I had ASA Poisoning! 25 IMPORTANT Filament Answers!
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2024
- Our ULTIMATE filament question and answer series for PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA and Nylon! We take the most commonly asked questions from our community about these filaments and answer them in as much detail as possible! We cover everything from recycling 3D prints to enclosures, fumes, pricing and more! HUGE thank you to @Polymaker for sponsoring our community channels and providing ALL of the filament we could ever use!
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Use the following chapter markers to jump right to the filament type or the questions you might be interested in!
00:00 Introduction
00:30 PLA - Polylactic Acid
00:39 PLA - How do you store your PLA?
01:18 PLA - What is a good price for PLA?
02:18 PLA - Is PLA safe to print? Is PLA toxic?
03:14 PLA - What is the difference between PLA and PLA Pro or PLA+?
04:16 PLA - Can you recycle PLA?
05:30 PLA - Are glow in the dark, wood, or PolyTerra filaments abrasive?
06:27 PLA - Polymaker PolyTerra - Plants Trees
07:18 PETG - Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol
07:40 PETG - What is the difference between PLA and PETG?
09:09 PETG - Is PETG food safe?
09:56 PETG - How do I keep PETG from being messy?
11:02 PETG - Is PETG hygroscopic? Does PETG absorb moisture?
11:57 PETG - Can you recycle PETG?
12:55 ABS - Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
13:18 ABS - Why would you 3d print with ABS?
13:44 ABS - Do you need to dry ABS filament?
14:15 ABS - Does ABS need an enclosure for 3d printing?
15:34 ABS - Is ABS 3d printing toxic? VOCs?
16:06 ABS - Can you recycle ABS?
16:37 ASA - Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate
16:59 ASA - What is the difference between ABS and ASA filament?
18:27 ASA - Can you get sick from ABS and ASA fumes or VOCs?
19:47 ASA - Does a 3d printer enclosure protect you from fumes?
20:26 ASA - Can you recycle ASA?
21:25 Nylon - Regular Nylon, Carbon Fiber Nylon, Kevlar Nylon, Glass Nylon
21:58 Nylon - Is Nylon worth the price or cost?
23:15 Nylon - What do you need to 3D print Nylon?
25:14 Nylon - Do you need a heated chamber to 3D print Nylon?
25:58 Nylon - Can Nylon be recycled?
26:42 Thank you to our CZcams Members! - Věda a technologie
Another thing with apparently cheap filament - check that it's a 1kg reel, not 500g or even 250g
Fantastic advice! I’ve made that mistake before!
$30 for 200 grams of copper fill 😢
@@LoyalMoses You gave this advice yourself at 22:00 lol, idk why this commenter made it seem like they added it onto your video
If I'm not mistaken, the biodegradability of PLA is tricky. If you put it in the field, it will never change. It's only biodegradable in an industrial composter. CNC kitchen made a video showcasing all of this,
Never is a long time! 😉
It will eventually break down, but it isn’t as fast or as easy as many people think. Industrial composting will produce much quicker results for sure.
I know the video of CNC Kitchen and it does not right to PLA. PLA is biodegradable, but it will take a long time when you throw it in your own compost heap. When temperatures reach between 70 and 90 degrees Celsius and cut to fine particles, it will degrade in a couple of days. We produce a very hard type of PLA, which is used for traffic signs and put on sides of buildings. You want those products to last at least 20 years. When a traffic sign is broken, and parts come into nature, you want that to decompose. That is exactly what PLA does.
Common PLA does breaks down fairly quickly under some environmental conditions…. Strong UV destroys it in about a year, it loses all structural strength and crumbles into small fragments. Constant exposure to water seems to accelerate this. I can send you samples if you want.
That's because "biodegradable" means that something will break down in a few weeks or months. For that definition no, PLA isn't biodegradable if it isn't in an industrial facility.
But PLA does break down over time, it's just in the span of years, not weeks. Which is fine if it's a landfill environment where it will stay there for years
@@LoyalMoses Assuming protons decay everything breaks down eventually but that's not "biodegradable". :D
I use my printers for functional, mechanical parts and prototyping (yes, I did live the Benchy-life in the beginning), but I've experimented with so many filaments and have found myself using 3 filaments - PLA+ for 85%, PETG for heat-sensitive parts, and general TPU for softer "rubber" parts. I've found that my 3 goto filaments are IIID Max PLA+ and PETG, Polyterra PLA+ (I don't use PM PETG because of the paper spools and my drier box operations), and SunLU's TPU.
That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing!
I didn't even know how to use any CAD software when I got a 3d printer. Now I can whip up most anything I need and have it printed in day. Personally I've gone over to the darkside and started using ABS more and more, it's really not that hard to work with unless you're printing something that's fairly large or don't own a cardboard box to stick over your printer.
For heat sensitive parts, you might even consider PET. Not PETG, PET without the glycol, since the glycol in PETG actually reduces its melting temperature.
I started watching this clip when it first came out but I didn't have the time to watch it all. Now, with the holidays, I was able to finish it and I must say I'm pleasantly impressed by the quick, down to Earth, no BS answers! Subscribed :)
Thank you! That is very kind!
This is such an undiscovered gem of a youtube channel, the information presented here was top notch and in a fantastic format. Instant subscription from me!
That’s very kind! Thank you! 💜
Loved the 3D Print General spool proudly displayed. Great video.
💜
Came here to say to say this
I so love my Nevermore filter for ABS/ASA printing. Just remember, 50 hour or 30 days and swap out the carbon media!
That would be a fun system to test!
Triple carbon filtered and HEPA filter Bento Box has been great as well. Standard carbon filters stuck in the printer aren't going to do much.
