You've got a 3D Printer, or you're looking to buy a 3D Printer and each one seems to indicate it prints in either ABS, PLA, or both. So you find yourself wanting to know, what is the difference between ABS and PLA.
Author Archives: Luke Chilson
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Announcing! The Winners of the December Design Contest: Winter Wonderland
Phew! Well everybody, it took us much longer than we anticipated, but we are happy to finally announce the winners of our December Design Contest: Winter Wonderland!
Christmas is over, the New Year has come and gone and we have a whole slew of new products ready to drop, giving our contest winners a whole new 3D Printing palette. Speaking of our winners, on to the results!
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What Plastic Filament Does My 3D Printer Use
Use this guide to find which diameter and types of Plastic Filament are compatible with your 3D Printer. Your 3D Printer most likely recommends a certain combination of Plastic Filament Diameter and Material, though other materials may be supported. If your printer is known to support ABS and PLA, they will be listed in this chart.
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Reusable Spools, Coils, & Desiccants, OH MY!
Today's new product post is a happy one. Happy because it's about helping the 3D Printing user experience, and the wallet. Expect more of these in the future.
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3mm PLA is Back in Stock! (New 3mm Green PLA & 3mm Blue ABS)
Well after a very long wait and a very lost driver (hundreds of miles lost). We are stocked once again with 3mm PLA. Further, we are adding two new products; 3mm Green PLA and 3mm Blue ABS.
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Thing-O-Matic MK7 PLA Set-Up and Troubleshooting (Likely MK8)
While a vast improvement over previous extruders, the MK7 can still prove challenging for those wanting to get started with PLA. However, while PLA is more picky in the settings surrounding how it is printed, its benefits over other printing materials make getting over the calibration hurdle well worth it. It has little to no smell when extruded, can be used without a heated bed, undergoes less warping and cracking and can produce highly detailed features and surfaces when used in conjunction with a cooling fan. So read on and with any luck you'll be happily printing with it too. While following applies directly to those using an MK7 on a Thing-O-Matic using skeinforge 35, those using other machines and configurations should find some of this information useful. It is also likely that the following instructions will apply to those who own a Replicator as the MK8 appears to be very similar to the MK7. Be sure to have a look at the 'Tips & Troubleshooting' at the end. Continue reading
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Did we mention we have Red and Green in 3mm ABS?
We didn't mention the new 3mm colors? Oh, well for your printing pleasure we are happy to now offer Red 3mm ABS and Green 3mm ABS. Go crazy.
Mean Green
No Rhyme Red -
What to do with a 3D Printer: Be a Valentine Hero!
This year for Valentines, my son's day-care put on a little party for the kids and each child was asked to bring valentines for the their class-mates. Normally this would have meant a walk down the retail trenches of our nearest big chain department store for something cheap and unoriginal; but this year, with a 3D Printer, it meant something much more special.
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Red, Blue, and Green are looking good to me!
We're feeling especially primary today with our new stock of Red, Blue and Green 1.75mm ABS. Grab some quick and print that selectable-any-color-peristence-of-vision-pin-wheel.
It's Red Ted
and Blue Sue
don't forget Green... Gene? -
Comparing Entry Level 3D Printers
Dec 5, 2012 : Please note that this post contains out of date information and is in need of revision. May we suggest these other fine links?
The Differences Between ABS and PLA
3D Printer Filament Buyers Guide
These days there are a number of personal 3D Printers to choose from. Personal, hobby, open-source, accessible, desktop, or whatever else you want to call them; they are a new breed of 3D Printers. A 3D Printer you can own and operate in your own home, producing before your eyes anything you can imagine with materials an order of magnitude cheaper than previous commercial 3D Printers.
Below are some statistics and descriptions of currently available or soon to be released personal 3D printers.
