Outrageously Overengineered Filament Stand for ANY Size Reel

I recently bought a 30-lb reel of filament from Protoparadigm. This is much cheaper than buying the stuff a kilogram at a time, but there is no practical way to hang that size reel off the side of my printer.

Thus was born the Outrageously Overengineered Filament Stand. It consists of two towers, each topped with a ball bearing and a socket for an axle. An axle goes between the towers, and a pair of centering rings keep the reel centered on the axle.

The whole thing is 100% 3D printed with no connectors, screws, or other components. Some ABS glue may be useful but isn't necessary.

The height of the towers, length of the axle, and diameter of the centering rings can vary to accommodate different size reels. I have used this with five different size reels.

Instructions

Print two of the Top and the Base, and 2-4 pairs of Tower Segments. Assemble these to make your towers. Additional Tower Segments can be used to make taller towers for larger diameter reels, but I've found that four segments in each tower is enough for the largest reels I've come across. You may want to glue the tower together for easier handling.

I've provided Axles and Centering Rings for a variety of reel sizes. Print an axle with length close to the height (thickness) of your reel, and two centering rings with diameter close to the diameter of the center hole of your reel.

Put the axle and centering rings through your reel, then put each end of the axle on an assembled tower. If assembled properly, it takes very little force to turn even a large reel of plastic.

Category: 3D Printer Accessories