How I Ended Up Designing a project for the Snapmaker U1.

Hi everyone, dear makers who follow and support me — I’m really grateful there are so many of you!I hope the passion I put into my projects can inspire you to push past your own creative limits, just like it happens every day on my desk.

Today I want to share a new project with you. It came out of a very real need that, I think, will be important for all of us who bought the Snapmaker U1 — such a beautiful machine.

Basically, to handle four spools, Snapmaker took an AMS Lite and kind of “cut it in half.” (I’m simplifying here 😅). In short, they made a lighter AMS, with two spools and a filament loader on each side of the printer.

But here’s the catch: just like the AMS Lite, there’s no solution — at least for now — to protect the filament from humidity.And that’s when I thought: “Damn, why didn’t I realize this right away when I saw the printer presentation? What a fool!”Anyway, here we are. So I started exploring possible fixes. And, as usual, I became a magnet for problems 🤦‍♂️

My first thought was: great, I already have the solution! The SpoolBox for the Centauri Carbon!Alright, let’s test it. But first… I had to model the U1. And there are only a few photos of the printer, not useful at all as a canvas/model.So I told myself: “I’ll just draw it by eye using the measurements from the Snapmaker site, and the good old proportions formula from middle school.”That’s what I did. About 8 hours later, I had the model. Not perfect, but close enough to be a solid starting point.

And that’s when the ideas exploded: top cover, bottom drawer, double dryer underneath, side mounts, hanging options… a total mess! Too many ideas and not enough substance.

So I tried step by step: I put the CC SpoolBox on the right and started thinking.

 Here’s the render below (don’t mind the colors, we’re still in fantasy land).

But nope… it hits the filament loader 😩

And worse: look at the crazy curve the filament would have to take! It exits too high and from the side — it would need to be a contortionist. No way that’s going to work.

Then the lightbulb moment 💡: what if I raise the printer with a drawer (my usual trademark)? That way the SpoolBox exit holes would align with the loader. It would definitely work.

But how tall should the drawer be? The usual 200 mm or more?

Turns out it’s about 210 mm — acceptable. But not everyone wants a drawer, so it’s not a universal fix.

And then I told myself: “Enrico, focus! Step back and look at the big picture before you say nonsense.”

That’s when I realized the CC SpoolBox is right-handed. If I want it on the left, I’d need to design a left-handed version. Not a huge deal (a couple of hours), but even if it works, I still feel like it doesn’t blend nicely with the Snapmaker U1 design.

So… what if I just redesign everything from scratch?

I could still use the SpoolBox dimensions and concept, but position it differently — more in line with the printer.

So I rotated the SpoolBox 45° to line up the spools like the printer was meant to. The size is almost identical to the cutouts on the side panels… I could even attach it there. Tricky, but possible.

Then I added the PolyDryer underneath, rerouted the air vents, and built a support connected directly to the filament loader.

For now, the filaments will exit from the bottom. Later, I’ll design a channel system to feed them straight into the loader.

Standard features I’ve planned: steam valve on top, humidity sensor on the front, little windows to watch the spools unwind (we all love that, right? 😍), and a LED strip for that aquarium effect.

The clamshell lid will let us load filaments easily, and a side support will hold it open while swapping spools.

Next step: mirror the whole thing to the left side.

Front view: looks decent — I’d give it a 7/10. Sure, the shapes could be rounder, but that might cause printing issues, so I’ll leave it for now.

 Top view: not bad either — a 6/10. Pretty compact overall.

Now you might be wondering: “So… did you do all this just to get a pat on the back?”Honestly? No. I did it to collaborate with you.I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’m sure I forgot a ton of things along the way (considering I often forget where I park at the mall, it wouldn’t be a surprise 😅).

So please comment, interact, help me develop this model. You could end up with the exact product you’re looking for.And if you’re part of the ONE OF THE SQUAD’s GROUP, you might even beta test it and get the product for free.

Think about it — I’ll be waiting for your feedback.

See you soon, big hug, Enrico

Product links:

• Snapmaker U1 – https://www.snapmaker.com/en-US/snapmaker-u1

• PolyMaker PolyDryer – https://polymaker.com/introducing-polydryer