AFS Respooling Drill Attachment

This is a drill attachment to refill empty Auto Feed Spools (AFS) using .065" replacement trimmer line. I originally created this to cut down on waste, but the trimmer line I used to refill the spools actually seems to last longer than the genuine AFS replacement spools.

This is for AFS-100 spools used by Black+Decker weed trimmers, but it's possible this system is used by other related brands (e.g., Craftsman)

Print Settings and Orientation:

STLs are saved in the orientation they should be printed in. I recommend printing the mandrel with at least 6 walls for .44mm layer width (or 2.64mm thick). For bed slingers, I recommend slowing the print acceleration speed or enabling jerk control when printing the mandrel: Too much shaking can cause it to fall over. CoreXY printers won't have this issue.

Assembly and Use:

It's a three-piece assembly: You can super glue the mandrel and flange together for convenience, but it'll also work fine without glue. I put my drill on low torque, then lightly clamp it in a vice, which makes respooling simple.

I've used the triangular trimmer line: While it doesn't respool as smoothly as round line, it does perform well and lasts at least twice as long as the genuine AFS replacement spools.

It helps to shave/bevel a section of the end of the trimmer line to make it easier to insert into the anchor hole.

The drill rotates clockwise, as indicated on the drive flange.