Print farms require a more stream lined and dependable system to manage filament into the machine and help in machine maintenance. this collection is a broadcast of what DeseretManufacturing.com uses in its print farm. 

Print Farm Equipment

A spool holder that fits both 1 kg spools and up to 5 kg spools simultaneously. This spool holder mounts to both a pallet rack and a wall mart / home depot / lowes rack of your choice. you know, those big black garage racks that go for about $250 or something; this thing: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4-Tier-Industrial-Duty-Steel-Freestanding-Garage-Storage-Shelving-Unit-in-Black-77-in-W-x-78-in-H-x-24-in-D-N2W772478W4B/319132737.    

A great feature about this thing is the spools are mounted almost straight up from their mounting point. this is great for narrow spaces because the spools, provided the shelf is at the right elevation, are both easy to service and above ones head out of the way. 

If you have a bambu machine, it works great with my filament guide.
https://thangs.com/mythangs/file/1153621

**Do not print this in PLA**
PLA creeps and is likely too brittle to handle the bearing being pressed into it and will likely be worn away by the rotation of things. Petg is an excellent choice for this device. it is stretchy enough for a press fit bearing and is exceedingly slippery. If you use a "high speed" Petg, print it at a speed that gives it a glossy finish as that will give it more slippery properties.  also, ensure your hole compensation is set to zero, unless your machine's tolerances are crap, then good luck. 

**A fair amount of hardware is required to mount this thing:**
6 – 5/16 x 3 inch  coarse bolts
1 – 5/16 x 2.5 inch coarse bolts
2 - 5/16 x 1 inch coarse bolts
4 - 5/16 washers (recommend using ¼ washers because Imperial hardware manufacturers are retarded) for the bolts that join the top and bottom assemblies
1 – ½ x 6 coarse bolt
2 – ½ nuts coarse nut
1- bearing part number R8-2RS 
4 inches about of teflon tube to shove through the arm at the bottom
1- steel bar - ¼ inch x 1 inch x 17" (at the local metal yard should cost about $1.25 a foot with a 10 ft minimum, the hardware stores mark up steel an insane amount)  If you dont want to use the larger spool holder you do not need this piece, also, you could use wood if desired, i'm sure it would work fine. 

**assembly instructions, of the sub par variety:** 
For the non pallet rack shelving (the walmart and others shelf) there is a an "optional clamping block" labeled just that upon it. it also has a recess in it to receive the bolt that would tighten it. please observe it's place in the Step file before splitting the model for slicing. No supports are required for printing. the step file should all load in the correct orientation, you'll just have to move them around to fit on your build plate. The bearing is a press fit, use my installer tool to install it into the large spool holder. as oriented for printing the bearing is inserted into the top. a hammer may be used for installation with the tool. 
Bearing installer: https://thangs.com/mythangs/file/1176191?source=Recent

The lone pointed bushing goes into the large spool holder on the opposite side of the bearing. IT is a press fit as well. the pointy side of the bushing going into the spool holder first. press it till it is fully seated. 

mounting the large spool holder: put that big half inch bolt through the assembly spool holder, then install a nut over the threads, of the bolt is within tolerance you should be able to bottom the nut out on the threads and not have it clamp the spool holder, which is what we want, a rotating spool holder. then take the assembly and put it through that hole for it on the steel bar that is mounted onto the upper assembly. screw a nut and clamp it all, you might need to use that plastic spanner included in the print file to hold the inside nut. 

The bolt hole threads for the 1 kg spool holder and the roller underneath are tight, this is on purpose so you can cinch down the bolt bot not have it clamp the rotating bits. 



**drilling holes for the bar for the large spool holder:**
bottom two holes center to center that are for securing to top assembly 152.4 mm or 6 inches. These holes are for 5/16 bolts, i recommend drilling the holes slightly larger to accommodate for your bad measuring, punching and drilling job. Yes you, you did a sub par job. definitely not me, I would never have such an issue. 

from the bottom to top hole center to center - 419.6mm or  16.5 inches  
The bottom hole is for the 5/16 bolt mentioned above and the top hole is for the half inch bolt for the 5kg spool holder.  This hole may actually be drilled as far away as one desires. but it can't be closer than 16.5 inches or the spools will interfere with one another. 

