How are you guys handling PLA/ABS feeding from the spool

[LePaul 314]

The reason I ask is, somehow, the plastic explodes from the spool like a spring. I've had to resort to placing the spool on the floor in an effort to defeat the "tangles" that always seem to happen.

If I don't, I wind up with a curly mess of PLA wrapping around the extruder gear wheel and forming a knot where the PLA goes into the extruder.

Look forward to seeing how you guys control the "tangle"

Paul

 

[owen 19]

This problem is worse with a new spool. After you've fed the filament in wind the spool backwards by hand to take up all the slack. I noticed in your video your spool sits towards the back of your spool holder and not directly under the material feeder so maybe if you can bring it forward to be directly underneath as well.

 

[mgg942 0]

I've found it worthwhile to print spool holders and a mount for them. Wrapping the loose filament onto the spool can be tedious. It pays to spend some care ensuring that the 'end' that you start with hasn't poked through the bulk of the material.

Anyway the spools I make and use are: "Heavy duty printable filament spool" available here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:10219

And the mount for the spool (which I designed) is: "Hub for Heavy Duty Filament Spool - parameterised" available here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:142050

I'm presently printing my 8th spool holder - the first seven have all got material on them and have been used.

Mike.

 

[LePaul 314]

I've moved the location around a bit, hoping being directly under, or a little offset, would help.

It hasn't. And rewinding the spool reminds me of twisting the elastic powered balsa wood airplane...it will pop off again!

The spool handlers you shared look interesting.

 

[aaron 2]

Orient your spool in such a way that when the extruder pulls filament through, the spool will rotate counter clockwise. This will help for two reasons:

 

1. There is less room for the filament to wonder.
   
2. You are not forcing the filament to bend in the opposite direction that it was previously bent, thus eliminating bending to the side.
   

And as previously stated, make sure there is no slack at all. Following this, I have never had any issues.

 

[gr5 2,071]

If you take the end of the filament, and then tuck it under another loop - you will get a disaster. An always moving knot.

The easiest way to get rid of it is to remove the filament from the UM and fix it and then re-insert it.

As you use up filament (like someone already said), things get easier.

 

[mgg942 0]

I've designed a spool holder which may be of interest: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:179804

And also a variant of this that doesn't require tool: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:189015