How does PET compare to ABS?
I have been using PLA for a year now and ABS for a few weeks. I am comfortable using both although I am limited in what I can achieve with ABS because my printer does not have an enclosure.
I am curious about trying PET but have found relatively little practical information about using it. I understand that it is a recyclable material which is important to me but how does it compare to ABS for heat resistance, finish etc.?
I have learned that it needs similar extrusion temperatures to ABS but what about heated bed preparation? I prefer not to use tape on my heated bed glass but safe coatings are acceptable.
Thanks for that. I was hoping it might be useful as an ABS replacement for things like Wades blocks. Does it actually deform in that role?
Perhaps I will consider it as a third material choice but I don’t see any real gain if I have ABS and PLA available to me - other than its eco-friendliness.
Does PET require a heated bed?
We build with it all the time. We run a little hotter, more like 240-245 because it is rather viscous compared to say, ABS. No need for a heated bed for smaller builds, but it is helpful for builds with a large contact area on the bottom. To go along with the thicker viscosity, you have to slow things down a bit, 30-45mm/sec works better than 60-90. It will stick to blue tape, PE tape or ABS juice coated glass. Never tried it on bare glass, not sure that would work.