Auto Rewinding Spool Holder

This is an auto rewind spool holder which relies on a friction/slip clutch for consistent tension, the spool is held tight on the hub.  

This is a low profile, easy to print, and hopefully improved version of the Auto-Rewind Spool Holders created by Vincent Groenhuis. 

Features:

• Adjustable friction clutch for consistent tension from beginning to end of spool
• Able to rotate 4-5 full rotations 
• Bi-directional
• Doesn't need supports to print (mostly), and is as flat as possible
• 3 sizes of Ratchet Spacers to fit any brand of spool

This spool holder is technically a remix but really is a complete redesign from scratch based off concepts from Vincent's Universal AND Integrated Auto-Rewind spool holder. 

In otherwise really good models, the issues I found were that the Universal was a bit too big and wide for the space I had, and the Integrated was the right size but relied on friction between the spool and hub instead of a clutch which was inconsistent for rewinding. I recreated the clutch mechanism from the Universal and fit it into the hub of the Integrated spool holder. 

V8 - The selection of Ratchet Spacers should allow you to fit just about any spool, but I do occasionally find a spool where I have to make a custom thickness Spacer Ring. 

V7 (Obsolete) - Centering rings are marked with diameter and width for the spool opening they are designed for (Ex: D55-W68), but having a range of spacer heights will help bridge any gaps. 

Please read the Guide! It's only 3 pages (mostly pictures) and will show you how to assemble, test, and troubleshoot.

PART SETS 

To reduce the file count I have made 3 sets (saved as .3mf), you can split each set into separate parts if you need to print individual parts

• Auto Winding Hub
• Stand and Filament Guide 
  • The filament guide is the only part that needs supports unless you have incredible bridging
• Ratchet Spacers and Spacer Ring
  • The Ratchet Spacer tops might need an outer brim due to the small first layer

REQUIRED

• Good bed adhesion
• Decent bridge and overhang printing
• <5% error in X and Y dimensions (your circles can't be ovals, otherwise you'll have a bad time)

PRINT SETTINGS

• Intended for PLA
• No Supports, no Brim - you shouldn't need them for the most part, see exceptions under Part Sets
• No “Detect Thin Walls”
• ≤ 0.4 mm extruder width - this was not designed for >0.4mm extruders
• 0.2 mm layer height - 0.1 mm for thinner parts if necessary

PARTS NEEDED

• 2x 608 bearings - I use these, they are cheap and good
• Rubber feet/bumpers - to keep the stand from sliding if you have a smooth surface

Updates: 

• V7-1: Minor updates to improve fit and make print precision less critical
• V8: (Dec 2024) Major updates to fit of springs and bearing holes so printing doesn't need to be as precise, reduced thread length so Body and Cap screw together easier, added Ratchet Spacers to handle different sized spool with fewer spacers, other minor improvements

Complete redesign and improvements based on the spring and clutch concepts in the Universal Spool Holder