Makerbot provide a useful online resource about 3D printing;
http://www.makerbot.com/support/guides/pla/
The information below was provide form http://www.makergeeks.com/pla-vs-abs2.html big thanks!!: )
PLA vs ABS - The tale of two Thermoplastics
PLA vs ABS - The tale of two Thermoplastics
General Tips & Tricks for printing with PLA filaments
The printing temperature guideline for printing with our PLA filament is approximately 210°C.As each desktop 3D printer has its own unique characteristics, you might need to tweak around with your temperature settings a bit to get the best results. To obtain optimal results for your prints you need to take into account variables like your 3D printer’s nozzle diameter, your printing speed settings, and layer height.
PLA has much less tendency to warp compared to ABS. Therefore it can be printed both with and without a heated print bed. However, if your desktop 3D printer does have a heated print bed it is recommended to set your print bed temperature to approximately 40° to 50° C.
A good first layer adhesion is of the utmost importance in obtaining the best results for your prints. There are several tricks to get the first layer of your PLA print to stick better to the print bed of your 3D printer.
- Blue Masking Tape. PLA prints usually stick really well to blue masking tape. When preparing the print bed it is better to have tiny gaps between your strokes of masking tape, rather than having overlaps.
- Overlaps of smaller pieces of tape may cause difficulties later on during the print process. We have tested a wide variety of masking tapes and found that the best results can be obtained with Eurocel Blue Masking Tape.
- Coat your print bed with hairspray. Like ABS, PLA has a tendency to stick really well to extra strong hairsprays.
- Blue masking tape is unlikely to leave a residue on your print bed. A hairspray coating however will leave a residue on your print bed.
General Tips & Tricks for printing with ABS filaments
The printing temperature guideline for printing with our Premium ABS filament is approximately 235°C to 256°C. As each desktop 3D printer has its own unique characteristics, you might need to tweak around with your temperature settings a bit to obtain the best results. To obtain optimal results for your prints you need to take into account variables like your 3D printer’s nozzle diameter, your printing speed settings, and layer height.
It is recommended to use a heated print bed when printing ABS. ABS has a tendency to warp, which makes it a difficult material to print without a heated print bed. Ideally your print bed temperature should be set at approximately 80° to 110 ° C. Please note that ABS will bend under too much heat, so after the first few layers, it’s best to turn down your print bed temperature a bit.
A good first layer adhesion is of the utmost importance in obtaining the best results for your prints. There are several tricks to get the first layer of your ABS print to stick better to the print bed of your 3D printer.
- Use polyimide tape (Kapton tape or PET tape). ABS prints usually stick better to polyimide tape than to the print bed. When preparing the print bed it is better to have small gaps between your strokes of tape, rather than having overlaps. Overlaps of smaller pieces of tape may cause difficulties later on during the print process.
- Coat your print bed with hairspray. ABS has a tendency to stick really well to extra strong hairsprays.
- Coat your print bed with ABS juice. Dissolve a little peace of ABS in 50ml of Acetone. The acetone should get slightly cloudy. To make the surface of your print bed more sticky, you can lightly coat your print bed with this cloudy ABS/Acetone mixture. Please make sure not to use too much ABS in your juice as it will make your prints stick too well and be extremely difficult to remove.
- PET tape and Kapton tape are unlikely to leave a residue on your print bed.
- Hairspray and ABS/Acetone juice coatings will leave a residue on your print bed.
3D Printing Facts, Tips, Tricks & Other Bottom of the Page Nuggets
from MakerGeeks.com
What Temperature to 3D Print your Filament at?
While each 3D Printer is different and you will need to play around with the temps to get the best print here are some starter temps for you; these are all temperature profiles that are verified and confirmed print temps on the MakerGeeks.com 3D Printers (9 different machines from pre-built D3 and D4 to our own DIY custom Reprap printers) with the actual filament we sell to you... so they will get you 99% of the way there!
195c - 210c
|
210c - 215c
|
230c - 235c
|
250c
|
175c - Smooth
210c - Rough |
165c (light colored wood)
210c (very dark colored wood) |
210c
|
260c
|
210c
|
265c
|
How do I get my filament to stick and STAY stuck?
This one is a multi-faceted answer but here are the basics:
- Your print bed has to be level!! I mean, spend some time on this one... if it isn't level like a... well... like something that's really level - then your print won't stick and it won't come out looking right.
- Next... CLEAN, CLEAN, then RE CLEAN, have a sandwich and a soda-pop and then CLEAN again... use acetone and a lint free towel to make sure your print surface is clean and free from oils and dirt.
If you are having a hard time printing on glass try using some Kapton tape as that will give you a little better stick
- If you have a heated print surface... TURN IT ON!! Even when the filament used might not call for it, I always turn on my heat bed (who doesn't like a warm bed!!); even if it's just 40c it will really help. For PLA normally you'll want about 60c and for ABS you'll want 110c
- For ABS 3D Printing room temperature really matters... you need to keep your entire build warm; so if you can't print out in a warm room try putting a box over the printer to keep that build area as warm as possible.
- Try making "ABS Juice" - just add some scrap ABS filament to a bottle of acetone and let it dissolve and then use that to clean your print surface as normal; the dissolved ABS will give your printer extra STICK OR you can use "Aqua-Net Super Hold" hair spray (must be this brand to work right)... just clean your board as always and then lightly spray the Aqua-Net on the print board and print away (this method is my favorite as it seems to work best for me!)
- KEEP trying!! You'll get it and once you do have it dialed in then you have it forever... each printer is different; make sure you make notes of what works and what doesn't for each filament you use and each printer you have. So, in the future when you want to print out that EPIC "Yogi Bear" figurine in MakerGeeks.com Blue you know what to set up your GCODE for.
What is the main differences between PLA and ABS 3D Printer Filament?
The main difference between PLA filament and ABS filament is that ABS is produced from fossil fuels and PLA is derived from biological resources, which makes PLA plastic biodegradable. When it comes to 3D printing the key differences between ABS and PLA are:
- PLA is a rigid liquid and ABS is a crystallized liquid, meaning that when heated ABS transits slowly from a gel to liquid and PLA transits direct from solid to liquid.
- ABS is more flexible and PLA is more solid, meaning when stressed PLA will snap sooner.
- PLA is more glossy looking consumable than ABS (see photos when selecting your material).�
Wow, you have a 1kg spool of filament... SO What! How much actual filament is that??
Big question of the day is... how long is a spool of 3D Printing Filament!? Hummmmm, I think even Blinky the wise old MakerGeeks.com owl might have a hard time with that question but never fear... we have the answer!!
1/kg Spool
|
PLA 1.75mm
|
PLA 3mm
|
ABS 1.75mm
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ABS 3mm
|
302,000.00mm
|
120,192.30mm
|
245,000.00mm
|
147,732.30mm
|
... and what does that mean to me and you!! Well, check this out... if you are printing with 3.00mm filament for a iPhone case you need about 2,700mm of filament; for a EPIC Starship Enterprize Model you'll need about 12,000mm of 3D Filament and for a full Kossel 3D Printer Kit we normally use about 50,000mm of filament. Another way to look at it according to MakerBot is that 1 spool of 3D Filament produces about 392 full sized chess pieces. Whoa... that's a lot of chess!!
Don't forget... Print Happy @ MakerGeeks.comNow, go tell 5 friends and 3 total strangers that MakerGeeks.com is beyond EPIC!!! (thank you)
Bespoke CommuniToys
Bespoke CommuniToys
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