PASTA lite - Donor Spool Roller Beta

Compatibility

These are compatible with the PASTA lite Receiver Assembly version 0.4 or later.

These are NOT compatible with the PASTA lite Receiver Assembly version 0.3 or earlier.

Background

This is an attachment to the PASTA lite Receiver Assembly. Compared to the original Pastamatic donor-side assembly, this features:

• Wide spool compatibility - 0.5kg to 5kg spools (version 0.3)
• No bearings required (version 0.3)
• Easier printing

And as with the original:

• NO fasteners
• NO heat-set inserts
• Super quick assembly
• Designed to be a tool, not a project

Please see the latest test run video below for the operation and the PASTA lite Receiver Assembly for the FAQ.

Materials

• PLA works great
• Avoid materials with reduced layer adhesion such as PLA-CF, silk PLA and ABS+ (modified ABS)
• TPE or soft TPU for the optional feet

Print settings

• All parts are designed to be very easy to print. You can use the print profile as-is or modify it as you wish.
• The rollers may need some post-processing to reduce the seam bump to help smooth rolling.

Other materials needed

• For version 0.3: Lubricant of your choice in the rollers. Do not use a “water displacement” spray such as WD-40, they will dry up and stop working quickly.
• For version 0.4: 4x 608zz bearings.

Changelog

08/01/2025 - Version 0.1

Test print of stand-alone roller assembly. Pins are slightly loose.	Rollers spin very well, especially with some lubrication. However, the rollers are too big and rub on the bosses of adjacent holes.
Easy maintenance with grease ports accessible when assembled.

09/01/2025 - Version 0.2

Smaller rollers to prevent rollers rubbing on the frame. Pins fit too tight and the pin clips don't fully expand back to their original position.	In some roller configurations, the frame bracing rubs on the 1kg spools.
Difficult to see from this picture but the filament catches on the inner lip of the roller. This is of no practical importance, but it would be nicer if the filament didn't rub.

Trial run with v0.4 Receiver. The grooves in the rollers are not deep enough for this particular spool to stay spinning in the same place. Works OK but could use improvements.

15/01/2025 - Version 0.3

Pin fit reworked again

Frame bracing reworked to prevent interference with spool. Minor edits to reduce filament usage.

02/03/2026 - Version 0.4

• Re-designed to connect the two sides together for stable rolling. The rollers slope inwards to promote self-centering of the donor spool. This version supports 1kg spools and smaller. Video of first trial run:

• Known issues:
  • The spool rim can slip on the roller. If you try to respool very fast, the roller contact points can melt onto the spool rim. (A TPU sleeve would be a great addition.)
  • Near the end of the respooling process, as the donor spool gets lighter and lighter, it may slip off the rollers. (This can be mitigated by weighing down the centre of the spool with a desiccant holder or similar, or you can simply use a pen or rod of some kind to steady it.)
• License changed from “Standard Digital File License” to “Makerworld Exclusive License” to allow easy remixing.

• New STEP file containing all parts (as shown below) uploaded to allow easy remixing.

  

Future work

I will be exploring different concepts and will stop working on the “roller” type donor attachments for now. If you like this type of design, feel free to take the STEP file and make remixes!