Or does it work just as well to, for example, use PLA as the support material/interface for PETG, and visa versa?
Other than cost, what are the trade-offs?
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I tried the Support W (a.k.a. Support for PLA) I got with the printer once so far and it was very hard to remove - I probably forgot to set interface spacing to 0 so the interface got tangled up badly with the model.
I recently tried using PETG as support for PLA, that worked better (correct settings this time) but not perfect: A few complete interface layer “sheets” slid away, not attaching to the PLA support base, The places this didn’t happen ended up looking fine. I need to consult the complete videos to see what happened exactly. I noticed there are separate speed settings for support interface that I could try to tweak, but what I might need is to slow down the first NON-support layer that is laid on the interface.
Bambu Support W is 3x more expensive than PETG so I doubt I will buy more of it. I did however order a spool of water soluble eSun PVA from Amazon. Haven’t tried it yet but for some applications I reckon it will be golden and it’s €10 cheaper per kg than Support for PLA!
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I’ll chime in here as well. I bought the Bambu support material for PLA to test it out. It did not perform as well as I had hoped. It was easier to remove from the PLA print than regular PLA supports, yes. However, I found that adding .02 to your distance between support material and object on top was a much better option if you just stick with identical support material and object material.
At the moment, PLA support material seems gimmicky.
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Please do post how that goes for you. Like you, I looked at those PVA filaments on amazon, but in the reviews it seemed a sizable percentage weren’t happy with it–regardless of brand. If your experience is different, I think it would be fun to try.
Thank you for your post.
Here’s what I don’t yet understand: if there’s a gap (however small, and surely 0.02 is small) between the support material and what’s to be supported, then if it’s air-gapped in this way how does it support it? I guess it actually is, but without much squish–thereby leading to a weaker bond? I think maybe I’m answering my own question, but let me know if there’s anything more to it than that.
The trick I heard was to add 0.02 to the layer height when not using support filament. So if you print at 0.20 layer height you’d have a gap of 0.22 mm (default is 0.20). It works well in terms of easy removal but the surface does not look pretty. That’s why I was trying out support material.
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@the_Raz, yes that is the trick I am referring to. @NeverDie, I can’t give you a precise answer as to why it works, but as I understand material flow and thermodynamics, I believe that tiny additional height creates enough air space and cooling time for the material to not create a bond with the next layer as as significant as the bond without this additional height. I’m speculating as well, but it makes sense that the further distance a molten material must fall thru the air, the more cooling that occurs. So, I think what is happening is that when that new layer lands on top of the previous layer, the temperature differential is greater than if you left the height at .2.
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I’ve not heard super great things about Bambu PETG fwiw. I can vouch for Hatchbox though. That’s the only other brand I have tested and it works great.
I don’t personally think it’s worth it. I’ve yet to unseal my PLA support material that came with my printer. I just use PETG as the support interface. It makes for quite a decent finish. I don’t print a lot of PETG parts anymore, so it’s basically become a support material at this point. I have used PLA as a support material for PETG and it works just about as well as the opposite, but the difference is you need to increase your material flushing amounts quite a bit or your PETG layer adhesion will be weak.
Here’s a basic test to show PETG as a support material for PLA.
My settings:
My test slice:
My print results:
I had to put the print under some harsh light at an angle in order to bring out what the overhang looked like while using PETG as the support interface. It looks way better in person. Might be able to improve on the quality, but either way it’s a massive improvement over normal supports.
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I have been using the Bambu support material and I think it works well, but I haven’t tried using PETG yet.
When you select the Bambu support for the support material interface a box shows up recommending to set:
0 top z
0 interface spacing
Concentric pattern
Disable independent support later height
If you click yes on the box, it will set it for you.
Most of the time it is easy to get off, but sometimes it is hard, especially when it’s supporting a flat surface. Make sure to wait until the model is completely cool, otherwise it is harder to take off.
IMPORTANT: Set the flush to 700 when going from the support material to any of the PLA spools, otherwise it will mix with the PLA and potentially cause layer separation at the layer printed after switching to PLA. A number lower than 700 might work, but that is the number I am using for now.
I use the following tools to help
Strong thin point tweezers
I hardly use the tweezers anymore after getting these two pliers. I hesitated because of the price, but it is definitely worth it. Both in quality and especially usefulness.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B000IBSFPS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B000IBSFPS?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
I use most of the tools in this set when removing supports. They make things easier.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B072HTBDK7?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
A good precision blade set, like X-acto knives. I have a cheap set that came with a 3D printer combination set that I will replace so some point, so I won’t advertise it, buy something better. But it has served me well so far. I especially like this blade.
It is good for when the support material is stuck to a flat surface. I stick the pointed end between the support interface and PLA and push, which separates it at that spot. Just use the blade to start it, you don’t have to use it on the whole surface, you then use your fingers or tweezers or pliers to pull it, it comes off easily after that.
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Does anyone know what this stuff is even made out of? Like I got some with my X1C, and I don’t plan on using it for supports. BUT I might use it for normal prints depending on what it is made out of and how good it is
I agree. Using just regular needle nose pliars will cramp your wrist before long if you’re doing a lot of removal. A shorter, more narrow nose takes less effort.
For an even better grip, it helps to get the ones with serrations. I’m not sure why, but a lot of the tweeer pliars in this class have no serrations at all. I guess it’s to not mar the finish on whatever is being manipulated, but for demolition of support material, I don’t see that it matters.
Also ,fwiw, Hakko can sometimes be a little less expensive, for what I think may be comparable quality. I own both brands, and I can’t tell that there’s any quality difference.
The China ones typically use softer metals that may bend or snap. I hate to generalize, but there are just so many of them, and the amazon reviews seem to back that up, whereas the satisfaction rate on the xurons is generally very, very high.
I can see some speciality engineering uses.
There are some shapes you cannot realistially print without a soluble support filament (so you dip the model in water and the supports magically vanish), but the solution is usually to redesign your model.
I know someone who uses it to get display figures looking better but the solution for display figures is an SLA resin printer.
Just make sure it is dry dry dry.
It does not have the greatest layer adhesion, I would say its only good for support.
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By “it”, are you referring to the specialty support material?
No I am talking about the pva
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BTW I have been using the “60% save on filament changes” stuff a lot, with multiplier set to 0.4 or 0.45. For “special” support interfaces my initial thought was to turn it off to ensure good flushing but on second thought I believe it will actually result in significantly better flushing as long as you keep the multiplier at 1.00 instead of decreasing it!
Note to self: When using PETG for interfaces, first select a support filament to trigger the above, then change it to PETG 
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