Hey, I'm all for pushing your comfort zone, but for many users there's absolutely no reason to go through the potential hassle of tuning in a new filament!
I've started with ABS exclusively then slowly hate it more and more until the point I almost print PLA exclusively unless I want some special mechanical properties of other plastics..
a Velleman K8200 for example is made just for PLA (bed tem can't go much over 60°C) I made many many custom things to make it more ABS friendly (24V supply for bed...) Now I have Ramps 1.4 MK3 bed and pretty much now it is just a K8200 frame and steppers :D about a week ago I bought few rolls of ASA and I LOVE IT!!!
Adventures in 3d Printing i printed abs with anycubic and it cut my belt when i left it overnight with a huge filament mess. I have succeded with small prints using ctc prusa and my first conclusion to print in ABS is to do working enclosure with high environment temp.
As a purely practical issue, *I recommend marking ever PLA filament spool with the temperature that you have find most suits it,* so that your slicer profile can be matched to the roll you select to print with. Most people will end up with many partial spools of PLA, and it gets hard to remember the temperature that suits each spool. I have a black spool that prints best at 190, a white spool that prints best at 235, a pink spool at 220, blue at 205, etc, etc, all marked on the spool itself so that a I don't have to remember anything other than to slice at a temperature that matches that spool.
Thanks for the valuable hints on printing and finishing PLA. As for the drilling, I use "friction drilling" with PLA very often. Just run the drill in the opposite direction, ccw. The tip of the drill bit will heat up the contact area in front and melt a hole through the material. With the right speed and pressure the drilled hole will have solid sides and be much more stable than when drilled normally.
Yeah that's what I've heard pretty much everywhere. Seems like the best printing material as of now, excluding high temperature applications where you gotta use ABS.
Same here, I wish Tom and CNC kitchen would review the performance compared to standard pla or other modified pla brands. I know CNC reviewed polymaker pla+, but I feel esun is superior compared to his results.
Just got my first printer a monoprice select mini v2 and been watching videos to get started. By far one of the best production quality video on how to work with PLA. THANK YOU
When I got my printer like three years ago, I started out using mostly ABS... And while I really loved that stuff, I eventually turned to PLA for the ease of use. Though there was a while where I printed everything I could in PETG...which I still do whenever I need something with suitable mechanical properties. PETG is a great compromise between good finish, outstanding mechanical properties, and ease of printing. :D
NICE! I would have liked to have seen a blurb on friction welding, since that works pretty well for PLA's low melting temp. I have been using that qiote a bit lately. Glad you mentioned acetone bonding but left out the more toxic solvent bonding agents.
I've ordered my first few parts online and I'm just blown away by how good and resilient PLA is. I thought it would be flimsy plastic like the PE on milk jar caps. Nothing further from the truth, this thing approaches Nylon in toughness! I just can't break the small parts with my hands, definitely functional for many applications. The low price of the parts also blew me away!!
Right?! I just got an XMax printer and thought I would easily be able to destroy the test part - a hollow lidless cube with a hollow cylinder on top - and I can't crush it! I'm very impressed
Hi Thomas. It would be awesome if you can make a video about additives. The things other than pigment that manufactureres really doesnt mention on labels. Maybe you could reach to Proto Pasta or somebody and exactly what grade and type of base resin they use for they PLA filaments. Things that change mechanical properties, resistatnce to UV, to water, stabilizers, prevent too early biodegradation, chain extenders, viscosity modifiers, coelastomers, changing coeeficient of friction, or molecular weight of polymer, crosslinking, antistatic additives, fire retardants, stuff to make it more suitable for food, or molding and postprocessing, etc. It is very complex topic and almost never thing labeled PLA or ABS is pure stuff. But I hate not knowing what is in my filament.
@4:17 add: And sometimes your 3d printer decides that just because it printed one part of your project perfectly, that doesn't mean it has to print the other part the exact same. Noooo, why would you expect that?!? Because nothing had changed? Too bad! Same PLA filament, same temps, same setup, same everything! Yep. Sometimes using PLA, consistency is not. grrr!! Except for this one missing part--great vid. Thanks!
For me eSun PLA+ seems to be great. It can be trimmed easier with a razor knife, and it has a slight bit of flex like PETG, or ABS, and prints extremely well. It seems if anything tougher, and less brittle than standard PLA, and I've switched to using it almost exclusively.
I've had the same experience w/ esun pla+. I think tom is generalizing the term "PLA+" even though it means different things for different manufacturers.
I’d like to know other experience with PLA+ (I’ve really only tried eSun) but it seems to print easier and stronger than PLA, basically the opposite of what Tom said.
You are right PLA+ is a co-polymer and depending on the added polymer it can be tougher and (sightly) softer (this is mostly the characteristic that is wanted / intended) or more brittle and harder... (Tom's version ?)
