Introduction: PVC PLA Plastic Roll Holder for 3D Printing

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I had purchased a Printrbot Metal 3D printer and did not have a stand to hold the PLA filament that it uses. I was keen on keeping it simple so I would not need to disassemble the stand to switch colors/spools. There are of course many commercial options for such a spool holder, but I had the PVC in the basement and thought I could pop one together, so I did. Here's how I did it.

Step 1: Gather and Cut Materials

Your sizes may vary of course depending upon what you want to change, but here is a good start.

All the PVC is the standard smaller size (3/4"):

3 - 6" pieces

1 - 3 1/4" piece

1 - 4 1/4" piece

5 - "T" fittings

1 - "L" fitting

5 - caps

7 - 7/8" pieces (only 1 shown) for connecting

Tools:

Hack saw (for cutting pieces)

Tape measure (for measuring, duh)

PVC cement (for gluing connections)

Scrubbing pad (for cleaning residue off cut pieces)

Step 2: Assemble the Base

Using the small 7/8" pieces, connect a "T" between the other two base "T"s with it pointing upwards as shown.

Do not glue yet.

Using the 6" pieces, connect those "T"s to the other two "T"s.

Insert the 3 1/4" piece of PVC between the other two "T"s.

Adjust the connections to ensure the base will be square and the perpendicular "T" is true.

Using the PVC cement, glue all the base connections.

Step 3:

Connect the 4 1/4" piece of PVC to the base perpendicular "T".

Add the "L", other 6" piece of PVC and the cap to complete the mounting piece.

Using the remaining 4 7/8" pieces, add the caps to the open holes of the base.

You're done!

Note: Possible Additions/Upgrades

1) Using a "T" instead of the "L" would allow you to extend the height and add another mount.

2) For additional mounts you may wish to extend the base where the caps are for more stability.