{"id":14248,"date":"2023-03-29T17:06:39","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T17:06:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the3dsourced.wpengine.com\/?p=14248"},"modified":"2023-04-05T03:20:20","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T03:20:20","slug":"what-to-do-with-empty-filament-spools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/what-to-do-with-empty-filament-spools\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Do With Empty Filament Spools? My 6 Top Ideas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Used filament spools can soon pile up if you\u2019re 3D printing quite a bit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it\u2019s a shame to just discard them (even if they are destined for the recycling bin) \u2013 after all, recycling itself uses resources to melt down and reform plastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Luckily, there are plenty of useful things you can do with your old spools!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In this article, we&#8217;ll take a look at some of the best uses for empty filament spools, from creating drawer organizers and paint organizers to making your own clock. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the projects that I&#8217;ve enjoyed most of the past couple of years, and while by no means an exhaustive list, hopefully these picks will spark your imagination for your own creative solutions!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-bfb855a9 no-title-margin gb-container-957d400e\" id=\"top-picks-pattern\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<div class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-d4d71181 gb-headline-5e2a7b42\"><span class=\"gb-icon\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 256 256\" fill=\"#262626\" height=\"192\" width=\"192\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><rect fill=\"none\" height=\"256\" width=\"256\"><\/rect><path opacity=\"0.2\" d=\"M56,56v55.1c0,39.7,31.8,72.6,71.5,72.9A72,72,0,0,0,200,112V56a8,8,0,0,0-8-8H64A8,8,0,0,0,56,56Z\"><\/path><path stroke-width=\"16\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke=\"#262626\" fill=\"none\" d=\"M56,56v55.1c0,39.7,31.8,72.6,71.5,72.9A72,72,0,0,0,200,112V56a8,8,0,0,0-8-8H64A8,8,0,0,0,56,56Z\"><\/path><line stroke-width=\"16\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke=\"#262626\" fill=\"none\" y2=\"224\" x2=\"160\" y1=\"224\" x1=\"96\"><\/line><line stroke-width=\"16\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke=\"#262626\" fill=\"none\" y2=\"224\" x2=\"128\" y1=\"184\" x1=\"128\"><\/line><path stroke-width=\"16\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke=\"#262626\" fill=\"none\" d=\"M198.2,128H208a32,32,0,0,0,32-32V80a8,8,0,0,0-8-8H200\"><\/path><path stroke-width=\"16\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke=\"#262626\" fill=\"none\" d=\"M58,128H47.9a32,32,0,0,1-32-32V80a8,8,0,0,1,8-8h32\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"gb-headline-text\">Top Picks<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-17cc458d gb-headline-text gb-headline-ec7f6a68\">Empty Filament Spool Ideas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-d3ec7912 gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Drawer-Organiser\"><strong>Drawer Organiser<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-68716947 gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Spool-Up-Christmas-Lights\"><strong><strong>Spool Up Christmas Lights<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-a530de16 gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Make-a-Go-kart\"><strong><strong>Make a Go-kart<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-e3d4918d gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Paint-Organiser\"><strong><strong>Paint Organiser<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-01665c0f gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Covert-to-a-Coat-Hook\"><strong><strong>Covert to a Coat Hook<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-334ef4a7 gb-headline-text gb-headline-1837b1dd\"><a href=\"#Print-Your-Own-Clock\"><strong><strong>Print Your Own Clock<\/strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-table-of-contents uagb-toc__align-left uagb-toc__columns-1 uagb-toc__collapse uagb-block-d94ced87\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-scroll= \"1\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-offset= \"30\"\n\t\t\t\t\tstyle=\"\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTable Of Contents\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox= \"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M192 384c-8.188 0-16.38-3.125-22.62-9.375l-160-160c-12.5-12.5-12.5-32.75 0-45.25s32.75-12.5 45.25 0L192 306.8l137.4-137.4c12.5-12.5 32.75-12.5 45.25 0s12.5 32.75 0 45.25l-160 160C208.4 380.9 200.2 384 192 384z\"><\/path><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"uagb-toc__list-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ol class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#empty-filament-spool-ideas\">Empty Filament Spool Ideas<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#can-filament-spools-be-recycled\">Can Filament Spools Be Recycled?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#best-uses-of-old-filament-spools\">Best Uses of Old Filament Spools<\/a><\/li><ul class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#drawer-organiser\">Drawer Organiser<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#spool-up-christmas-lights\">Spool Up Christmas Lights<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#make-a-go-kart\">Make a Go-kart<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#paint-organiser\">Paint Organiser<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#covert-to-a-coat-hook\">Covert to a Coat Hook<\/a><\/li><li class=\"uagb-toc__list\"><a href=\"#print-your-own-clock\">Print Your Own Clock<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/ol>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-can-filament-spools-be-recycled\">Can Filament Spools Be Recycled?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/3d_spools.jpg?v=1488902015\" alt=\"3D Spools\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It would be great if companies could take back old filament spools for reuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>However, at present, we\u2019re unable to work out a way to return old spools economically, both from a cost perspective&nbsp;and in terms of environmental impact. There&#8217;s very little saving gained by getting empty spools sent back, with trucks burning yet more fossil fuels all the while.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people like to make their own filament, so can\u2019t these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/3d-printer-materials\/abs-filament\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"6463\">ABS<\/a> spools be ground down to make new filament?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sure, if you don\u2019t care about the quality you\u2019re getting (and therefore are fine with the poor finish quality and jams you\u2019ll need to deal with). The ABS we use to make our spools is a significantly lower grade than the ABS in our filament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And our view on extruding your own filament: on a $300 machine you can bet it isn\u2019t going to give the same results as the near \u20ac300,000 extruding equipment we use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why I\u2019ve compiled my favorite examples of useful ways to reuse or repurpose your empty spools. Keep them around for a variety of uses, and you\u2019ll be surprised just how useful they&nbsp;can be. