I’m sure this is been discussed somewhere, but I want to know what you guys use for interior parts on the X1C. I’ve seen nylon, ASA, ABS, PLA carbon fiber, blah, blah, blah! Lol. I just wanna know what everybody uses for fan shroud and other type of parts INSIDE of the X1c. Inside is the keyword. I will eventually print every kind of element that this thing can chew up and spit out. So heat is a factor. And I know that certain filaments produce fumes. Just wanna know what everybody does for ease and also for the best looking and functioning parts. Thanks, everyone!
ABS
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I’ll second JonRaymond, ABS/ASA since that should withstand any temperature you would ever throw at it for “inside” parts. You can probably use PETG also, but you’ll want to verify at what temperature heat deflection becomes a problem.
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Which is easier to work with ASA or ABS? And is nylon near either one of those for ease fumes?
ASA is arguably easier to work with but generally also carries a higher price point with limited colours if you get it from Bambu.
I wouldn’t suggest printing with nylon until you have a really good handle on printing “easier” filaments such as PLA and ABS.
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OK I’m not going to nylon route until I have mastered ASA or abs. Which one would y’all go with ASA or ABS? And would you use a carbon additive?
Personally I would go with basic ABS as UV isn’t and issue inside the printer.
Don’t over think this too much.
Honestly you really don’t need to print any “mods” for the inside of the printer for it to be functional.
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I got my printer in November and started with PLA. The first couple of times I tried printing with ASA I had issues so at the time I decided to just stick with PLA for a while until I got more used to printing. I have used ABS, ASA a few times since then and am more successful with it. I have also used PETG a little. I bought some Bambu PC when I got the printer but haven’t even opened the box yet. Partly because I haven’t had a need for the extra strength and toughness yet and partly because I am not in a rush for the extra challenge.
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If parts are printed from normal PETG, it must be expected that they will become soft from approx 75°C. From 80°C to 85°C, PETG becomes so soft that it can be moulded, even if parts are under tension or are supposed to hold something. High Speed PETG should become mouldable at lower temperatures.
So if you are trying to reach temperatures >75°C in your printer you should not use PETG.
I would try it out and print the desired part with the favoured material first, then put it in the oven at home and place an oven thermometer next to it. It’s a good way to test the heat resistance. Start with a low temperature and adjust the temperature from time to time until the target temperature is reached. Ovens tend to cause large temperature jumps inside when heating up, so carefully turn up the temperature in small steps and always wait a little while (perhaps 20 minutes).
You should be able to anneal PETG at 50°C to 60°C, or at temperatures at which your printed object does not lose its shape. You can also do this in the oven, where the printed object has plenty of space and becomes evenly warm on all sides. The heat resistance can be slightly improved by so-called “annealing”.
If you want to print parts that are temperature stable, both ABS and ASA could be suitable materials. However, these materials can be more difficult to print than PETG, especially if you are new to 3D printing. It might therefore make sense to experiment with PETG first and then move on to ABS or ASA once you have gained more experience. Both ABS and ASA are thermoplastic materials that tend to warp more when cooled.
Best regards!
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I really appreciate everyone’s input and expertise when coming to printing. I’m doing pretty good with PLA and petg. I’ve seen some mods like dust caps, and filter boxes that I wanted to possibly take on, but I also want their sister and brother parts on the outside to match. That’s why I was thinking about the ABS or asa for heat resistance but also for cosmetics. Now I have to find a good ASA or ABS filament to print these exterior and interior mods. Probably in bambu gray. Any recommendations?
Not saying it’s the best choice and not saying you should copy me but the bento box I printed in Overture matte grey PLA over a year ago shows no signs of damage. I have printed ASA and nylon in that year’s time, maybe 10 prints worth. My original plan was to print it in PLA so that I could have it running while I reprinted it in ASA. Never got around to that reprint.
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You are smart to be asking this question way ahead of time. I hadn’t and when I needed to print parts, I had to make a forced choice without having all the data at my fingertips.
Anyway, I went with an “enhanced” ABS that claims “a heat-resistant temp between 105 - 110 ˚C.” The brand is TPOIMNS, and I bought it on amazon. It printed well, seems rock solid after it has cooled, and for all I know it is perfectly fine. However, I subsequently went looking for their website, and there is none. None that I could find anyway.
In retrospect, the proper way to answer your question is to gather datasheets on filaments of interest and compare their “heat deflection temperature.” That is the key phrase you want to look for. It’s the best way to compare filaments, because it’s based on a standardized test under load. Technically speaking, when TPOIMNS advertises a “heat resistant temperature,” it could mean almost anything they want it to mean. Hopefully they meant “heat deflection temperature”, but if not, it’s arguably meaningless, since they don’t bother to define it. Or if they have, I didn’t see it.
There are a lot of similar companies out there selling filament, and that’s fine if you’re printing knick knacks. But when the chips are down and you want to be sure something will carry a load under higher temperature, I think it’s arguably better to pick a filament that has a datasheet from a respectable filament manufacturer, one that doesn’t make up numbers for it’s datasheet but instead does proper testing and does quality control to ensure that what gets shipped is as good or better than what they report on their datasheet.
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I use PLA. The main fan cover, upper rear drive covers, flipper extension and carbon filter box just to name a few. The inside of the cabinet isn’t going to get anywhere near deflection temperatures that matter without destroying the electronics–Also inside the cabinet. Typically, the parts aren’t being stressed in a deflection sense anyway. More concern should be given to the longevity of the belts and table.
POM-C is less prone to warping than ABS and ASA . POM-C is long-term temperature stable up to 100°C. However, it can also withstand higher temperatures up to 140°C. Since you do not want to melt or deform parts of the printer inside, you will probably not get close to 100°C. 80°C is more likely, also because of the built-in electronics.
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Which POM-C brand do you like?
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As I don’t print POM as much as I print ABS, it would be out of order to make a specific recommendation. E.g. I printed PAHT-CF again today, for a very small part. Again, no recommendation, the use is too rare. Likewise with other nylon, I still have leftovers of a type that I could no longer get.
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Wow! I love this community. So many forums out there on Facebook and elsewhere that have such negativity and some asshole saying… “Look it up on Google, didn’t you do a search?” I just ordered some ASA And we’ll see how it goes.
Another question… That bento box… Is it enough to keep the fumes down to be safe while the printer is in a living area or not? I know I’ll have to vent it or put it in a room that isn’t being used to print the box, but I also saw there’s a few companies out there that have them prefab for relatively Affordable price.
If you look carefully, you will find some of that assholes here…
I’m using Bentobox and like it. Reduces the fumes a lot. Printed mine using ABS, and added a dumb temperature switch r that turns it on automatically at 40 degrees celsius.
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They’re everywhere, they’re everywhere, they’re everywhere! Lol. So if I use that bento box, could I use it in say in a den that is on the first floor with the living room and dining room and kitchen? Or is venting more appropriate?
Kind of depends on the air flow where you are using the printer. The bento box will do a pretty good job srubbing the air in the printer, but it isn’t 100%; you’d have to vent outside for that. Basically it depends on how much volume of air the room is and how often the air in that room is replaced when it’s recirculated. This all will determine the concentration of the fumes and VOCs that you are worried about that are in the air. I’ve yet to find the perfect answer to that so you’ll have to experiment for yourself by printing in that location with the bento box and determine if the concentration of fumes is low enough for your margin of safety.
I print in my home office and so my preference is to use both the bento box, vent outside, and use an air purifier. I spend too much time near it to want to worry about any potential poisoning so I went extra on mitigating fumes.
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