I've started buying eSun PLA+, and agree it seems to be much better than regular PLA. I was actually reading the comments to see if other disagreed with that statement.
When i first started printing i thought PLA was save the whales garbage but i realized that it's good enough even for functional prints. It's super cheap too. Great video as usual!
I used to print mechanical parts with ABS, then I realized ABS might not be the best choice even it resists breaking a lot better. PLA tends to be very stiff, which is really good for parts that you want to minimize the flex. ABS/PETG tends to have a lot of flex. However, by printing with PLA you have to design your parts really well to reduce the stress on the weaker spots of your prints. For me, the only down side is the super low softening temperature...
Good vid my man! I so far have only used pla and pla +. Currently have rolls of pla+ from e sun as I fell in love with how that stuff works and havent broken any parts yet. But I do need a better cooling fan duct for my mk2s, for the 360 cooling effect. You should, if you haven't try e sun pla+ and see what it can handle, many many happy campers out there
On the subject of glues: Do not use two component epoxy glues (like Araldite). For normal applications its just fine, but if you stress your glued parts with high loads or strokes, its likely to fail. Cyanoacrylate based glues (like superglue) will perform much better - altough they dry out within seconds. I ve never tried it out, but usually, PLA does not dissolve in Acetone. The only glueing effect you will get is due to other plastics mixed into the filament. Thus you cant really rely on it, for it differs depending on the brand of filament - but correct me on this one if I m wrong.
@@ConsultingjoeOnline I've been printing PETG for a year now without heated bed, just on painters tape. On prints with a large bottom surface I get some curling problems but mostly it prints beautifully. I tried PETG from Devil Design and Real Filament, both are great.
@@ConsultingjoeOnline What kind of surface do you print on? I get a perfect first layer every time with my Prusa, and the secret is simple. Wipe the bed with isopropyl alcohol before printing.
I printed some parts for my deltaprinter in HTPLA from protopasta. They say it's heatresistant up to 140°C. And so far i'm really happy with the results. The parts cooling fan and the clips for the heated bed are still intact after some ABS prints :-)
Great video 😊 now i understand why my prints come out matt when my amazon basics black is shiny. Even sometimes i have different finishes in one print. Now i traced it back to my print speed an my filament not having enough time to heat up. Will do some testing 😊
Tom, I can't help noticing all the filament you have exposed and sitting/hanging around in your workshop. Is there any value in keeping PLA in a dry-box between print jobs? Are there other filament types that can sit out until their next use with no degradation?
A FabLab I go to from time to time did say they experience noticeably more clogging with white filament. The stuff they use to make the somewhat translucent PLA material opaque white, apparently you need to use quite a lot of it so it can clog the nozzle.
PETG is like the ultimate filament. PP might get important too in the near future. But I just love ABS because _every_ brand of it can be smoothed and it doesn’t need cooling..
I’m looking for a micro printer and I just seen you pull out a super small one at around 1:43 min i know you noted no cooling fan but can you tell me which printer this is? Thanks! Keep up the awesome videos👍
I only disagree with the part about PLA+ (PLA Pro). I tested it many times (eSun brand), and I think it is nearly 50% stronger and has better layer adhesion. It is slightly more heat resistant due to a higher melting point. Lastly it is less ridged, which makes it more shatter resistant.
i print in PLA like 90% of the time , although i must admit the first ABS print was way way better than some of my last PLA prints, maybe it's just a good ABS or crappy PLA but the ABS seemed to have better layer adhesion even at the low 245 temp i used while PLA starts loosing layer adhesion as soon as the print is not shiny anymore from the raised temp. i guess might get PLA prints to look as good as ABS if i lower the temps even further and maybe lower the cooling or something to keep the layer's together.
Does PLA really react with Acetone though? I have constantly heard that it doesn't react at all to acetone, only ABS does. I print little platforms out of PLA on which to vapor-smooth ABS prints, and the platforms don't melt at all.
I've welded many PLA parts with Acetone. I use a brush and apply a light amount to each part, then hold them together for 5 to 10 seconds. May not even take that log, but they bond within seconds
PLA doesn't react the same way to acetone as it does with abs. It doesn't dissolve it. However, it may temporarily weaken it enough to mash 2 parts together to make it bond. That's something that probably doesn't work all that well with anything but flat well fitting surfaces though and your success will vary.
Hello, love video, I have a question: I need to make a resin blank of a pla 3D printed cookie cutter. How can I prevent the resin from sticking to the cookie cutter. Thank you
I consistently find that black PLA needs to print at a lower temperatures than lighter coloured PLA on my machine (by around 7-12 degrees C). I have tried with different brands and with in the same brands.
Hi Tom, I don't understand why manufacturers wrote some mechanical properties on the data sheet of PLA (or any other filament) such as: tensile strenght, modulus, etc... if those are considering the filament itself, the material, an injection molded sample or a 3D printed sample that was tested as they said with standard ISO... I simply don't get it, you have any idea?