I upgraded to a nevermore stealthmax which is huge. The carbon in that lasts a super long time.
Tip for printing cookie cutters: put plastic wrap over the cookie cutter, that way the print never makes contact with the food. Not my original idea, I saw it somewhere else.
That’s a fantastic tip!
Yes, even if the material itself might be foodsafe, the nozzles, etc... are not food grade certified and might have lead or other contaminates.
@@jasonhurdlow6607 and 3d printing is never truly foodsafe unless maybe you coat it because of the layers they can grow bacteria
🤢
First time seeing your videos and while I didn’t really need to watch a video like this I thoroughly enjoyed it and the way you explained and shared a lot of this information. For sure will be watching a couple more videos of yours!
Thank you! That is very kind of you to say. 💜
thank you for the great info. I look forwarded to checking out your other videos. I was really just going to check out the info about PLA and Petg, but watched until the end due to how easy to listen to and knowledgeable you are.
Awesome, thank you!
Hi Moses, Thank you for this in-depth lesson about all the different filaments available, the AI assistant is a nice touch too.
Thanks! That’s not AI! That’s my wife! 😃💜
@@LoyalMoses Hi Moses, sorry, din't realize it was your wife, she is very comprehensible and eloquent, that's why I though it was AI. 😅
I think she was a bit nervous so she sounded robotic! 💜🔥
Absolutely great video! Very informative. I'd love to see another video with more common Engineering materials like PC or TPU.
Thank you Marco! We’ll do another one for sure with the more advanced filaments!
This was great. So much useful information. I've just bought my first filament drying box and it has been a game changer for my ASA prints. More content like this please!
Thank you! It was a long video! 💜
Polyterra is my goto PLA (love the matte finish!) and I have printed dozens of rolls and seen no problems with my nozzles wearing (I haven't changed my Revo since I got it last November!)!
Awesome!
But on their Discord server they didn't deny it's more abrasive than PLA, just it's much less than generic filled PLAs.
All my printers are in enclosures all are ducted to an exhaust port on the window of my office. Spent a lot of time designing manifolds and backflow prevention valves, and I have to regenerate desiccant constantly due to the moisture coming in, but it's worth it. I work almost exclusively with ASA, and the machines are running 24/7. The stuff is the best.
Hey! That is very cool! How are you drying your desiccant? ASA is an awesome material!
I have a feeling your channel is about to get more popular. I found you from a recommendation from YT and I'm not disappointed! Fantastic video and very informative!
Thank you Matt!
Best trait of PETG is it's strong and can still flex. Excellent for things like belt clips etc.
just like most PLA+ filaments except worse
@@knifeyonline There is so much more to it than that, the mechanical properties are not that simple. There is heat resistance, layer adhesion, abrasion resistance, impact resistance and creep is all superior in PETG compared to most PLA+/pro.
Thank you for the video. I am fairly new to 3D printing and this answered almost all of my questions about the different materials.
I'd not heard of ASA poisoning and has me rethinking my setup. I may have been effected int he past and not realised ! thanks for the great info.
Hey! Glad to see you here! It’s a real thing for sure, can be very dangerous.
Same here. I realized it only after watching this video. All it took was a couple of minutes to check on the print and boom, headache
This has been one of the most informative and interesting videos for the types of polymers I’ve seen so far! Thank you!!
Thank you!
First time watching your videos. What a great place to start. Great information, and well done.
Thank you I really appreciate that!
"...and animals - they breathe too. So be careful of that" hahaha, love it
😁
After I discover your channel a week ago my mind is just blowing up. I thought I know about filaments but some details that you said in this video is make more clear my knowledge. Keep doing this hard work!!!! 👏🏼thank you !!!
Wow! Very kind of you, thank you for this comment, glad you enjoyed it. 💜
Learnt a couple thing from the video but just wanted to say, wholesome video man. It sounds like you are really passionate
I appreciate that! Thank you! 💜
What a great video - all the information is there without any of the fluffery buffery - the recommendations are seamless, and I've learned an awful lot from just one video. You & Mrs LM have got yourself a new subscriber!
Hey! That is so very kind of you! Thank you! I'll read my wife your comment!
Wow, you deserve way more followers. I learned a ton and it was presented in a great way. Fantastic job.
Thank you so very much! I’m new, but trying hard! 💜
I'm here for it buddy. Can't wait to see what's next.
finally a total view and short and sweat information. Great job thanks.
Thank you!
This is why I have started putting even my enclosed printers that I print ASA on in a secondary enclosure with an vent out the window that has an inline charcoal filter. So even what I am putting outside, is a touch cleaner.
Super smart to be safe! Thanks Zolon!
Now this sounds like so much work I get tired just thinking of it. Congrats for walking the extra mile on both personal safety and environmental
Good idea!
I always run a negative air flow straight out the window. Great way to guarantee you don't get sick😅
Great resource to keep on hand for filament.
Thanks Michael!
Thank you so much for the very valuable knowledge you are sharing with us, it is extremely useful and I've discovered and learnt so many things on your channel - had a quick scroll through your channel and after watching couple if videos I immediately subscribed. With the amount of knowledge you have, I think that it will be very helpful to all of us if could do a detailed video specifically about filaments and sharing your knowledge about them, comparing heat resistance, uv resistance, overall strength, lifespan indoors vs outdoors, toxicity, and proposing ideal uses. After 3d printing for 5 years with PLA, TPU and ABS I'm in the search to find the best all around filament that will do for all common indoor and outdoor uses (art and functional prints) even if the price is premium. You print it and forget it type of thing - have no worries that it will break down after 2 years outdoors, will warp or delaminate cause of constant humidity - contact with water and other common conditions. I recently upgraded to Bambu X1C so looking around for the best all rounder really.
