5 Ways How to Fix Filament That Keeps Coming Off Spool
One of the most common issues some users experience is when filament keeps coming off the spool during printing. It can be a very frustrating issue as it can lead to pauses during prints, tangling, or even failed prints.
That’s why I wrote this article, to show you how to fix filament that keeps coming off the spool.
To fix filament coming or jumping off the spool, you can add a cardboard disc at each boundary or use unique spool holders that are specially designed for keeping the filament in. Attaching filament guides to your 3D printer can reduce filament coming off the reel since it provides a smoother flow of filament.
Keep reading to learn the details of these solutions and other important information that will help you fix your filament from coming off your spool.
How to Fix Filament Coming Off Spool
To fix filament coming or jumping off the reel, simply add cardboard discs or cutouts to the edges of the filament spool. Also, you can make use of filament guides or spool holders to help guide the path of the filament into the extruder.
Here’s how to fix the filament that keeps coming off the spool:
- Use a filament guide
- Use a filament spool holder
- Add cardboard discs to the boundary
- Dehydrate spool
- Elevate spool
1. Use a Filament Guide
One way to fix filament that keeps coming off the spool is to use a filament guide. A filament guide is simply a device that guides the path of the filament from the spool to the extruder, to make sure it doesn’t come off the spool.
It also ensures the filament is fed at a good angle and the right amount of tension to the extruder, or else the filament begins to come off the reel. This simple solution has helped many users to prevent their filament from coming off their spool uncontrolled.
There are lots of filament guides that you can download and print, but make sure that whatever model you decide to print must fit your 3D printer to work efficiently. Also, you can purchase filament guides from stores near you.
One user stated that he has tried quite a few filament guides and this Filament Guide from Printables worked well for him, though it’s for Prusa 3D printers.
You can check out Cults3D and Thingiverse to find suitable filament guides that can be 3D printed and used on your 3D printer with a simple search.
Another user stated that the Filament Guide from Holspeed has a great angle and worked excellently for his 3D printer.
2. Use a Filament Spool Holder
Another way to fix filament from coming off your spool is to use a filament spool holder. The spool holder is a printing accessory that holds filament in place during printing. It comes in various shapes and sizes, which you can buy off Amazon for great prices.
One of the most recommended options is the Iverntech Spool Acrylic 3D Printer Filament Holder, which users consider simple and effective.
- Iverntech 3d printer filament holder
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
The spool holder is usually embedded with a bearing that allows the filament spool to feed the extruder by rotating.
If you already have a spool holder, or you intend to get one, you want to ensure that the spool holder is not loose or wobbly. This can cause the filament to come off the spool as the loose spool holder moves or rotate.
Also, you want to make sure that the tension in the spool holder is not too tight. This can also cause the filament to come off the spool.
3. Add Cardboard Discs to the Boundary
Another way you can try to prevent your filament from coming off your spool is by adding cardboard discs or any form of hard paper to the edges of the spool. This will increase the height of the spool’s boundary, being another simple yet efficient fix to prevent your filament from coming off.
All you need is some scissors to cut the cardboard into shape and attach it to the edge of the spool’s boundary.
Check out the video below for detailed instructions on how to add cardboard discs to the boundary.
4. Dehydrate Spool
Another fix that is recommended to users suffering from the filament that keeps coming off the spool is to dehydrate the spool. That’s because moisture in the filament can cause it to become brittle, resulting in it breaking or coming off the spool.
This is particularly true for filaments such as Nylon or PETG, which can absorb moisture from the air over time. To prevent this, you can use a filament dryer to dehydrate the spool and remove any moisture that may be present.
A filament dryer uses heat to remove moisture from the filament, ensuring that it remains dry and less prone to breaking or tangling. Using a filament dryer can be especially useful if you live in a humid environment, as the humidity can contribute to moisture buildup in the filament.
A lot of 3D printing hobbyists recommend getting the SUNLU Filament Dryer Box as that is a great option if you’re in need to dehydrate your filament.
- 【Say Goodbye to Poor 3D Printing by Wet Filament】Wet 3d printing filament will caused to stringing, clogging, poor adhesion, and Layer Shift. SUNLU FDM 3D Filament Dryer Enclosure can drying while printing to improve your 3D model, reducing the impact of the objective environment on the printing of 3d filaments.
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Users really suggest this method to help to prevent the filament from coming off the spool during printing.
What is a good way to prevent the filament “jumping” of the roll and tangling up like that?
byu/Udushu inprusa3d
Check out the video below for detailed instructions on how to dry filament.
5. Elevate Spool
If your filament keeps getting tangled or coming off the spool, consider elevating the spool. This involves hanging the spool higher, around 50cm or more, to give the filament more room to bend.
You can guide the filament to the printer’s middle using a loose cable tie at the original spool holder. With gravity on your side, the filament will not have enough height to come over the spool even as the hotend moves across the print bed.
Prusa’s print farm also uses this method. While it may not be universally applicable, elevating the spool can be a simple and fast solution that doesn’t require any extra equipment or changes.
One user really recommends this method as the perfect low-tech solution for this problem and stated that this really helped him fix his issue of filament coming off the spool.