Spool Bearing

thingiverse

To adapt Makerbot spools for free rotation on 1" conduit, I designed this part with knife-edge bearing function using ABS and metal surfaces. Initially, the spool hung off-axis causing poor feeding; an adapter solved the problem. However, during long builds, the spool tended to "walk." To fix this, I added an end piece with holes for screws, fastening it in place. Parts were designed with minimal ABS usage and print raftlessly. The picture may mislead, but only ends have a 1" ID; the rest is a small 45-degree solid for adaptation. Printing on Thing-O-Matic with Automated Build Platform was successful without a raft. Note that the adapter lacks holes for screws to allow use of available ones, and holes can be made using drill or soldering iron.