Spools

I rather like the spool holders which allow the spool to sit on four skate bearings, as this allows quick changing of the color being used.

However, I buy my filament from Faberdashery 100m at a time and it doesn't come with the type of spools I am talking about.

Where can I buy just the spools? (UK)

Thanks, Andy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2012 04:57AM by ajayre.

I don't know what Faberdashery spools look like, and a quick Googling didn't reveal any images. Perhaps you can design and print an adapter, or your own spools. You do have a 3D printer. Maybe there's a design on Thingiverse already.

Faberdashery don't have spools. The cost of printing my own is 11.30 GBP each. Ouch.

I've posted in the "Wanted" section.

Andy

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/05/2012 01:33PM by ajayre.

Solved by making some spools out of MDF - 1/11th the cost of printing them.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:30551

Andy

Why is this plastic filament so damn costly? I know to make it the plastics factories spend, at most, 50 cents to 1 dollar per spool so I think it is a gotcha type deal where it is what the market will bear.

We really do need to find an alternative that is less expensive so we can flip off these rip off artists because you know it is so overly inflated when MDF costs less (my wife's father and my step father both worked in plastics so they know what these things really should cost).

ajayre: That isn't even counting wear and tear and electrical costs.

I'm certain quite a few people on IRC will have some empty spools you could have.
I'm nearly 3/4 trough my 2.2kg spool of PLA and don't see a reason to keep the empty spool..

Welding shops should sell empty spools too if you ask around.

Well, we see the printing filament as "raw material" but from a production standpoint it's not... It's a product that has been refined one degree further than the actual raw material (granules) and there's no basis to claim that it "should" cost the same per kg as the granules. It's not a complicated product but it needs to be consistent (no bubbles etc.) and accurate, and like in any industry quality and accuracy costs money. Try to do it too cheaply and this is the result. Or this.

for my filament from faberdashery i use this Thingiverse

i have a peice of m8 threaded rod mounted on a shelf above my machine (to the left of machine)

i put 2 m8 nuts on then a penny washer then slide on filament spool holder

then another penny washer then 2 m8 nuts again

i have around 4 or 5 of them which fit back in the bags that faberdashery supply as well.

ttsalo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, we see the printing filament as "raw
> material" but from a production standpoint it's
> not... It's a product that has been refined one
> degree further than the actual raw material
> (granules) and there's no basis to claim that it
> "should" cost the same per kg as the granules.
> It's not a complicated product but it needs to be
> consistent (no bubbles etc.) and accurate, and
> like in any industry quality and accuracy costs
> money. Try to do it too cheaply and this is the
> result. Or this.
I just know it is priced more on what the market will bear than what it should cost. Basically it is overinflated by a large margin (lets leave China and its 100% garbage out of the equation because One Hung Lo makes crap always).

Frankly I think we need something beyond filament but we haven't found it yet. Seriously shoving a string down a small orifice isn't exactly state of the art but more akin to have a porcupine quill shoved up your thing daily. Sure, it does what it was intended to do but at what costs and pain?