Universal filament spool cradle with endcaps

thingiverse

This is my unique spin on pwnas' customizable cradle for filament. I\ncan simply drop any of my spools onto it without having to adjust a thing.\n. The clever design of the mosaic feet owes its roots to bwevans. I realized that my threaded rods had rough cut ends and so created the endcaps to protect them, keeping both people and nearby items from getting scratched. Using mike_linus' "NUT JOB | Nut, Bolt, Washer and Threaded Rod Factory" as a foundation, I further modified the design for my cradle. Completing the endcap in sketchup was relatively straightforward. The true difference lies in the way this new design accommodates varying spool sizes. The original designs from pwnas and bwevans were adjustable, fitting each user's specific spool widths. I chose to widen mine and added extra bearings so that my filament spools would be able to rest securely without any adjustments needed. It works beautifully in conjunction with my setup featuring the "Printrbot Simple Filiment Guide and Z Axis Stabilizer with Bearings" (available on Thingiverse at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:444591). And although it's perfect for my situation, I believe it could easily adapt to fit other printers too. Instructions You'll need 4 of the mosaic feet, and four endcaps - each should be printed with a .3 layer height and no support using an infill level of 15%. As for me, that was enough. A 5/16" length of threaded rod will come in handy as well as twelve 5/16" nuts and sixteen washers. Mini ball bearings (608ZZ type) are essential too, which I found online through Amazon for around $18 along with free shipping via prime. I even had enough to spare for a couple of upcoming projects. To give you a better idea, consider these specific guidelines: Length of rods needed = 6" for those front-to-back ones For left-to-right runners, make sure each measures up your widest spool (in inches) plus two additional inches Calculate bearings using this equation: ((width of the thinnest spool) – width of the widest spool), then multiply by sixteen For my example with a 3" and 4" spool I would end up needing (4 - 3)*16 = 64 so let round that to 64. Let's take it apart piece by piece! Place two of the rods connected using an endcap, a washer, and nuts, through each upper foot hole Insert another threaded rod and bearins in the bottom of the cradle Install bearings as you assemble everything else on. One for quarter space at both ends Tighten all your bolts once in place then test your build out When your work is done verify if it sits perfectly square by giving it a little test. The bearings will provide great stability. If things don't feel square tighten end caps, make necessary adjustments