Medium sized, user friendly 3d printer than will host a variety or filaments?

[Dr.Al]

That sounds like a tool that could be printed to aid this

To aid respooling, yes. I'm printing one of these at the moment: https://www.printables.com/model/407688-bambu-lab-p1-x1-x1c-x1cc-filament-spool-switcher-w

To aid respooling twice, print two of them ... or perhaps just use it twice

 

[MattF]

or perhaps just use it twice

C'mon. That's not in keeping with what we do, is it. Two are required.

 

[Beanwood]

Perhaps I'm a fool with my money - but for the small amount they cost, I'd rather buy a refill, or better still a prefilled spool (At least until I have enough empty spools to use for refills)
I use many different colours - and typically when I need a new one - there's no empty spool available..... If you're only playing with one or two filaments, that may not be an issue of course.

 

[BrokenBiker]

C'mon. That's not in keeping with what we do, is it. Two are required.

plus a spare...

 

[BrokenBiker]

Perhaps I'm a fool with my money - but for the small amount they cost, I'd rather buy a refill, or better still a prefilled spool (At least until I have enough empty spools to use for refills)
I use many different colours - and typically when I need a new one - there's no empty spool available..... If you're only playing with one or two filaments, that may not be an issue of course.

i feel like it is going to start out as 1 or 2 filaments...then escalate pretty rapidly...but i have 5 spools on order at the moment

 

[BrokenBiker]

To aid respooling, yes. I'm printing one of these at the moment: https://www.printables.com/model/407688-bambu-lab-p1-x1-x1c-x1cc-filament-spool-switcher-w

To aid respooling twice, print two of them ... or perhaps just use it twice

thats a cool looking bit of kit

 

[MattF]

i feel like it is going to start out as 1 or 2 filaments...then escalate pretty rapidly...but i have 5 spools on order at the moment

15 rolls of filament have turned here, this week. 5 is just the beginning.

 

[BrokenBiker]

15 rolls of filament have turned here, this week. 5 is just the beginning.

Knew it would go that way

 

[My Old Landy]

I have a dual ams setup so that's 8 rolls open at any one time! I usually have around 12 rolls in stock most of the time

 

[BrokenBiker]

I have a dual ams setup so that's 8 rolls open at any one time! I usually have around 12 rolls in stock most of the time

Ok, I get it, rookie mistake only buying 5

To be fair though, first load of prints are only going to be little basic things to get to grips with it.

I've just downloaded the prusa slicer and although the flash forge machines say they are compatible, I can't see them listed in the software so may end up downloading something else but seems straightforward enough to get a g code from it. I've figured out where I was going wrong exporting from fusion too, so that's now not an issue

 

[My Old Landy]

Ok, I get it, rookie mistake only buying 5

To be fair though, first load of prints are only going to be little basic things to get to grips with it.

I've just downloaded the prusa slicer and although the flash forge machines say they are compatible, I can't see them listed in the software so may end up downloading something else but seems straightforward enough to get a g code from it. I've figured out where I was going wrong exporting from fusion too, so that's now not an issue

To be fair, I use mine every day. I prototype things for work and do short batches too. I tend to design stuff quickly then print and see what needs changing.
It's crude but effective to get what I want without spending many hours designing only to have to change it anyway!

 

[Kram]

If you're respooling, it's generally recommended to do it twice: spool onto a temporary reel and then spool again onto a final one. There's a certain amount of tension in the coil of filament and the filament nearest the middle of the reel is tighter wound than the stuff on the outside. Spooling it twice means the stuff on the inside of the old reel ends up on the inside of the new one.

You'll probably get away with just doing it once most of the time, but it'll make you swear like a sailor that one time when the filament snaps into lots of pieces near the middle of the reel.

Its a very valid point, particually for brittle CF and GF filaments however PLA and PETG have enough flexibilty that it largly is not an issue.
However one important issue is if you respool with too much tension or fancy honeycomb/open spools, the tension will spread the sides of the spool until they no longer fit in the AMS, and that does cause swearing and repeat respooling.

If your going from a 3kg spool it will be large wraps converting to small wraps any way you do it.


The respooler above looks good but note if used with handle like this, the shaft will try to lift out of its seat for every up stroke of the handle. With a cordless drill, its less of a problem. You can print a retaining cap to make it nicer to use.

 

[Beanwood]

OK - I've just put on a print that amplifies my argument for AMS (And which I'd not considered until now) - a print that requires a good finish, and support at multiple levels - so I have added an interface raft of support material - which would be switching filament 'a lot' without the AMS...

 

[Dr.Al]

The respooler above looks good but note if used with handle like this, the shaft will try to lift out of its seat for every up stroke of the handle. With a cordless drill, its less of a problem. You can print a retaining cap to make it nicer to use.
View attachment 521129

That's a good spot, but I think it's a photo from an old version of the design. This is the newer version:

 

[Kram]

OK - I've just put on a print that amplifies my argument for AMS (And which I'd not considered until now) - a print that requires a good finish, and support at multiple levels - so I have added an interface raft of support material - which would be switching filament 'a lot' without the AMS...

I'm still new to it, supports generally break off easily enough and the interface I would say is unnessasary.
On any of the cheaper printers, each filament switch results in a poop and slows it down, so its not ideal either.

 

[iNf]

I'm not sure why you would want to buy large spools and the hassle to respool them when you can get 5 x 1kg spools of petg etc from aliexpress for just over £30.

 

[Dr.Al]

I'm not sure why you would want to buy large spools and the hassle to respool them when you can get 5 x 1kg spools of petg etc from aliexpress for just over £30.

The reason I want to respool isn't for large spools, it's for wide ones. I've got a few spools that are wider than the maximum width for Bambu's AMS, so I need to transfer the filament onto a narrower spool.

 

[iNf]

The reason I want to respool isn't for large spools, it's for wide ones. I've got a few spools that are wider than the maximum width for Bambu's AMS, so I need to transfer the filament onto a narrower spool.

If it's just the odd spool and you don't need to do a multi colour/material print you could use a Y splitter and use them as a standard external spool.

 

[Kram]

Amazon is easier, next day delivery before 1pm. I've not yet used aliexpress and I see that as a risk and hassle. It only takes a moment to do once you have a winder printed. There are simpler drill mounted winders that are hand guided, would work well enough.

Have a part I want to print in clear PETG, ordered a roll at 11pm last night and should be here soon.

 

[MattF]

I've not yet used aliexpress and I see that as a risk and hassle.

It's not. I've recently ordered some Sunlu via Ali'. Stock in the UK.