Thank you so much again Mr LM and Mrs LM, fantastic job!
Thank you for the VERY kind words! 💜 That’s a great idea, I’ll add that to our short list of content. I agree it would be helpful to have a filament guide on when and how to use all of the different types. Thank you again, it’s wonderful to read comments like this.
Ok, now that I've whinged about the minor innacuracies - Great content, overall! Your delivery is very natural and conversational and you clearly have enthusiasm and knowledge to impart.
Good production values and audio quality, as well. Glad to add you to my subscriptions!
Thank you, that is very kind of you. I really appreciate this. 💜
Great vid! I know all of this already, and still watched the whole thing.
Thank you Shane! I sincerely appreciate that. 💜
Desiccant in a tight sealing tub would be my go to if worried about moisture. Great video. I wanted to know the differences badly.
Smart! Keep that moisture out, then no need to dry it! And thank you!
That's what I use. Plastic tote with a gasket and a "rechargeable" Eva Dry desiccant unit.
Do desiccants stop working after a while
@@KieranMahoney Yes. There are disposable types and types you can dry out and reuse. The one I use changes colors when wet. It has a built in wall plug that powers a weak heating element to dry it back out. Just swap it with a dry one and plug in the wet one. I think the air circulation for drying it out could be better to make it more efficient, but they work.
There is a lab grade one called Drierite. That also changes colors. To dry it out I believe the directions call to spread it in a thin layer on a baking sheet and put it in the oven at a certain temperature if I recall correctly.
I bought some of the drierite a long long time ago for a project before 3d printers were a thing. I think I still have a jar of it someplace.
I'm sure there are others, but that's the two I have experience with except for disposable packets that are part of packaging.
Ironically, ended up using Drierite at a job a good while after I bought some for my project. It involved draining tanks of liquid resin into a hopper then into a bag. The dessicant was used on an intake tube to keep the air in the hopper dry that displaces the volume as the it drained. Dry air was hooked directly to the big tank.
thank you :D @@caddyguy5369
Loved the video, missed your assessment of PC filament.
Thanks! We have another video coming with more technical filaments! 🔥
As a converted nylonganggang printer…Nylon that is glass or CF filled can be printed without an enclosure IF….IF you have a stable ambient temperature in the room. With that said, I’ve printed open air as low as 67F with no issues. But there were no drafts or temperature swings
The room becomes a giant enclosure! Thank you, this is true, we’ve printed all sorts by keeping a room nice and warm but mostly keeping drafts out.
What is the best support material for Nylon? Eg. you have a mult-material printer, should you use PETG/ABS as breakaway support? or what else?
That's a really great question! I will have to do some research and testing to find out.
Came here because YT just suggested this video ^^
Interesting video, you get my sub.
Hey! Welcome and THANK YOU! That's awesome.
Good and concise intro to filaments for beginners 👍
Thank you! 💜
Great video - you are incredibly knowledge compared to other channels.
Very kind! Thank you.
Where I live we have "normal" trash marked as energy waste so those go to burning places where they make heat for city area. We have separated bins for metal, glass, paper, and bio.
I have put supports from PLA and PETG prints for energy waste.
Thank you for the comment! I think this is more common than people know.
Salute for the 3D Print General tribute 🫡
🫡
PLA is absolutely recyclable! Plenty of companies use recycled PLA feedstock (rPLA), and there's a large influx of home recycling products currently 😊 Researching it is my job, we're currently up to 4 cycles without effecting conductive Performance, 7 recycling cycles with no change in the chemical properties, after which it can't be extruded, but can still be used in injection moulding, fill etc.
Can you post links to sources for those that may be interested?! Would be very helpful!
@@LoyalMoses absolutely! DOI is "10.1021" 😊 That is the paper on recycling PLA from post-consumer waste sources, the paper on long-term recycling from virgin feedstocks (aka new Filament/pellets) is yet to be published as we're still concluding the work 😊 All of our research can be found through the authors list
I print PETG directly to glass and have no difficulty in getting it to release. I found the answwer is to allow it to cool completely and the differential thermal expansion between glass and PETG makes it almost always a case of simply picking the model up without any need for tools at all. What I have found is that printing directly to glass requires the glass to be scrupulously clean, any grease at all (fingerprints etc.) can cause bed adhesion issues.
Great tip!
You were lucky :) I had two sheets of glass ruined by PETG. One was plain cut to size window glass, the other was carborundum coated FLSun. The PETG stuck so well to it that the object broke off pieces of the glass.
I once ordered a roll of PLA for only $7 on Amazon. When it arrived, I found out why it was $7 - turns out the roll was only 250 grams instead of the usual one kilogram. Suited me fine because I don’t print orange very often lol
Oh no! I have done that before too. Lots of 750g spools out there too!
@@LoyalMoses The dremel ones are the worst. In canada they're pricier on amazon than a 1kg spool of Polymaker PLA, but it's 750g.
Don't they say how much is on the roll? I have been buying PLA for over 5 years and have NEVER not seen the amount if you read the complete description. Just sayin'.
@@3dtexan890 yeah I probably should have read the description more thoroughly lol
@@3dtexan890 they do, but charging 50$ Canadian for a 750g spool is predatory, and sometimes it’s not the manufacturer doing the listing and they’ll just put it in the keyword soup that is the item’s title on amazon and hide it in the technical details deep in the description. Lots of dark patterns and not so moral choices
I just started printing with ASA, I just got a new ASA with the Glitter in it. Mine is the Dark Blue ASA with sliver Glitter.
The maker I got it from does white, black, red, dark green, light blue, gray and the dark blue all with the glitter in.
