3/4 Inch PVC Spool Cone (Tension) and Filament Guide by arenas93

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

I was having a problem with different spools freely rotating on the 3/4 inch PVC pipe I hold my spool on. Additionally, I found it hard to keep the right amount of tension on the spool so that the filament does not pop out (which can make a mess or ruin prints).
Inspired by the [Tension Nut for 3/4" PVC Pipe]( https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:116872) and the [Tension Nut Filament Guide with Flange for 3/4" PVC Pipe remix]( https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:737197), I decided to apply the same inner shape (which holds amazingly well) to a piece of 3/4 Inch PVC pipe and extrude it through a cone and add the filament guide to another of the same cones.
What these do:
Helps provide vertical spool alignment (especially with spools of different sizes).
Allows you to adjust the tension on the spool itself (if you decide to not let the PVC pipe rotate). I generally push the cones in on each side until I can feel a bit of tension (felt when the spool is rotated), but not so much that it will resist the extruder motor too much - this is a process of trial and error.
You can use 2 cones for a traditional setup, a cone and cone-filament-guide combination, or use 2 cones and the above Tension Nut Filament Guide with Flange for 3/4" PVC Pipe.
Notes:
I have included both STLs and the Sketchup (SKP) file for your printing and modding pleasure. If you are not using Sketchup, you may be able to use an online converter to get it into the format you want.
I was able to print both (at the same time) on a 220 x 220 mm build plate.