Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
I had a roll of Fiberon PET-GF that I had bought for a project but never used until a few days ago. It's extremely easy to print, has a really nice matte finish and is structurally rigid. However... it literally gets under your skin. Handling both the filament and even the printed objects (with sharp edges) requires gloves. I won't go into the gory details but suffice it to say my fingers are only now starting to heal.
Wear gloves.
RE: Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
I wanted to add, that if loose glass fibers embed themselves in your skin, makes me wonder about how much of this stuff gets aerosolized and enters the lungs.
RE: Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
I’ve had that with Sirayatech ABS-GF
Great filament, besides the that.
The problem with GF splinters are that they’re borderline invisible even under magnification.
I wouldn’t imagine much gets in the air, if you tried cutting or sanding it that would be different.
RE: Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
I’ve had that with Sirayatech ABS-GF
Great filament, besides the that.
The problem with GF splinters are that they’re borderline invisible even under magnification.
I wouldn’t imagine much gets in the air, if you tried cutting or sanding it that would be different.
Makes sense. Only reason I picked up the GF variant is it comes in colors other than black. Even with gloves, the fact that even printed parts shed fibers is worrisome.
RE: Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
When I use it, I take the printed part (in gloves) run it under warm water and scrub with an old sponge. Parts are fine to handle after that.
I’ve had other GF filaments that are nowhere near as obnoxious to use.
RE: Proper handling of glass fibre reinforced filaments
Same thing happens when you cut or drill fiber glass boards ( garolite ). Years ago, more than I care to remember. I used to make my own PCBS for DIY audio Hifi projects (amplifiers, DACs, etc..). The fiber glass dust is nasty, Apart from wearing HSS drill bits as if it were wood, it gets into your skin and may get into your lungs as well. I still remember the rash on my fingers after one or two hours drilling fiber glass. Looking back now, I shudder to think of how recklessly dumb I was for not wearing gloves and, more important, a mouth/nose mask.