PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
Here’s what I’m talking about! This bauble is a pita to print with breakaway. I printed it with silk pla and a base of PETG.
i paint the supports on the bottom and set support distance to soluable “0”.
This is the only way to go!
Every use case!
RE: PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
@Tobycwood what layer thickness are you using for the above prints. I have a line of detailed prints I need to do so I am curious. Thanks
RE: PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
Have you figured out any tricks to get this to work when the first layer doesn't get a nice place to stick to at the start? Example: If you had to print that same print but starting 1mm off the bed, so the model didn't get nice PEI to stick to; how would you get that first small dot of PLA to stick to a flat bed of PETG instead of the nozzle?
XL-5T, MK3S MMU3 || GUIDE: How to print with multiple-nozzlesizes do read updated replies || PrusaSlicer Fork with multi-nozzlesize freedom || How Feasible is Printing PETG for PLA supports on XL very
RE: PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
These are at .2mm layer height.
RE: PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
Using a non bonding material for full contact support allows you to position your object anyway you would want almost as if you were printing with SLS rather than FDM. Granted it won’t be perfect and it still requires a bit of careful thought, but you really do not need your object to touch the bed at all. Almost like SLA your object can be held by and printed on top of the non bonding material… just as my pics above.
It will stick to the non bonding material if the surface it’s printing on to has enough figure to it for the molten extrusion to mold around. Look at the black PETG base. It only needs a tiny bit and usually it’ll stick mechanically. Too much figure and you may need some tools and careful sniping to get it to release, but when it does the surfaces are way better than break away support, very close to what you get with PVA soluable material, but without the cost of PVA (which is rediculous) or complications in printing or moisture absorption. It’s way easier to use the pla/PETG combo, then it was for the classic abs/PVA approach. I’ve done both.
Take a look at the attached pic. These two 3dBenchys were printed using my E3d toolchanger. This was a test that we discussed in detail on my podcast(3d printing today). The benchy on the right was printed with the stern of the boat flat on the bed and the bottom of the boat at a 45 degree angle. Note the orientation of the layer lines. The benchy on the left was printed completely upside down! Granted they’re not perfect benches, but No marring at all on the undersides!
Learn to do it first with simple objects with easy smooth undersides. There’s really nothing special about the settings other than what I’ve already posted. Set the bed temp to one temp for both materials since Prusa is totally clueless and did not consider this as of yet with Prusa slicer at all. This is a game changer for low cost FDM. Eventually the folks with multiple extruder printers (be they toolchanger or idex) will be doing it this way for every print just as those who use the high end industrial machines do.
RE: PLA/ PETG and full contact supports
I figured out that I needed "mouse ears" to anchor the low-points of my model. (After swapping filaments to make sure it wasn't a wet-filament issue, and after slowing first-layer after interface down to 20%)
I'm happy to report that it's working well!
