Newbie question regarding external spool with AMS and hub

Bambu Lab X1 Series Bambu Lab X1C
1

OK I currently have the hub, and one AMS, with a second AMS on the way. My question is if I use an external spool is there a way for the X1C to know that and I simply hand feed it when I need to use it and unload it when I don’t?

This isn’t a constant need for me, I just want to burn off some filament I had thats not a good fit for the AMS and use that to print myself some more spools.

Right now my hub only has one tube in it. I could print out a spool holder and then run a second tube in it. Would that work? Is there a reason I shouldn’t do this?

2

im sorry i cant get to understand what you are asking exactly…but

do you want the machine to know that you will be using an external spool ?
ans: you can set the external spool setting from the slicer or machine.

do you want to feed the external spool through the hub?
ans: No its not possible…the hub works in sync with the AMS to help with pushing filament and troubleshoot tangle/jam errors.
you can only feed the external spool filament manually through the back of the printer where the PTFE tube connecter is located.

i hope this is what you came looking for ^^ and got the info you needed.

3

Yes Moe, i got the answer I needed. I basically have to disconnect the hub and go around it I guess. To really have the flexibility I want to have I need one of those y junctions on the back of the printer with the AMS going into one side and the stand alone spool on the other. Then i could switch it whenever I want to.

4

You can add a PTFE splitter, e.g., a Bambu 4-in-1 PTFE Adapter, to the printer inlet, i.e., within the hub and the printer inlet. This adds three extra ports, and you can connect a PTFE tube and route to the external spool.
How it works:

  1. You retract the filament to the AMS.
  2. Indicate to or on the printer that you gonna use the external spool
  3. Manually feed the external spool filament into the extruder.
    To go back:
  4. Indicate to or in the printer that you intend to unload the external spool.
  5. Wait for the indication, then manually pull the filament back to the external spool.
  6. Then you can run with the AMS filaments again.

With such a configuration, you avoid the need to push/pull PTFE tubes from the connectors.

You have many options in MakerWorld for routing, connectors, and holders.

Hope is clear.

1 Like
5

Thanks Jay, super clear! Just need to make space for all this.

6

you can also print the instant ysplitter by our angry badger on makerworld. I did, and it works great!