raymw Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Hi, anyone using any of the 'domestic' type of 3d printer, (the type that extrudes filament, not the photo resin type) for 7mm scale or larger parts? What is your experience with PLA filament wrt sticking the parts together, painting and lifetime of the object (distortion, degradation over time/uv/whatever)? Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wizmacnz Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Hi Ray I have a Makerbot Replicator 2 using ABS filament. I've never used PLA filament. PLA filament is bio-degradable, but then so is cardboard and wood. ABS is the same plastic as lego and is glued with ABS cement or superglue. Lego bricks last a long time. Cheers Peter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbelup Posted February 21, 2014 Share Posted February 21, 2014 Some examples of model railway prints from a 3D Systems Cube here: http://wasnmodeller.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/3d-printers-available-from-officeworks_7.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterGrant Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hi raymw,I've been using 3d2print PLA filament--http://www.3d2print.net/shop/filament/pla-filament/, never had an issue with it so far. All desktop 3D printers are able to print with PLA filament and no heated print platform is required. Just take note that a firm bonding of your 3D print to the print platform is essential in order to obtain optimum results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Etched Pixels Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 PLA can be printed fairly safely without needing ventilation to the outside, hot beds and other complexities. If you smash it into bits and compost it then it will degrade quite fast. If it's properly varnished in a model then it should last fine. If you are printing ABS you should have good ventilation and it is wise to check the glass on the hotbed of the printer. Many reprap type devices use cheap ordinary glass plates rather than oven glass for the heated bed. A bit of condensation dripping onto it can be spectacularly bad. The ABS should be much much longer lasting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Hi, Thanks for your replies. I'm fairly familiar with ABS wrt machining, moulding, etc. At the moment I am experimenting with producing long (a couple of feet or so) and thin (1mm or so) laminations, and have good success with PLA. I've tried ABS, and it seems to extrude better (can't explain it in more detail than that, but it seems to extrude different to PLA), but the results are more fragile, which puzzles me. However I haven't made a large heated platen, so I guess it is not a fair test. I didn't want to carry on with this 'experimentation', and find in a few month's time that the PLA fell apart. From the few replies, there does not seem to be as many folk doing the home based printing as I thought, but many seems to be spending money with Shapeways, et al. For sticking the PLA to the platen, I use 'high build hair lacquer spray', which works well. The blue 3m masking tape is OK, but needs renewing every few times. I've not tried gluing the parts together, and was wondering if any of the usual solvents worked well, but I've a feeling they may be too severe. In my simple empirical testing, it seems the PLA is much stiffer than, say Perspex, at the same thickness. It originally strikes me as having many unusual characteristics. Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 I've done a bit of experimenting in looking for a quick acting adhesive for PLA, I've found that the few different isocyanate instant glues that I have are not very effective. Plastic weld, however is not too bad, it tends to give time for adjustment, but the joint remains gelatinous for quite some time. However, by far the best is Butanone - more or less instant. It will not wick in between the surfaces too well, due to the ridges produced by the printing process, but a large drop seems to do the job. However, it does mark the surface a bit. I have not tried any of the two part epoxy resins, I expect they would work well, but not as quick as Butanone. I find the epoxies get everywhere, and I always mix too much for the job, then look for other stuff to stick together ;-). Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 Having carried out a bit more 'testing' I found that Butanone will weld PLA if you get it right the first time. There is a problem, however, since if you do not quickly force the two pieces together, it seems to produce a white (oxidised?) surface, and it is then more difficult to weld. I have obtained some dichloromethane from a local sign maker. That works very well, but a bit dangerous if you sniff too much of it, and other aspects. From a chemical supplier, it costs about £25.00 for two and a half litres. Best wishes, Ray Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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