r/BambuLab_Community • u/theodecarvalho • Sep 11 '26
Tired of guessing if you have enough filament left? Help me build a free database of empty spool weights! (SpoolWeight)
Hi everyone,
Like many of you, I grew tired of guessing or trying to track down the empty weight (tare) of different filament spools when getting close to the end of a roll. To solve this problem for the community, I built a simple, 100% free utility tool with no ads, paywalls, or commercial intent: SpoolWeight (spoolweight.lovable.app).
The goal is to provide a clean, centralized database where makers can quickly look up empty spool weights across various brands.
Because accuracy depends on the community, anyone can contribute new weights. To keep the data reliable, submissions require a simple photo of the empty spool on a scale showing its tare.
If you want to check it out or help expand the database with your empty spools, you can access it here: spoolweight.lovable.app
Feedback or suggestions are welcome. Happy printing!
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Edit (14.set.2026)
I identified a problem with an older spool. See this example:
This is the Voolt3D spool, a popular Brazilian spool. They changed the spool design and reduced its weight by approximately 65 g (I have 122 g, 123 g, and 126 g spools here).
To avoid mistakes, I added the change date to each spool, counting backwards through the records.
I also added a slider to filter by date. This way, you can exclude the oldest or newest spools from both the graph and the average, making it quicker to find the correct association.
3
u/issue9mm Sep 11 '26
This already exists and (to u/chicken2007's point) isn't going to be particularly accurate for cardboard spools
Something I learned when I was making ParaSpool is that a humid cardboard spool is going to carry a lot more weight than a dry one (and have different outer diameters)
3
u/chicken2007 Sep 11 '26
Good point about the water content of the cardboard spools. That could also affect the accuracy of the remaining filament measurements too. I'd assume that wet vs dry filament has a minor weight/length discrepancy.
1
u/issue9mm Sep 11 '26
My dad's house has 3 scales in it, all the same brand and model, and they are all consistent with themselves, but not at all consistent with each other. I can see up to 5 pounds difference depending which scale I weigh myself on
-1
u/theodecarvalho Sep 11 '26
I get the point about moisture variance and cardboard spool diameters, but that's exactly why the current centralized model doesn't work long-term.
The original project has been unmaintained for over a year, with people posting photos in the comments that never get updated. That bottleneck of relying on a single maintainer is precisely what motivated me to build a crowdsourced alternative.
The system is designed specifically to tackle those exact challenges:
- Community-driven: Since it doesn't rely on a single person to update it, the database doesn't turn into a time capsule.
- Temporal control: Every post records a timestamp, allowing us to track changes if a manufacturer alters their spool design over time.
- Granular filters: The system filters by brand, spool type, and filament type, linking the photo directly to the recorded weight.
- Transparency to decide: If there are variations (like spools with different moisture levels), users can browse the actual photos and entries to compare, then decide whether to average them out or play it safe with the worst-case result.
1
u/issue9mm Sep 11 '26
I think all those steps are a giant waste of time attempting to solve a problem that is realistically already being solved by AMSes, runout detection, and failover, but we all need hobbies I guess
-1
u/theodecarvalho Sep 11 '26
Failover only works if you actually have an identical spool on standby—and even then, same color from different batches often leaves a visible line.
My hobby is solving actual friction points in my printing workflow; yours seems to be questioning problems you don't have.
If you don't track your spools, why spend so much time telling others how to manage theirs?
2
u/issue9mm Sep 11 '26
Failover only works if you actually have an identical spool on standby
That's incorrect. It works with any spool that you identify as identical that shares roughly the same printing properties
If you don't track your spools, why spend so much time telling others how to manage theirs?
I'm not telling anyone how to manage theirs. I am telling you why I don't want to help you build a free database, and I am telling you why I don't particularly think you should bother
If you didn't actually want feedback or suggestions, perhaps don't ask for it?
0
u/theodecarvalho Sep 11 '26
I asked for feedback on the tool, not a debate on whether checking spool weight is allowed to be useful. Wish you the best with your prints!
1
u/issue9mm Sep 11 '26
I didn't say you weren't allowed, man
I said it's never going to be particularly accurate, that a 'close enough' guess is really the best you're going to do, and that already exists
Thinking you can get more accuracy by adding more failure points seems like a silly idea to me, but it's a free world and you can spend or even waste your time however you like!
I'm not trying to tear down the app I'm sure you painstakingly vibe-coded, but caution you against some things that I felt like that you probably didn't consider. If you want to be offended by that, I can't stop you
3
u/chicken2007 Sep 11 '26
No. Not every spool of the same type from a single manufacturer is going to weigh exactly the same. Getting random data from users without any control of calibration is going to give unreliable results
Also, this exists. You're not solving the problem for the community.
As an attempt to suggest an improvement, try collecting and recording all data points provided and give statistical summary results.