3d printer related project - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 02:01:17 am
content: Does anyone know of a product that measures the length of filament needed to print something? Normally, when I'm printing something, I get an estimation of the length of filament needed for the print. I was wondering if there was anything that could count out this needed length and spool it into a roll. I'm wasting a fairly large quantity of filament from having to cut strands off my spool. (Long Story)Edit: I'm thinking of just making one myself, but I wanted to see if there was already something doing it already

author: BennVenn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 02:07:33 am
content: Do what the rest of us do and feed it in from the reel?

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 02:09:40 am
content: Yeah, that's what I do, but it's time consuming when the spool gets knotted up. I was just wondering if there was a product that could do it for me. If not, I guess I'll make one on my own.

author: BennVenn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 02:31:10 am
content: Do you have a pic of the setup? I've gone through 4 x 1kg reels to date and never had one tangle, what kind of feed system are you using?

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 03:16:57 am
content: That's the thing, I really don't have a feed system.I just have the spool stuck on a stand that rolls. I rely on the printer to pull the filament.

author: BennVenn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 03:45:04 am
content: I'm running with a similar system, except the reel rolls on a rod though its center, the filament gets dragged up and over the back of the printer into the print head. I'll post a pic when I get home

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 04:17:33 am
content: Quote from: tyguy2 on June 09, 2015, 03:16:57 amthats what everybody do. but the knotted up problem is specific to you only. repetier host/slic3r does estimate filament length needed, but i dont want to count on its accuracy, i just did what everybody did, feed from the spool until its exhausted.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 09:14:32 am
content: Quote from: tyguy2 on June 09, 2015, 02:09:40 amA tangled spool simply happens when the strand end slips under another coil accidentally when you don't have it inserted into the extruder.The prevention is simply to make sure you always hold the strand end when you remove (or cut) it from the extruder and clip/tape/stick it through a hole on the side of the reel to prevent it from getting itself under a coil.Untangling an already tangled spool, just pull the filament off the reel until you find where it has crossed under a coil, then pull the filament back out from under that coil, and then pull some more off the spool to verify that there isn't another tangle. Then rewind the spool taking care not to allow the end to cross under a coil again.

author: tyguy2
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 09, 2015, 06:51:34 pm
content: I meant something like this, but motorized: