Spool Hub Adapter for Voxelab Aquila

thingiverse

This provides an ultra low friction "on machine" spool holder. It is currently my holder and works well. Adding a piece of foam to the rod lets you adjust the amount of friction. This started as a remix of similar Thingiverse hub adapters. I liked the stepped rather than angled holders. Measurements were taken from the rolls of filament that I had plus recommendations on Thingiverse. The idea progressed like this...Decrease filament force needed to turn spool by reducing shaft size. Torque=Radius*Force at filament=Radius*Force at hub. Where force at hub=friction coeff. *wt. of spool. My shaft hole is now about 7 mm, shaft is about 6.5 mm (1/4"), too small?? :) I first tried just a big washer, ground off the rim of the plastic holder provided by Voxelab, and added an axle spring clip. The stl is included here in the washers stl. This worked to get my small hub Hatchbox onto the printer! but friction-wise it always looked like it was on the verge of jambing. Second, I made an adapter, just two disks with steps, the stl is included here, You have to confine the disks or drill a hole for a bolt or rubber band to hold them together,you need a rod holder. Finally this project happened: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4825018, thus making a rod holder much simpler to build by providing a cam lock plastic fitting for the Aquila upright. Thank you Dan, saved me a lot of hours of aggravation. the rod is 1/4," aluminum from Ace Hardware, a little flimsy but good enough and perhaps too little friction for some. Room for a 1/4" washer is provided, and again, spring clips are used to capture the rod and hold the filament spool on the rod, see photos. A plastic washer was then added on the filament side, created to provide a flat surface in contact with the spool and frictioning foam. Final conclusion, the first mod was OK, just a giant washer to hold the reel. With too little friction the spool tended to unwind itself... so I added a foam sponge to the rod, clipped tight or loose (multiple clip holes in the aluminum rod) to control friction and allow for thicker or thinner reels. You really don't need a bearing since I added the tensioning foam, that little piece of foam rubber pushed onto the rod. Works perfectly. Wife said my printer should have a name. I said, "Well, looks like a stork, so let's call it 'Marabou,' hence the name on the holder :) marabou the stork!! The aluminum rod can also serve a second purpose, Chain several rubber bands together and place one end around the drooping electrical cables. Place the other end over the aluminum rod. This lifts the cables to eliminates contact and flexure of the cables during printing and it eliminates/obviates the need for chainlike cable housing to hold the cables and distribute/minimize flexing and possible wire breakage. In return, your printer looks extra cheesy :) like mine :)