I also just managed to buy the new Sun Lu S4 4 spool dryer to help with the drying of my many many spools.
I have that Qidi X-Plus-3 core xy enclosed printer and it is amazing fast and detailed printing wise.
It does ASA and ABS and PETG so well when I have worked out what temps they need? I found that different companies filaments are all very different in the flow or heat needed.
I do make a point to write either on the end of the spool box or on a bit of paper stuck to the box ( if the box is too dark to see the maker pen writing )
All the temps and flow and speed and fan info for that spool and for each of the printers I use too! as they again all different for the same spool of filament.
Makes it easy then to set those known temps etc for each printer? I have a Elegoo Saturn 2 resin printer too. the only downside for me is the waste washing water from this resin printer!
I use water washable resin But, seeing as I live in the UK were many hot sunny days are rare even in the last few hot summers, it means I can't set the waste water resin?
I have had to store the water used to wash the resin for now until I work out how to safety dispose of the washing water?
a UV light big and powerful enough to set the resin in the waste water is hundreds of pounds to buy, so that is out.
Here I looked up disposal services for it, But they is few and I can't transport the waste water that easy to any found often far from me as I don't have a car!
Even though someone said to use the XS curing station unit I have to cure the waste water resin, it is a small area in there and the rotating platform inside is a light one so I don't with to break it with the huge weight of a glass big jar filled with heavy resin filled water.
Thanks for the good done video here btw?
You two are cute! Thank you for making this video bc you have protected me and my family, as I move into 3-d printing
Thank you!
Cheap PLA (sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you get lucky) Great Q&A session
Very true. How do you feel you’ve been? I feel they I’ve been lucky over the years, less than a handful of bad experiences.
@@LoyalMosescan say similar results, & I base on experience from 2015 to present. Out of thousands of spools, can say maybe 3-4 at the most of bad results.
@@LoyalMoses My experiences: with multiple 'cheap' brands: it is hit or miss. Sometimes I have like 10 spools without problems but other times it is like 2 out of 3 spools have thicker and thinner parts. Clogging up extruders and even had damaged parts on the printers with it. And still many times here it is around 15€ per KG/spool.
Sometimes it is only like one thick spot (2-3mms) in a spool but it can cost not only the print but also the parts and labour on the printer.
I now have a selection-set of brands I use, somewhat more expensive in most cases but I know they are stable enough for draft-prints. Some of the other brands-spools are apart from the printers and I only use short parts of those for use in my 3D pens now.
About the price: keep in mind that filaments like PLA weight more in volume then with ABS for example. So: PLA is maybe cheaper per KG but can cost a lot more for the same volume of print then with ABS. Besides in many cases needing less volume with ABS or PETG then with PLA for the same (functional) part.
I've been printing since 2016, had a spool I kept for many many years that I later used to compare modern PLA and noticed how much stronger and way less smell today's plastics are than some 10+ years ago
its worth noting that degradation of the plastic over as long a period as 10 years is not negligible, so that is not necessarily a fair comparison. Also, if you didn't dry it beforehand, it almost certainly had absorbed some water, which would effect both smell and performance
Recipes have definitely changed for the better. So many high tech filament options now!
ASA is also more UV-stable compared to ABS. It's more expensive because of market economics, supply-demand catch 22 problem.
Absolutely! ASA is fantastic.
Wow! I didn't realize that glow-in-the-dark PLA was abrasive. I'd better use my tungsten steel nozzle to print all the Halloween stuff I was planning.
Great timing 👍
Regarding the ASA poisoning, yep those carbon filters take away a lot of the smell but don't capture the nasty chemicals.
I have a high volume fan sucking the air out of a window whenever printing things other than PLA.
Definitely print it with a hardened nozzle for sure! Yes, ASA is okay to print with proper ventilation, without, it's just nasty.
@@LoyalMoses Is keeping my Bambu P1S (Enclosured) beside the open balcony door while printing a lot of ASA fine?
I originally was a bit nervous about this video when I saw the title. There are far too many feeding the "misinformation" train... but mostly because there has been way too much hype about 3D printing being "safe". Anytime you are heating up plastics to the glass transition or melt point, there are going to be volatiles released. This is NOT some kind of Star Trek replicator... these are machine tools. Just as you would not sprat paint something or run a grinder, saw, or sander in your bedroom (at least not without ventilation and dust removal) you should not run a 3D printer without similar cautions. Thoroughly learn AND respect the process and the precautions and you will have a very long and enjoyable experience. Slack off at your own peril!
That being said, an excellent presentation of information and the intricacies of the various filaments. I wish more creators would take the time to present the pros and cons in an accurate fashion. The world of 3D printing is a fascinating place with many wonderful creations and opportunities, but it is NOT, nor has it ever been a "toy". There will be consequences for engaging and even though they are pretty easy to mitigate and render relatively safe for operation, there are many who will get overconfident or less informed about the process and chemistries and may end up paying a heavy price for their inattention to the details. Hanging a filter on the side of a printer is NOT generally sufficient for those VOCs if there is not sufficient air flow and positive ventilation and extraction of fumes from the operational area.
Thank you for such a well crafted comment! I appreciate the common sense and technical points. A lot of good information.
Amazing knowledge share. Thank you mate
Thank you!
Great video. I hadn't realised I had symptoms of poisoning. On more than one occasion I would get a headache after entering the room printing ABS. Need to do some work to ventilate the room, even though I am there only to check or collect prints. Some additional feedback I'd like to share:
Food safety: Print micro cracks are not the only concern, but the nozzle as well. Brass alloys often contains a small percentage of lead, which has no levels of safe consumption. Since there is not a lot of info on the possible contamination of lead into prints, and only use stainless steel as it's the only of the most common nozzle materials that are safe for prints that will be in contact with food. There are ways to overcome the issue with micro cracks, like resin coating, so make sure you add the facts about nozzle material on your next content about that.
