Top mounted spool holder

I know there are dozens of top mounted spool holders available for downloading and plenty of designs here. Some old and a few newer designs. I like personally like the designs where the spool is perpendicular to the top of the printer. So my questions are;

1. Is there a preferred top design?

2. Has the top of the ROBO R1 changed over its development period or is the top the same dimensionally as the R1 Plus?

Sure would hate taking the time to print out something useful for a top mounted spool holder only to have it not fit my R1 plus.

Regards,
-JW:

PS: I should add that I have spent several hours searching and reading the forums as well as the Internet for these answers. <g>

 

I don't have enough posts yet to add a link, but I just got an r1+, and I'm printing thing:267039 from thingiverse right now... I can post an update with how it goes when it's finished.

 

I have printed quite a few of the spool holders on thingiverse. This one has been my favorite. I guess thats the one you are printing.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:267039

Makes it a straight shot for the filament to go down.

Print it with a lot of infill if you can. i broke the peg side of mine..but superglued a screw into it and its been holding ever since.

 

Thats the one I'm using as well.It has been working well for me.

 

Yeah, I printed one of those. Was a real pain to make it stick to the bed. Now that it's done, though, it's great I love that thing.

 

I use a modified version and used a bolt in place of the peg. Made it a faster print also. It's made my printing more consistent now that their is little load on the fillament.

 

I've seen too many shattered glass beds to ever consider a top mounted spool holder.

 

I'm open for suggestion then Mike. This is my second print so far. I've only printed the right top bracket so far. I thought it turned out sweet. There were 2 super small bumps on the top flat section. I think that happened when the actual spool slipped off the axle and fell towards the print bed on the factory bracket. I temporarily fixed it by cutting a piece of cardboard and clipping it to the bracket. I'm sure something could be easily designed to fix it permanently but haven't thought about it much. That would of been an interesting mess if I left the house for a few hours. I as mentioned to someone else here privately, I noticed the jump up off-set in the Z axis on the tube section created three ridges but this time they're on the "inside" so you don't see them. Thought that was pretty cool. My first print was a AAA battery box and it has a single ridge (not as evident) but was on the outside of the Battery Box. Anyway, like I said I'm all ears. The stock bracket seemed to work fine it just needs to be re-designed so the spool doesn't slip off.

 

@Mike Kelly I can't argue with you, I have dropped a 3/8 nut on the glass and worried I was going to crack it.

However, I've been loving the feed stability.

 

How? does it fall and then miraculously bounce onto the bed?

I guess I dont understand. If Mine was to fall it would bounce off the wall.. it might hit the bed if the bed happend to be extended backwards at that point.

 

Was messing with this concept ... just screwing around.

 

if you face the spool the other way wouldn't create less drag?
for the glass breaking, couldn't you just buy another sheet of glass from a picture frame from the dollar store and put it over the top of the printer glass with hair spray and tape to hold it to help it from being damage

 

I've been contemplating this as well. I've been printing for over a year using the default spool holder that came with my Robo, and it works just fine. The filament does drag a little bit on the slit on the top, but I've seen no issues from it. I've seen a lot of wall mounted filament holding solutions that look really nice. If you watch some of Ben Heck's videos on YouTube, they have a really nice wall mounted space for filament. I'd love to do something like that, I just don't have the space right now.

 

i have not tested it but i seen a video where a guy saying less drag better print.
even know the spool on top, i seen a lot of design where the spool is not feeding off the spool from the front,
its feeding it from the side which would cause it to drag,
a spool on the top i think is a good design, i think the weight helps the printer vibration when printing,
i place rubber Matt under my printer to keep the vibration down,
i all so place Vaseline on the non threaded rods that are going side ways to help the vibration,
its thick like paste rather then spraying like wd 40 which would make it vibrate more then Vaseline,
im not sure if its doing any good but just a thought

 

i use spray pam a very light coat on pretty much every thing , its for non stick cooking,
i try and stay away from thing that are to oily because oil attracts dirt and dust.
i use Vaseline on the non threaded rods which im not worried about dirt and dust because they get lubricated more often.
my printer is set under my stove vent a hood, keeps most trash out and any fumes goes out the vent a hood