The Autocrank!

This is a very simple and low-cost motor add-on for the Pasta Lite receiver.

It uses a $1 TT Gear motor and minimal printed parts.

You'll need a speed controller (approximately $1) and a power supply of some sort - I'm using a lithium battery in the packaging format that 9V batteries use (though it actually supplies only 7.4V) and a push-on connector. You can use any power supply you have available, but since these TT gear motors are rated at 3V to 6V, don't use a supply that's too high a voltage. 7.4V-8V from a fully charged 2C lithium seems to work, and users have reported success with power sources up to 9V. Anything above 9V is not recommended.

Despite what appears to be a very small and cheap motor, compared to other solutions using electric drills or larger motors, it is geared low enough that it has enough torque to handle a spool of filament against the frictional resistance of a Pasta Lite without bearings; and the slower speed due to the gearing means that the respooler shouldn't overheat and lock up.

Here are the parts I'm using. You can find alternatives that'll work just as well:

• Gear Motor
  The motor holder will accept both single- and dual-axle motors which cost around $1 each. There are lots of these motors on Amazon, cheaper than the ones I bought, but I got a set of 4 for $9 which included a wheel with each motor, since I expect to use the others for another project anyway. You'll probably not want the wheels, so a better option may be 8 of these motors for $10. (Buying things like these in single quantities is seldom cost effective...)
• Speed controller
  I bought these at $6.49 for 3. They're cheap and nasty. I have a different one on order from Ali Express (to see if it is any better constructed) which cost me $1.19 for 1. Sometimes you see a gear motor and an H-bridge driver packaged together but be careful as these often lack the variable speed knob.

OPTIONAL: You don't need this as you can use any source of power at an appropriate voltage:

• Battery
  I bought a couple of these and a charger some years ago. They're hard to find now, and expensive ($20 each), and I suspect that these are old stock. Which is a pity since mine have lasted well. However, here's an example of the current style, which might actually be more convenient to use since they have a built-in USB charging port, and only cost $12 for 2. By the way, any Lithium rechargable in this form factor that claims more than 600 - 800 mAh is probably lying. But for what we'll be using it for infrequently, that's enough. If you think you might use these in other projects, an 8-pack for $21 might be better value:
• Battery clip
  10 pieces for $5 ... - might as well get some extras. You don't need connectors on the other end, they'll be attaching to the screw terminals in the speed controller anyway.

This was easy to build and works quite well. I don't do a lot of respooling and I don't find the relatively slow speed compared to other solutions with drills or larger and faster motors to be a problem, in fact I think it's an advantage as the repooling is smooth and even. You can control the speed with the dial knob and turn it off easily if you hit a tangle in your donor filament. Maximum speed with the motor I'm using is about 1 revolution per second.

I hope you find this useful and have as much fun building it as I had in creating it. Do feel free to remix and add your own power options and more æsthetic design - this was basic and functional... In particular, the arm that stops the unit rotating was extremely basic - you might consider modifying it to clip on to the Pasta Lite receiver base, if you want something a bit more solid looking...

I have not modified the base to hold the battery, or the speed controller, as your components may be different from mine or you may not be using a battery. I've left those parts loose in my rewinder but you might want to design something yourself to keep them tidy. A couple of double-sided adhesive pads may be all that's needed.

The OpenSCAD source of the modified parts is in this directory, and a .3mf file for printing on a Bambu printer can be found at https://makerworld.com/en/models/1783971-autocrank-tt-motor-for-pasta-lite, which contains all the parts you'll need to 3D print it.