Q & A

Nozzle temps and bed temps depend on the filament you are using, your printer, and even the type of part you are thinking.

I normally set the nozzle temp in the middle or higher end of the manufactures recommended temp. Higher temps are not always better.

Your bed temp should also follow the manufactures recommendations to start with. Different plastics respond to bed temp differently, don’t assume that a higher bed temp will reduce warping.

Slumping is another problem to consider. Too high of a bed temp can soften the part near the bed and cause it to slump. This can be a big issue with PLA.

Tough question. We use a number of different filaments. There are always pro’s and con’s. Check out our page dedicated to filaments under the “Learn” menu.

Nozzle temps and bed temps depend on the filament you are using, your printer, and even the type of part you are thinking.

I normally set the nozzle temp in the middle or higher end of the manufactures recommended temp. Higher temps are not always better.

Your bed temp should also follow the manufactures recommendations to start with. Different plastics respond to bed temp differently, don’t assume that a higher bed temp will reduce warping.

Slumping is another problem to consider. Too high of a bed temp can soften the part near the bed and cause it to slump. This can be a big issue with PLA.

ABS and ASA have similar mechanical properties, though ASA is more stable and generally better. I do not use these plastics when printing firearms parts because of there poor mechanical properties. The tensile strength tends to be low, and layer adhesion can be very poor without a heated chamber. ABS / ASA does have the advantage of good heat resistance at low cost. Because of this I think it has potential as a low cost alternative to Nylons while also having good heat resistance. So I don’t disregard the material completely, but I do think there are better options. PLA+ is better in all respects save for heat resistance.

PETG has poor mechanical properties. It’s largest problem is with impact resistance. If you bend or feel a PETG part, it appears ductile and you would think impact resistant. However, under sharp impact, PETG shatters and has very poor impact resistance.

PETG does have better temperature resistance then PLA+, but it’s not enough to make it usable. I would use ABS over PETG for mechanical parts. For non mechanical parts, it can be great. Just not the right thing for high stress parts.