Anet A8 Low Profile Top Mounted Spool Holder Assembly

UPDATE 07082023:  This design didn't age well for me.  After running with it for several months, the hook on the left side began to sag where it connects to the top of the acrylic frame.  I made several changes and added a bunch of parts to it to make it much more secure.  I've been running with the new version on my Anet A8 for almost a year and it shows no sign of fatigue.  I'm leaving this model intact, while I would strongly recommend the improved version located at:  https://www.printables.com/model/515043-anet-a8-low-profile-top-mounted-spool-holder-assem

This is a low profile, top mounted spool mount for the Anet A8 acrylic framed printer.

There are 3 pieces of this design, however, the Arm, Tube, and EndCap must be printed twice. The Joiner that connects the two tubes in the center is to be printed only once.

All parts of this model print without supports, except for the single piece Joiner. While the joiner does require support, I do so by opting for "Normal" Support structure, and "Touching Buildplate" for Support Placement in Cura. The resulting, single piece support, can be painlessly removed with a pair of round nosed pliers and a quick twist.

The Tube portion of this model is the same Tube I use for all my printer spool needs. It's a remix of budthedog's modified spool holder for the Creality CR-10. His original design is at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2610784

I use jantzenday's spool adapters, both large and small, depending on the spool holes inner diameter, for all my spools on all my printers. jantzenday's adapter centers flawlessly on every 1kg spool I've used, and rolls effortlessly on the tube with no flopping, jerking, or added vibration. Use of this model without jantzenday's spool adapters will likely result in clearance issues between the outer diameter of the spool and the printers frame as filament is unwound. Jantzenday's spool adapters are available at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2387254

This is a remix of my "Geeetech I3 Pro C Low Profile Top Mounted Dual Spool Holder Assembly".

The spool mount I was previously using, my "Anet A8 Spool Mount" was beginning to sag over time, so rather than re-imagining a design I wasn't all-together pleased with, I opted to use a spool holder design I was pleased with, the "Geeetech I3 Pro C Low Profile Top Mounted Dual Spool Holder Assembly". My original "Anet A8 Spool Mount", which I don't recommend, is available at: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4784290

My goal with the old design was to make something that printed reasonably quickly, with limited and easily removed support structures. The result, IMO, is simply too weak to stand the test of time. I feel that beefing it up enough to prevent the inevitable sag would be time consuming and make for a much more difficult print. Meanwhile, my Geeetech spool mount design shows no signs of stress while supporting the weight of two 1KG spools, so I'm confident it will serve me well on the Anet A8.

This model differs from my Geeetech design in that I lengthened the arms by 1 inch to provide clearance between the top mounted display and a spool, and removed the center support which was not compatible with the top mounted display. While these changes leave space for a second spool to be hung on the right side, I don't recommend it. The weight of a second spool would add. The second Tube is intended only to provide a point of connection to the opposite side of the printer, keeping the spool perfectly parallel, eliminating sagging. The unused tube does provide a handy storage means the spool adapter of jantzenday's model that isn't used for the spool that is in use. As jantzenday's model comes with a large and small version for accommodating virtually any 1KG spool out there, one could attach whichever size is not in use to the vacant position.

UPDATE 08172022: To improve the strength I added a support strut that connects beneath the displays acrylic header. It slips on from underneath at a 45 degree angle allowing the upper support to rest upon it. Installation is completed by adding a wire tie to each side using the thru hole on the support and wrapping around the top side of the spool arm on either side. I posted two new photo's showing the completed installation. The photo's with the pieces printed in silk silver PLA are the new ones. Hopefully they'll help in understanding my poor description of the installation. :)

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

Anet

Printer:

A8

Rafts:

No

Supports:

Yes

Resolution:

.2

Infill:

20%

Filament: Generic PLA

Black

Notes:

Except for the "Joiner" part, this model prints as oriented in the STL without any need for supports. The "Joiner" part prints with supports touching buildplate.

The Tube portion of this model prints well on most surfaces without the need for a brim, however, I wouldn't recommend printing something so vertically unstable on a plain glass bed without adding a brim.

Category: 3D Printer Accessories