MakerBot Spindle MK1

34 views
Skip to first unread message

JohnA.

unread,
Jun 25, 2010, 7:48:18 PM6/25/10
to MakerBot Operators
For anyone who didn't see, the Spindle kit's been released:

http://blog.makerbot.com/2010/06/25/friday-night-launch-the-deluxe-filament-spindle-kit-mk1/

I figured I'd just drop a note on this. I've had one for about a
month now (mine doesn't have the clear front) and have probably 40-50
hours of prints on it. It works amazing, and really automates
printing larger things. Now I can kick off a 3 hour build and not
have to worry about watching the spool of loose ABS that never seems
to uncoil correctly.

Highly recommended. Pics of building one here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/botbuilder/sets/72157624231182484/


JohnA.

ddurant

unread,
Jun 25, 2010, 9:00:12 PM6/25/10
to MakerBot Operators
Maybe the pictures don't do it justice but... $100? Really?

I was excited when people were talking about this earlier but need a
little convincing.. Help me out here, please.


On Jun 25, 7:48 pm, "JohnA." <john.abe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> For anyone who didn't see, the Spindle kit's been released:
>
> http://blog.makerbot.com/2010/06/25/friday-night-launch-the-deluxe-fi...

Charles Edward Pax

unread,
Jun 26, 2010, 2:55:20 PM6/26/10
to make...@googlegroups.com
I've been using one for about a month also. I just don't think about
filament anymore. Gone are the primitive days of manually turning your
filament.

I designed the cardboard filament spool
(http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1550) to solve the problem and it
worked pretty well. The box from MakerBot is WAY better. The feed tube
is so clever.

Charles Edward Pax
blog: http://charlespax.com/
twitter: http://twitter.com/charlespax

> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MakerBot Operators" group.
> To post to this group, send email to make...@googlegroups.com.
> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to makerbot+u...@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.
>
>

ddurant

unread,
Jun 26, 2010, 3:53:38 PM6/26/10
to MakerBot Operators
As a suggestion, the pictures at the store give the impression that
it's a handfull of lasercut plywood and a piece of acrylic. Pix that
show off some of the other bits like the spindle would be good. Maybe
a picture of it all assembled but without the ABS.

Also, I actually like the height of my cupcake right were it is so the
idea of stacking a bunch of these under it isn't an idea I like. I
assume others also probably have their machines at a convenient height
already. A picture of a 3-stack of spindles next-to or behind a
cupcake would look good, too.
> > For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

jstnfirst

unread,
Jun 26, 2010, 4:51:00 PM6/26/10
to MakerBot Operators
The spindle is also lasercut plywood. The central hub is made form
the odd dogbone looking pices of wood.

Other than being horizontal this is pretty much just like the
stratasys machines I use at work. FYI the desiccant bags will do
pretty much nothing for you unless you seal up all the extra holes,
including the triangular shaped one in the bottom of the box that
allows stacking, and the extra 2 holes for the lower filaments to come
out of.

ddurant

unread,
Jun 26, 2010, 5:01:06 PM6/26/10
to MakerBot Operators
Sorry - I meant the turntable..

Mark Cohen

unread,
Jul 2, 2010, 4:37:01 PM7/2/10
to make...@googlegroups.com
Hi,

So I have had my spindle for two days now. It works well. All my plastic is
nice and neat now. It raises the makerbot up so now I can see the printing
with my laptop in front of it.

Some things to watch out for:

I think an improvement if possible would be to put finger holes near the
supports on the top so that it would be easier to line the things up.
Really good idea with tape for the embedded nuts. I had not thought of that.

The wiki probably needs to have instructions for changing the plastic.

If you seal the box with hot glue you might have trouble putting the spindle
back in the box and bolting the bottom down maybe. I don't know but it seems
that way. I assume you need to take it out as my fingers are probably too
big to just take the spindle top off and line the supports up.

I think there is an error when figuring out how long to make the tube. From
what I recall I think one thing said 750mm and another said 750+150 for
900mm. Something with the wording and the table from what I recall. I made
mine 900mm as I have the Plastruder board sticking up in the back of the
MK4.

When you load the plastic it is real easy for some of the wire to get stuck
below the spindle which will jam it. So watch out for that on the initial
load and carefully move that back on the spindle. You might not want to
screw down the lid as you might have to adjust it at the beginning.

