You both filled some gaps a bit on that one. I think I’ll try refills next time around. Thanks! : )
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Great to hear tomsky. Sunlu refills. I’ll do some research. I seem to remember hearing somewhere else that Sunlu was a decent brand. I’ll check it out. Thanks!
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@Wayfinder7 something I learned…once it is on a reusable spool, don’t plan on pulling it off to put a different refill until is is empty. While possible, it is just very very very tricky and can turn into a big problem. My original thought was to have one reusable spool and switch in/out colors onto it as needed. Don’t try it.
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I would buy some empty spools online, it would be cheaper in time and filament. Or print one for fun then buy some online.
I did some research yesterday comparing types of filament along with prices. Often prices don’t make sense. Bambu filament is top of the line and in quantities of 6 costs the same as Elegoo (a cheaper filament). Oddly, the optimum filament for my use is Overture, which has a slightly matte surface which is perfect for hand painting (which I do a lot of). Overture is consistent, quality filament that meets my needs perfectly. What is strange is that their refills on Amazon are exactly the same price as their reels… which makes no sense. It’s cheaper than Bambu and the surface and performance fits my needs better. So it looks like my choice is going to be the same filament I’ve been using for some time now, Overture. Consistent quality, great for hand-painting. If I wanted a very smooth surface and extremely consistent performance, I’d go with buying Bambu, 6 reels at a time to get the cost down.
An empty PLA spool on Amazon sells for $15 average. I think for that price I’d print my own. ;D
And more than that, they can be devils for some. Things to watch out for are a little notch in the cardboard center of a refill. It’s actually in all the cardboard centers but when loading a refill into a spool, look for the notch in the cardboard and little protrusion at the hub of one side of the spool. Those must be lined up to lock the refill hub to the spool. Engage that notch before trying to set the other spool half.
The other bit is when you assemble the spool halves together there is a detent that locks the halves together. Practice putting the spool halves together a few times without filament to know you are properly engaging the detent/lock. If you don’t properly lock the spool halves together the spool can come apart when in use and tangle the whole spool.
And that massage step is crucial. New refills aren’t quite as wide as the spool is so filament can be pulled down between the spool and filament, get caught, and not feed. The massage widens out the filament in the spool to block the filament from being able to pull into the gap. And don’t lose track of the free end of the filament. Many have had the pleasure of an over/under tangle that prevents filament from feeding and ruins a print.
The instruction sheet enclosed with refills has instructions.
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And as long as you’re looking at refills and other filament brands, there’s little RFID tags on the Bambu full spools and refills. You might want to save them and mark them with the type and color filament they came from.
Then, if you buy 3rd party filament that prints properly using the Bambu settings (so far Sunlu seems to do that for me), you can tape the RFID tags onto the 3rd party spool and the AMS will think it’s Bambu and automate the color and remaining quantity amount properly.
Untagged spools get checked every time you turn on the printer until the AMS figures out it has no tag and gives up. Time consuming wear and tear.
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I like overture PLA. It comes on cardboard spools so I end up swapping cores to Bambu spools (see video below). The core hole and notch are a little oversized compared to BL but it has never caused me a problem. It’s easier for me than printing a spool edge ring, especially when the cardboard spools get beat up in shipping.
@Wayfinder7 yea Amazon prices are usually a bit higher. You pay for the (usually) quick delivery and easy returns. Bambu prices for their reusable spools are cheaper than Amazon coming in at $12. Shop around you can find off brand for around $7. Bambu shipping was quite fast for my printer…I ordered it and in two days it was on my doorstep. Buy Bambu in 10 or more (you can mix and match cors and type) and the pla matte refills will be $13.
So far, overall I prefer edge rings over the concept of refillable spools. And as my dad used to say, quality is remembered long after low cost is forgotten, so Overture is my PLA of choice if I’m planning on painting… Bambu filament if I don’t plan on painting and want “the best there is”. Since Overture refills and full spools are the same price on Amazon, unless I can find another source for Overture… seems buying the full spool is the way to go. It is a shame they use cardboard spools, but at the same time far more biodegradable than plastic.
When I first started… I purchased one roll of filament with a plastic reusable spool… Then printed some spools and started ordering refills to save money. As long as you are not using a dryer you can print them in PLA… If you’re running an AMS, I would recommend printing or buying filament with plastic spools over the cardboard. BUT some manufacturers are making AMS ready cardboard spools these days.
Ok first time to print in ABS and…
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opened my Bambu ABS filiment on a spool and it has two ends!? Do they run these half one direction and then the other half the opposite direction?
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The print had three profiles, one for ASA, one for PETG, and a third for ABS…but the ABS said it wasn’t compatible with my X2D. Should I print the incompatible profile in ABS anyway or should I pick the ASA or PETG profile and force it to use ABS? (assuming I can force it to use ABS )
Just print your own refills. There are several models to choose from on Makerworld and perhaps other sites as well. Like you, I just received a new P2S for my birthday and am new to this 3D world. I printed a half dozen in PLA and they work just fine. Don’t remove the little plastic bands holding the spool together until AFTER you get the refill onto the spool and put together. And ensure you line up the little notch on the inside. Good luck!
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Since Bambu is frequently out of many colors of filament and lately have been taking a LONG time to arrive, I’ve switched over to buying Sunlu filament from Amazon. The new dark blue spools work great with refills, and the quality of the filament seems every bit as good as Bambu’s. (There are some indications that Sunlu actually makes some of Bambu’s filaments.)
I also printed some inserts that go into the open spaces in the sides of Sunlu spools that hold a Bambu RFID tag. When I used up some of my Bambu Jade White filament, for example, I transferred the RFID tags from the empty Bambu core to the holders clipped into a spool of Sunlu white filament. My AMS recognizes it as a spool of Jade White PLA so I don’t have to set it manually. It’s been really convenient.
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I am very upset with @BambuLab ABS filament I bought as a newbie printer. The ABS had two ends, each end was spun on the spool in a different direction. As a never before printer owner I had no idea if this was normal so I just picked an end and loaded it into my AMS Pro. I just started my first print and at 41% in 6he machine was making all kinds of noises. It had a filament load issue. The ABS spool was unwound inside the AMS. I paused, pulled out the filament and found a piece of black tape on the end. My guess the black tape was supposed to be the real end but something cut the filament when on the spool producing two more “fake” ends (yes it was factory sealed when I unboxed the filament). I am hoping this didnt ruin my AMS! Anyway, I rewound the spool back up, stuck in the loose end and resumed. So much for filament quality control! Kudos to Bambu printer for resuming the print in a failure, but I might be looking into other filament vendors.
It is a shame when the filament end isn’t properly secured to the reel. And black tape? Most companies double-secure the end by running it through two holes in the spool and bending the end. Sure one has to cut off about 3 inches of filament (or try to straighten it out)… but it works.
You’ll find however that there are other companies out there who wind reels incorrectly and they jam during print. I recently had to take my AMS apart to remove such a jam, and am in the process of re-working my entire Hot-End unit because the filament got stuck and BAKED inside. (Fun fun fun.) These are the negative sides of 3D printing. The positive side: when you get all your settings figured out (takes a bit and some failed prints)… and stuff suddenly starts working.
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