PLA filament has been the most common 3D printing filament, especially in desktop 3D printing in home and educational environments. The reasons are that it's pretty easy to print, the temperature required to print is pretty low, and most importantly there are no toxic fumes that are emitted. A material that's been in development for a number of years and has now become a formidable contender is the PETG filament. It has all these wonderful colors and it's got some great qualities in terms of … [Read more...]
Is 3D printing filament safe to use in the home?
Since the explosion of the desktop 3D printing industry, plastic in the form of 3D printing filament is being melted and formed into physical objects in people’s homes at an increasing rate. In fact, today 3D printing materials and printers are being placed in homes and educational institutions more than businesses. The community of Montclair, NJ has installed MakerBot 3D printers in every school in their district, from elementary schools all the way up through to the college level. This is a … [Read more...]
Misconceptions About 3D Print Filament Costs
Whenever I walk through the printer ink cartridge aisle at Costco, I always hear complaints and grumbling about the ridiculously high cost of ink. “It costs $80 for black ink!” The reaction to the $50 roll of 3D Print filament costs are the same. However, thinking that 3D printer filament is similar to these consumables for your paper printer is the most common misconception about 3D printing. 3D Print Filament Costs The real analysis of the cost of 3D Printing is not in the filament but … [Read more...]
Good Filaments Make Good Prints With Jack Warren Of Toner Plastics
Good filaments, good prints, plus a good printer all add up to a happy you. Successful 3D Printing results owe, in large part, to good input – good design, solid code, and good materials. High quality filament can alleviate the most common problems of failed prints. Today, Tom and Tracy Hazzard talk with Jack Warren, the COO of Toner Plastics in East Longmeadow, MA, about what really makes good PLA 3D Print filament. Jack notes how tight controls in manufacturing filament are a … [Read more...]
Where Is The Good Quality Filament?
What makes a good quality filament? How do you know if you have good filament or not? Tom and Tracy Hazzard kick off their materials week with these common questions. After testing dozens of PLA filament brands, they have a pretty good idea of what qualifies as good filament. They talk about the aspects that affect a filament’s outcome on print and behavior with the printer. They also discuss how a larger volume allows you to control the color better. Listen to them as they share all … [Read more...]
Sticking Parts To The Build Plate
Getting your parts stuck to the build plate is the basis for all good prints. Tom and Tracy Hazzard share some tips for getting your parts stuck and discuss some tools used, such as the blue tape. They also dive deeper into breaking down the layers of the build plate, discuss the functions of each part, and the factors that may affect each of the layers. By understanding these details, we can dissect the reasons for the parts not sticking to each other properly. --- Listen to the … [Read more...]