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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteYes—the hack is real, but it does not turn every Cubify printer into a normal open-filament machine. The original 2013 modification feeds ordinary filament from an external spool while keeping a recognized Cube cartridge installed so the printer can still satisfy its electronic cartridge checks. In practice, it bypasses the expensive physical filament supply, not necessarily the cartridge system itself.
That distinction matters if you are repairing or considering a used 3D Systems Cube. The method was demonstrated for the original Cube configuration, and its compatibility with the Cube 2, Cube 3, CubeX, and CubePro should not be assumed.
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Why the Cube needed a filament hack
3D Systems’ Cube printers were designed around proprietary material cartridges. The cartridge held the filament, but it also contained electronics that reported information such as material color and an estimate of the remaining filament. The printer could use that information when preparing a job and could refuse to begin when the cartridge counter indicated that there was not enough material—even if filament was still physically present.
That made the printer convenient to operate, but expensive to keep supplied. In the 2013 report, Chris Nafis calculated that bulk filament cost about one-fifth as much as the proprietary cartridge material. Community discussions from the period mentioned cartridge prices in the approximate $60–$110 range, although those were user-reported prices rather than a universal historical price.
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The original report appeared on Hackaday on April 26, 2013. A related demonstration is also documented at howmuchsnow.com.
What the original modification actually does
The reported setup separates the Cube’s two relevant systems:
- Physical filament supply: Filament comes from a conventional spool outside the printer.
- Cartridge authorization and accounting: A Cube cartridge remains installed so the printer can detect its electronics.
A printed feeder or adapter guides the external filament into the Cube’s normal feed path. The arrangement leaves a stock cartridge present, but the filament being consumed comes from the bulk spool rather than from the cartridge itself.
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The original description is high-level. It confirms the printed feeder concept, external spool, and cartridge pass-through arrangement, but it does not establish a single universally compatible STL file or set of dimensions for every Cube model. Do not fabricate the adapter from generic dimensions without checking your exact printer and feed path.
Basic operating principle
The external spool must unwind freely and enter the printer through a controlled guide. The printed feeder prevents the filament from wandering, looping, or approaching the drive mechanism at an unsuitable angle. The original Cube Tube or equivalent guided tube remains important where the machine uses it.
The cartridge is effectively retained as an electronic key. Its estimated remaining length may no longer correspond to the filament actually being printed. The printer therefore knows that a cartridge is installed, but its material accounting is no longer a reliable measurement of the external spool.
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Reported starting procedure
The original Hackaday account describes this general workflow:
- Install or retain a recognized Cube cartridge.
- Place the bulk spool outside the printer.
- Route the filament through the printed feeder and the normal guided feed path.
- Start a print using the printer’s ordinary workflow.
- If an insufficient-filament warning appears, acknowledge it and continue if the printer permits that option.
- Watch the loading process and first layers closely.
These are historical user-reported steps, not a current manufacturer-supported procedure. Start with a small, closely monitored test rather than committing a long print. The first layer is the quickest way to identify feed resistance, under-extrusion, or an unsuitable material profile.
A later, riskier cartridge-counter workaround
Warning: A community forum describes a different and more aggressive procedure intended to prevent a dummy cartridge’s electronic filament counter from being continually decremented. It is anecdotal, firmware-dependent, and not approved by 3D Systems.
- Insert a cartridge that still reports available filament.
- Start the print and proceed through an insufficient-filament warning if offered.
- Allow the printer to begin heating, loading, or preparing the job.
- Press the stop control.
- When the printer asks whether to confirm the abort, do not confirm either option.
- Remove the dummy cartridge.
- Allow the job to continue using the bulk filament.
This procedure is described at the Cube 3D community forum. The post claims that this can preserve the cartridge counter, but the available evidence does not establish that it works across firmware versions or hardware revisions.
Removing a cartridge during a startup or heated operation can cause a fault, damage the feed system or print jet, or leave the printer in an unrecoverable state. The Cube 3 manual warns against removing or replacing cartridges outside the prescribed menu procedure, and also warns about hot print jets. Treat this as an experimental repair technique, not as the standard version of the hack.
Which Cube printer do you have?
“Cube” refers to several different machines. Before attempting any modification, record the exact model, generation, firmware version, number of print heads, and cartridge arrangement.
| Model | What the available evidence shows | Can the original feeder claim be generalized? |
|---|---|---|
| Original Cube | The Hackaday report directly concerns a Cube and describes a cartridge chip reporting color and estimated remaining filament. | Only for the documented configuration; verify the hardware before building an adapter. |
| Cube 2nd generation | The manual confirms cartridge loading through the setup workflow and filament routing through the Cube Tube to the print jet. | Not established by the original report. |
| Cube 3 | The manual describes a cartridge-based workflow and warns that improper cartridge removal can damage the printer or print jets. | Do not assume compatibility. |
| CubeX | Community references exist, but the supplied evidence does not verify that the original Cube feeder works on it. | Requires separate model-specific investigation. |
| CubePro, Duo, and Trio | The user guide describes model-dependent use of up to three cartridges and cartridge information including color, material type, and estimated quantity. | Do not generalize from the original Cube. Cartridge and firmware behavior may differ. |
Relevant documentation includes the Cube 2nd-generation manual, Cube 3 user guide, and CubePro user guide.
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What to verify before trying it
- A recognized cartridge: The original feeder method still depends on the printer detecting cartridge electronics. A bare empty bay is not equivalent to a dummy cartridge.
- A working printer: Confirm that the printer can load jobs, heat, move its axes, and extrude with its normal setup before modifying the feed path.
- Material requirements: Check the material type and temperature profile expected by the printer. A generic spool is not automatically a safe substitute.
