It is actually just PLA if you look at the MDS. I assume the additives PLA normally has to improve adhesion are changed to ones that do the opposite, but there are so little of them, it doesn’t make it to the list.
But no, you definitely can’t print with it. Save it for when you’ll eventually need it - it’s very expensive!
This is what a benchy looks like printed with solely the support material using standard PLA settings.
Interesting. It got off to such a good start and then it went totally off the rails.
Thanks for the heads up. Well, I guess it is one of those things that will sit there until I get an impossible print due to supports.
Yup, I have 3 unopened rolls doing the same thing…
I originally was super disappointed with the Support for PLA filament. However, after using it more and more, it has a distinct value that can’t be matched on a single extruder system.
The removal of the supports initially were the biggest disappointment, but in reality its not that difficult. When using a 100% overlap at 0% gap, its just a touch more difficult to remove than regular support. When you think about it… that’s not bad. However, most of us probably expected it to be easier than the basic PLA on PLA supports, which it probably is, but we’ll never set the settings up like that to find out.
Now, when I want a good finish on supported areas, I use it and it works very well. One bit of advice though, try not to use black on black filament or white on white filament. The next roll I order, will be different to the color I plan to use. On occasion, it was difficult see if I got everything off.
As for the PETG/PLA support, that works well when you spend lots of time tuning. HOWEVER, I find that its only really any good for very flat surfaces that need supporting. Curved support surfaces (in the Z axis, meaning many different layers of PETG on a PLA support base) is VERY VERY problematic. Because they don’t stick to each other well, that means the interface layer will fail often. If you choose to do this, make sure to use ALL PLA for the model and ALL PETG for the support (or vice versa). The problem with this will be the time it takes with one layer change for every layer (effectively doubling the time). Also note, for ALL PETG as the support for a ALL PLA model, you will have to find a PETG that can stay on the bed at PLA bed temps. Glue may help for this, but just note it is a specific concern.
I’d be happy to take one of those rolls off your hands. 
I think the question is more is it worth $30 or is it neat but way too much
I honestly don’t see any value in Support W material. It is almost impossible to cleanly remove it from flat layers to have a clean “non-overhanging” look (thanks to the 0mm top z distance). On all other occasions, it’s not that more difficult than normal PLA on PLA support.
LOL, Do you mean, is it worth $60 per kg? I do think so, but value is a tough question. For some things… its literally the only way to get there reliably. So, value takes on a different look for that.
However if you are just using it for something that’s not that important, no its not worth the cost.
Ultimately, it depends on the actual need.
Since it is just an interface material. So little gets used per print, so the cost is not that big of a deal.
You’re right. I didn’t look at the weight on the store.
I looked at one of my recent prints. Supports was 49.12% of the project.
Like what you said is highly subjective depending on the person and what they normally print.
When you say it was 49% are you talking about the full support weight, or just the weight of the one or two layer support interface between the supports and the model?
The Bambu support material is only supposed to be used for that one or two layer interface, not for the whole support, you make 99% of the support with the same plastic you use for the model.
If that’s the case, then it sounds like it would last a very long time. In that case, I think an important question is: does it perform the support task a whole lot better than the alternatives?
I’ve seen forum posts where people have, for example, criticized Vision Miner nano polymer adhesive as being outrageously expensive because the nominal price is $49 for just 100ml. However, I’ve also read posts by people who think it works tremendously well–better than anything else-- and that the 100ml lasts a long long time, so the cost per print is actually not bad at all. Can a similar kind of argument be made for the BBL support material?
I would think so. It lasts a long time for most applications. If you are printing a globe, then it would use significantly more interface material because it is covering such a large surface on the bottom half of the globe.
I go through it very slowly and I use it fairly often. I knew it would last a while, but it lasts even longer than I expected.
If I can avoid supports I do, but my main focus is the part I am building, so if I can make it better using supports, then I will, and I use the Bambu support material every time.
Are you using it not because you already own it–in which case, you might just be thinking, “Why not? Use it if you’ve got it”–but instead because you find it works a lot better than the alternative PETG-PLA support dyad?
Here are the interface amounts I have used for a few projects. The first set of values are from the Line Type tab, the second set of values are from the Filament tab, and includes the amount that goes into the model, supports, print tower and flushed. BLS is Bambu Lab Support material. After looking at the numbers, more is used than I thought, but overall not that much.
Support: 7%
Interface: less than 1.9%
PLA: 98.6%
BLS: 1.4%
Support: 7.1%
Interface: 2.8%
PLA: 95%
BLS: 5%
Support: 7.1%
Interface: 2.8%
PLA: 97%
BLS: 3%
Support: 0.7%
Interface: less than 0.1%
PLA: 99.6%
BLS: 0.4%
This last one was a dragon, so the interface was covering the bottom of the legs, body, wings, head and tail. All the switched caused a lot of it to get flushed and go into the prime tower.
Support: 5.7%
Interface: 3.7%
PLA: 79%
BLS: 21%
I haven’t tried PETG yet for support interface, maybe if I did, I would change my mind.
Decided to go ahead and crack open the PLA support material that came with my printer to see how it performed compared to PETG. The results look exactly the same. The biggest difference I see is that it adheres to PLA more than PETG which resulted in having a harder time removing the supports. I actually ended up breaking the test print before I was able to get it removed. Which is partially my fault since I didn’t actually tune the flushing volumes before I printed.
Given the differences in characteristics, I can see a use case for both PETG and PLA support material. PETG seems to work best for large surfaces that need supported, while the PLA support material is difficult to remove. PETG can cause issues on smaller overhang supports since it basically doesn’t adhere at all to PLA and it can cause that part of the print to be knocked off. PLA support material more than likely would not exhibit the same problems since it sticks to PLA a bit more and so there’s less of a concern of printing issues.
I am printing now since the days of the threaded rod Prusa…
And supports never really got any easier LOL
I tried the PLA support material as the interference layer ONLY.
But it took my quite a while to figure out how to get better, not proper, results.
The key is to first check how the interference layer is actually printed!
If the supports are not good enough the fill layer on top won’t be great either, resulting in the thin interference layer being ■■■■.
I noticed this by the supports breaking off rather than the interference layer snapping.
If not that than the uneven interference layer created too much bond with the first supported layer.
And not, increasing the distance won’t help much, it makes things worse if go too far.
How well the stuff works also highly depends on the angle of the supports.
For example a long overhang at 30 degrees is a total pain as you won’t get an even surface.
Here you have to increase the distance between interference layer and first new model layer a bit.
Too bad if other support surfaces are horizontal…
You really have to check how this layer comes out and change the temp and speed to get the best results.
Unlike just using full PLA or PETG this support material is rather soft.
That means it won’t work well if the model is still too warm!
Rather than breaking it then flexes and stretches.
I found two workarounds for this:
For me the biggest issue is the inconsistency.
Even with the setting tweaked as good as possible it never works for all cases.
And printing the same part several times still does not mean the interference layer works the same every time.
I tried different materials for the interference layer, several types of ‘easy snap’ stuff and even the water soluble filament, which is a total pain in terms of storage …
If you ask me then all this fancy stuff is only ever worth trying if the model really requires it.
Like when you sell your prints and don’t waste time on finishing them.
With proper settings the cheapest filament that can cope with the print temp of the filament used for the model will do fine.
Means it is not a matter of material alone but more a matter of HOW the plastic for the model bonds with the plastic for the interference layer 
Using PLA to support Nylon would be pointless, the other way around not so much.
As long as dedicated support material costs more than the hassle with it is worth I stick to to the traditional ways.
