SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — PLA Printing

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 02:52:56 +0000

mpoffo wrote:

What brand of PLA are you using?

Wedo3dprinting - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200955209526? … EBIDX%3AIT
I use their ABS too and the quality of both is very good.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (mpoffo) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 22:15:29 +0000

What brand of PLA are you using?

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 21:41:09 +0000

Well, I just got a new spool of PLA and the first 2 prints came out perfect at 225 and 90C with nothing on the bed whatsoever !

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:23:38 +0000

Now I'm really confused.
I checked the manufacturer's website for info on their PLA. They recommend 225C for the extruder.
So I tried 225C and 90C for the bed with kapton tape and got a perfect, well stuck 1st layer !
No glue, yay.
That blows my thoughts on too much heat at 90C out the water.
Unfortunately, my 10 metre sample of PLA ran out so I can't test this any further but I'll order some more and try again.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:55:55 +0000

Thanks.
Anything to get round using that damn glue.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (carl_m1968) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:22:49 +0000

scobo wrote:

I tried kapton tape but that wasn't much better than the bare glass.
Would the painters tape work better than kapton with PLA ?

The painters tape works great with PLA as long as you don't heat the bed. The Makerbots run PLA and that is there setup. Painters tabe and a room temp bed. The heated bed is optional for them.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 08:05:59 +0000

I tried kapton tape but that wasn't much better than the bare glass.
Would the painters tape work better than kapton with PLA ?

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (carl_m1968) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 22:43:06 +0000

evanalmighty wrote:

You can print PLA without heating up the bed. Just glue stick on the glass is fine. I think 90C is way too hot for PLA. I would agree that it's the standard temp for ABS, but not PLA.

Well my 3DStuffmaker always used 90, but it was an anodized aluminum plate instead of glass. Also another option for PLA is blue painters tape on a room temp unheated bed. This is what Makerbot uses on their $2500 dollar units.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (evanalmighty) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:55:30 +0000

You can print PLA without heating up the bed. Just glue stick on the glass is fine. I think 90C is way too hot for PLA. I would agree that it's the standard temp for ABS, but not PLA.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 20:26:19 +0000

Well, I've been battling with PLA at a bed temp of 90C for the past couple of hours and it's just not happening.
I think there's just too much heat for the stock extruder to cope without better cooling.
It might be possible with one of the heatsink mods and/or a 12V fan to replace the stock fan but for now I'll just stick with a bed temp of 50C and the glue stick. This seems to work pretty well.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 08:52:51 +0000

Cheers Carl, I'll give that a go. The retailer recommended 50C but I'll try 90C.
It would be great not to have to go back to using glue.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (carl_m1968) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 08:48:28 +0000

scobo wrote:

Nothing fancy at all guys, I'm just using a bit of kapton tape around the sides of the extruder fan to block the gaps to try to allow better airflow. It's a quick version of this mod ... http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:623274
I'm not even sure what difference it makes tbh.
No extra fans or heatsinks.
I use 180C for the extruder and 50C for the bed.
They key seems to be getting the bed height just right. Too high (not enough gap between the nozzle and the bed) and you get back pressure causing the PLA to swell in the nozzle and wedge.
And glue stick on the bed. I find that's the only way I can get the print to stick.

Run your bed at 90 and PLA should stick without glue. It is the standard bed temp for PLA.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (scobo) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 08:02:50 +0000

Nothing fancy at all guys, I'm just using a bit of kapton tape around the sides of the extruder fan to block the gaps to try to allow better airflow. It's a quick version of this mod ... http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:623274
I'm not even sure what difference it makes tbh.
No extra fans or heatsinks.
I use 180C for the extruder and 50C for the bed.
They key seems to be getting the bed height just right. Too high (not enough gap between the nozzle and the bed) and you get back pressure causing the PLA to swell in the nozzle and wedge.
And glue stick on the bed. I find that's the only way I can get the print to stick with PLA.

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (georgehine) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 01:58:33 +0000

I would like to see your setup as well scobo

Re: PLA Printing

null@example.com (ebatter1) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 00:25:51 +0000

@Scobo what temp settings are you using to print PLA? and do you have any extra fans or heatsinks on the extruder? I have tried pla but it keeps expanding in the barrel of my extruder and jamming (@190C)

...I also wonder why it expands, PLA is supposed to have a much lower thermal expansion coefficient compared to ABS, so why does it expand in the Barrel when ABS doesn't?

BTW studica is now selling official XYZprinting PLA cartridges. although they are marked up $10 from what XYZPrinting's website says they should be sold for