Interesting video. i've been experimenting with post finishing PLA, and I think i have something that's different that might help light and heat resistance: Basically, you rub the PLA part with sulfur powder prior to annealing or flame polishing step (depending on the finish you're looking for). You do need to heat the part up again after applying the sulfur. The surface feel changes. It's not as 'sharp' and it seems to flex more. One of these days i might try doing some stress testing for an exact quantification. I do have a background in chemistry. Sulfur is good at modifying long carbon chains and it absorbs UV light, so i would expect that it'd make the PLA less prone to light damage and stress cracking. . I suspect Borax and boric acid should work in a similar fashion, but haven't experimented with it yet to know exactly how it'd work. Borax is sold in nearly every supermarket in the USA, and sulfur powder is commonly available in the gardening section of large supermarkets. It's probably similar else where in the world, since borax is a common washing product. Boric acid is harder to get ahold of, but still not impossible..
Very well filmed and edited videos. I love the smooth frame rate and quality. The only criticism I'd have is the mic'd audio EQ. But overall, thanks for the info with such nice delivery.
I wish you’d covered the environmental aspects of PLA and whether PLAs with colour or additives that give them other properties are fully plant-based, or plant based + some fairly inert minerals. I do wonder which colours and textures are from petrochemical sources.
The series of filaments is great, but what I always miss some video for all of us is that we don't have any knowledge about printing in 3d and we see some flaws in our prints but we don't know what happens. We only see that it does not stick in the bed, that it comes out like waves in the first layers, we also don't know why layers are skipped, etc. Can you make a video or a series with the typical things that happen and you know why it is so that we noobs know what is happening? It would be very helpful.
Transparent seems to be easier to print than white in mine, possible the color that affects something. Have tested a bit with different temps and it seems harder
What material is recommended to avoid the creeping under a screw? In our case is should also be compatible witha a solulable support material. Any suggeations? We are looking forward to our i3 MK3 with Multi Material Upgrade
Hey Thomas, tolle Videoreihe - macht jetzt schon Lust auf mehr! Ich finde es gut, dass du das Thema "Filament" den Nutzern leicht verständlich zugänglich machen willst. Allerdings finde ich, dass neben den grundsätzlichen Unterschieden der Werkstoffe bzgl. Festigkeit, Hitze- und UV-beständigkeit etc., auch die große Anzahl an Filamentherstellern viele Nutzer vor große Entscheidungsschwierigkeiten stellt. Wenn man diverse Hersteller oder Onlineshops betrachtet, dann stellt man sich die Frage, welchen Mehrwert bietet mir ein Filament, das z.B. 10€/750g MEHR kostet? Die Range für den Preis bei PLA kann hier schon stark schwanken. Ich fände es klasse, wenn du ein Video drehen würdest, indem du wesentliche Unterschiede auch an praktischen Beispielen untermauerst (schwankende Filamentdurchmesser, Wasseraufnahme, schlechte Wicklung, etc.). Viele Grüße und weiter so 👍
I have just used PLA+ for the first time. I accidentally bought Sunlu PLA+ instead of buying more Sunlu PLA. For identical engineering parts, the PLA+ needed a higher nozzle and bed temperature than the PLA and I had a bit of trouble with first layer adhesion and the glass. The adhesion could have been my fault. There is a sheen to the printed PLA+ but I found no discernible difference between my printed PLA and PLA+ parts for strength or flexibility.
I'm new to 3D printing. So far, I'm printing plans I've downloaded. All seem to have a large, base layer that needs to be cut away. What's the best way to do this? I've tried snippers and Dremel tools but I either get a jagged edge or melting.
@Thomas + Luccccccccerrr, I second that. Acetone welding with PLA? Tried it... doesn't work in Holland :-) or should I soak it for more than 20 minutes in Acetone?
@Tinkerman You are 90% Right. You can find on almost all web forums - Acetone doesn't afect PLA at all. I've tried even recomended Tetrahydrofuran.. which doesn't work either. Some says that Ethyl Acetate might work - did not try it. And using most of superglue or other standard glues - they don't stick to PLA as well. PLA is practically useless for any bonding, mechanical parts, anything that needs to resist temperature. So you are ending up with printing 'models' and by models I mean something that just gives you the concept of shapes and size.. nothing more
Tom, I believe that you are the most professional 3d print man to come to for this...so...here is my question. I have a Divinci all-in-one printer pro. The very 1st layer on all my projects come out very Stringy...the bottom layer doesn't flow into the next line of print...it looks like wire sitting next to one another...but...the rest of my print comes out great.....the layer height melts into each layer making it pretty smooth and professional looking. so...my question is.....is....how do i FIX that very first layer on the bottom of my project to flow into each other. thanks...john from Kansas.
