Adjustable Spool Holder for Silica Gel / Spool Weight

September 23, 2023
Description
Update June 12, 2023
A loading funnel is now available as well, download it here!
Support
All my designs and mods are free to use and remix. They have a non-commercial license. If you enjoy this or any of my other designs you can send me a small donation using the link below. Thanks :)
Buy Adjustable Spool Holder for Silica Gel
You can now buy the Adjustable Spool Holder for Silica Gel printed parts from MatterHackers at a very affordable price, free US shipping is included.
BOM - Bill of materials
Silica gel beads. I recommend these that change colour from blue to pink so you know when to reactivate/dry them:
One 500 g container is enough for 12 spools.
About
This is an Adjustable Spool Holder for Silica Gel (Desiccant) / Spool Weight developed specifically for the Hydra AMS and Bambu Lab AMS but it should be useful for regular dry boxes as well where the spool is on top of rollers / roller bearings.
The internal compartment can be filled with silica gel to keep the filament dry or you can fill it with something else to add some weight if you prefer.
It rooms around 40 g of silica gel. Make sure you fully pack it with silica gel beads. If it's not fully packed it can deform the beads when rotating. You could also use bags of silica.
It fits most spools with a width between 40 and 80 mm. Keep in mind, for the Bambu Lab AMS the max spool width is 68 mm and for Hydra AMS it is 75 mm.
It prints in three parts completely without supports.
I suggest you print a few and keep them installed in the spools you use the most so you don't have to move them around.
If you have / use hygrometers you can use this remixed version instead if you like:
- Adjustable Spool Holder for Silica Gel / Spool Weight / With Hygrometer - Compatible with both Hydra AMS and Bambu Lab AMS.
Print Settings
Print the three parts in the direction I have set them. Fill the container with silica gel (fully!) / whatever and close the lid. Then install it through your spool with the bottom part on one side and the top part on the other.