I mainly print PLA models as a hobbyist, and understand PETG could make for great support material for PLA prints. Haven’t tried it yet, but was interested to know if any of you regularly use this, or vice versa?
My H2D is out of action at the moment while it awaits an upgrade to H2C, but I will be using all PLA via the right nozzle/s, and the left nozzle just for PETG support interfaces. Anyone have experience on how well, or badly, this setup works?
Thank you
PETG works great as support with PLA, Clean breaks, but as I discovered yesterday, if you make the support as part of the design and have it so that it rests on top of PLA, it wont stick and will make a mess. You also have to go through the layers to make sure there is an actual raft created and not just branches supporting the PLA or you will get a rough surface. A flat interface makes a nice smooth surface.
An example is a cabinet I make that has 170mm wide drawer openings that are 20 mm deep, if I use generic support settings then it creates branches, then the PLA is layered on those and it leaves rough bumps. If I change the support settings, depending on model, and slice and review eventually I will find a combination that creates 2-3 layers of PETG, then the PLA is laid on that.
Thank you - I haven’t tried it yet, but I assumed I would use the same PLA that was loaded for the actual support structure (tree structure for instance) in order to reduce the number times the system needs to switch to the left nozzle, and then use the PETG just for the interface layers (3 or 4 interface layers I’ve been told). So the PLA will go down with no gap between support and model layer, but on a complete layer of PETG, that should not be relatively smooth since its lay down 3 or 4 layers already.
Is this what you mean?
Thats how I used to do it, but PLA supports tend to snap too easily so I just use PETG for the entire support. It really doesn’t add much time as it still has to prime between layers even if using PLA for supports and EPTG for interface. The only time added is for the nozzles to switch and heat up which is like 10 seconds if that.
I find petg to be temperamental with warping and moisture issues.
The support for pla/petg bambu sells has been more solid. Print the support in pla, use the support material as interface. This gave me the best low effort prints.
It can be, but for how small the support base is, have not encountered any warping. Also there are factors involved that create the warping, not the filament, such as too long first layers that cool too quickly pulling the ends up. Increasing first layer fan disable goes a long way to resolve this. Its something that has to be done in the filament settings in studio.
Or add a Brim to support structures?
Heres a support I have as scrap from an item I make. The item is assembled and not here or I would show the inside of it. it used 26grams of PETG to support the entire structure and pops right out, it is printed inside the piece.
Nice!
Do you find any of the PETG sticks to the PLA model at all? Or it all comes away cleanly?
I ordered some Translucent PETG just in case so that any bits that could remain are not easily seen! 
PLA and PETG do not bond. If you somehow got some PETG mixed in to the PLA being used for the print, the finished print would be significantly weaker in that area.
I tried PETG with PLA supports a few times in my X1C. It was not possible to purge the nozzle good enough that there was no cross contamination. The finished prints often fell apart under the slightest amount of stress.
This is the reason I bought a H2C to replace my X1C, which was otherwise still working just fine after 2 years or so of use.
Peels off like painters tape. I was looking at some filament that was PLA with PETG as the core, supposedly made to make stronger prints. I see BS has support for it too in their filament settings. PLA With PETG Core Filament Put To The Test | Hackaday
I print mostly PETG and PLA in the left nozzle for supports works amazing. As well I tried it a few times on the X1C and the nozzle couldn’t flush it well enough ruining my prints. Dual nozzle is the way to go.
Bambu support material for me didn’t work as well and cost twice as much as PLA. In fact, I’ve got an unopened box on facebook market place right now that I’m trying to get rid of.
I bought a roll of the BBL support for PLA/PETG. It made a sound like a gravel truck when it was feeding in/out of my AMS. Didn’t seem to work any better than simply doing PLA + PETG. Stopped using it quickly. I have a mostly unused roll of the stuff I’ll probably never use again.
Ive a roll of the last version of the pla/petg support material Bambu has sold. Using it now on pla and silk pla. It works well for the most part as it doesnt like to stick to pla. Small tree spots can fail to adhere. But at least with this material, I don’t run 2 temps…
Oh, the support material runs equally well left and right h2d.
How would running two temps work when using PLA in the right nozzle for the print, and PETG in the left for support interfaces?
Does each nozzle stay at temperature independently, or does the printer increase/decrease with every change?