Who are the 3 a 4 big manufacturers and to what smaller brands do they supply? I'm curious how you've found this information and if you're willing to share :) If lots of brands use the same manufacturer's pla why do prices differ from 1/3 to 1/2 from eachother? I use Dasfilament alot, shipping cost to Belgium goes up the more rolls I order, it's ridiculous imo. The rolls are cheap but if you inlclude the shipping they're not cheap anymore. What brand with the same pla or petg material would you recommend (that has the same manufacturer) in Europe?
I print on my garage with it getting down to the 30's F in there. I only print PLA. I have noticed after a couple of cm the print will break apart and spider web. To prevent this i have a space heater blowing on it.
Thanks to you I will be able to wear my Iron Man helmet at carnival in school ... I am the teacher ;D After your video I finally used my hotgun to glue my Iron Man helmet. It is a bit messy but a lot better than super glue!
Hi, hab vor ein paar Tagen meinen Ender 3 bekommen und diesen bis jetzt fast konstant durchlaufen lassen. Bin natürlich auf der Suche nach neuen Modellen und möglichen Prints die ich in Zukunft machen könnte und bin dabei über den Schädel den Thomas auf dem Tisch stehen hat gestolpert... Ich hab schon das halbe Internet nach nem 3D-Modell von diesem Schödel zu finden und noch keins gefunden, gäbs da ne möglichkeit nen Link zu bekommen?
You don't find that black/dark colors works at lower temps than white/light colors? Also, I find that this Paramount 3d red filament is much thicker and more warp resistant than Hatchbox white. Not sure why, but I can see it in the prints.
"let your tool cool off between holes" - didn't expect to get the best advice I've ever heard from a european man in a flower shirt.
"it is absolutely no shame dropping to 40mm/s"
me, at 30mm/s: why you bully me?
me, printing my outer walls at 15-20mm/s: idk what are you talking about
I think its really rough on your machine to run it super fast anyways!
Lol, I built a printer with threaded rods on all axes. I had to print at 5mm/s
I absolutely LOVE that you said, "Some people have only printed in PLA, and that's okay."
Hey, I'm all for pushing your comfort zone, but for many users there's absolutely no reason to go through the potential hassle of tuning in a new filament!
I've started with ABS exclusively then slowly hate it more and more until the point I almost print PLA exclusively unless I want some special mechanical properties of other plastics..
I have some one or two month old rolls of flexible and ABS that i have trouble using on my AnyCubic, any suggestions?
a Velleman K8200 for example is made just for PLA (bed tem can't go much over 60°C) I made many many custom things to make it more ABS friendly (24V supply for bed...) Now I have Ramps 1.4 MK3 bed and pretty much now it is just a K8200 frame and steppers :D about a week ago I bought few rolls of ASA and I LOVE IT!!!
Adventures in 3d Printing i printed abs with anycubic and it cut my belt when i left it overnight with a huge filament mess. I have succeded with small prints using ctc prusa and my first conclusion to print in ABS is to do working enclosure with high environment temp.
As a purely practical issue, *I recommend marking ever PLA filament spool with the temperature that you have find most suits it,* so that your slicer profile can be matched to the roll you select to print with.
Most people will end up with many partial spools of PLA, and it gets hard to remember the temperature that suits each spool.
I have a black spool that prints best at 190, a white spool that prints best at 235, a pink spool at 220, blue at 205, etc, etc, all marked on the spool itself so that a I don't have to remember anything other than to slice at a temperature that matches that spool.
Thanks for the valuable hints on printing and finishing PLA. As for the drilling, I use "friction drilling" with PLA very often. Just run the drill in the opposite direction, ccw. The tip of the drill bit will heat up the contact area in front and melt a hole through the material. With the right speed and pressure the drilled hole will have solid sides and be much more stable than when drilled normally.
2:23 "Printing temerature" Must be a quality product
I've been using Esun PLA Plus and it is much stronger and less brittle than standard PLA. The layer adhesion is also incredibly good.
Yeah that's what I've heard pretty much everywhere. Seems like the best printing material as of now, excluding high temperature applications where you gotta use ABS.
Same here, I wish Tom and CNC kitchen would review the performance compared to standard pla or other modified pla brands. I know CNC reviewed polymaker pla+, but I feel esun is superior compared to his results.
5:08 "simply let your tool cool off between holes"
@MichaelKingsfordGray grow up. Then stop gettingnhurt over internet jokes, if your psych nurse will allow it.
Michael Dinwiddie lol
@MichaelKingsfordGray Did I trigger you?
Just got my first printer a monoprice select mini v2 and been watching videos to get started. By far one of the best production quality video on how to work with PLA. THANK YOU
This man casually savages his prints.
