Spool Holder that clip in the spool with standard ball bearing

thingiverse

I needed a compact spool holder that would minimize space usage because I plan to store my spools on a threaded rod above my printer in a rack-mount, allowing me to accommodate five spools on one bar! This design employs a standard ball bearing, resulting in very smooth operation. The STL file is compatible with the 22mm x 7mm standard skateboard ball bearing and requires an inside spool diameter of 56.5mm and thickness of 6mm. A SCAD file is provided, enabling users to set their desired spool size; detailed instructions are included for customization. UPDATES: I incorporated two new variables into the design, courtesy of sgraber's suggestion, to eliminate the locking ring and disable the PLA-saving hole, thus conserving more material. The hole is now also compatible with smaller diameter spools of any size. Additionally, I updated the SCAD script on December 20 to fix a variable name bug (introduced through a find-and-replace error) and another issue related to spool thickness. A new STL file with varying dimensions has been included for user reference. Furthermore, YouTube videos were added: one showcases the initial setup and demonstrates multiple spools in use, while the other video, published on December 21, specifically highlights multiple spools configuration. On January 3, 2015, I updated the SCAD script to support larger ball bearings and bigger spool diameters. Customize the openscad script for the desired spool dimension by setting the spool_inside_diameter and spool_thickness values. Save and build the model; then, export it as an STL file for your printer.