The nth Spool Holder

thingiverse

Another spool holder for the Replicator 'Dual' and the Creator by CTC, along with other Makerbot clones as well of course. The design takes a cue from elsewhere, featuring a spool that runs on rolls rather than being placed on an axle, allowing for easy and quick changing. Ball bearings with a diameter of 15 mm and a bore of 6 mm are used for the rolls, which are held in place by "forks". Two holders need to be printed per filament roll. There are three versions available, two for either the CTC Creator or the Makerbot Replicator Dual: one that requires an axle to be added (diameter 6 mm) and two versions with pins included for holding the ball bearing in place. For the versions with the pins/axles included, a hot air gun is used to heat up the forks, allowing the branches to be bent until the ball bearings can be inserted and then restored back into position. If the forks become too tight and the bearing won't turn, simply re-heat the plastic and bend it again so that the bearings fit properly. Errata: CTC has meticulously copied the Replicator's design but chosen a different width for the frame on top - 45 mm in CTC compared to around 47 mm in the Replicator. The files provided will not fit as a result, although some other versions are being worked on. Print Settings: Printer Brand: MakerBot; Printer: MakerBot Replicator; Rafts: No; Supports: Yes; Resolution: no matter; Infill: no matter; Notes: PLA is used because it's easier to heat up and less elastic.