PASTA lite Donor Spinner

Compatibility

You have 3 options:

Beta version Donor Spinner v0.5 and later are compatible with Receiver v0.4 and later.

Beta version Donor Spinner v0.4 and earlier are compatible with Receiver v0.3 and earlier only!

Background

This is an attachment to the PASTA lite Receiver. It is compatible with a wide range of 1kg spools. Compared to the original Pastamatic donor-side assembly, this features:

• Smaller footprint
• No bearings required
• Easier printing with all tall objects having a larger bed contact area
• No additional TPU "wipers" needed for a tight winding, resistance is offered by an internal brake mechanism
• Significantly lower centre of gravity of the donor spool for a more stable operation at high speeds

And as with the original:

• NO fasteners
• NO heat-set inserts
• Super quick assembly
• Designed to be a tool, not a project

Please see the PASTA lite Receiver page for the FAQ.

Materials

• PLA works great
• Avoid materials with reduced layer adhesion such as PLA-CF, silk PLA and "ABS+"
• TPE or soft TPU for the feet

Print settings

• If this is “just a tool”
  • 0.20mm Standard (2 walls) with
  • 15% “support cubic” infill
• If you want something more substantial and quieter
  • 0.20mm, 3+ walls, 4+ bottom, 5+ top
  • 15% “grid” infill or other non “support” infill (this helps with noise as the parts will sound less hollow)
  • 60mm/s outer wall speed, 80mm/s top wall speed

Other materials needed

• Lubricant of your choice between the spool carrier and the base as well as the brake. A light oil is recommended. Do not use a “water displacement” spray such as WD-40, they will dry up and stop working quickly. Apply the lubricant whereever these parts touch, including on the bottom of the carrier where it meets the base. Not using any lubricant and running the respooler fast can lead to the parts heating up and fusing together. The places to lubricate are shown below. Just a few drops at each place will be enough!

Operation

CAUTION

USE EYE PROTECTION

BE AWARE OF OTHER PEOPLE AND PETS AROUND YOU

Changelog

30/12/2024 - Version 0.1

First prototype

31/12/2024 - Version 0.2

Various minor fitment and clearance changes were also made.

Test run video below. The PLA bearings are extremely noisy.

02/01/2025 - Version 0.3

Testing results:

• PLA rollers and pins were used as-printed and un-lubricated for the worst case scenario.
• Respooling was quick and easy.
• Noise was significantly reduced from v0.2 but it is still fairly loud.
• Small bits of the rollers were coming off during the first run.
• PLA is not a suitable material for regular use. A little lubrication would also go a long way.

Don't be me - remove the RFID tag before putting a different filament on there! It's hard to convince the AMS that it's wrong.

06/01/2025 - Version 0.4

I was ready to leave this design alone but thanks to the many Reddit and Facebook users who suggested adding a carrier plate and a conical lock, I'm back.

• Complete redesign - spool carrier added to work with more spool types and run smoother.
• Conical spool lock was added to aid recovering unravelled filament.
• Air brakes were added to add some resistance for a tighter winding.

Test run:

• All bearings were 3D printed, no 608 bearings were used.
• My spool fell apart but I didn't lose the end and it was relatively intact so I wind it onto a new spool.
• I forget to remove the RFID tag again.
• The operation is SIGNIFICANTLY quieter.
• There is more vibration as I'm running it faster.

20/01/2025 - Version 0.5

• Spool angle changed to accommodate the newer receiver (v0.4 and later) spool's lower position.
• The connecting interface has changed and is not backwards compatible with the older receivers (v0.3 and earlier).
• Air brake has been removed. The air brake version of the spool lock will still work with the new carrier, no need to reprint this if you already have one.
• Minor dimensional changes to the spool carrier. v0.4 spool carrier will still work with the new base, no need to reprint this if you already have one.
• Internal braking system added.

See “Operation” section above for the test run.

29/01/2025 - Version 1.0

Brake slightly modified to stay in the frame when the spool carrier is removed by adding a little tab:

3 brake variants added in a separate print profile. This allows you to compensate for using different materials (PETG may need a stiffer version and a ABS-GF one may need a softer version) as well as compensate for material creep (PLA creeps a lot). You can also compensate for different materials being respooled (for example: TPU needs less tension for spooling).

30/01/2025 - Version 1.0A1M

Split frame variant added. Now the whole set can be printed on the A1 Mini! The right side of the frame can be hard-mounted to a board or workbench for stand-alone use. You may be able to fit bigger spools (2kg, etc) this way.

04/02/2025 - STEP file

By request, 1 step file containing both non-split and split versions of the base has been uploaded so people can modify it easier for their own use.

23/02/2026 - License, STEP files and STL files

• License changed from “Standard Digital File License” to “Makerworld Exclusive License” to allow easy remixing.

• New STEP File containing all parts (as shown below) uploaded to allow easy remixing.

• STL files of every part uploaded separately to make it easier for users who don't use Bambu Studio to find the files.