Pastamatic - Filament Respooler

Parts of the Pastamatic

The main parts of the Pastamatic are:

Pastamatic Assembly

If the Pastamatic is not already assembled then you will need to attach the arms to the crossbars. The crossbars are designed to hold the arms of the source and target spool holders securely. The crossbar with the wider section fits the wider target spool arm that holds all of the gears. The crossbar with the multiple divisions is designed to hold the source spool regulators are various positions so that the soft wipers brush against to source spool to prevent backlash. the crossbars slot into the holes at the bottom of the spool holder arms and rotate 90° to sit flat on the table top. There are tabs on the end of the source arms that slot into matching holes on the bottom of the target arms.

Next, the lead screw is installed so that it meshe with the two lower gear and is secured using a pin inserted into the bushing. Then both the pin and the axel on the far side are secured in place with the attached clips.

Using the Pastamatic

Start by mounting your source spool of filament on the spool holder with the bulbous end, not the geared end, and determine the placement of the spool regulators. If you have an unusually thin spool, or a small spool like a 250g spool, you may need to use some shims to get the spool holder to hold the fialment securely. You want the soft wipers on the  spool regulators to make solid contact with the source spool to prevent backlash and quickly stop the source spool when you stop winding the target spool. The spool regulators go on the crossbar the same way as the arms, sliding on and rotating 90°. The spool regulators can go between any of the dividers on the crossbar, or even inside the innermost dividers; it all depends on the size of your source spool. When installed the bulbous end of the source spool holder should be on the same side as the gears and the filament should be coming off the bottom of the spool. Do not forget to close the clips to hold the spool holder on to the arms.

Mount your empty plastic spool on the target spool holder, the one with the geared end. Check your spool's placement in relation to the grooved part of the lead screw. Use shims to adjust your empty spool so that ist is centered on the grooves. Feed the loose end of your filament through the PTFE tube, go under the empty spool and attach the end to the spool in some fashion. If your empty spool has a hole to secure the filament, use it. You could also tape the filament to the spool hub if you have to, but it should be a final option, as it can cause issues with the AMS when it reaches the end of the spool. Then use the clips to secure the spool holder in place.

Clamp the device to a table top to make it easier to operate. Make sure to clamp both ends, since they are independent. Clamping the target end crossbar and side rail of the source spool arm seems to work well. Insert the shaft of the handle into the hole in the geared target spool holder, and slowly start turning it clockwise, as you face it. The filament guide will travel back and forth on the lead screw to attempt to evenly lay the filament down, but you can use your finger the guide the PTFE tube a bit, if you want more control over how it lays. 

Continue to respool your filament by turning the handle. When you start to see the hup of the source roll, slow down so that you can catch the end as it emerges from the PTFE tube. That way you can secure it to prevent tangles. Remove the handle form the target spool holder, unclip both spool holders, store your newly respooled filament, and dispose of your empty cardboard spool in the nearest trash can. Please put all of the shims onto the spool holders, so that they don't get misplaced. Return the Pastamatic to where you found it, and make sure that the handle and the clamps are included.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Patrick Howe for spearheading this project and getting the original parts printed.