Author Topic: A decent PLA filament.  (Read 3321 times)

Offline A7er

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A decent PLA filament.
« on: September 16, 2022, 11:26:48 AM »
I recently bought two reels of light grey copymaster 3D premium filament from Technology Outlet. It outperforms my old filament by a mile, I could never seem to get a smooth sanded surface. It's still early days for the new filament, but it sands to a finish as good (nearly) as my resin prints.

Offline bent

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2022, 09:42:01 PM »
A7er,

Thanks for the tip. I will probably need to purchase a new reel of filament soon, so it's useful to get recommendations from people who do a fair bit of this (versus the always-suspect Amazon "reviews").  Could you mention what brand your original filament was as well?

Do you do anything special when storing pla reels?  I've been reading and some suggest storing with dessicant, others say when changing reels to bake out the old reel and then store with dessicant.

The pla that came with my printer (MakerGear) seems to work pretty well...but then I have nothing to compare it to.  I've done a couple of figure models for friends and family, and they seem to print ok surface-finish wise (I don't bother sanding them, just hit them with a coat of flat spray paint).  I'm still trying to figure out how to make some "artistic" figures print okay (i.e. trying with/without supports, and recently discovered the ability to cut and stack parts to avoid having to use supports, etc.).  But some of the art prints available on free sites (thingiverse) are so full of unrepairable holes that they would never print for me.  At least, until I find out what all the bells and whistles in my software do (or don't do).  And still trying to figure out FreeCad well enough to make my own utilitarian (ie. stuff that works) stl files...though I had good success with my first efforts using Cad I know (Inventor).

My gosh this rabbit hole is deep...

-Ben T.

Offline crueby

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2022, 09:54:22 PM »
I've been using the Prusa PLA filament, no problems with it, very consistent. I store it in a Tupperware type box, had read reports it could absorb moisture. Other reports say its not an issue, including reports from the manufacturers saying it will take years to absorb even 1 percent moisture.

Offline A7er

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2022, 08:34:28 AM »
Ben.
My old filament was RoHS, 's their logo has a feather in front of the R. It's a good filament, but it took a great deal of work to get a smooth-ish surface. Even after sanding, filling, more sanding and then spraying, the layer lines were visable. I hope to be casting with the new filament soon. The new filament sands very well. I then use small scrapers to refine the surface followed by sanding with various grades finishing with 1000 grit wet or dry.

I have never stored my filament and admit I didn't know you should. I just leave the filament on my Ender3 all the time, open to the air. The second roll of filament is still in its air tight bag. Perhaps I should remove my filament and store it properly?

I used FreeCAD to design some very complex parts, slowly. I then discovered Designspark Mechanical. I now only use FreeCAD for small unimportant parts. Don't get me wrong, FreeCAD is amazing with features I would love to see in Desingspark. It's just a bit........?

Crueby.
It would be interesting to try Prusa filament and resin. Isn't it a bit of a chore having to remove the filament after each print, and then refit it?
« Last Edit: September 20, 2022, 08:41:48 AM by A7er »

Offline BillTodd

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2022, 11:12:35 AM »
Re: wet filament.

Certainly plastics do absorb water, nylon is notorious bith in bukk and as filament.   
 PLA seems pretty immune to the worst of it.  Tom Sanladerer (YouTube) tested pla by soaking in water for days without problems. Grant at 3dmusketeers based in superhumid Florida, says he's never had s problem with pla , whereas other filaments all required dryboxes .

Boxing the filament has the advantage of keeping the filament clean and dust free , so it's not a bad idea.

Offline AOG

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2022, 12:09:57 PM »
PLA has it’s own issues that may or may not be related to moisture ( I never could get a strait answer on that). If you leave it exposed on the machine for a few weeks it will become brittle and break when you try to feed it. I recommend pulling it from the machine when your done printing and storing in a plastic bag or box. I’ve had no issues since I started doing that.

Tony

Offline BillTodd

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2022, 01:27:39 PM »
Oh yes UV exposure, stress fracture creep due to winding strain and possibly plasticiser evaporation , all add to 3d printing woes.

Offline A7er

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2022, 02:40:02 PM »
An old reel of filament that still had a few metres on it had been stored on a shelf for a year or so, not in direct sunlight but not covered either. That had become brittle as it kept breaking when I tried to load it into the Ender3. I will try removing the new filament after a print and storing it properly, even though the brittle filament is the only Problem I've had.
Lee

Offline bent

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2022, 06:38:35 PM »
A7r, Todd, and others - thanks for the input!  I guess I will not worry about storage until I have more than one or two reels of material, and even then just to keep it clean.

Designspark Mechanical?  Had not heard about it before, will search around for it.  I've been struggling with FreeCad trying to design some basic parts - it sometimes won't accept putting a sketch on certain planar surfaces of a body, but will allow me to put it on other surfaces, and can't find any explanation of why.  And yeah, the interface is clunky as all get out.  Maybe it's just me.

Oh well, it's a learning curve...which for some perverse reason I find fun.

Offline BillTodd

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #9 on: September 20, 2022, 09:25:29 PM »
Re 3d cad.

Try onshape , it's a free online browser based system, from SOLIDWORKS team i believe.