Respect
When I got my printer like three years ago, I started out using mostly ABS... And while I really loved that stuff, I eventually turned to PLA for the ease of use. Though there was a while where I printed everything I could in PETG...which I still do whenever I need something with suitable mechanical properties. PETG is a great compromise between good finish, outstanding mechanical properties, and ease of printing. :D
Oh Tom, that shirt, and a roll of screaming pink, a match made in heaven :D
Also if you are using a larger drill bit on a thinner wall the horizontal layers can split apart
NICE! I would have liked to have seen a blurb on friction welding, since that works pretty well for PLA's low melting temp. I have been using that qiote a bit lately. Glad you mentioned acetone bonding but left out the more toxic solvent bonding agents.
I've ordered my first few parts online and I'm just blown away by how good and resilient PLA is.
I thought it would be flimsy plastic like the PE on milk jar caps. Nothing further from the truth, this thing approaches Nylon in toughness! I just can't break the small parts with my hands, definitely functional for many applications.
The low price of the parts also blew me away!!
Right?! I just got an XMax printer and thought I would easily be able to destroy the test part - a hollow lidless cube with a hollow cylinder on top - and I can't crush it! I'm very impressed
Haha geiles shirt thomas! Danke für das Video. Gerade meinen mk3 gebaut und da ist das doch ganz nett während der rumkalibriert!
Graet info. Thanks! As a soon to be printing designer (waiting for delivery!) this is very helpful.
"You can never go wrong with a screaming pink, right?" 😂
Vivid neon yellow green ^^
🔥💛 yes!
you can if you want a black part out of it lol
I had pink guy in my mind lol
Hi Thomas. It would be awesome if you can make a video about additives. The things other than pigment that manufactureres really doesnt mention on labels. Maybe you could reach to Proto Pasta or somebody and exactly what grade and type of base resin they use for they PLA filaments. Things that change mechanical properties, resistatnce to UV, to water, stabilizers, prevent too early biodegradation, chain extenders, viscosity modifiers, coelastomers, changing coeeficient of friction, or molecular weight of polymer, crosslinking, antistatic additives, fire retardants, stuff to make it more suitable for food, or molding and postprocessing, etc. It is very complex topic and almost never thing labeled PLA or ABS is pure stuff. But I hate not knowing what is in my filament.
I actually love PLA+ for it’s matte finish. I can’t print any PLA with matte finish at all. PHA/PLA prints very nicely with matte finish.
@4:17 add: And sometimes your 3d printer decides that just because it printed one part of your project perfectly, that doesn't mean it has to print the other part the exact same. Noooo, why would you expect that?!? Because nothing had changed? Too bad! Same PLA filament, same temps, same setup, same everything! Yep. Sometimes using PLA, consistency is not. grrr!!
Except for this one missing part--great vid. Thanks!
Yuo are mising somthing , ambient humidity is allways changing , or its a matters of time that yuor filament get humidity and get ruined
For me eSun PLA+ seems to be great. It can be trimmed easier with a razor knife, and it has a slight bit of flex like PETG, or ABS, and prints extremely well. It seems if anything tougher, and less brittle than standard PLA, and I've switched to using it almost exclusively.
I've had the same experience w/ esun pla+. I think tom is generalizing the term "PLA+" even though it means different things for different manufacturers.
I'm glad to read this - eSun PLA+ is the only filament I've used, so I can't compare it to anything.
I’d like to know other experience with PLA+ (I’ve really only tried eSun) but it seems to print easier and stronger than PLA, basically the opposite of what Tom said.
same here, pla+ is more forgiven and, it cost the same I use ELUTENG
You are right PLA+ is a co-polymer and depending on the added polymer it can be tougher and (sightly) softer (this is mostly the characteristic that is wanted / intended) or more brittle and harder... (Tom's version ?)
I've started buying eSun PLA+, and agree it seems to be much better than regular PLA. I was actually reading the comments to see if other disagreed with that statement.
It's the only filament I buy anymore, it's so, so good
I agree.
When i first started printing i thought PLA was save the whales garbage but i realized that it's good enough even for functional prints. It's super cheap too. Great video as usual!
i always get the strength mod pla. that adhesion was great, and i've never printed a more perfect benchy in my entire life.
Just finished building my interpretation of Dolly and I am currently Tuning it for PLA, perfectly serendipitous timing.
I used to print mechanical parts with ABS, then I realized ABS might not be the best choice even it resists breaking a lot better. PLA tends to be very stiff, which is really good for parts that you want to minimize the flex. ABS/PETG tends to have a lot of flex. However, by printing with PLA you have to design your parts really well to reduce the stress on the weaker spots of your prints. For me, the only down side is the super low softening temperature...
Try the Polymax PLA. I've found it prints nicely, is less flexible than ABS but at least as impact resistant. Not sure about temp resistance though.
I wish PDLA (HT-PLA) got more popular and cheaper, that would be so awesome!
Pla is easy to broke , petg is very strong cause is more flexible
@@stephenhobson8456 pla start deformation about 60 celcius , petg about 80 celcius, abs about 100 c
Good vid my man! I so far have only used pla and pla +. Currently have rolls of pla+ from e sun as I fell in love with how that stuff works and havent broken any parts yet. But I do need a better cooling fan duct for my mk2s, for the 360 cooling effect.
