Material Choice
At the Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory (ITLL) makerspace here at CU, students are able to access our 3D printers (and filament) for free! This gives them an affordable opportunity to grow skills and bring creative visions to life – but this unlimited access makes our program churn through PLA filament spools at a very fast rate.
Since launch in September 2023, our 3DPrinterOS management system has tracked our usage… and as of February 2, 2025 we have used a whopping 571 spools of filament! We cannot reload more filament onto these spools unfortunately; thankfully they are made of cardboard and are easily recycled. However, as someone who often works with the 3D printers and has to dispose of these empty spools as we reload the printers, I have often thought of possibilities to use them in new ways. and this upcycling project provides the perfect opportunity to do so!
My upcycling project will be utilizing these 3D Printer Filament Spools to create a shelving unit, which I am aiming to hang in the ITLL to store tools – or even example 3D prints, which would bring these spools full circle.
Aesthetic Choice
As for an aesthetic, the ITLL currently has an industrial look as part of its educational mission – the building employs exposed piping, rebar, circuit breakers, and IT/Server rooms to demonstrate to students how the building works from day to day.
The 3D printers also are very metallic and industrial in their own right, with exposed bearings, lead screws, and stepper motors; however, they bring a load of color into our space, as the filament and prints themselves are very vibrant!
To match this look, I will be using a Pop Industrial Aesthetic for this project (see attached pictures from Displate Blog and Worktops). Because these spools are perfectly round, they will match the industrial/engineering look perfectly; and I can employ a mixture of greys and pops of color to reflect the combination of industry and color in our 3D printing room. I am hoping to arrange these spools in a “honeycomb” pattern, making a space-efficient yet visually interesting design.
2 Comments. Leave new
I really like your idea for a practicable upcycling process that ties the source of material to its use! Reuse close to the source is always the best way to actually save on waste. Also, you are spot on with the aesthetic choice, and I think it will add to the ITLL style just as you have described.
Do you have any designs or ideas to strengthen an assembly of these used spools? I could see an ornamental shelf not needing reinforcement – and looking the better without it – but if this were a more utilitarian design, what do you think is a good way to add strength to your material?
I greatly enjoyed reading your post. I think that finding a way to reuse these 3D filament spool materials as shelving for 3D printed parts and tooling is an excellent way of finding a new purpose for materials that are generally just thrown away. I am amazed by the quantity of spools that have been used since the introduction of 3D printing services in the ITLL.
How do you intend to use the empty spools to turn them into shelving? Do you plan to leave the spools as whole or cut them up and bond them together? I am looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks for posting!