Micheal Laws ,teachingtech on YouTube, has s series on it.

Offline A7er

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #10 on: September 21, 2022, 12:35:28 AM »
I've been following that Onshape series. It looks to be a very good cad programme. I didn't get on with it when I tried it a few years back, but I now think that was down to me being so green and having a slow computer. The main reason I don't use Onshape now is because my cad computer isn't connected to the internet. FreeCAD doesn't need the 'net, and Designspark can be persuaded that it doesn't really need the 'net. If I decide to re-connect my cad computer that I recently had a solid state hard drive fitted to, then I would definitely give Onshape a try.
It's a shame Solidworks is so expensive!
Lee

Offline Zephyrin

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #11 on: September 21, 2022, 08:45:05 AM »
looking at Onshape, it is far from a free tool, the cost is prohibitive...
and for a free and simple solution, I use Solvespace, which does'nt require internet connection.
the learning curve is very fast, with 3-4 video (ie 30 min) you understand the main tools,  (very similar to partdesign in freecad as regard constrains.
the main drawback is the absence of a tool for draft angle for models to be cast in metal ! 

the only part I successfully cast (a moot point I agree) in aluminium if the tiny cylinder head...
« Last Edit: September 21, 2022, 08:55:25 AM by Zephyrin »

Offline bent

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #12 on: September 21, 2022, 09:46:41 PM »
Yeah, looked at Onshape before, and I know its pedigree (used SolidWorks a couple jobs back, it's a good modelling program).  Designspark looks good (also a good pedigree, I know a lot of people working Ansys that use their built-in modeller), and will probably be trying it out tonight (last night was busy doing my cardio and then running out for a shot of the new Covid booster).  A7er, you say you can run even without a regular hookup to the internet?  The documentation seems to indicate it wants to contact the mothership once a month.  I do like that Freecad has a lot of bells and whistles, however clunky some may be.  Built in FEA solver is nice too.  Had not heard of Solvespace before, will go looking...

Offline A7er

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #13 on: September 21, 2022, 11:05:30 PM »
Ben.
Because the computer I have my cad programmes on is only used for cad and slicing stl's and isn't connected to the internet, it doesn't need the system date to be current. Each time I use Designspark I change the system date to the day I installed the programme. I have been doing this for well over a year. If Designspark is ever upgraded to the extent that I like the new version, I will set the system date to be correct and download the new version. It would have to be much better than version 5 before I would do that.

Tonight I designed a collar in Designspark that will fit in an accessory pillar drill press that holds an ordinary electric pistol drill. The collar fits where the drill normally goes, and has a thread in the middle to accept a Dremel. I haven't printed the collar yet, but I did print a test piece that had the same thread as the Dremel, it was a tight fit, but it worked. I could probably have drawn it in FreeCAD, but I am getting a bit rusty with it now.

For me the biggest weakness with Designspark is the lack of a dedicated text tool. There is a workround where you can write/draw text and then extrude it and add draft. I couldn't find a way of adding draft to text in FreeCAD or I might have stuck with it. If I want to write text on a curve, as with a makers name plate say, then I will draw it in Inkscape and import the file into FreeCAD where it can be exported into Designspark. DS isn't too happy about importing such a file, but again, there is a workround. The picture is of two nameplates that I cast a while back. The text was drawn in Inkscape and imported into FC then DS where it was extruded and had draft added before drawing the oval and doing the same to it. They are both about 4" wide by 2" tall -ish. If I make a nameplate where the text is on a straight line then I can just use DS without using Inkscape and FC. If I could find a good cad programme that did all that for a reasonable price I would buy it. A one-off purchase price of about £150 sounds right.
Lee

« Last Edit: September 21, 2022, 11:58:12 PM by A7er »

Offline bent

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Re: A decent PLA filament.
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2022, 05:55:30 PM »
I finally figured out some of the quirks about the sketching tool in FreeCad, and got my first models done there and 3d printed them last night (well, started the 2nd piece and then went to bed). 

Have not explored far enough to check out the FreeCad draft tool (it looks like a secondary function similar to filleting and chamfering), nor to see if the pad tool can be used to add taper draft directly?  The old school crude way to create tapered lofts/pads/extrusions (why does everybody have to have their own term for that function?) was to set up the offset plane (end of the loft/pad) from the first sketch, and then create projected construction geometry of the base sketch on the new offset plane, offset the sketch geometry a specified amount inboard, and loft between the two sketches.  Clunky and slow, but it worked, unless some of the geometry shrank too far.  I've done it before for lettering that started from AutoCad font shapes exploded to .dxf lines that could be imported to...was it early Solidworks or maybe IronCad?  One of those.

I agree with you about a functional 3d CAD program for home use, and yeah, I'd pay $100 to $200 for a permanent license for it.  I was all set to download Fusion360 until I saw the license terms, and the future "rental" fees should I go that route.  If worse comes to worse, I have a pretty good working relationship and a gentleman's agreement with the boss that I'd be available for consulting work...which should also grant me friendly access to my Inventor seat here at work, at least for awhile post-retirement.  We'll see - I'd rather have something at home to use when the mood/muse strikes.

 

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