Do you know about the Masterspool? At 3D Print Works we have been listening to the 3D community to understand what people want from us as a filament manufacturer. With 3D enthusiasts expressing concerns over their plastic consumption, finding new innovative ways to reduce this plastic output was highlighted as a key motivation for them. Enter the Masterspool.
Designed by Richard Thorne over at RichRap who has been designing and creating ideas which solve real problems faced by 3D enthusiasts since 2010. Richards designed the Masterspool having first seen the idea from ‘Dingoboy71’ a designer on Thingiverse. Now on its 4th iteration, the Masterspool eradicates the need for traditional spools which can be heavy and most often create unwanted plastic. Yes, there are a number of ways to recycle your filament spools, however, if you’re using a lot of filament these spools can accumulate very quickly.
Masterspool, pictured below, comes in 2 printable parts available for DOWNLOAD on Thingiverse. One component screws into the other creating a reusable spool which can be loaded with refill filament spools. 3D Print Works have been working hard to design refill filament spools which are compatible with Richards Masterspool design. To address some of the initial concerns people have identified, we want to answer some questions.
“Will the refill spool be damaged in transit?”
Our solution is to package the refillable spools in a vacuum resealable foil bag. This will ensure the spools remain undamaged and the quality of the product is maintained. The resealable foil bag allows you to store your filament in a protective moisture free container for future use. This will ensure the filament performs as it should when you come to print with it. Stickers will also be included to allow users to label and organise their filament.
“Will the refillable spool untangle when taking of a partially used reel?”
The Masterspool V4 is designed to allow zip ties to latch back round the filament spool with out having to remove the filament from the Masterspool. Our zip ties are reusable and can reattached securing the filament for future use. The video below explains all of this, so if you want to find out more why not check out the video below.
“Will they be cheaper?”
The simple answer is YES, if you follow the LINK to our product page we are currently selling 750g reels of filament for £17.99 compared to refills in the same colour variation, which are priced at £13.99. We hope this saving encourages people to get on board with Masterspool and work with us to reduce our unwanted plastic output.
Over the next few months we will continue to listen to the 3D community and develop our Refillable spools. Through this strategy we hope to bring our customers quality products which they can depend on. If you want to find out more about the Masterspool check out the video below.
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