Nylon: I get away with warping by using smooth PEI, 120 degree Celsius build plate, an enclosure and a glue stick 100% of the time.
PETG: I really don't like this type of filament, not when I can print ABS/ASA or PLA. My experience is that it's hard to get dimension accuracy and make parts smug fit, due to its softness, is messy and prone to stringing and fails to live up to advantage of PLA or ABS for their applications. Perhaps for some niche application (like garden and cheaper than ASA and maybe parts that require a higher degree of flexibility), but I find most of the time, either PLA or ABS/ASA are better options. I also find that although shinier, it also makes print imperfections a lot more visible and I tend to prefer the more matt finish from PLA and ABS.
Be safe with that ABS and ASA! Thank you for your comments!
@@LoyalMosesThanks, really eye opener the warning about the poisoning. I didn't realise only a couple of minutes could be enough, because I didn't know about these symptoms. Wish more streamers talked about the specifics
Wow Amazing. You're introducing the ABS segment and you mention whether we think we can or can't, and my response to that was "More like, why?" Next question....
If I could sub twice.
Very kind of you! Sometimes I get a bit excited about this industry, and it comes through the camera! 😁
Great topic, thanks 👍
Thank you!
I missed this when it was uploaded. I just bought sooooo much filiment.
Hey Mr/Mrs LM. Do you recommend a hardened steel or hybrid nozzle replacement for normal non-abrasive PLA? I know you switched your nozzle for Neptune 3 Max to a 0.8mm. I have been thinking about replacing the nozzle on my Neptune 3 Plus for something that is higher quality and will last longer
I was using cheap 10 cent brass nozzles for a long time I switched to a nozzle x and the quality of my prints went up. We spend so much upgrading our printers then ignore the very last thing your filament is going to touch.
Regular is fine, but if you are going to switch, make it hardened steel or a composite like a Slice GammaMaster nozzle. loyal.ms/slice (aff)
The main things to consider is max temperature, abrasion resistance and thermal conductivity. Higher thermal conductivity can mean higher flow rates or cooler printing temperature. Most nozzles have a max temperature at or above 300 C, so if you only print below that then any type is fine.
Brass has alright temperature resistance (300 C I believe) and good thermal transfer but bad abrasion resistance. Hardened steel has good abrasion resistance but low thermal conductivity, meaning you might have to increase your print temperature (sometimes by up to 10 C) and it may lower your max flow rate if you print really fast, the themal conductivity is less that a quarter of that of brass. Hardened steel nozzles only stay hard to around 350 C I believe, so they lose their abrasion resistance above that. Stainless steel has lower thermal conductivity than brass but more than hardened steel but doesnt have as much abrasion resistance as hardened steel. Nickel plated copper nozzles can go up to 500 C and have 3 x higher thermal conductivity than brass, they arent abrasion resistant though but the nickel coating makes them slightly non stick.
Those are the most common and cheap nozzle types, you get special blends like the E3D nozzle X. For really high abrasion resistance and high temperature you can use diamond or ruby nozzles, most of the nozzle is brass or plated copper but the tip is diamond or ruby, so they are very abrasion resistant whilst still having good thermal conductivity, the plated copper ones with diamond are best as they are high temperature too and very high conductivity. Then you have tungsten carbide, you can get full nozzles or brass nozzles with tungsten carbide tips, they are very hard and hence absrasion resistant, almost as much as diamond and they have a similar thermal conductivity to brass, and can handle very high temperatures, so they are a very good option too. Then you get all kinds of coated nozzles, coated in PTFE or other things.
The brass, steel and copper nozzles are generally not too expensive, even from E3D, the nozzle X is more expensive, the ruby and diamond are very expensive and the tungsten carbide is in the middle with the full tungsten nozzles being more expensive than the brass ones with tungsten tips.
Great video. I am a complete newbie at this. My only experience with printing is with laser printers for paper. I just ordered a new Qudi Pro printer and it is supposed to be shipped mid May. I also just subscribed to your channel. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I start playing with this printer and I can't wait to get started! Thanks.
How exciting! Congratulations!!! If you ever have questions, ask away! Our discord is an awesome place too, you are welcome to join!
loyal.ms/discord
Weed eater string is made out of nylon and some are modified to be extremely durable and stable. All my plain nylon prints are made out of round 0.065 inch trimmer line and if you look hard enough or ask your gardener you can find 1, 3, 5 even 10lbs spools. Unfortunately the color selection is extremely limited but extremely cheap and consistent. Also 0.065in is 1.6mm which is fine you just gotta tune extrusion rates and retractions.
What's the cost for 1kg of weed eater string? I know this is where hobby 3D printing began, but I do wonder what the costs are.
@@LoyalMoses About 35usd for a 2.25kg spool.
@@LoyalMosesI was under the impression that it's exceedingly expensive for this purpose... almost seems smarter to use filament for string trimming lmao.
Harbor Freight has the 100ft for $6. It's 1/5 of a lb. So figure almost $70/kg
@oldkingcrow777 yes i use that stuff all the time even prints great on my ender s1 without an enclosure for small prints
On April 2024 Amazon had:
"KAKO 065 Trimmer Line Round Weed Eater Line .065 Weed Wacker String .065-Inch-by-2000-ft-3lb Commercial Grade Round String Trimmer Line, Weed Eater String .065 Fits Most String Trimmer(Orange)"
for $26. USD
For nylon filament, I have used weedwacker string. I have had decent results, it did warp (due to the lack of enclosure). Drying is a must since they are not vacuum sealed or anything to prevent moisture. Can be found in most hardware stores, easy to fine and most cases cheaper. Only negative thing about buying it is that it is not made with 3D printing at mind so it may have toxic chemicals that are unknown so ventilation is a must!