You should, if you haven't try e sun pla+ and see what it can handle, many many happy campers out there
Need to start sharing a link for your shirts
Well, here it is! geni.us/9prKNo
(not an affiliate link, I just want to know how many people actually click it :-)
The link is broken now :/
atm im waiting on more pla to arrive, mailman is taking forever it seems, i am just getting started with 3d printing materials. good video!
i honestly saw that drillbit drilling through your finger :D
Nice, Tom! Us Enginerdlings love the detailed info. Can't wait for more videos in this series!
Best word ever.
On the subject of glues: Do not use two component epoxy glues (like Araldite). For normal applications its just fine, but if you stress your glued parts with high loads or strokes, its likely to fail. Cyanoacrylate based glues (like superglue) will perform much better - altough they dry out within seconds.
I ve never tried it out, but usually, PLA does not dissolve in Acetone. The only glueing effect you will get is due to other plastics mixed into the filament. Thus you cant really rely on it, for it differs depending on the brand of filament - but correct me on this one if I m wrong.
A video like this, but on PETG, would be nice.
PETG is tricky and I've never had good layer adhesion. Probably necessary to use a heated bed.
@@ConsultingjoeOnline I've been printing PETG for a year now without heated bed, just on painters tape. On prints with a large bottom surface I get some curling problems but mostly it prints beautifully. I tried PETG from Devil Design and Real Filament, both are great.
Request granted
@@ConsultingjoeOnline What kind of surface do you print on? I get a perfect first layer every time with my Prusa, and the secret is simple. Wipe the bed with isopropyl alcohol before printing.
@@real_armadillo thanks
I use glass and glue sticks. But when I use alcohol and wipe it I do get the best 1st layer.
I printed some parts for my deltaprinter in HTPLA from protopasta. They say it's heatresistant up to 140°C. And so far i'm really happy with the results. The parts cooling fan and the clips for the heated bed are still intact after some ABS prints :-)
Great video 😊 now i understand why my prints come out matt when my amazon basics black is shiny. Even sometimes i have different finishes in one print.
Now i traced it back to my print speed an my filament not having enough time to heat up. Will do some testing 😊
Tom, I can't help noticing all the filament you have exposed and sitting/hanging around in your workshop. Is there any value in keeping PLA in a dry-box between print jobs? Are there other filament types that can sit out until their next use with no degradation?
A FabLab I go to from time to time did say they experience noticeably more clogging with white filament. The stuff they use to make the somewhat translucent PLA material opaque white, apparently you need to use quite a lot of it so it can clog the nozzle.
PETG is like the ultimate filament. PP might get important too in the near future.
But I just love ABS because _every_ brand of it can be smoothed and it doesn’t need cooling..
I’m looking for a micro printer and I just seen you pull out a super small one at around 1:43 min i know you noted no cooling fan but can you tell me which printer this is? Thanks! Keep up the awesome videos👍
great...i had just started at 3d world...and your videos are amazing, too much to learn about....thanks..a big hug from BRAZIL.
I only disagree with the part about PLA+ (PLA Pro). I tested it many times (eSun brand), and I think it is nearly 50% stronger and has better layer adhesion. It is slightly more heat resistant due to a higher melting point. Lastly it is less ridged, which makes it more shatter resistant.
i print in PLA like 90% of the time , although i must admit the first ABS print was way way better than some of my last PLA prints, maybe it's just a good ABS or crappy PLA but the ABS seemed to have better layer adhesion even at the low 245 temp i used while PLA starts loosing layer adhesion as soon as the print is not shiny anymore from the raised temp.
i guess might get PLA prints to look as good as ABS if i lower the temps even further and maybe lower the cooling or something to keep the layer's together.
German "Grundierlack" :D
Very nice video. Learned some new facst about PAL. Thank you.
Does PLA really react with Acetone though? I have constantly heard that it doesn't react at all to acetone, only ABS does. I print little platforms out of PLA on which to vapor-smooth ABS prints, and the platforms don't melt at all.
I've welded many PLA parts with Acetone. I use a brush and apply a light amount to each part, then hold them together for 5 to 10 seconds. May not even take that log, but they bond within seconds
Rub acetone onto a shiny surface of a PLA print and you'll see it's no longer shiny. So yes, it does react with acetone.
PLA doesn't react the same way to acetone as it does with abs. It doesn't dissolve it. However, it may temporarily weaken it enough to mash 2 parts together to make it bond. That's something that probably doesn't work all that well with anything but flat well fitting surfaces though and your success will vary.
also weldon 3,4,16 works well for solvent welding for pla and petg well
scigrip too. same numbers.
