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In order to save some money on a project, I'm considering using 3 kg spools on my Ender 6. However, I never attempted this before, and could not find a firm stance on the web.

I know that it is possible to build a filament hanger/holder separately, but is it necessary on the Ender 6?

For reference, the spool hanger/holder on my Ender 6 extends 9 cm outwards of the printer.

The filament loaded in the printer (see photo) is a 1 kg white PLA. The dimensions of the filament drawing are for the 3 kg filament to be used.

Dimension of Filament Spool Side View of Ender 6, with dimensions, loaded with a 1kg white PLA spool Internal Volume of the Printer, showing the spool hanger (black) Close-up of the spool hanger, from inside

0scar
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Diego Alves
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2 Answers2

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While editing this question and analyzing the input the community provided, I've concluded that it is not possible to use a 3 kg filament spool directly on the Ender 6.

The actual answer depends on the filament spool dimensions you are going to work with.

For one thing, the spool hanger has a length of only 9 cm, while the filament spool has a width of 10.2 cm. I don't think it is a good idea to leave the spool hanging loose.

Secondly, the filament spool would hit the filament shortage sensor.

0scar
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Diego Alves
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I would absolutely make a more sturdy spool holder that is designed for 3KG filament spools. Spools tend to be filled up to the rim these days, so support your spools as good as you can to ensure straight unwinding.

You really don't want to come back to your printer making a terrible grinding noise where the filament has come off the spool sideways or the spool has fallen off the holder.

Hacky
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