Universal Spool Holder

thingiverse

This Universal Spool Holder will work perfectly on a table for any printer, but it's really designed to be hung on a Prusa i3 MK2 or MK3. As all Original Prusa i3 owners know, the spool holder that comes with the printer is pretty terrible. There are many alternatives available here on Thingiverse, but none of them would meet all my needs. This spool holder will: - Support massive (over 2Kg) spools - Allow a heavy spool to roll freely and smoothly - Fit any size (width) spool with ease - Handle two (or more) spools for quick color change mid print - Hold loose "sample size" coils of filament securely The left support has left-hand threads, while the right support has a right-hand thread. This allows you to screw both ends together at once. Near the ends of the rods, there are small flat sections so you can use a 6mm wrench to tighten the rods. As the rods are printed flat, the threads may be less than perfect. I've included a left-hand threaded nut that you can use as a die to clean up the thread if necessary. You'll need a normal metal M8 nut for the other end. I've included two rod lengths; the 235mm rod is the longest that fits on a Prusa, while the 165mm rod will be a little stiffer and is long enough for two standard 750g spools. You'll need to print two of whichever length you choose. I've also included an optional left support with a right-hand thread in case you prefer to use a metal M8 threaded rod instead of printing plastic ones. The bearing holders are designed to fit #608 (8 x 22 x 7mm) skateboard / fidget spinner bearings. You can buy a pack of ten on eBay for less than £3.00. In truth, roller bearings are overkill for this application, so I've included optional bearing replacement disks instead. You'll need to print 4 bearing holders (and, optionally, bearing replacements), or 8 if you want to be able to hold two spools at once. The support legs have a hole wide enough to pass a USB plug for cable management. If you plan on using this on a table, you may want to print a third rod for the back feet to add a little rigidity to the unit. The supports and bearings are up high enough that they won't interfere with the extruder even when Z = 200mm (see photo). There's an optional loose filament hanger that simply clips onto the rods, available here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2532195. You may also be interested in my Filament Guide/Oiler, which works with any spool holder and is available here https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2532258.