Yup, that’s the way it used to be for everyone.
I like to print on a smooth glass bed with Bed Weld. Product goes far and realeses so easily when the plate cool. If I am too impatient I just put on another plate while it cools.
Awesome.
I love the Elegoo PLA+
You mentioned PLA, PLA+, PLA Pro and PLA HD.
What about PolyLite PLA? Is it any different, or is that just a Polymaker moniker?
Next, when we say it's hygroscopic, is the plastic really absorbing moisture, or is it that the moisture just clings to the surface of the plastic? Many plumbing items are made of ABS.
Lastly, amazingly, that Qidi X Plus 3 is still only $650!
As always, thanks for the great lessons.
PolyLite is just their naming convention for regular PLA! It does absorb moisture and it will make the filament on the spool brittle and you’ll hear the moisture sizzling when printing if you have that issue.
When you smelled the bed cement from TH3D, I got a little pain between my head between my eyebrows lol.
It’s a strong smell!
Good information to know about since I want to incorporate more of the cheaper plastics in some of my multi-part prints to reduce overall construction costs. Just wish I had a good PLA printer. I've been experimenting with CF-nylon only at the moment with a high-end printer, but definitely am curious about the materials. Thank you for the information.
Thank you for the comment! What printer do you currently have?
@@LoyalMoses R Qidi X-CF Pro I think. Saved up for it.
Love PLA+ for tabletop terrain. Its a bit more anoying to clean up, especialy with small supports n stuff but its so much more resilient than normal pla for hobby handling. a buddy of mine prints in standard pla constantly and his terrain breaks every now and then and i never had any issues of that kind with my pla+.
PLA+ for sure!
I'm a new subscriber and I really dig your channel. Just got to leave one comment/ correction. ALL filaments give off VOC's. I'm not a chemist nor do I claim to know more than others, there is another CZcamsr that did test this and all filaments gave off VOCs. I don't know if some are more toxic than others and I don't even know the definition of a VOC. But I would not be printing in a closed room. Leave it outside in a workshop
Thank you! Welcome in, and absolutely -- always have fresh air, we only get one set of lungs!
How do you not have more subs? Great video, very informative, thanks!
That’s very kind! I’m brand new, only been a partner for 6 months!
I am interested in getting into 3d printing and I found this Q&A episode fantastic.
Many times you mentioned humidity and that you were in a low humidity environment so it did not affect you significantly.
When you do comparisons that can be objective, could you please use numbers.
What relative humidity is bad for the filaments and what is the relative humidity range of the environment that you that you use your printers in?
This is the first episode from your channel that I have watched and am impressed.
Please continue with this amazing support to this community.
We are 10% to 30% and only rarely hit 40% just a few days a year!
I just started 3D printing this year and I sleep in the same rooms as my printer. At town I have a small bedroom while at the village I sleep in the larger living room. So far I noticed the faint smell of PLA and more noticeably PETG in my early days of printing but I only smell burned filament whenever they clumped around the nozzle.
Just make sure you have fresh air, that is the most important thing!
I@@LoyalMoses That's true. I can't be in a room without some good air circulation/ventilation. The bedroom is small but I never close the windows. The living is enclosed at night but it is a big space and I have the fan over me.
I'm planning to convert some rooms into dedicated hobby rooms for gaming, 3d printing and scale model building. One is almost finished but the other one is still in the planning phase(I live between two houses).
As far as recycling goes, the amount of stuff I have repaired that would have ended up in the dump far out weighs the amount of filament that I have used in the past 2 years. the 20 gallon shop vac I fixed is a huge amount of plastic. So I just mention this because I think it gets over looked. I mostley use PETG, but love TPU for some things and I use nylon, the nylon I got is from overture and $34 a 1kg roll. I don't print ABS or ASA because of the fumes and the reason I watched the video, glad to have learned that without getting ASA poisoning.
Also I use a textured PEI sheet for PETG and never have a problem since I went to that, when I print hard to stick filiment I will sometimes print a layer of Petg, then print on top of that, you need to look what sticks to what, but they can be mixed, I just recently learned that and have used that method. Yes Nylon sticks to PETG, this helps with sticking plus I can just use the same pei sheet.
Thanks for the video , keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing!
Ive been using Slice's Plastic Repellant Paint for a while now after seeing it on your channel and it works great. I seem to need to re-apply it every couple of weeks, but im assuming it'll depend on how often your printer runs. But its definitely a great product. Just wish they sold larger sizes!
AWESOME!
Also what do you think about filament recycling machines like the filabot, ProtoCycler, etc. What filaments do you this could be used again and which do you not?
I would like to try one, and see how well they work for at home recycling. The tinker type you have to build, not so interested, because the general population will never adopt that.
@@LoyalMoses I agree. Precious Plastics has a DIY system, but on their website they have sets the people have made and are selling. You can get a kit with all the parts you need and assemble yourself or you can buy prebuilt units
Thanks for all the information.
You are very welcome! 💜
ASA ... its fancy ✨️🥂✨️
1:10 you didn’t mention the air humidity in the room where you have all your filament, that makes a lot of difference, in my room it’s 60-65 by default all year round, on the street 70 so all of a sudden PLa becomes very hygroscopic
It’s pretty low here, 15% to 35% depending on the year!
