Spool (Reel) Holder System with adaptors [bearings] for 45mm-76mm ID spools (reels)

prusaprinters

<p>I do not trust the idea of just hanging a filament reel over a shaft and letting the extruder pull the reel hard enough to turn it. &nbsp;I prefer having the reel centered on a smooth shaft, turning easily with a light and steady "tug".</p><p>Here, I have assembled a system for mounting filament reels of any internal diameter (ID) of 45mm or higher onto a standardized shaft.</p><p>The shaft is a direct replacement for the stock shaft delivered with my original Ender3. &nbsp;There is also a bayonet-mount adaptor that lets you install this system onto the side-mounting bracket delivered with the stock CR6. &nbsp;(The bayonet fitting is a remix of Thingiverse Thing https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4628099.)</p><p>Print two bearings for each reel, or print two of each size that you will need and swap them in &amp; out of the reels as you mount/dismount them from the printer. &nbsp; Print one of each size of sleeve and gear for the system. Use them as required, to fill the shaft between the reel and the cap (as shown in the photos). &nbsp;See the notes below, for my caution about leaving a small gap under the head of the cap, when that is screwed-in finger-tight. &nbsp;Do not over-tighten the cap, or you may “neck” the plastic shaft on the cap &amp; snap off its head.</p><p>I have already generated and uploaded .stl models for reel adaptor-bearings from 45mm through 76mm, here. &nbsp;You should be able to find and download whatever size you need. &nbsp;</p><p>Just in case you need an even larger diameter adaptor-bearing, I have also uploaded the parameterized Fusion360 model and a slide set of high-level instructions for its use. &nbsp;Please note, however, that the “trick” I used to apply a size label to each adaptor does not seem to work reliably. &nbsp;At least ½ of the time, the second digit body disappeared from the model when I edited the label text, forcing me to redo the final 3 steps of Deriving the label, moving the center point of the label to the center point of the rib face where the label goes &amp; rotating that label model by -45 degrees, so that the label is flush to the rib face. &nbsp;You will need enough expertise in Fusion360 to be able to figure out what that means &amp; how to do it, if you want to use the tool.</p><p>NOTES:&nbsp;</p><ol><li>This system has handled all of the reels I have bought, so far. I do not use reels that hold more than 1Kg of filament, so I cannot say whether the shaft would be long enough for larger reels.</li><li>Take care to note the direction in which the reel will be turning while printing and make sure that the reel is not able to slowly unscrew the cap… &nbsp;</li><li>I find it best to still be able to freely spin the gear when the cap is tight, while being sure not to leave enough space on the shaft for the adaptor to be able to fall out of the reel.</li><li>I find some suppliers deliver reels having slightly different sized holes, left and right. &nbsp;Take care to measure both hole sizes, before printing a new pair of adaptor-bearings.</li><li>Some suppliers are migrating from reels with solid plastic hubs to cardboard reels with empty hubs. &nbsp;This system is compatible with both styles of reel.</li><li>There is a small hexagonal “disk” in the set, called an "adornment." &nbsp;I enjoyed making a multi-coloured cap for the green-coloured system. &nbsp;I did that by printing the cap + a thick black version of the adornment + a thin, 80%-scale green version of it, and some glue to stack the three things together. &nbsp;There are pictures of a plain black cap and of my adorned one, to show the effect. &nbsp;It is purely up to you whether you bother.</li><li>The system here was not entirely an original idea, on my part; there are many variations on this theme in repositories like this one. &nbsp;Inspired by similar designs from others, I have authored the parameterized Fusion360 model attached here, and I have used that model to generate the adaptor-bearings available here for download. &nbsp;I found and tailored the designs of the gears and of the holder to add a “steampunk” aesthetic to the assembled system.</li></ol>