February 25, 2025
Description
I created these PTFE Tubing Straighteners to help straighten out PTFE tubing (4 mm outside diameter) that has been coiled up since manufacture and wants to continue to be coiled up tightly when you need it to be straight (or at least mostly straight).
Most PTFE tubing is packaged and shipped so tightly curled up that it is pretty much useless until it is re-trained to remain straight. My PTFE Tubing Straighteners do just that!
These PTFE Tubing Straighteners work by holding the tubing firmly in place at both ends (at least) for a period of time to allow the tubing to adjust to being straight. Up to 4 or up to 6 PTFE tubes can be straightened in each set of clamps. The length of the tubing is only limited by your own space. Simply screw two or more straightening clamps on a flat surface (such as a wall) and insert PTFE tubes in the individual clamps. Then leave the tubes there until you're ready to use them or until they no longer curl up.
The newly added (February 2025) 4 position PTFE Tubing Straightener is only 72 mm wide - so it can easily be screwed onto the wide side of a wood 2 by 4!
These PTFE Tubing Straighteners can also be used to organize and secure the PTFE tubes between your 3D printing devices.
If you have a Prusa MMU2 or MMU3 (Multi Material Upgrade), a Bambu Lab AMS (Automatic Material System), a dry box, or any type of filament feeding system for 3D FDM / FFF printers, then you surely also have a supply of PTFE tubing on hand for replacement when the tubes wear out. Keep spare PTFE tubing for your 3D printer's multi-filament feeding system in a set of PTFE Tubing Straightener clamps so that they can be put to use as soon as you need them!
The provided STL files are intended to be printed in PLA (though PETG, ASA, or ABS should also work fine) and do not require supports.
PrusaSlicer 3MF files are provided for FilaCube PLA, and G-code files are provided for the Original Prusa MK4.
STEP files are also included for those wishing to remix the design.
The PTFE Tubing Straighteners seen in the photos were printed on an Original Prusa MK4 in FilaCube Green, Sapphire Blue, and Red PLA with a 0.4mm nozzle at 0.3mm layer height with a 15% gyroid infill.
Be sure to check out my other designs - including honeycomb storage wall (HSW) accessories, universal key covers, and a diverse collection of household accessories and 3D printing tools - on Printables at https://www.printables.com/@PhilCaruso_661446/models
License:
Creative Commons — Attribution
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Phil Caruso
