Universal Spool Holder for M8 Threaded Rods and 608 Bearings

thingiverse

Human: **Edit 2018-07-20:** I encountered an issue where the filament kept getting loose while printing due to the low friction of the bearings. To resolve this, I designed a new setup that utilizes axial bearings to prevent such occurrences: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3012614 The axial bearings significantly improved performance for me, rendering my original design obsolete. I greatly appreciate rowokii's design, but felt there was room for enhancements, which is why I created this alternative. **My modifications:** - A cutout for an additional bearing at the top has been added. - The height has been reduced from 3 cm to 2 cm, as 3 cm proved unnecessary. - A cut around the holder has been added to prevent sharp edges. - Variable numbers of cutouts, inspired by lynspm's design, have been included. - The shape of the cutouts has been changed to an elliptical cylinder to minimize edge sharpness. - The diameter has been increased to 8cm (essential for a spool I own, as seen in the photo). - A thread has been added to the clip to facilitate gripping a threaded rod securely. - Edges on the levers of the clip have been smoothed. - Dimensions of the washer have been adjusted to match those of the bearings. **Required components:** - Two printed spool holders (support necessary) - A printed clamp and a printed washer (to secure against something) - Or two clamps (to secure in the middle of a rod) - Four 608 bearings - An M8 threaded rod (mine measures 11 cm) - A holder for the rod (I use one designed for 2020 extrusions from the Hypercube) The clamp thread utilizes this library: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/openscad-metric-nut-bolt-threads-library It functions wonderfully. The holders turn smoothly on the bearings, and the clamp holds them firmly in place. I employ it in my Hypercube build. The spool holder from the Hypercube accessory pack proved too small and its stepping mechanism more annoying than helpful, which is why I sought alternatives. **Edit 2018-05-05:** An optimized clip with a chamfer at the top has been added to ensure contact with only the inner part of the bearing.