Filament Spool holder (Tension adjustable) designed for the AnyCubic Kobra 3d printer

Filament Spool holder designed for the Any cubic Kobra 3D Printer (2023)

While using my new Any Cubic Kobra 3D printer, I noticed that the spool holder could be improved upon. It would pull the roll and give uneven results while feeding the roll. During moves or retracts the spool would occasionally rock back and forth slightly, tugging a little on the filament. Hence, I set about designing one with the following considerations.

Note it's the Anycubic Kobra I use, not the go/neo/2/max etc.

It should hold the spool evenly and have slight adjustable continuous resistance without any roll back.

The design should be simple, require minimal extra parts (non 3D printed parts) and no tools to use.

Video with description and assembly here:

https://youtu.be/e57tfZyF0zs

Note: While the one I printed works great, I'm new to this 3D printing, so I can't make any promises nor guarantees. If you like this part and find it useful, please join/subscribe to my YouTube channel. I would appreciate that :). It's www.captainleo.aero.

There are several design parts, you will not need them all.

Additional parts needed:

Either an M8x120 or M8x140 steel bolt

M8x25 washers (optionally two, but you can use it without any)

One M8 locknut

Here is how I set up mine. From the back of the spool arm forward.

1. Bracket mount

2. Mount lock nut

3. Steel bolt M8x120

4. Washer3x40, (followed by an optional steel M8x25 or M8x40 washer)

5. Spool holder to suit the bolt you have; I use Spool holder M8x120

6. Spool clamp

7. Steel M8x25 washer

8. End nut v4

9. M8 lock nut (The kind with a nylon ring at the end)

There are 2 lengths of spool holders included in the design files.

For my use, the M8x120 setup works on all the spools I have. I just added the longer option to be more comprehensive.

RT/LT. This denotes either a right-hand thread (RT) or a left-hand thread LT). I am using a mix despite my setup rotating counterclockwise. Some people may prefer to use the LT versions for counterclockwise rotating reels, it's personal preference as both seem to work fine.

Optionally add the spool lock nut, if you are concerned that the spool clamp may become loose. I am not using it as I don't seem to need it. The necessity for one may depend on the quality of your printed parts.

There are no bearings in this setup as in practice it doesn't seem to need them. With bearings the spool may spin too easily and unload a tangle of filament.

I printed these parts with both the Any Cubic PLA and some Tinmorray PLA (blue). That's just for convenience and comparison, naturally you can select your own material. I used the Anycubic Kobra printer and the suggested PLA settings that came with Cura 5.2.1 for the Anycubic Kobra printer.

When you assemble it, the tension will depend on how tight the lock nut is. It should move easily, but not spin freely as that can lead to a tangled mess of filament. Ensure the bracket mount fits into the spool holder arm correctly, it should not move about. When assembled the filament should pull easily and evenly from the roll, the roll should not be hard to rotate and it should also not spin by itself. After printing the parts remove any stringing and slide the bolt through the parts repeatedly until it slides in and out easily.

I plan to add more mounting brackets to fit different 3D printers, once I can find the measurements of the spool holder arms for them.

I sincerely wish you success with this project. Good luck!