Support for Aussie filament rolls on Replicator

Australians can buy 1.2Kg filament rolls - which do not sit well on the standard Maker roll holders. These simple supports use readily available ball bearings (as used in roller blades) to provide a trouble-free support.

UPDATE: Minor variant to deliver a bearing holder that is tight rather than loose. Rather a matter of preference; both work well...

Instructions

I found PLA in particular to be very sensitive to tiny glitches in feed tension; with the potential to waste a lot of time and material as nice prints get 90% of the way and then stop...

This fixes the problem with little effort. Do however check where the filament is "started" on the roll. In some cases it is through a hole in the side, sometimes fed through the aperture in the bottom of the roll. In either case, trim this flush. Even with the bearing system, a large protruding piece of filament can still catch on the back of the Replicator or in the worst case push the roll off the bearings.

With the latest Replicator firmware, things can move very fast indeed; PLA now feeds trouble free for prints at all speeds. (and the less sensitive ABS too of course!)

Category: 3D Printer Accessories