Red PLA from repraper.com?

[Misha]

Does anyone use the red PLA from repraper.com?  http://www.repraper.com/goods.php?id=113

I'm curious at what kind of temps you print it at, I have gone up as high as 195C and still have pretty bad layer adhesion and very brittle parts.  I re-calibrated my e-steps and know that they are dead on so it isn't that.  I had no problems printing clear and blue PLA from them at around 185 C.

Thanks!

[Sean Mitchell]

I printed their red at 210 and it seemed to work really well.  A bit on the hot side, but worked.

I am currently struggling with black from repraper.com, probably the same issue you are experiencing - the parts were so brittle and fell apart with the slightest bit of force.  I'm beginning to think that the plastic varies because after my bad print, I printed out my temp calibration objects and I can't seem to break any of them despite the range from 175 to 210.  175 fell apart quite easily so I know that 175 is too cold, but 180 - 210 are like rocks :/

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Sean Mitchell
50668 Köln
Germany

echo "zvgp...@tznvy.pbz" | tr '[a-m][n-z][A-M][N-Z]' '[n-z][a-m][N-Z][A-M]'

[Russell Shipe]

I think I decided 212 with a first layer of 215. It does not like to stick to anything including its self! As a note my hotend temp is about 6 degrees cooler then is says it is by thermocoupole on the multimeter not sure which one is wrong.

[Misha]

Sounds good, I'll crank up the temp. Although I've never had a problem with it sticking to the bed, I use PVA glue on boro.

[Misha]

What do you use for temp calibration objects?

[Archimedes]

If I am close, i use 5mm Calibration steps(http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:56003) and if I want help understanding more of the issues, i use The essential calibration set(http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5573). On the first one, if the steps curl up towards the edge, the temperature needs to be bumped up a bit.  In the essential calibration set, the oozebane is really good in understanding viscosity at temperatures and your hot end.

[Archimedes]

If 180 is like a rock, why are you going higher?  are you sure your laying down the right amount of plastic?  if your not extruding enough, it can simulate brittleness as well.

[hoani]

I got all PLA colors from repraper and I always print 210 first layer and 185 for the rest of the print. I print on bluetape I heatup to 95 for the first layer then shut the bed down for the rest.

[RepRap3dFactory]

Has anyone tried there ABS? If not does anyone know a good source for wholesale ABS that's good quality?

Mike

On Mar 8, 2013, at 4:02 PM, hoani <hoani...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I got all PLA colors from repraper and I always print 210 first layer and 185 for the rest of the print. I print on bluetape I heatup to 95 for the first layer then shut the bed down for the rest.
>

[JohnD]

It's been a while - almost 8 months or so, but the ABS I ordered from them was "ok" - unremarkable, and after shipping costs, no less expensive than better (and faster!) sources...

[Misha]

212 did the trick, I just wish I haven't wasted half the spool trying to chase the perfect e-steps

On Thursday, March 7, 2013 5:38:16 PM UTC-6, Russell Shipe wrote:

[Sean Mitchell]

My temp calibration process is as follows, though note the changes I want to make at the end.  I have a custom designed part, but after going to all the trouble to make it I found someone had already done almost exactly the same part:  http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35088

I create 9 copies of it in slic3r, and I choose the option to complete each item individually.  I then slice it, and hand-edit the gcode: 

• Search for Z0.20 (where 0.2mm is your layer height).  If you don't have z-lift enabled, this should appear 9 times in your code before it starts each piece
• Right after Z0.20 (important to do this after, otherwise your nozzle hangs in the air while heating up to the next temp step and oozes like crazy), add the code M109 S175 
  
• Search for the next Z0.20, and add in M109 S180 ..and so on

The only tricky thing is, when "completing indivudal objects" I haven't found how to force it to complete them in a particular order.  I usually sit and watch the printer and just mark each with a piece of tape as it finishes.  It would be nice if it started at the bottom left of the matrix and worked left to right...instead it hops all over the place.  To give an idea how it finishes, in the attached photo you can see my test objects with their temperatures written next to them - and in the top right you can see a box with "205 185 180" in the bottom row - those were my notes as they printed.

The problem with this is, and perhaps it's a sign I need to get a gym membership, the parts are too hard to break.  The 175 degree one usually breaks easily and cleanly (see photo), but for example my black stuff from 180 to 210 were unbreakable.  Even with pliers they are hard to break, so hard that I can't tell the difference.

Based on that I started printing the MM 1.5 parts at 210 (because thats what worked so well with red), and they were so brittle.  I think a better design for the parts would be more of an upside down T extruded shape, with the tall part being 3.5 or 4mm thick (like the MM 1.5 parts that printed so brittle).  This would give a nice long path for the extruder to travel along simulating a better real print (I think the layer time on the nail shapes might be too short leading to really great adhesion).  Also to simulate a real printing environment, I will slow down the printing and up the fan so the previous layer is cold when the next goes on, as I think that has a lot to do with the adhesion.

I quickly threw together a model (attached) - I haven't tried this yet but it is what I have in mind.

[Misha]

Awesome, thanks!  Did you notice that your bridging went to shit after cranking up the temperature?  I'm drooping like crazy where before I had it decent.

[Lon Cecil]

Panyct,
Since Aug 2012, the repraper ABS has been better and cleaner than his early welding-grade stuff.   I use it for things that need a range of colors, plus he introduced temp changing versions that are interesting.   Just run them as cool as you can get adhesion between layers.      I have to run repraper  10C hotter than good domestic plastics, and that can be a problem for extruder temps.
I like Village Plastic for production stocks.  Very consistent melt and diameter, but you have to buy in 25 pound color lots.  They should get an award for dysfunctional websites.   Just call them!
Lon