When you order plastic be aware that some vendors do not ship it with a
small diameter center. The makerbot black fits nicely. The one pound of
white I think might fit. The ultimachine pla is also good. My Makergear pla
looks like it would fit. I just got some abs from Botmill, and it will be
too wide to fit in the box without rewinding it tighter, which I think would
be real awkward.

Regards,
Mark

--

Dave M.

unread,
Jul 3, 2010, 11:24:12 AM7/3/10
to MakerBot Operators
Great tips, Mark. I'd like to see the prints for the MK1 spindle kit
-- the files seem to have been removed from Thingiverse. Does anyone
know where else to get them?
> Mark-----Original Message-----

JohnA.

unread,
Jul 3, 2010, 11:47:01 AM7/3/10
to MakerBot Operators
Lots of details here:

http://wiki.makerbot.com/spindle-mk1

We've got one complete spindle kit, and one that was just the
turntable / spindle part put into our own box. Both have over 50
hours on them now with maybe 1 or 2 jams total?

It's probably the best thing we've done to help long-term prints.

JohnA.

Zach Smith

unread,
Jul 5, 2010, 11:06:40 AM7/5/10
to make...@googlegroups.com
oh noes! i forgot to publish the files. they're now live on
thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3116

--
Zach Smith
MakerBot Industries

Dave M.

unread,
Jul 7, 2010, 9:37:33 AM7/7/10
to MakerBot Operators
Thanks, Zach!
> > For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/makerbot?hl=en.

James Markosky

unread,
Jul 12, 2010, 4:42:23 PM7/12/10
to MakerBot Operators
This device needs some way of maintaining tension on the filament
spindle, I've had to pull filament out from under the spindle six or
seven times so far, when some sort of drag mechanism to keep the coil
spindle from spinning completely freely would have solved this
problem. All I did was tape a few pieces of cardboard to the top of
the spindle so that when the lid is on, it pushes down and causes
drag. Which is pretty ghetto for something that cost 110 bucks after
shipping.


On Jul 7, 9:37 am, "Dave M." <mr.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks, Zach!
>
> On Jul 5, 8:06 am, Zach Smith <z...@makerbot.com> wrote:
>
> > oh noes!  i forgot to publish the files.  they're now live on
> > thingiverse:http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3116
>
> > On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 11:24 AM, Dave M. <mr.m...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Great tips, Mark.  I'd like to see the prints for the MK1spindlekit
> > > -- the files seem to have been removed from Thingiverse.  Does anyone
> > > know where else to get them?
>
> > > On Jul 2, 1:37 pm, "Mark Cohen" <markcoh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> Hi,
>
> > >> So I have had myspindlefor two days now. It works well. All my plastic is
> > >> nice and neat now. It raises the makerbot up so now I can see the printing
> > >> with my laptop in front of it.
>
> > >> Some things to watch out for:
>
> > >> I think an improvement if possible would be to put finger holes near the
> > >> supports on the top so that it would be easier to line the things up.
> > >> Really good idea with tape for the embedded nuts. I had not thought of that.
>
> > >> The wiki probably needs to have instructions for changing the plastic.
>
> > >> If you seal the box with hot glue you might have trouble putting thespindle
> > >> back in the box and bolting the bottom down maybe. I don't know but it seems
> > >> that way. I assume you need to take it out as my fingers are probably too
> > >> big to just take thespindletop off and line the supports up.
>
> > >> I think there is an error when figuring out how long to make the tube. From
> > >> what I recall I think one thing said 750mm and another said 750+150 for
> > >> 900mm. Something with the wording and the table from what I recall. I made
> > >> mine 900mm as I have the Plastruder board sticking up in the back of the
> > >> MK4.
>
> > >> When you load the plastic it is real easy for some of the wire to get stuck
> > >> below thespindlewhich will jam it. So watch out for that on the initial
> > >> load and carefully move that back on thespindle. You might not want to
> > >> screw down the lid as you might have to adjust it at the beginning.
>
> > >> When you order plastic be aware that some vendors do not ship it with a
> > >> small diameter center. The makerbot black fits nicely. The one pound of
> > >> white I think might fit. The ultimachine pla is also good. My Makergear pla
> > >> looks like it would fit. I just got some abs from Botmill, and it will be
> > >> too wide to fit in the box without rewinding it tighter, which I think would
> > >> be real awkward.
>
> > >> Regards,
> > >> Mark-----Original Message-----
> > >> From: make...@googlegroups.com [mailto:make...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf
>
> > >> Of ddurant
> > >> Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2010 5:01 PM
> > >> To: MakerBot Operators
> > >> Subject: [MakerBot] Re: MakerBotSpindleMK1
>
> > >> Sorry - I meant the turntable..
>
> > >> On Jun 26, 4:51 pm, jstnfirst <justinstilt...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > >> > Thespindleis also lasercut plywood.  The central hub is made form

