I’m recently started 3D printing, I’m using eSUN PLA+ filament which looks very good.
but now I’m printing with eSUN PETG black filament which looks horrible to me,
It’s like a mirror so much gloss, every unevenness is magnified.
I need a filament which can survive outside, and looks commercial attractive.
Any ideas ?
If you want to hide layer lines, I recommend carbon fiber filled filament. With 0.12mm profile I can not see them at all. Otherwise, white is also quite good on hiding artifacts. Other than that, use fuzzy skin, it also really helps to hide the 3D printing artifacts.
What exactly do you mean by surviving outside? What climate, UV exposed, what timeframe? I have some PLA parts that are outside, and they show almost no sign of damage after 3 years. It depends on your requirements.
Regarding ASA: It also has some gloss to it. But more important, if you are new to 3D printing, ASA requires an enclosed printer, to really work. Also, it releases significantly more odor, but most important VOC and ultra fine particles, than PETG or PLA, so you need proper ventilation or air filtration! The activated carbon filter of the P1S or X1C is a start, but definitively not enough if you are in an enclosed space!
Edit:
Here is a picture of a prototype printed in CF-PLA, unfortunately I have no print in CF-ASA here. That would have to wait until Wednesday.
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Thank you for your detailed answer, your print looks very professional,
next time I will buy carbon filled filament and use a 0.12 mm profile on my X1C printer.
I will make some new test objects and try out fuzzy skin, never done this before I’m curious.
I’m making brackets for my garden tray with electric wire against snails.
The brackets will get a lot of sunshine.
Before using ASA I need to make my space more ventilated, good tip, I will do that…
Maybe I find some PETG with carbon fiber…
Bambulab has some. I will get some on Monday, so if you can wait, I can quickly do a test print Monday evening and show you how it looks.
Want to try it out as well, as I have not yet used their PETG-CF.
That would be great, I can wait till Monday, I’m not in a hurry…
thank you in advance, have a nice weekend…
how well do BL printers hold up to printing filaments with carbon fiber in them? Sort of surprised nobody has mentioned that in the past carbon fiber was/is known for being harder on your printer or wearing out certain components quicker than usual, but if it’s not an issue with BL printers forget I said anything about it.
edit, just thinking of the new to 3d printing aspect of things so wanted to let tweety55 know of that before jumping in with both feet.
CF filaments are more abrasive than some other filaments, but the X1C comes with a hardened steel nozzle and extruder gears to resist wear.
Haven’t had any problems with it. I have printed several kg and didnt see any sign of problems. However I cant say anything about the P1 series. You would have to upgrade the nozzle and extruder.
esun ASAe or any ASA - UV resistant and great finish just print it slow 140mm/S max or better 100mm/S
The X1CC extruder and nozzle materials are prepared for abrasive filaments.
Except for the PLA-CF and PETG-CF, the AMS is not prepared for other CF abrasive filaments.
Except for PETG-CF, I tested it all. There is a vast difference between PLA-CF (which I will consider moderately abrasive, and the PA and PET CF composites. The latter is significantly abrasive, but from what I notice, the extruder and nozzle are properly designed; only the PTFE tube lifetime that may be affected. However, it is still soon, as I don’t print every day with these filaments.
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@JayZay i use PAHT-CF from time to time from the AMS no problem so far , in general not much of experience with -CF materials
But which YYYY-CF would you recommend for outdoor lots of moisture, UV and splashing i need to print quite strong part, ASA is not strong enough , i did a test print with PAHT-CF is ok for strength, but not sure if is adequate on the UV and splashes of water it is for my dingy
I see that there is ASA-CF filament now but never tried any of the others and still not sure if it will be strong enough
There is cheap ASA-CF available and moderately expensive ASA-CF. I printed a little bit with 3DXTech ASA+CF (CarbonX™ High-Performance Carbon Fiber ASA+CF 3D Printing Filament | Made in the USA! ~$80/kg) and it is significantly stiffer than PolyLite ASA. I haven’t really done testing so can’t comment on tensile strength or layer adhesion, but I have some upcoming functional outdoor parts where I’ll be trying it out soon.
Thanks a lot i have only esun eASA, will get some ASA-CF and give it a go as well , please share some results when you do
I´ve no experience with ASA-CF, but it should be excellent.
PAHT-CF is PA12, so the mechanical properties drop with moisture is not that high. I´ve been using it in an ejector, with water as a secondary fluid, without issues. However, I do not have long-time experience with UV.
You can also use epoxy resin for coating the PAHT-CF; I was planning to use a similar solution for the fins of my surfboard. Yet, that ASA-CF may be better.
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So I have just started the print with the PETG-CF. I will send you the results in ~4h, if everything goes all right. But on the spool, the material itself has a lower gloss compared to the standard black PETG from Bambulab.
I’m curious, thank you for being so helpful.
I love PolyLite ASA, but blending it with CF seems a must.
I read some info, but empirical know-how is more reliable.
If you have time, I would be thankful if you could share some details.
I read that a 0.4mm nozzle is okay, but is it prone to clogs? Is it brittle (e.g. PET-CF)? How much surface roughness can be expected in comparison to ASA? Does it still react with acetone? And about dimensional tolerances and accuracy behaviour?
TY
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So, here are some pictures comparing 3 Bambulab filaments. PLA-CF, PETG Basic and PETG-CF:
I think on the top surface, the standard PETG is much more shiny. I did not have an object with a lot of top surface for the PLA-CF, but it is very similar to the PETG-CF, although a bit less reflective.
Here we have the Basic PETG top, then the PETG-CF and finally PLA-CF. All printed with 0.12mm layer height, unmodified BBL Studio profile. The one layer you see in the PETG-CF was due to me pausing the printer and thus causing a small layer shift. Otherwise, the layers disappear quite well, even at 0.12mm layers.
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Great examples, thank you, but I’m a little confused about the order of the images.
** Basic PETG top, then the PETG-CF and finally PLA-CF*
Can you please point out what is what in this picture ?
Many thanks for sharing… except for that layer shift, the PETG-CF looks excellent. BL should give you some fee as you convince me to order one.
Did you try the colour PLA-CF as well? I am asking as it seems to be a different filament. My colour spools seem significantly less abrasive and brittle than the black ones. Alsmost if the CF contnetn was lower. As the black was a sample, it may not be the best; I dried and redried without any changes.
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