Hello, love video, I have a question: I need to make a resin blank of a pla 3D printed cookie cutter. How can I prevent the resin from sticking to the cookie cutter. Thank you
Great video. Thank you! How to design for the 3D printer to print? Any suggestion?
I consistently find that black PLA needs to print at a lower temperatures than lighter coloured PLA on my machine (by around 7-12 degrees C). I have tried with different brands and with in the same brands.
Make a video about annealing/ coating pla prints with resin to strengthen them and make them heat resistant
Hi Thomas, loved the video. Can you tell me does pla printed molds stick to hot glue or resin. Thank you.
I didn't know you could solvent weld PLA! Awesome
Hi Tom, I don't understand why manufacturers wrote some mechanical properties on the data sheet of PLA (or any other filament) such as: tensile strenght, modulus, etc... if those are considering the filament itself, the material, an injection molded sample or a 3D printed sample that was tested as they said with standard ISO... I simply don't get it, you have any idea?
Does anyone know if the models for those fan shrouds are available? At 1:39 ish
Interesting video.
i've been experimenting with post finishing PLA, and I think i have something that's different that might help light and heat resistance:
Basically, you rub the PLA part with sulfur powder prior to annealing or flame polishing step (depending on the finish you're looking for). You do need to heat the part up again after applying the sulfur.
The surface feel changes. It's not as 'sharp' and it seems to flex more.
One of these days i might try doing some stress testing for an exact quantification.
I do have a background in chemistry.
Sulfur is good at modifying long carbon chains and it absorbs UV light, so i would expect that it'd make the PLA less prone to light damage and stress cracking. .
I suspect Borax and boric acid should work in a similar fashion, but haven't experimented with it yet to know exactly how it'd work.
Borax is sold in nearly every supermarket in the USA, and sulfur powder is commonly available in the gardening section of large supermarkets. It's probably similar else where in the world, since borax is a common washing product. Boric acid is harder to get ahold of, but still not impossible..
Very well filmed and edited videos. I love the smooth frame rate and quality.
The only criticism I'd have is the mic'd audio EQ.
But overall, thanks for the info with such nice delivery.
How exactly does temperature and speed affect finishing? 6:42
I was surprised to see you use one of my Raspberry Pi case Tom, hope you like it :D
Great video, thanks! Just started printing this weekend and of course used PLA, but have no clue to what it is and what it is not.
In the future, more pros and cons vs other filaments. Thank you.
That shirt is awesome. No joke.
1:28 what is this printer you wield?
I wish you’d covered the environmental aspects of PLA and whether PLAs with colour or additives that give them other properties are fully plant-based, or plant based + some fairly inert minerals. I do wonder which colours and textures are from petrochemical sources.
The series of filaments is great, but what I always miss some video for all of us is that we don't have any knowledge about printing in 3d and we see some flaws in our prints but we don't know what happens.
We only see that it does not stick in the bed, that it comes out like waves in the first layers, we also don't know why layers are skipped, etc.
Can you make a video or a series with the typical things that happen and you know why it is so that we noobs know what is happening? It would be very helpful.
Any hints on storage conditions like humidity &c?
Vacuum bag with dry air
What print media is the strongest when completed.
Transparent seems to be easier to print than white in mine, possible the color that affects something. Have tested a bit with different temps and it seems harder
6:43 wait wat?!
Please tell me how
grab a flamethrower and determination
@@ramenchickenflavor2634 I feel like that solves a lot of problems 😂
As a newbie I really appreciate your knowledge. Many thanks.
What material is recommended to avoid the creeping under a screw? In our case is should also be compatible witha a solulable support material. Any suggeations? We are looking forward to our i3 MK3 with Multi Material Upgrade
Anyone knows what is the small printer at 1:30?
Very informative and helpful. Thanks!
Hey Thomas, tolle Videoreihe - macht jetzt schon Lust auf mehr! Ich finde es gut, dass du das Thema "Filament" den Nutzern leicht verständlich zugänglich machen willst. Allerdings finde ich, dass neben den grundsätzlichen Unterschieden der Werkstoffe bzgl. Festigkeit, Hitze- und UV-beständigkeit etc., auch die große Anzahl an Filamentherstellern viele Nutzer vor große Entscheidungsschwierigkeiten stellt.
Wenn man diverse Hersteller oder Onlineshops betrachtet, dann stellt man sich die Frage, welchen Mehrwert bietet mir ein Filament, das z.B. 10€/750g MEHR kostet? Die Range für den Preis bei PLA kann hier schon stark schwanken.
Ich fände es klasse, wenn du ein Video drehen würdest, indem du wesentliche Unterschiede auch an praktischen Beispielen untermauerst (schwankende Filamentdurchmesser, Wasseraufnahme, schlechte Wicklung, etc.).
Viele Grüße und weiter so 👍
What was that fan thing, I couldn't quite understand. Also new to this, just got a flashforge finder and wondered if the fan addon was needed.
thanks Tom.
