I pulled the trigger on my first ever 3D printer, an A1 (no AMS).
I have been binge watching YouTube videos and reading as much as I can about the subject, I have been learning OnShape and started to design my own models, as well as compiling a list of ideas of projects etc.
I am worried though that I have ordered the wrong “beginner filament” after reading a few posts on this topic. I didn’t like the shiny PLA, so instead I got these instead:
Ivory White PLA Matte
Charcoal PLA Matte
Dark Red PLA Matte
Sakura Pink PLA Matte
PETG Translucent
Black PETG HF
AMOLEN Silk PLA Two Tone (from Amazon)
AMOLEN Silk PLA Tri Colour (from Amazon)
I also messed up my initial order, and got refills instead of proper spools, so I had to follow up with another order with reusable spools
I am now a bit worried that I don’t have any “Basic” PLA to do my first prints, and perhaps these fancy materials might be more finicky for a total beginner.
I don’t want to put another order in with Bambu to get their PLA, as delivery from Germany to Greece takes ages apparently. But I can source locally from various known brands e.g. Sunlu/eSun/Creality/Real Filament/even Bambu from some local resellers.
Should I get myself some “simple” PLA filament for my initial prints? I just want to have a pleasant out of the box experience
I think you should be fine. Non-HF PETG could be a bit tricky, but there’s plenty of advice here in the forum on that. Just keep in mind that you can slow down when things look rough and be meticulous about filament drying and plate cleaning and you should be fine.
And of course keep in mind that as cool as these printers, there are limits to what can be done with FDM and you will at some point run into problems.
In any case, you already know where and how to get some quick advice for emerging issues
PLA matte isn’t really much different from ‘ordinary’ PLA, so a decent choice to start with. Stick with the presets in Bambu Studio and all should be well.
PETG might need more care with drying, but again, stick to the presets and it should print OK.
I personally like to keep things simple, the A1 is a very forgiving machine and will follow through with more advanced printing as you progress. The PLA filaments will give you good results out of the box, my suggestion would be simple models first to give you and idea how it works. Clean your plate in a sink of hot basic dishsoap and dry with a paper towel before you start. This forum is pretty good with information and help if things don’t go to plan. Good luck
Drying filament properly is very important as you can not rely on manufacturers to do it. Many claim that the filament is dried before sealing it in a bag and shipping it. But the reality looks different.
You should get a filament dryer and a good hygrometer, which can measure as low as 5%RH as well as the build in ones usually can measure only down to 12 to 15%RH which is not good. Most if not all of them are not accurate enough as well.
You don’t have to dry your filament before each print but you should at least dry every filament spool before the first print until the hygrometer shows at least 8%RH. Depending of how humid the air is where you live and how you store your filament additional drying might be necessary from time to time.
If you dry and store your filament properly you can at least eliminate 70% of printing problems from stringing to bad first layers, terrible looking walls or prints.
The humidity in my office where everything will be kept is usually 40-55%. I have a Xiami Smart Temperature/Humidity sensor that I was planning on using (as it also graphs), I never bothered to check if it’s accurate when going really low.
To begin with, I was thinking to get some dry desiccant and see if it makes any difference, when stored in a sealed box. I do have a proper room dehumidifier, which I can perhaps stick in a closet together with the filaments, but I’ve never tried to get it down to really low values.
As long as the hygrometer can measure below 10%RH it is fine. In the end it does not make much of a difference if the displayed 8%RH are 7.5% or 8-5%.
Of course you can start with a box and dessicant. From my experience dessicant helps to keep the filament relatively dry for a longer period but is not suited to dry it from maybe 20/25% RH to something below 10%RH. Also the room dehumifier helps to keep it dry but is no help if you want to dry it.
Since I use a proper filament dryer I have almost no printing issues (no stringing, no dimensional problems, no layer or bed adhesion issues, a perfect first layer, perfect walls and top layer…) so I can only recommend you use one to get the filament dry and then store it in boxes with dessicant or in vacuum bags with a small dessicant pack. Vacuum Bags are probably cheeper and need less space for storage as you can use the cardboard boxes the filament came in.
Any suggestions for a filament drier that can do PLA and PETG? I am scouring Igor’s reviews but I don’t really care for ABS or Nylon, so not sure how to find a good enough model that won’t end up being a piece of ■■■■.
Bambu does not recommend to print high temperature filaments on the A1. Those filaments need a printer enclosure which can be heated to prevent warping and ensure good layer adhesion.
In terms of a filament dryer there are some which are quite good. I use the Crealty Space Pi dryer. You can buy a 1 spool and 2 spool version.
It has presets for varius filaments like PLA, PLA CF, PETG, PETG CF, TPU and more. The hygrometer can only measure down to 15%RH, but as mentioned before that is a problem most dryers have.
There is also the Sunlu S4 for four spools. This one is quite large and a bit expensive.
I did the same thing—I ordered the Mini A1 with the stool attachment that holds the stools. But I made a mistake by ordering ABS filament, thinking it would be better since it’s a stronger material. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stick to the bed and just makes a giant mess. Now I need to return the ABS filaments and order PLA instead—this is getting complicated!
How did things go with the filament you bought? Were you able to return it?
Nope, I kept it. I contacted support hoping they could see the mistake in my order but they couldn’t offer any discount. Bummer, I guess.
What I did do was to order a few extra spools together with refills. They are heavily discounted when you buy them with refills so apart from the hassle the money difference wasn’t that big - I could have saved around 30 eur total I guess.
An update to anyone visiting here… I started printing with a cheap Ender/Creality basic PLA, using the Generic PLA preset, and all prints so far are flawless. I did the Benchy with the provided Bambu Basic white PLA and it comes out the same as in all YouTube videos.