That's my problem too. We live close to the ocean, so I run a dehumidifier spring and summer, until we turn on the heat in the fall. The humidity goes from 50-70 over night, that is if the dehumidifier fills up when I'm asleep. During the warmer months, I get about a month of printing a spool before it absorbs too much moisture.
@@dmonhuntr75 how does that effect finished products over time in the climate changes?
@@justincuvelier9569I have to dry the filament or the finished part is brittle. I do my best to be there when the print finishes, so that the roll can be removed and stored as quickly as possible. The printed parts stand up fine once they are finished.
I also print with a ziplock bag around the roll, with silica packs in the bag. That really helps keep the filament dry for quite a while.
@@dmonhuntr75 thank you for sharing. that helps a lot. what do you think is a good printer for new person who wants to be serious but doesn't need to upgrade their printer after a few months or so.
I always stress to everyone that wants to print in ABS or ASA, a completely sealed printer with Inlet vents and true negative pressure. Just put it by a window, spend the 15 bucks to get the insert, and model and adapter or find someone else's model. I've never had a problem since
Great advice! Ventilation is so important!
This video probaly saved my life. my printer is next to my bed and i just got some asa filament not knowing much about it other than weather and heat risistant. i literally had a 13hr print which i slept next to over night with bad ventilation because i thought a draft might cause it to cool to fast....and yes i woke up with a crazy head ache thinking i just slept wrong
Health is important!
Unless I am printing a gloss fialement I use PLA+/PRO... I can usually get it at the same price or a couple bucks more a spool. The characteristics and printing properties are worth it for me.
That's great to hear
I use 3M masking tape for PLA, ABS and PET alike and did not make any adversive experiences so far. I recommend enclosed printers with - preferably - HEPA filters indeed at least for mineral-oil based filaments as ASA and ABS.
Cool!
I’ve recently just used some open filament that was not stored properly at all and had been there for about 6 years, printed better than some brand new unopened filament
AWESOME!
bofa printpro 3 here. can't put a price tag on your lungs or your health.
Oh! I’ve heard great things about that one. Glad to hear you have one and like it!
19:15 The first time I printed ABS, it was a cheap brand, very fumy, I was printing in a room adjacent to the bedroom. I woke up the next day with a "sense of impending doom"... I never knew what that was supposed to mean, until that day.
I could feel, deep in my lungs, something heavy. Went outside for about 10 minutes and was feeling better. Went back inside and I could smell ALL the fumes I guess built up slowly. I didn't even print a lot. Maybe 2 hours, 2-3 meters of filament. That was something else.
Yikes! That’s scary! It definitely depends on the amount of styrene in the filament and how much you breath! I’m glad you are okay!
Re: VOCs and other emissions from 3D prints
According to studies I've read, the best material in this category is PETG followed by PLA, however there really needs to be industry standards for this because there are now hundreds of 3D printing formulations for both polymers, and any of those additives can affect what is emitted into the air. Every manufacturer has their "secret sauce", and we really don't know what they're putting into their materials in their attempts to be competitive.
It's also important to consider particulate emissions, because PLA does have some of that while ABS/ASA has a lot more along with the styrene emissions. This is good to know if you or anyone you know is affected by asthma. If you're worried about particulates, stick to PETG.
I’d love to learn and read about this more! Share links if you have them, they’d be very helpful to others to. Thank you for this!!!
I see the filament on the wall behind you is not in bags. Do you dry the filament each time you use it?
No, PLA isn’t as hygroscopic as many think, and we do live on a mountain with low humidity.
I have worked with a lot of plastics and probably run 60000 lbs of ABS and Polyethylene as an extrusion operator. Every manufacturer I have worked with dries and conditions the pellets prior to being metered into extruders. You talk about ventilation. We vented the building six times an hour, but if you're standing beside a styrene extruder, you get a maximum dosage of sterile gas venting. Dow recommended not inhaling dust from Srytrene as that was cancer-causing, but they recommended venting for the blowing agents we injected to make foams.
60,000 pounds?! Wow!
Thank you for covering filaments and answering questions. Several things were covered I was curious about. But I found myself wondering a few other things. I am looking into investing into a 3d printer and want to get proper filament, as I have some personal ideas and creations to make from personalized storage to useable items and utensils. I have been searching and watching experienced users videos, reviews and explanations. I have yet to find any who actually address real common uses, they only cover what I consider is child play items. I am looking for more realistic uses besides children's toys. What is most durable filament available for day to day uses, indoor and outdoor combinations. I don't want to create something and find it warp or deteriorate at a crazy rate. Can you cover this with each filament: After you print the item is there deterioration to the item if it is in a humid or hot, in cold or wet environments and in both. Is there a good filament that is useable if I was to make a personal traveling cup for both hot or cold drinks? There was a brief cover on food grade items but nothing used in depth. Is this not available to the public? After all we do buy what I consider cheap made utensils and would rather created something more rigid. I Plan on using tools and storage accessories but I want to make sure it is durable and able to endure/withstand physical stresses. Far as recyclable on a different level, which may also be one others asked but worded it incorrectly. The recyclable filaments, is there a device that is within a reasonable price for the average person, that allows for melting the filament and turning it into a reusable spool? If you can cover this in a video would be greatly appreciated.
Very welcome! Take a look at app.polymaker.com for more detailed information about the different filaments and comparisons. This should help you considerably! Food safe is an entirely different and complex topic, but ultimately you have to worry about the cracks and voids collecting bacteria and foreign debris from printer components making it into the print, that could be toxic or harmful. There are coatings you can use to make an item food safe, that would be something for you to investigate. Recycling filament is something that interests a lot of people, but every solution I've seen for home use is cheap and not very effective, more tinker toys than anything else. I wish we had better options. Thank you for the comment, and I will definitely add some of these items to our list for upcoming content!