I saw that there are Engineering versions of PLA, what are the advantages or pitfalls from using them?
Greetings from the Galilee.
Where is that video about solvent-welding with acetone? It is not linked when I watch the video.
I have just used PLA+ for the first time. I accidentally bought Sunlu PLA+ instead of buying more Sunlu PLA. For identical engineering parts, the PLA+ needed a higher nozzle and bed temperature than the PLA and I had a bit of trouble with first layer adhesion and the glass. The adhesion could have been my fault. There is a sheen to the printed PLA+ but I found no discernible difference between my printed PLA and PLA+ parts for strength or flexibility.
You hurt Froggy!!
I'm new to 3D printing. So far, I'm printing plans I've downloaded. All seem to have a large, base layer that needs to be cut away. What's the best way to do this? I've tried snippers and Dremel tools but I either get a jagged edge or melting.
@Thomas + Luccccccccerrr, I second that. Acetone welding with PLA? Tried it... doesn't work in Holland :-) or should I soak it for more than 20 minutes in Acetone?
Tinkerman Did you use Nail polish remover? If yes, check if you used one without acetone. I made that mistake myself ;)
Mine is the same. I bought some from the drug store and it does dissolve abs dang quick but pla only softens if you soak it for days.
No, I am afraid I used regular true Acetone
@kistuszek Same here...
@Tinkerman
You are 90% Right. You can find on almost all web forums - Acetone doesn't afect PLA at all. I've tried even recomended Tetrahydrofuran.. which doesn't work either. Some says that Ethyl Acetate might work - did not try it.
And using most of superglue or other standard glues - they don't stick to PLA as well.
PLA is practically useless for any bonding, mechanical parts, anything that needs to resist temperature.
So you are ending up with printing 'models' and by models I mean something that just gives you the concept of shapes and size.. nothing more
Tom, I believe that you are the most professional 3d print man to come to for this...so...here is my question. I have a Divinci all-in-one printer pro. The very 1st layer on all my projects come out very Stringy...the bottom layer doesn't flow into the next line of print...it looks like wire sitting next to one another...but...the rest of my print comes out great.....the layer height melts into each layer making it pretty smooth and professional looking. so...my question is.....is....how do i FIX that very first layer on the bottom of my project to flow into each other. thanks...john from Kansas.
glossy or matte finish just by changing the temp. and speed? could someone please elaborate on this?
Your videos are insanely good
was that a fabrikator mini i saw there? I almost got one of them... then I relised I could get a full sized i3 design, for less... lol
Making a lithophane lamp. It will be enclosed style with 40 watt bulb. Do I have to worry about the heat from the bulb or socket?
Use led bulbs
Damn that 4K 60fps is getting my i5+GTX1060 on its knees lol.
But very informative video, thanks.
Thank you, very good material.
Who are the 3 a 4 big manufacturers and to what smaller brands do they supply? I'm curious how you've found this information and if you're willing to share :)
If lots of brands use the same manufacturer's pla why do prices differ from 1/3 to 1/2 from eachother?
I use Dasfilament alot, shipping cost to Belgium goes up the more rolls I order, it's ridiculous imo. The rolls are cheap but if you inlclude the shipping they're not cheap anymore.
What brand with the same pla or petg material would you recommend (that has the same manufacturer) in Europe?
Thanks for all your precious time! Learned a lot as a nub
Could you elaborate on PETG as well?
Hi, what camera do you use and what light settings do you use? your video looks nice and crisp.
Hey where did you buy the open closet with the desk behind you?
This video has been a great help, Much appreciated!
Hello Thomas! Are there any brands / websites you recommend for buying filament(specifically PLA) within Europe?
I print on my garage with it getting down to the 30's F in there. I only print PLA. I have noticed after a couple of cm the print will break apart and spider web. To prevent this i have a space heater blowing on it.
Nice T-shirt.. Matches the white and blue filament.. Is it a theme? Haha!
Great video. I'm really interested in that skull. Where can I find the STL?
Thanks to you I will be able to wear my Iron Man helmet at carnival in school ... I am the teacher ;D After your video I finally used my hotgun to glue my Iron Man helmet. It is a bit messy but a lot better than super glue!
Hi, hab vor ein paar Tagen meinen Ender 3 bekommen und diesen bis jetzt fast konstant durchlaufen lassen. Bin natürlich auf der Suche nach neuen Modellen und möglichen Prints die ich in Zukunft machen könnte und bin dabei über den Schädel den Thomas auf dem Tisch stehen hat gestolpert...
Ich hab schon das halbe Internet nach nem 3D-Modell von diesem Schödel zu finden und noch keins gefunden, gäbs da ne möglichkeit nen Link zu bekommen?
You don't find that black/dark colors works at lower temps than white/light colors? Also, I find that this Paramount 3d red filament is much thicker and more warp resistant than Hatchbox white. Not sure why, but I can see it in the prints.