- The Cube Tube and feed mechanism: Replace damaged or obstructed tubing before testing. A feeder cannot compensate for a worn drive gear, blocked tube, or damaged print jet.
- Spool freedom: The spool must unwind without tangling, snagging, or imposing excessive drag.
- Firmware: Cartridge checks and counter behavior can vary. Reports about CubePro firmware modifications do not prove compatibility with the original Cube.
- Electrical and mechanical condition: Inspect connectors, cartridge contacts, the feed drive, nozzle, build surface, and bed before treating the printer as a viable project.
Common failure modes
The counter reaches zero
A community report says that clicking past a low-filament warning may work only until the electronic counter reaches zero. Once it reaches zero, the printer may refuse to start rather than offer an overridable warning. This is one reason the basic feeder hack and the later cartridge-removal procedure should not be confused.
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Cube cartridges provided controlled geometry. An unsecured spool can introduce loops, pull sideways on the filament, or create enough resistance to cause buckling before the drive gear. Keep the spool aligned, ensure it unwinds smoothly, and retain the Cube Tube where applicable. A simple spool holder without a properly guided entry path may not be sufficient.
The print under-extrudes
Stop and inspect the entire path rather than immediately increasing temperature or feed settings. Check for a tangled spool, excessive drag, a slipping drive gear, a partially blocked tube, a clogged print jet, or filament with inconsistent diameter. Moisture, pigment, winding quality, and formulation can also change extrusion behavior.
The material behaves differently
Cube print files and settings may have been prepared for a particular material formulation. Generic filament can differ in diameter tolerance, moisture content, pigment, melt behavior, and layer-bonding performance. Do not assume that a spool labeled with the same broad material category will produce identical results or can use the same temperature profile.
Community discussions particularly caution against transferring material settings between different CubePro materials. The modification lowers consumable cost, but it does not guarantee equivalent quality, strength, dimensional accuracy, or clog resistance.
The printer no longer detects the cartridge
Restore the cartridge through the normal menu procedure, inspect the cartridge contacts, and confirm that the cartridge was recognized before starting another test. Avoid repeatedly inserting and removing a cartridge while the print jet is hot or while a job is active.
The printer pauses or demands cartridge replacement
Use the normal stop or cancel controls. Do not yank the filament or cartridge from a heated mechanism. Allow the machine to cool as appropriate, then return the printer to its documented cartridge-loading procedure and inspect the feed path before retrying.
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Other ways to keep a Cube running
Reuse or refill the cartridge shell
Reloading the physical cartridge can be mechanically neater than using an external spool, but it does not automatically solve the electronic problem. Reloading the filament, using a cartridge only as an electronic key, resetting its memory, and bypassing printer firmware are separate techniques. Evidence for one should not be presented as evidence for all four.
Modify the cartridge electronics
Resetting or rewriting cartridge memory could provide a longer-term solution, but it is a model-specific electronics project. It may require identifying the cartridge memory behavior, developing safe read/write procedures, and understanding how the printer validates material data. It is not part of the original printed-feeder hack.
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Buy original cartridges
This is the closest approach to the intended workflow, but original consumables for discontinued Cube-series printers may be scarce and marketplace listings may vary by region, condition, and authenticity. Verify the exact model and cartridge type before buying.
Is the hack worth doing in 2026?
For an existing, working original Cube, it can be worthwhile as a repair or preservation project. The feeder is an inventive way to reduce material cost while extending the useful life of hardware you already own. It also makes sense for a maker who enjoys fabrication, troubleshooting, and reverse engineering.
For a prospective buyer, a cheap Cube is not automatically a cheap 3D printer. The purchase only makes sense if the machine includes—or can reliably work with—a recognized cartridge, functional print hardware, usable software and file-transfer workflow, and a feed system that is worth repairing. A clogged nozzle, failed electronics, unavailable software, or missing cartridge can cost more time and money than the printer itself.
That is the false-economy issue: inexpensive bulk filament does not help if the printer cannot pass its cartridge checks or cannot complete a print.
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Compared with replacing the printer
| Option | Best for | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Original cartridges | Owners who want the simplest intended operation. | Expense and uncertain availability. |
| Printed bulk-filament feeder | Owners of a working original Cube who accept experimentation. | Requires fabrication, a recognized cartridge, and careful feed control. |
| Cartridge-counter workaround | Experienced experimenters testing a specific machine and firmware. | Risky, anecdotal, and potentially damaging. |
| Cartridge electronics work | Electronics-capable repairers seeking a deeper solution. | Model-specific knowledge and greater technical risk. |
| Replacement printer | Buyers who want predictable standard-spool printing. | Requires purchasing another machine. |
Modern open-filament ecosystems offer ordinary 1.75-mm spools, but those materials are alternatives for a compatible replacement printer—not automatic drop-in supplies for a stock Cube. For example, Bambu Lab lists PLA Basic at $19.99 for a 1-kg roll at the cited listing, with bulk pricing displayed, while Creality lists standard PLA and larger bundles through its official filament collection. Prices and availability change, and neither product bypasses Cube cartridge authorization.
Bottom line
The 2013 Cube bulk-filament hack works by changing where the filament comes from while leaving enough of the cartridge system in place for the printer to proceed. It is not a universal Cube-family solution and it is not the same as defeating the cartridge firmware.
Use it only after identifying the exact model, confirming that the printer and cartridge electronics work, and securing the external spool and guided feed path. For an existing Cube, the project may be a worthwhile way to preserve unusual hardware. For someone shopping solely for an inexpensive printer, a modern machine designed for standard filament is usually the safer and more predictable choice.
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