3D Printers

[RolandKol]

2 hours ago, pete_l said:

Unfortunately until you have experience of all of those you won't have the ability to make that decision.

I am almost sure, if he would start investigating materials for his future projects, - he will most likely end up with community advise towards PETG or ABS.... most likely PETG...

[Stub Mandrel]

47 minutes ago, RolandKol said:

I am almost sure, if he would start investigating materials for his future projects, - he will most likely end up with community advise towards PETG or ABS.... most likely PETG...

PETG is not a miracle material, it is much harder to print well than PLA, and the benefits it can bring do not always outweigh the extra cost.

[Gina]

PLA is the easiest to print with.  ABS makes a horrible and poisonous stink and really needs a fume cabinet.  I have gone right off it!  PLA is produced from sustainable natural resources and is biodegradable so it's the "green" option.  PETG is my next choice.  It's stronger and more flexible than PLA.  However, even printed PLA is very strong and suitable for the majority of projects I would say.

[upahill]

8 minutes ago, Gina said:

PLA is the easiest to print with.  ABS makes a horrible and poisonous stink and really needs a fume cabinet.  I have gone right off it!  PLA is produced from sustainable natural resources and is biodegradable so it's the "green" option.  PETG is my next choice.  It's stronger and more flexible than PLA.  However, even printed PLA is very strong and suitable for the majority of projects I would say.

Totally agree, and ABS really needs a warm enclosure or a very good bed to prevent warping. Not ideal with open designs like the Prusa/Ender.

I have been exclusive PLA for 5+ years and never found a need for anything different. Even the chair im sat on now has a support ring printed with PLA thats holding all my weight, and thats no small feat!

[Gina]

Yes, I agree about ABS wanting a warm chamber - the tendency to curl and lift off the bed is indeed a big problem.  I'd forgotten that - been quite some time since I used ABS.

[johninderby]

I’ve found 3M  2090 blue tape is ideal for printing with ABS. Easier to put on the bed and remove than anything else as well and doesn't lift when heated. Then just wipe on a bit of ABS juice (ABS filament disolved in acetone) and you’re ready to print. ABS sticks so well to this combination you need to pry what ypu’ve printed off the bed. I print in a spare room with the window open and the fumes aren’t a problem.

Has anyone tried Makerbot ASA which is their alternative to ABS?

https://www.makerbot.com/stories/engineering/makerbot-precision-asa/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=19morematerialsasa&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTTJZNFpqTTJZelV4TVRBdyIsInQiOiI3cGliVUdxTGY3R0dwWDg3Ym01UWxGdnV0Tld1UFhmdEdVdDc5MmZzTjBjKzk4R1NmT3pqaXFOdEpaMVlYYitZRHdWMFVZaGFsbTd6c0gxVzlNRXJWZ0x1QmZlNlQrMnJ1RkxOemtoQkRCWlwvZVpQb1h0eDhKVndiMVVHdVZnK0gifQ%3D%3D

Edited September 25, 2019 by johninderby

[Gina]

No but I've used rigid.ink ASA.  Found it very similar to print as ABS.  Supposed to be more resistant to UV than other plastics but can't say I've had any problem with white PLA.

[Stub Mandrel]

I've done nylon, PETG and ABS and now I prefer PLA, except when I want flexible prints.

[johninderby]

Anybody tried Wood PLA 3D Printer Filament? Horrible, horrible stuff to print with. Constantly breaking. So disapointed with the results tossed the roll of filament in the bin. Never again! 🤬

[Chriske]

I think PLA is the most used filament.

[Gina]

I've tried woodfill, in fact I was part of the trial for rigid.ink Woodfill.  It was "interesting"!!  Certainly difficult stuff to print with.

[RolandKol]

After this summer, I switched to PETG completely,  as most of my PLA "Astro Toys" (white/red colour) got deformed due to the heat or UV, - I kept them outside on my rig under the cover (not in the shed or similar astro hideout)...
reprinting...

 

[johninderby]

I have used the aluminium fill, which while easy to print with,  gave very dispointing results.  I was hoping for something that would look like aluminium  not just a silvery plastic. 

RE: woodfill I found it was feeding the filament was the big problem. Sooooooooo fragile that completing a print without it breaking seemed unlikely. 

Edited September 26, 2019 by johninderby

[PeterW]

Wood fill..... oh boy, you poor thing!! Smells great, a &5£;&!; to print. I never had the breakage, but it you leave it for a microsecond at too high a temperature in the nozzle it would out goo all sorts of stuff and permanently block your nozzle!! Fast and cool with lots of retract....  preferably with much voodoo to stop the gremlins wrecking it!

for ABS (and polycarbonate (tough as anything!!) and PVDF) I put a front door on the printer and use Dimafix and a 100C bed. Dimafix smells just amazing and sticks like anything at high temps and then just lets go magically when the bed cools down.

There are a few reels of PLA I’ve found that after a while get small lengths that just break randomly (rest is fine).... drives you nuts as it will break at the feeder as soon as you turn your back! 
Today I was Faced by the dreaded random little inter layer gap.... something has affected the feed intermittently and then recovered, leaving me with a wasted weakened print!! When the work I love them and when they don’t......

RS Carbon P is a petg based carbon fibre loaded material that’s very stiff indeed and prints Ok without much smell, only thing to remember is to use a steel or harder (eg ruby) nozzle... I completely wore the end off two nozzles as I couldn’t believe it could happen... ended both prints with a 3mm aperture hole where the 0.4mm tip once was!

peter

[Mognet]

My giving up smoking present to myself, a Creality CR-10S. Just trying to get a successful first print out of it now

 

[PeterW]

Printed coffee... cool! 

[Chriske]

13 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Printed coffee... cool! 

No no, HOT...!

[Stub Mandrel]

37 minutes ago, Mognet said:

My giving up smoking present to myself, a Creality CR-10S. Just trying to get a successful first print out of it now

 

Expensive mug-warmer... 🙂

[Mognet]

10 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Expensive mug-warmer... 🙂

A mere £325! But as an added extra, it can fit mugs up to 300x300x400mm in size. Whether the bed can take that weight is a different matter

[johninderby]

Does Captain Janeway know you’ve got her replicator?  😁

[PeterW]

Had to resort to recruiting a “lucky charm” from thingiverse to help keep the printer gremlins at bay. Latest filament I hate is RS PLA+ (tough PLA), print hot, print fast.... right, more like turn to crispy charcoal in the nozzle as soon as you turn your back... managed a print with slight extra heat but the layer adhesion was pants. I have recommended we go with polycarbonate if the part has to survive serious abuse.

 

PEter

[Dr_Ju_ju]

I've never had any issues with PLA+, & I prefer it to standard PLA....

[PeterW]

The this the X3 material?? If so what nozzle and print settings/temps are you using, as I’ll give it a run on a small part (part of my frustration was it was a 2day build of nearly 700g...).

PEter

[Dr_Ju_ju]

This is on my Prusa MK2 so standard 0.4 nozzle, bed @ 60, extruder @ 215 & 30~50 % cooling after 3 layers.

I'd also recommend Prusa's own slicer (https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/) based on Slic3r, but very highly updated with updated profiles for almost all filaments....

EDIT - a picture of a just completed print, of non metallic clothes pegs for use in my pond filtration system, using Rigid Ink's PLA Plus (sadly no more), with settings as above....

 

Edited October 5, 2019 by Dr_Ju_ju

[Gina]

My 3D printer is playing up ATM.  Mostly it works fine but sometimes I get blobbing which catches the nozzle and spoils the print.  Mostly I use standard PLA or PETG.