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ASA - never again!  

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JM
 JM
(@jm)
Trusted Member
ASA - never again!

I upgraded from a mini to a Core One to unlock the world of more exotic filaments.

I managed PC Blend and PP-CF first time - no problems using the unmodified profiles. So when I got some ASA for an outdoor project ... what could possibly go wrong 😀. 

The first attempt at a simple box (admittedly the full width of the print plate) 'crashed and burned' into a spaghetti mess when the print warped off the plate when I was out of the house - it even managed to snarl up the hot end fan 😫 (I wasn't going to 'babysit' the print for 17hrs).

After a trawl through the forum I found a few tips, courtesy of @hyiger - thank you, and tried again. Eventually, by incorporating a substantial brim, modifying the print to reduce the infill, increase the perimeters and wrapping the Core One tighter than a baby in wooly blankets I managed to achieve a warped but functional box (the lid still doesn't fit but hey, I'll take the 'win').

The moral of the story... stick to PETG 😆 

Napsal : 13/06/2026 11:29 am
mnentwig
(@mnentwig)
Prominent Member
RE:

 

Posted by: @jm

I upgraded from a mini to a Core One to unlock the world of more exotic filaments.

I managed PC Blend and PP-CF first time - no problems using the unmodified profiles. So when I got some ASA for an outdoor project ... what could possibly go wrong 😀. 

The first attempt at a simple box (admittedly the full width of the print plate) 'crashed and burned' into a spaghetti mess when the print warped off the plate when I was out of the house - it even managed to snarl up the hot end fan 😫 (I wasn't going to 'babysit' the print for 17hrs).

After a trawl through the forum I found a few tips, courtesy of @hyiger - thank you, and tried again. Eventually, by incorporating a substantial brim, modifying the print to reduce the infill, increase the perimeters and wrapping the Core One tighter than a baby in wooly blankets I managed to achieve a warped but functional box (the lid still doesn't fit but hey, I'll take the 'win').

The moral of the story... stick to PETG 😆 

Yes - large objects are a challenge. If you feel print bed adhesion isn't perfect, you might give 3D printing spray adhesive a shot. I don't print ASA/ABS any other way. 

I print quite a few printer parts in ASA/ABS and am generally happy with the results. However, it needs to be *dry*, or it'll have a tendency to come apart at layer lines. "Dry" means for me it's getting so brittle that loading into the printer becomes difficult, or it'll break.

Remote monitoring may be a good idea. And from a fire-safety point of view ... well, spontaneous combustion of blanket-wrapped babies is reported at statistically insignificant levels, it'll be fine 🙂

We'll just put some bleachers out in the sun-And have it on Highway 61
Napsal : 13/06/2026 12:40 pm
MileHigh3Der
(@milehigh3der)
Honorable Member
RE: ASA - never again!

I've been using a lot more ASA after being mainly PETG.  Better aesthetics and promised weathering, and less 'bendy'.

I will say that the brand of filament, and even color, matters a lot.  I think you can tell the quality by taking a short piece and bending it.  Crappy stuff like Inland snaps easily.   Filamentum, 3Dxtech, and Prusament don't snap and break.  From doing a little filament extrusion, I know the correct additives are key to properties- and I'd say that Inland is skimping on the stabilizers.

I also have issues with Inland sticking to the bed. Their gray was the worst.

Not to totally dis inland.  I use it a lot, but if it is something important, I use the others- 3Dxtech and Prusament being my favorite.

Napsal : 13/06/2026 12:52 pm
JM
 JM
(@jm)
Trusted Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: ASA - never again!

Posted by @mnentwig

Yes - large objects are a challenge. If you feel print bed adhesion isn't perfect, you might give 3D printing spray adhesive a shot. I don't print ASA/ABS any other way. 

Remote monitoring may be a good idea. And from a fire-safety point of view ...

 

I neglected to mention - all my attempts were 'glued' to the plate and I tried the satin and the smooth PEI plates... but I used 'pritt' rather than 'hairspray' or, as @hyiger recommended, 'Vision Miner NANO Polymer Adhesive'; I can't find the latter in the UK and if you'd seen the top of my head you'd realise I don't have any hairspray handy 🤣 ... perhaps I should have used Araldite

The (Buddy3D) camera in the Core One enclosure 'died' soon after the chamber reached 55deg (it's working again now so I assume that's a temperature tolerance problem) ... just to add to the saga 😀 

Posted by @MileHigh3Der

I will say that the brand of filament, and even color, matters a lot.

I 'splashed out' on Prusament ASA (olive green - if that matters) as it was my first (& last) attempt 😀 

Thank you both for your suggestions

Napsal : 13/06/2026 1:46 pm
hyiger
(@hyiger)
Famed Member
RE: ASA - never again!

 

Posted by: @jm

The (Buddy3D) camera in the Core One enclosure 'died' soon after the chamber reached 55deg (it's working again now so I assume that's a temperature tolerance problem) ... just to add to the saga 😀 

I had that same issue, if you contact support they will send a new camera. Some batches of the Buddy Camera can't tolerate a 55+ chamber and will shutdown. 

Napsal : 13/06/2026 2:27 pm
hyiger
(@hyiger)
Famed Member
RE: ASA - never again!

 

Posted by: @jm

After a trawl through the forum I found a few tips, courtesy of @hyiger - thank you, and tried again. Eventually, by incorporating a substantial brim, modifying the print to reduce the infill, increase the perimeters and wrapping the Core One tighter than a baby in wooly blankets I managed to achieve a warped but functional box (the lid still doesn't fit but hey, I'll take the 'win').

ASA shrinks a lot when it cools (which is one of the reasons why it warps). If you are printing large parts like this then you need to compensate for it. Prusa does add this compensation but it's way too conservative. Example for Prusament ASA, I've measured the XY shrinkage compensation at 0.59%. The consequences of not setting it (leaving it at zero) is that a 250mm part will be ~1.5mm undersized which is well outside reasonable tolerance for a press fit part. But then also for large parts, the 0.59% shrinkage figure is slightly variable in that chambers temps and part geometry can affect this. 

Napsal : 13/06/2026 2:40 pm
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