Worth adding ABS to my arsenal?
I have a bit of a conundrum - I need to print a (non-stock) fan shroud in ABS as my PETG one drooped but am on the fence... should I just buy a roll of ABS and add it to my arsenal or find someone nearby to print it for me instead?
Pros:
-> I have the parts for an enclosure, this would result in motivation to actually build it.
-> I'd have some ABS on hand for future parts that require its properties over PETG or PLA
-> Something new to try out and play with.
Cons
-> No idea how well ABS "keeps" if stored with desiccant. It'll probably be fine but I'd prefer not to find out in a year it's unusable.
-> It'd be $15 or more locked up in a roll of rarely used filament. (I looked at samples but they are stupid pricey for the amount you get; a full roll is a far better deal)
-> No idea how often I'd actually use it given the nature of printing with it in the first place. Probably only rarely for replacement fan shrouds/upgrades.
Thoughts/comments? What do you find yourself using ABS for that PLA and PETG don't cut it? If you have use cases I could see myself encountering it's a stronger argument for just buying the roll.
Re: Worth adding ABS to my arsenal?
I like ABS properties. But this material is tough to print. You need an enclosure and get some experience. Some objects are really a pain to print with ABS.
Anyway, it can be stored for a pretty long time (have 2 years old rolls) without decreasing in quality. So if you really would like to add a new material to your bag then ABS I would recommend. It's inexpensive and the experience might be useful for Nylon/PC printing in the future.
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Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
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Re: Worth adding ABS to my arsenal?
I would recommend a newer blend of PLA like 3D850 or 3D870. Both have heat resistance properties greater than most ABS. Check them out:
https://www.filastruder.com/collections/filament/products/veracity-propla-1kg-spool
https://fusionfilaments.com/collections/htpla-filament-1
https://www.pushplastic.com/products/premium-pla
You don't need to do anything to add heat resistance. You can anneal it if you want to add strength to the part. I anneal most of my parts (because they're small) on the heatbed at 100C if I do anneal it. The adhesion to the bed helps retain the shape.
Re: Worth adding ABS to my arsenal?
Problem solved! I should be getting an ABS sample from 3d Solutech, perfect for me to print a fan shroud and get some ABS experience before committing to a roll.
Re: Worth adding ABS to my arsenal?
well that was interesting. Got my parts printed and some left over. The interesting thing is the ABS didn't stink too badly while printing... yet now afterwards when printing PETG again it still smells like ABS. 😀
Also... PLA bearings do not like enclosures at ABS ambient temperatures... 😉 They were holding up and got the print done, but game over after they had cooled down. No biggie as I was only doing an experiment anyway. I may get some of those vesconite ones instead; I put the stock bearings back on and boy is my printer LOUD again... 🙄