1 Topic by gwfami

  • gwfami
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-03-11
  • Posts: 142

Topic: Messy looking extruded ABS

When ABS thread comes out of the printer head, at first it is nice and purty, like fishing string, but within an inch or so turns into this ugly stuff.

As a result, I get ugly prints.

Now compare this lovely, PLA print of the same object.

Out of about 20 prints I've done with ABS, I've only had 1 come even kinda close to the quality of the PLA.

Now I have calibrated the prints for ABS, as well as the PLA prints (separate calibrations for each, of course).

ABS was ran in a heater chamber with peek cooling fan at 200 C extruder and 100 C bed.

PLA was ran in an unheated chamber, no peek cooling fan at 187 C and bed at 95 C.

Is this just how ABS works or is there something else going on?

Also, is it just my imagination or is the PLA stronger than the ABS?

Right now, PLA is my way, at least until I can get ABS to work nicely, as my wife wants to use the acetone smooth.

Thanks,

GWFAMI

Post's attachments

Beautiful PLA with Ugly ABS.jpg 2.17 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

Kindof OK ABS.jpg 2.15 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

Ugly 1.jpg
Ugly 1.jpg 2.25 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

Ugly 2.jpg 2.23 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

Ugly print.jpg
Ugly print.jpg 2.24 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

You don't have the permssions to download the attachments of this post.

2 Reply by Tomek (edited by Tomek 2013-11-03 19:03:17)

  • Tomek
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-10-01
  • Posts: 710

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

PLA is actually stiffer than ABS. It has much lower impact resistance, and it softens at a much lower temperature. So it's a worse part in terms of it will break in use, but if the use is careful it might be ok.

Looks like ABS might be full of water? I'm not sure are those prints or filament themselves?

They look ugly but my ABS looks nothing like that.

3 Reply by gwfami

  • gwfami
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-03-11
  • Posts: 142

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

Have no idea about the water.  Purchased it the same place I got my PLA.  Those strings are the filaments that come out of the extruder head.  I usually push through about 10mm of ABS prior to printing to make sure it is coming out ok.

If it's water, what's the fix?

Tomek wrote:

PLA is actually stiffer than ABS. It has much lower impact resistance, and it softens at a much lower temperature. So it's a worse part in terms of it will break in use, but if the use is careful it might be ok.

Looks like ABS might be full of water? I'm not sure are those prints or filament themselves?

They look ugly but my ABS looks nothing like that.

4 Reply by Hazer

  • Hazer
  • Hazer
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-07-19
  • Posts: 478

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

That is some bad looking filament. Your ABS has way too much moisture, or air bubbles. If you hear popping sound while it is extruding, its moisture. If not, its air. Moisture can be baked out, air cannot. My advice, throw it away. It looks really bad. And just because the PLA was OK, doesnt not mean the ABS will also be good quality.

Man, that just really looks bad. You really need to get your hands on some very good quality ABS. My suggestion is this stuff:

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Toolworks-Pri … lworks+abs

Its really good quality. Once you see how good ABS works, you can tell bad ABS immediately.

Chuck Bittner is a quadriplegic gamer who is petitioning the major console developers to include internal button remapping in all console games. You can help.
Sign Chuck Bittners petition

5 Reply by IanJohnson

  • IanJohnson
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 2,815

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

You can try baking the spool in the oven at 80C for 4 hours and see if that helps.  It looks like moisture to me as well.

6 Reply by gwfami (edited by gwfami 2013-11-06 03:15:40)

  • gwfami
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-03-11
  • Posts: 142

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

I took about 5 meters of the ABS off the spool and baked it in the oven at 175 F for 4 hours.  I then did another print of the same object.

See if you can tell which is which.  Not quite sure if water was the problem..... smile


Now, will it require 4 hours or 8 hours for the entire spool?

Thanks for your help guys.

Post's attachments

CM131105-210814.jpg 2.04 mb, 1 downloads since 2013-11-06 

CM131105-210915.jpg 2.05 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

CM131105-210958.jpg 2.05 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

CM131105-211041.jpg
CM131105-211041.jpg 2.07 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

You don't have the permssions to download the attachments of this post.

7 Reply by muddtt

  • muddtt
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Solidoodle 2
  • Registered: 2013-09-26
  • Posts: 276

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

Wow

8 Reply by creationblur

  • creationblur
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Titusville
  • Registered: 2012-08-10
  • Posts: 143

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

Wow indeed. Another vote for some better ABS. I have about 6 rolls of ABS all from Octave, via amazon dot com, and one roll of clear from Zen Toolworks. When storing the ABS, I put them in ziplock bags with a handful, or more, of silica gel packets in each bag. This works for me, as I'm in Floriduh.
Hope you get better prints in the future!

...sativas are for smoking!

9 Reply by rickq

  • rickq
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2013-07-11
  • Posts: 60

Re: Messy looking extruded ABS

1. Your machine is pretty well tuned up.  Nice work there.

2. Wow as well.  I think I am going to start cooking the ABS just because.  So Cal is pretty dry as a rule, but spool to spool things vary a bit.  I have see this phenomena, to a very minor extent, in some Octave black.  I figured it was air.

3. Now you can start thinking about nylon.  You are well primed.