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Uses of Old Filament Spools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at the novel ways to use those empties:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Drawer-Organiser\"><strong>Drawer Organiser<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/spool_holder.png?v=1486383582\" alt=\"Spool_compartments\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Need to keep small items, like electronics parts or jewellery, organised? This expandable drawer system is a great solution. Here are two solutions for two different spool sizes by&nbsp;<a data-lasso-id=\"6464\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thingiverse.com\/thing:2009550\/#made\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tanatof<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-lasso-id=\"6465\" href=\"http:\/\/www.thingiverse.com\/thing:2009927\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Guardia<\/a>&nbsp;on Thingiverse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Spool-Up-Christmas-Lights\"><strong><strong>Spool Up Christmas Lights<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/20161114_190638_HDR.jpg?v=1486384197\" alt=\"christmas_spool_lights\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our lazy go-to is usually to just use them for spooling up rope or fairy lights. This is our favorite because it requires absolutely no effort. In fact, when you have to untangle the lights from last year, you\u2019ll quickly realize how much effort it saves you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Make-a-Go-kart\"><strong><strong>Make a Go-kart<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/spool-racer-filament_friday.jpg?v=1486384272\" alt=\"filament_friday_spool_racer\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OK, so using empty spools as wheels might not be the best use for them; we\u2019re pretty sure it\u2019ll give a really bumpy ride. But it\u2019s a great example of what you can do with a little bit of boredom\/ingenuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Paint-Organiser\"><strong><strong>Paint Organiser<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/paint_holder.png?v=1486384367\" alt=\"Paint_organiser\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A really simple hack we love is just to cut some large holes in one side of the spool disc to fit small paint bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A great way to keep your modeling paints organized. For further functionality, you can print a centerpiece (if required) to hold mixing cartons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Covert-to-a-Coat-Hook\"><strong><strong>Covert to a Coat Hook<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/eu_makers.png?v=1486384444\" alt=\"eu_makers_convert_spool\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>EU Makers&#8217; filament spools convert to a handy coat hook and other interesting projects. Although this would be useful for the first couple of rolls you used, it\u2019s likely those hooks would soon stack up! Still, it\u2019s a novel idea \u2013 and you could cut an existing spool in half to create a similar result, although perhaps not as aesthetically pleasing. Aside from storing coats, it may be useful for the garage or workshop to keep longer cables drooped over so they fall straight without kinks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Print-Your-Own-Clock\"><strong><strong>Print Your Own Clock<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0714\/6487\/files\/spool_clock.png?v=1486384610\" alt=\"spool_clock\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With modern, fast 3D printers, it\u2019s possible that some of your prints can be finished in a few&nbsp;<em>mere hours<\/em>. With that kind of speed, it\u2019s easy for you to lose track of time while you sit next to the printer, eagerly watching the print while it finishes. To solve this, you might want to print your own clock, using the spool as a face like Reddit user Mr_Knight13 did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would also be a brilliantly simple project to introduce kids into the world of 3D printing (as the low profile numbers would actually be pretty quick and easy to print). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.thingiverse.com\/thing:1532379\" data-lasso-id=\"6466\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fancy-pants Roman numerals<\/a>&nbsp;if you want to make things a little more historic\/confusing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hopefully these ideas have sparked your imagination to answer the question of \u201cWhat to do with old filament spools?\u201d, and have given you some inspiration to come up with some new ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Related articles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/how-to-join-or-fuse-filament-together\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"14211\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"6467\">How to join or fuse filament together<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/how-to-untangle-filament\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"15205\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"6468\">How to untangle filament<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/guides\/3d-printer-filament\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1259\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"6469\">The complete filament types guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/how-many-meters-of-filament-on-a-spool-calculator\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"14445\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"6470\">Filament calculator &#8211; how many meters on each type of filament 1kg spool<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/guides\/how-much-can-you-print-with-1kg-filament\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"23981\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"21932\">How long does 1kg filament last? And how many models can you print with a 1kg spool?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Used filament spools can soon pile up if you\u2019re 3D printing quite a bit. And it\u2019s a shame to just discard them (even if they are destined for the recycling bin) \u2013 &#8230; <a title=\"What To Do With Empty Filament Spools? My 6 Top Ideas\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/rigid-ink\/what-to-do-with-empty-filament-spools\/\" aria-label=\"More on What To Do With Empty Filament Spools? My 6 Top Ideas\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":30867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":""},"categories":[32,7],"tags":[],"featured_post":[],"post_template":[],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools.jpg",1280,720,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools.jpg",1280,720,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/What-To-Do-With-Empty-Filament-Spools.jpg",1280,720,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"3dsourced","author_link":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/author\/3dsourced\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Used filament spools can soon pile up if you\u2019re 3D printing quite a bit. And it\u2019s a shame to just discard them (even if they are destined for the recycling bin) \u2013 ... Read more","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14248"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30869,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14248\/revisions\/30869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14248"},{"taxonomy":"featured_post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_post?post=14248"},{"taxonomy":"post_template","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.3dsourced.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_template?post=14248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}