YARD: Yet Another Respooling Device

Okay, so I'm a sucka for simplicity....and the cardboard spools are driving me to distraction.

These three parts will allow you to use your drill (1/2" capacity chuck) to capture an empty Creality plastic spool, and wind filament onto it. The need is simple: cardboard spools often don't properly retract filament back into the CFS, for any number of reasons. I've been saving the plastic spools and when needed, moving filament from the cardboard ones when they start acting up....as they seem to ALWAYS do.

I wanted a way to capture the spool without requiring me to drag out hand tools to tighten it, and I didn't want a super complex fancy thang.

3D Printed parts
1) Cone to capture the carriage bolt

2) Cone to capture the coupling nut

3) Tightening ring that fits over the coupling nut

Parts you'll need

For all you mm-type folks out there, my sincere apologies, but these are designed specifically for US/SAE fasteners. They will proabably "work" with metric fasteners, but won't be optimal or as easy to use.

1 pc 1/4-20 x 3" Carriage Bolt (yes, the kind with the square nubbins under the head)
1 pc 1/4-20 Coupling Nut (these are essentially really Looooong nuts)

Assembling the YARD

1) Press the carriage bolt into the cone with the small SQUARE opening. It is intended to be friction-fit, and quite tightly.

2) Remove the small support from the recess in the bottom of the other cone.

3) Press the coupling nut into the cone with the HEXAGONAL opening. Again, it should be a somewhat tight fit.

4) Press the tightening ring onto that coupling nut so the flat faces mate. That too should be a tight fit.

Using the YARD

To use, simply thread the two assembled halves together through the central hole of an empty Creality Plastic filament spool. Yes, these are designed to pretty much only fit those spools, because I didn't want to have issues with centering. Use the posts on the tightening ring to firmly seat the cones on the spool. Then, insert the coupling nut into your drill's chuck and tighten it firmly.

Suspend the source spool from something that won't let it run away as the filament is taken from it. Take the end of the filament and run it into one of the holes in the center of the spool, and bend it so it stays in there. Then, using a lint- and dust-free cloth in one hand, hold the filament to provide a small amount of resistance to the incoming filament, so it doesn't just jump off the source spool. Using that cloth will also keep from getting hand grease and oils on literally every inch of the filament.

Firmly hold the drill and SLOWLY wind the filament from the source spool onto the receiving spool. Once it's moving smoothly you can increase the speed, but still it should be fairly slow. As it moves onto the receiving spool, use your hand to move the filament back-and-forth so it loads on smoothly. Well, as smoothly as you choose to make it. It does not have to be perfect, you just have to keep enough tension so it doesn't get loose.

As you approach the end of the filament from the source spool, slow down so that it doesn't come shooting off and you lose your grip on the filament. Secure the filament in the normal spool holes or using whatever way you do that normally.

Yes, you're right: this will NOT give you awesome flat spooling like the more complicated respooling devices will. But, this takes 1h14m to print, and less than $2 in filament costs, and requires almost no desk/storage space. And it's fast and simple and does a Good Enough job. I've moved 5 partial spools so far and not had any problems with those working in the CFS, all the way to the end of the material.

Finally, loosen your drill's chuck and use the knobs on the tightening ring to loosen and remove the two YARD pieces from the newly-filled spool.

I've included a 3em file with the print settings I've used, as well as the individual STL files for the parts.

YARD: Yet Another Respooling Device

2025-021-01x YARD 0.25mm layer, 5 walls, 35% infill

0.2mm layer, 2 walls, 15% infill