Great channel. New subscriber here. I’m sure you have described this effect somewhere in one of your videos, but thought I would just ask a quick question. What’s the main indicator that you have a worn out nozzle? I wanna make sure that I’m not chasing printing issues with settings if I simply have a bad nozzle. thank you
Note ASA fumes dont get out of more sealed printers like a Voron 2 as easily. if your printer has 1/4 inch gaps the enclosure is for looks and not for temperature control. You do need to not only run a larger carbon filter, but an actual particulate filter. there are VOC meters that all makers that have multiple 3d printers in a single room should absolutely have one to warn them when any filaments emissions are getting to levels where windows need to be opened. I also recommend running a whole room air cleaner with carbon filtering. doing these two things have made my printing office much more enjoyable.
Air exchange requires fresh air to make it into the printer to then be exhausted through the carbon filter, thus the reason for the gaps, while some enclosures have inlet vents.
What brand of air cleaner are you running for the whole room? I think some people would be interested to know.
Thank you for your comments!
I think you’ve replied to every comment when looking through, that must be some work haha.
I kinda wish you talked more about specific use cases. You mention a few of the materials being UV resistant and how Nylon is really strong, but what are some use cases? Obviously he UV resistance helps for things outside, but it would be cool to hear what you are printing with all these different materials.
Great video though. You put out some awesome content and seem very interactive in the comments section.
Even this one! 😁
I can definitely do that, would make a great video. We could do something where we print a bunch of examples in the different filament types and talk about the advantages!
Thanks for the suggestion!
Ok a few question I'm into vehicles and farm equipment 3D printing I need clear filament for cab windows and what is the rubbery one I need for soft tires and crawler tractor tracks for replacement ?
Thank you for the video! Quick questions, is nylon UV resistant also?
Thanks! Most nylon filaments are UV resistant due to the additives they include. Raw nylon isn’t completely UV resistant but better than PLA and ABS.
Subscribed! Very informative video as I've been considering buying into 3D printing especially for making some coffee accessories.
Been doing some reading on PETG/ PLA being food safe and aside from the layer lines trapping bacterial, it seems that the other issue is whether the additives (for easier printing or colours) may not be food safe?
Do you happen to know if it's possible to verify if filaments are actually food safe?
I'm mostly interested in making stuff that won't have prolonged contact with (dry) food items (e.g. funnels or holders for utensils that may come in contact with food).
Thank you! 💜 There are some companies that claim food safe filament, but there are no standards to what that would be. Also, there are other things to consider, like foreign object debris entering the filament stream from nozzle wear or extruder gears and bearings.
There are food safe sprays and coatings that can be applied, that would make it food contact safe.
@@LoyalMoses Thanks for the information. Looks like coatings are the best way to go then.
Scrap and left over filament make super firestarter🙃
In the Pacific NW my house hovers at 60% relative humidity and I have to keep all the filament in bags with desiccant packs and humidity monitors. 15% in the bag works well. Seeing all those open rolls on your shelf starts to make me panic. Ha
Yikes! That’s high. I’m here in the PNW too, but on a mountain, our humidity is pretty low.
How do you mitigate the toxins/ASA fumes in your setup? I know you say to print in a well-ventilated space, what did you do to increase ventilation? How do you isolate a room from the main living space of a home? Thanks!
Open window, a fan, cross breeze. Something like that. Without knowing more about your environment I can't really be specific. I know some people have printed in their garage below their living space and found that after some time they could smell the ASA. So whatever you can do to create as much fresh air as possible, but also keeping temperatures stable.
I've had PLA out in the elements for about 2 years and it looks and feels just like it did when printed.
Awesome!
On the topic of recycling PET/G... I've seen some independent reporting that all those PET bottles that people toss in the bin end up getting shipped overseas and otherwise not actually recycled properly.
I sometimes take apart roadside finds like vacuum cleaners for the electric motors, switches, and wires. I reckon those heavier plastics are more likely to find their way to a genuine facility that will crush/shred/re-melt it. But I have no idea.
Pretty much the only thing that goes into a local pickup bin that actually gets recycled is glass and cardboard.
That being said, I don't think folks should feel bad about the waste. Compared to industry and other wasteful uses of fuels and energy (*Cough* Eastern Europe); you could run a printer 24/7/365 for years and years and never pollute more than a single tank travelling some 50km one day.
Thanks for this comment! I’ve heard similar about PET bottles, and most recycled plastics is from industrial use not consumer products that we traditionally use. I wish it weren’t that way, and maybe they’ll find more efficient ways to recycle it.
That’s pretty cool that you pull parts like that! What do you end up doing with the motors, etc?
I was disappointed PVA wasn't included. I had a lot of these questions for it, especially with hygroscopic-ness since I am on the east coast and closer to sea level so the humidity is regularly 40%-70% here and everything i have read about PVA says to keep it below 40% humidity.
We didn’t include all the filaments, there is another one coming with PVA, TPU, etc!
PVA when it gets above certain relative humidity, can begin to stick to itself on the spool. I live not too far from the coast, and I always print with spools in dry boxes. As soon as I'm done printing, I get them back in a sealed container. This practice has never done me wrong. I did find a roll of PBA that had sat out all year long, 3Dxtech makes some good PVA. Dried it out, picked out the few runs that were external , micd it and it printed great all the way to the end 😂
Great video! I’m considering getting a 3D pen with PLA filament. I know you touched on PLA being a relatively safe plastic to use. Would you recommend using a face mask/ respirator while using PLA? Or would I be fine without? Thanks!
Very cool! I need to get a 3D pen! No, you shouldn't need a mask at all for PLA.