(Almost) Airtight Spool Solution

thingiverse

I've been using these fairly inexpensive (US $11) airtight containers for some time, and I wanted a solution that did not require me to constantly remove the filaments from the containers. Fortunately, the containers themselves have a fairly low coefficient of friction and after placing a small spherical dome under the spool, it spins freely. Add a PTFE holder cut to the radius of the container, and you can feed the filament directly from the container. When you're done, roll back the filament to the end of the ptfe tube and you cont need a clip. After printing, glue the base to the correct size cylinder. I used a 5/16" bit to punch the hole in the container, which makes it just wide enough to gently thread the tube in. For MMU's, the container easily stack. I've been using this setup for about 3 months now with no issues. I've included a couple of common cylinder sizes, plus the fusion file if you want to mess around the design. And while the design is no longer airtight, the desiccant I stuck in there 4 months ago is still dry, despite living in the US south, so I don't think much air movement is happening. Containers: DecorRack Food Storage Container, 5 Quarts, Plastic, Food Grade Safe, Heavy Duty Dry Storage Containers, Round Large Food Container with Airtight Lid (1 Bowl) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SZ9R8L7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_GH134NDP1Y9W19NFQ021 Supports: None Infill: 20% for most, 80 for the nut and threaded part of the tube