3D Printing Stack Exchange
3D Printing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [filament]

For questions related to different filaments used as the print material.

Filament is the plastic strands used as the print material for 3d printers. The most common types are PLA and ABS. There are also other types of filament that used other types of plastics as well as other materials.

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How do I give 3D-printed parts in PLA a shiny smooth finish?

The surfaces of my printed parts using PLA plastic look rough and uneven. Would changing filament to a better one make any difference? If not, what kind of methods can I use to achieve a smoother finish for my for 3D-printed objects?
kenorb
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When to use 1.75 mm vs 3 mm filament?

Why do we have two standard filament sizes, 1.75 mm and 3 mm? Does it really make a difference when printing? Or is the 1.75 mm just for smaller printers? In what situations should I be using 1.75 mm? When should I be using 3 mm?
Matt Clark
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How is PLA different from ABS material?

What are the main differences when using ABS over PLA and vice versa?
CJK
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What is PLA+? How is it different from PLA?

Question What is PLA+? How is it different than PLA? I'm looking for science, composition, formula, safety concerns (or lack thereof), etc. Background I picked up a roll of PLA+ at Microcenter (their in-house Inland brand) because it was on…
YetAnotherRandomUser
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Does filament have to be stored in an airtight environment?

For standard ABS and PLA filament, most distributors recommend storing the filament in an airtight bag. Does not doing this actually make print quality worse? I have left mine in the open for a year and have had no noticeable problems.
Eric Johnson
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Advantages of PETG filament?

I was just shopping for filament, and saw some glowing claims about PETG being as easy to work with as PLA, but as strong as ABS, and less brittle. Anyone know if that's actually true, or what the tradeoffs are?
TextGeek
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What to do with failed/unwanted 3D prints?

I am planning on getting a 3D printer soon and I was just wondering, what do you do with 3D prints that either failed or were prototypes that you no longer want? I tried looking online but the closest I got was effects on environment, turning prints…
Koppany Horvath
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How does one use a heat tower?

I've been asking around on how to choose the right temperature for a given filament. I noticed that with two different brands of pla I have to print at different temperatures, and the manufacturer specifies a broad range of print temperatures. I…
linuxdan
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Does wood filament damage the printer nozzle?

I recently found out carbon fiber and glow in the dark PLA can damage the printer nozzle, now I'm suspicious of all the "exotic" filaments. So, does wood filament cause damage to the nozzle? (under normal use, or at least what someone who only used…
Nir
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Can I mix ABS and PLA when recycling filament?

I'm thinking of recycling some filament from a couple of recently failed prints. I can reuse them in the future for basic prototypes, so I'm not concerned with whatever weird mixture of colors come out (they are of a few different colors). The thing…
HDE 226868
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Can aged PLA be refurbished?

Inspired by another question and due to the fact that some of my filament will face the same problem when I will use them again, I wanted to know if there are proven recipies to get rid of water that has ben incorporated to PLA filament from…
kamuro
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How to print metal-like parts?

I would like to print parts (e.g. jewellery) for use which I don't want to look or feel like a plastic, but metal-like, so briefly people won't see much difference. Are there any specific type of home-printers that can achieve that? Or it's rather…
kenorb
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What causes bubbles in extruded filament?

I've noticed this on almost ever print I've ever had. On the initial first line that clears the extruder nozzle tiny little bubbles/craters seem to form on the line. While I don't think these are causing any issue with my prints I'm curious to know…
Diesel
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Can 1.75 mm filament be used in a printer that takes 3 mm filament?

As an extension from this question, is there any reason that you would not be able to use 1.75 mm filament in a printer that takes 3mm filament? I know you would have to change the filament size in the slicing of prints but would there be any other…
Eric Johnson
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What is stopping us from mixing 3D filament colors in an Extruder?

This came up in one of my groups today. That we could not color bend, or mix 3d printing filaments. I have researched but I am not finding anything talking about Plastic mixing in an extruder. Why is it that we cannot take say a Diamond hotend, or a…
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