Tips for my first ASA print
Hi everyone, I’m about to do my first print in ASA and I’d like some advice from people who have experience with this material.
This is the model: Sheep by Prusa Research, and I’ll be printing it scaled to 250–275%. It will be used as an outdoor decoration, exposed all year round without any cover.
My setup is:
Printer: Prusa Core One +
Nozzle: brass 0.4 HF
Bed: satin sheet
Slicer: PrusaSlicer
Material: Prusament ASA
I’ll be using the Prusament ASA profile in PrusaSlicer. My main goal is simply to finish the print without issues: a bit of warping doesn’t bother me, I mainly want to avoid corners lifting too much, detaching from the bed, or the print failing halfway through.
I’m thinking of using a 10 mm brim and a 1‑perimeter draft shield, but I’m not sure if that’s the right approach for a print this large. I’d also appreciate advice on how many perimeters and which infill pattern would help keep the part stable during printing.
Thanks to anyone with ASA experience who can share some tips!
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
With or without supports?
If the latter, the warping will start to bother you once the nozzle gets caught in the nose curling upwards...
RE:
Thanks to anyone with ASA experience who can share some tips!
Large ASA prints require a brim, or possibly mouse ears and maybe an adhesive. Also a warm chamber like 55+. You might want to give PCTG a try instead. It's UV resistant and much easier to print than ASA.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
I have had lots of fun with ASA recently on the Core one. I've gotten a lot of great tips on the forum here that have greatly helped. Preheating is key like hyiger shared, can cover with a blanket to help. Large brims are important. Slowing it way down was also a huge help -> 80mm/s. Making sure you match the recommended filament settings is helpful. Finally, bed adhesive can help, just note if you set your chamber temp to 50 or 55c, it will take some time to get there so whatever adhesive you use, you may want to wait to apply until you hit near that temperature or your adhesive may dry.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
Finally, bed adhesive can help, just note if you set your chamber temp to 50 or 55c, it will take some time to get there so whatever adhesive you use, you may want to wait to apply until you hit near that temperature or your adhesive may dry.
Don't you want your bed adhesive to dry before printing? Or does it depend on the adhesive? I've only ever used a glue stick as an adhesive, but I always waited until it dried before printing (and it works great).
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
Guys, do yourselves a favor and forget about those messy glue stick bars. Use a good quality adhesive in spray or roll : 3Dlac, Laverneer, Magigoo, Dimafix. etc..
I tend to disagree with hyiger with he says that ASA requires a chamber temperature of 55c. Of course heat helps to prevent warping, but I always print ASA with the chamber from 35 to 45C and no issues. Consider that you're stressing a lot the electronics and 3D printed parts of the printer if they have to endure 55C for many hours. The Core One is not an industrial printer, but a consumer grade unit (and cheaply built, for that matter ). Decide for yourself if it's worth shortening the lifespan of the machine, when you can print the same parts at lower temperatures, just setting a large brim, using adhesive and a steel plate with the best possible bed adhesion (PEI smooth or Cryogrip).
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
+1 on drying the adhesive before the print. Otherwise the result would be hard to control.
The corner near the door handle is the most problematic - if you can, place prints somewhere else.
I've been printing LEGO-style plates over the full size of the print bed in ASA and ABS (with ~25% of the surface touching the print bed, the rest cavity with overhang), and there it really shows which corner lifts up first. A brim works miracles but for a square object, the printer gets quite a bit smaller. Paint-on supports in the corners also worked but are tedious to remove.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
Consider that you're stressing a lot the electronics and 3D printed parts of the printer if they have to endure 55C for many hours. The Core One is not an industrial printer, but a consumer grade unit (and cheaply built, for that matter ). Decide for yourself if it's worth shortening the lifespan of the machine,
Is a shorter lifespan due to higher chamber temperatures something that we've seen and know is true with the Core One (or similar printers), or is it more of an educated guess?
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
So I have had better luck with glue sticks on my mk4s with a heater.
I took the advice of the forum and got a can of 3DLAC but I still had warp issues.
Here is a picture of something I was making this morning with 3DLAC. I still had corner warping. Same part, same speeds and fan settings on my heated mk4s with glue stick has no warping. Maybe I'm doing it wrong or using the 3DLAC incorrectly but I still have trouble with adhesives in the core one. With either glue sticks or 3DLAC in the core one I get warping. I don't have as much warping in the core one when I don't have adhesives.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
Do you have an IR temperature gun? It would be interesting to know what the build plate temperature is across the plate.
RISPONDI: Tips for my first ASA print
Thanks everyone, I'll eventually use the smooth plate with some glue, I'm still deciding which one
RE:
Thanks everyone, I'll eventually use the smooth plate with some glue, I'm still deciding which one
Probably better to use the satin plate or use a CryoGrip Glacier without adhesive. I'm pretty sure adhesive with ASA on the smooth plate will damage it.
RE:
Sorry to disagree again, but I've printed many times ASA on the smooth plate, always using 3Dlac, and no harm done. Or is it that you still keep alive the tireless Cryogrip sales campaign?. ( Just kidding 😊 ).
In fact I ordered already a Cryogrip. It was due to arrive early this week but, guess that ?. it seems to have been mislaid in transit. I'll have to wait to see if the fuss about this thing is justified.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
In fact I ordered already a Cryogrip. It was due to arrive early this week but, guess that ?. it seems to have been mislaid in transit. I'll have to wait to see if the fuss about this thing is justified.
They are so awesome that the driver stole it.
Just after I finished the C1 build in July, I ripped apart the Prusa PEI sheet using Magigoo ASA and ASA. Lesson learned. Was a crappy sheet anyway.
RE: Tips for my first ASA print
Anyway, I have a strong dislike to ASA (and the smell). I prefer PCTG even though it costs more.