools perfectly. Update 2016-11-03: Unfortunately, the filament fell off the spool and almost got tangled due to long X axis moves. I'm currently working on a solution to this problem. Update 2016-11-03: The rod on the base part broke completely. I'm actively working on fixing it. Update 2016-12-09: Updated the base with a reinforced rod for extra stability. Print Settings Choose which side of the printer you will mount the holder on, left or right (I recommend mounting it on the left above the X motor), and print the appropriate parts (spool-holder-a8-base-XXX.stl and a8-filament-guide-XXX.stl). You'll also need to print Simple & Smart Spool Holder top part, Top_-_spoolholder.STL. The spool holder base prints without any support required. The filament guide can be printed without support, but it needs cooling (even if printing in ABS) and a slow speed. Post-Printing Insert an M3 x 40mm screw or a 3mm diameter 40 mm length wire into the rod securely.