James Markosky

unread,
Jul 12, 2010, 6:19:03 PM7/12/10
to MakerBot Operators
Also, enough feet so that you can have them on your makerbot AND on
the spindle box would be nice.

jstnfirst

unread,
Jul 16, 2010, 12:09:49 AM7/16/10
to MakerBot Operators
If you use some thicker grease, or say petroleum jelly in the bearing
it will provide a good resistance force. after one or two spins round
the force should stay pretty constant for a long time, and would not
require any new parts.

Mark Cohen

unread,
Jul 16, 2010, 6:17:53 PM7/16/10
to make...@googlegroups.com
I made this and put it on Thingiverse...
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3556

-----Original Message-----
From: make...@googlegroups.com [mailto:make...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf
Of jstnfirst
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 12:10 AM
To: MakerBot Operators
Subject: [MakerBot] Re: MakerBot Spindle MK1

--

peterr

unread,
Jul 17, 2010, 9:57:05 AM7/17/10
to MakerBot Operators
no offense, but that plywood box isn't worth a '100' dollars...
i have a spindle kit on loan and i'm happy to return it...

made myself the cardboard spindle for '0' (zero) dollars and that one
works better then the spindle kit...
i had a few jams with the kit, and it's anoying to have to take it
apart to fix them...

i much more agree with having the spindle vertical then horizontal...
my 2 cents...

Tim Ballas - Bot#1461

unread,
Jul 21, 2010, 4:10:19 PM7/21/10
to MakerBot Operators
What is the thickness of the plywood and acrylic lasercut parts?

Thanks!
-Tim

On Jul 17, 6:57 am, peterr <klin...@gmail.com> wrote:
> no offense, but that plywood box isn't worth a '100' dollars...
> i have aspindlekit on loan and i'm happy to return it...
>
> made myself the cardboardspindlefor '0' (zero) dollars and that one
> works better then thespindlekit...
> i had a few jams with the kit, and it's anoying to have to take it
> apart to fix them...
>
> i much more agree with having thespindlevertical then horizontal...
> my 2 cents...

MakerBot Space2

unread,
Jul 21, 2010, 4:50:46 PM7/21/10
to MakerBot Operators
I saw one at Makerfaire I think both are the same thickness as the
sides for the Makerbot.

Thanks

Brandon

On Jul 21, 1:10 pm, "Tim Ballas - Bot#1461" <timbal...@gmail.com>
wrote:

JohnA.

unread,
Jul 21, 2010, 5:24:20 PM7/21/10
to MakerBot Operators
Neither of ours have any mechanism for adding drag and both have
worked great.

We're through two 5lb rolls of ABS on one, and almost through a full
roll on the other so far.

JohnA.

On Jul 12, 4:42 pm, James Markosky <vwji...@gmail.com> wrote:

James Markosky

unread,
Jul 23, 2010, 2:25:19 PM7/23/10
to MakerBot Operators
So it's never had the filament get wound around underneath the
spindle? Did you goop your bearings? Mine just spun around so freely
that it would over-feed the amount of plastic, leaving extra loops to
get tangled up underneath.

JohnA.

unread,
Jul 23, 2010, 3:47:36 PM7/23/10
to MakerBot Operators
I had this happen once or twice, but it was when I put a non-new roll
on it. On the current 5lb spool I haven't had a single jam, and I'm
probably 80% through it?

No goop! The motor pulls at the filament so slowly that it's never
had a chance to overrun.


JohnA.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages