Best material for clear (or nearly clear) filament?
With my MK3 I've printed so far with PLA of various colors. For a new project I need to use a clear (or nearly clear) filament. The object will have some walls about 1 mm thick, so a sturdy material would be desirable. Any suggestions on what to try? Something different from PLA?
RE: Best material for clear (or nearly clear) filament?
just to start with......
RE: Best material for clear (or nearly clear) filament?
Thanks!
RE: Best material for clear (or nearly clear) filament?
I've used so-called transparent filament in ABS and PETg.
Getting something that is indeed clear is a challenge under the best of circumstances. If you search here, you will see samples that people have done where you can indeed read book print through them, but not crystal clear glass-like transparency.
Yes, some web sites show glass-clear items and claim they have been done with FDM printers. I have yet to see someone's print that looks anything like those.
I use the so-called transparent filament mostly for window and door panes for model railroad buildings. I really don't want true transparency. Here is a sample of what I get with no post-processing.
RE:
I think the brand isn't as important as print settings and post processing.
I used FormFutura HDGlass PETG for some tests, and the PETG print settings from this blog post:
https://blog.prusaprinters.org/3d-printed-lens-and-other-transparent-objects_31231/
You don't even have to use aligned infill, with the settings from the linked blog post there are no visible gaps or layer lines inside the object.
So the only thing you have to care about after printing, is to get the your top and bottom nearly as smooth as real glass.
And be warned: That's not easy. 😛
I sanded a little pice (40mm x 20mm x 1.5mm) using 240, 400, 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 grit and then a soft cotton cloth for polishing.
The whole process took me about 15 to 20 minutes but my result is far from perfect.
There are still visible scratches from the earlier grits that I didn't sand out enough with the next grit.
So the whole process will take some time if you want a real good result.
But my test piece is clear enough to hold it in front of my eye at google distance and I'm perfectly able to read the text in this browser window on my Macbook at normal distance.
Due to the scratches I didn't eliminate completely, it looks like through an old photography lens: A little bit foggy and some glow around hard contrasts (like black text on white), but the result is still pretty amazing for the relative short post processing time I invested.
RE:
Here are some photos.
As you can see it's not the normal HDGlass filament, it's "see through black" (a little bit like sun glasses.😉)
First image: close to object, not too spectacular that you can see through it.
At this distance you can also see things through satin-finished glass.
Next photo: distance from printed object to the notebook is about 25 to 30cm.
This is a distance where you normally won't be able to read the text without post processing (you won't be able to tell if there's text behind at all).
And a last one for fun:
Printed object is just a few milimeters in front of the camera lens and about 40 to 50cm away from the screen.
I guess if I do some research on how to form lenses, I might be able to create a magnifier lens (or even working goggles) with this method.
Sure, the glow and blooming around contrasts are far from perfect, but if you're short-sighted like me, everything is better than reading without googles 😛
(click for larger, sharper image)
RE: Best material for clear (or nearly clear) filament?
Hatchbox ABS. About as clear as I've ever been able to do.
Had reasonably good luck with both vapor smoothing in a jar and by gently teasing the piece with a mop brush dipped in acetone.