All this bring the total of holes drilled to 3

1, 3 & 5 kg metal shelf and rack mounted spool holder vertical above head assembly

MULTI SPOOL HOLDER.step

Tool for installing a R8-2RS  or any bearing with and OD of 1-1/8" and an ID at or larger than 1/2" into a press fit deep socket of a depth I cant be bothered to measure right now. 

half inch bearing installer.step

This filament guide provides a solution to filament feeding problems by maintaining just the right angle for maximum smoothness during the entry of filament into the machine. Filament guide, uses a 1.5" x 5/16 bolt and nut to secure to the OEM spool holder on the back. Designed for redirecting filament into the machine. Due to tolerance issues of the printers sometimes a needle file is required to file the Teflon tube receiver. Pulley uses a roller skate bearing (608) and another 1.5 x 5/16 bolt to secure it to the assembly and is a press fit, use bearing installer (        ) to aid in bearing installation into the pulley. Use this filament guide with the Deseret manufacturing rack spool holders to aid print farms in dependable filament feeding into Bambu Labs machines such as the X1C, P1S and P1 when mounting the angle of the teflon tube needs to be just right for maximum smoothness, put a piece of filament into the tube as it is mounted into the assembly, slide the assembly back and forth along the metal spool holder bracket while sliding the filament in and out with your hand until the action feels smooth and excellent. Pulley is mounted with bearing downwards touching the main assembly. 

Required hardware:
2 x 1.5" x 5/16 bolts (standard course thread)
                                                   can use a 1.25" or 1" bolt for pulley if desired
1x 5/16 course nut
1 x 608 bearing (any suffix after the 608 is fine as such designation only tells the shield type for the bearing)




Horizontal filament guide for Bambu labs printer

filament guide horizontal EXTENDED.step

Change the direction of the filament to guide it into the machine in a gentle way, placing the spool it a better orientation.

Recommended Material and settings:

PETG – dark color
Bottom and top layer 1.4mm 7 layers
5 layer wall thickness
Gryoid infill at least 15%
Plate: textured PEI plate with glue only on the parts for the calibration extrusions. No brim required.
Order of inner wall/ outer wall/ infill: infill, outside, inside or outside, infill, inside (i’ve switch to the former for most prints but I think I did particular machine with the later, I made this a few months ago and don’t remember, good luck)

Hardware Required
608 sized bearing
Super (cyanoacrylate) glue
1 Meter Bowden Tube

Assembly:
Press bearing into pulley, the glue flange over bearing – dark PETG colors glue better than light colors
Put assembled bearing onto spindle, place bracket over spindle and bracket locator, screw short screw into bracket locator – snug plus tightness is good enough

Insert new bowden tube into printer, the new tube only needs to be and inch or two longer, I recommend cutting it after you have the assembly somewhat located.

place assembly over filament spool holder, insert bowden tube into assembly, sticking out about an inch past it’s place of securing towards the pulley. Enough that the tube can flex a bit as the filament will move around a bit. 

Ensure the bowden tube is graceful in its curving into the machine (to test you can push filament through the tube to test it’s ease of insertion), once satisfied place the threaded block on the underside of the machine and the longer screw through the assembly into the block. Tighten snug plus.

If you don’t know how to use the device at this point you should now have profound feelings of everlasting shame and may whatever deity you worship have mercy upon your wretched soul. 


Other notes:

The bracket is strong enough to pull the bowden tube tight, pick up a full spool of tangled filament, the dry box it is in,  and all your frustrations at a failed print (I wouldn’t know, that’s just what a friend told me) without noticing. 

Bambu Lab Filament pulley for carbon x1

Neatly guide the filament into the printer to increase the dependability of the machine. the only outside hardware required is the standard roller skate 608 bearing with whatever suffix of your choosing, some super glue to secure the pulley around the bearing once inserted and a longer bowden tube (needs to be about 2 inches longer than stock. This has been designed for PETG, A nice slippery material. I recommend darker colors as bright PETG doesn't take as well to cyanoacrylate (super) glue. I imagine a bearing really isn't needed, you could make your own pulley for the spindle, but i like to over engineer things. For Print setting I recommend top and bottom at 1.4 mm (7 layers) , side walls at 5 layers and 15% or more gyroid infill. this device is strong enough to pick up a full spool of filament, in the drier and pull the bowden tube into the pulley without noticing.  When installing the device the screws only need be snug plus. The bowden Tube only need stick out of the end of its place of security about an inch or less. the filament is always going to wobble around a bit to it's good the tube stick out enough to flexible. the filament extender should be away enough from the printer so the tube gracefully curves, you'll know it's graceful if you can push the filament smoothly into the printer. 

Bambu Labs x1 Carbon Filament direction changer pulley

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