3D printing filament spooling is an important yet often overlooked part of 3D printing. It’s not usually something to be concerned about, as filament generally comes perfectly spooled right out of the box. Properly spooled filament is fundamental for a good 3D printing experience, to avoid under-printing, vibrations, mistakes, and more.
However, when filament tangles do happen, it can be a nightmare to put up with, and even more complicated to solve. But it doesn’t have to be! Here are some tips and tricks to prevent and solve filament tangles on the spool and make the most of your 3D printer.
Filament tangle can be an annoying problem at best, and a hazardous problem at worst. Before looking at what causes it and how to solve it, let’s look at why it’s important to avoid it.
One expected result of a filament tangle is for the print to be interrupted if the extruder is unable to push the filament. This may be caused by a knot that’s preventing the roll from unspooling. This problem is a waste of time, electricity, and materials, and if you’re printing on a deadline, it could be costly.
It’s possible for a 3D printer to overcome small tangles on its own, but this isn’t without its own problems. It may still cause a lot of vibration in the printer and the print in turn, as the release of the tangle will cause the filament to swing back and forth if it’s hanging on the machine. It can also wear down motors and drivers since the motor will require more force to pull tangled filament.
If you use a custom spool holder (like the TUSH) and your filament is badly tangled, the machine can continue to pull and cause it to fall off, resulting in potentially dangerous accidents and damage.
Additionally, a filament tangle can cause other problems in your printer because once the filament stops being pushed through, the melted filament will stay inside the nozzle, eventually clogging it. By becoming stuck and not being unable to pull it, the extruder pulley may also eat into the filament and damage it.
Finally, if you decide to go ahead and print with tangled filament, you’ll have to watch the machine throughout its entire operation time to make sure nothing happens and to intervene with tangles near the extruder.
It’s rare that tangled filament is the manufacturer’s fault, as the winding process is performed by a machine. However, to prevent any issues, always inspect the state of your filament before opening the plastic wrapping. That way, if you notice something is wrong, you can contact the manufacturer and work it out.
However, even if your filament is correctly wound right off the spool, it may still become tangled later on due to improper use or storage. For example, when you take it off of the printer without maintaining tension, it can unwind and cause tangles. If you don’t keep it in a clear and clean space, filaments can tangle with each other or with other objects in the vicinity.
The best way to deal with filament tangle is to make sure it doesn’t happen. Therefore, here are some tips to keep your filament in good shape.
One of the simplest ways to avoid filament tangle is to print a simple accessory to keep it neatly in place on the spool. There are a few different designs: The best one for your setup will likely depend on how you store and use your filament. Here are some of our favorites!
This selection, along with all that follow, are universal filament clips. They are universal because they work on any filament brand, even though the spool shape may change according to the brand. In this case, it’s even more universal because instead of latching to the side of the spool, it latches onto the filament itself. It’s available in two sizes, for 1.75-mm and 3-mm filament widths.
In this iteration of a filament holder, the creator designed a universal clip that can attach to the spool instead of the filament itself. It uses a corrugated pattern to grab onto the spool and uses the filament’s flexibility to snap onto it. It can hold both 3-mm or 1.75-mm diameter filaments thanks to its dragon head.
In this case, the creator of this filament holder uses filament compliant properties to grip the filament. The way it works is that you fit the filament holder inside the spool and align the holes to fit the filament. Once you let go of it, the holder will try to regain its natural shape, like a spring, and that in itself will cause it to keep a grip on the filament.
This simple print adds pressure to your spool to stop filament from jumping off the roll when feeding through the extruder-stepper. The two bars let the filament strand thread through the two bars to prevent tangles from occurring.
This remix from SpicyLimes features a polygon-style pattern that reduces filament usage and an extended base that attaches to the spool screw to allow more height for taller spool rolls.
This final model is a spool holder designed to keep tangles at bay. The holder clamps around the spool at four different points, keeping it securely in place. It’s compatible with a wide variety of spool sizes, ranging from 145 mm to 210 mm in diameter.
When printing, you won’t need to worry about supports. However, you’ll need some screws, nuts, or bearings, depending on which version of the arms you print. The creator provides further information on the Thingiverse page.
If you can’t avoid it in time, or if you’re reading this article because the tangle has already happened and you want to know how to solve it, here are some tips.
License: The text of "Filament Tangle on Spool: How to Prevent & Solve It" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.