Learn how to print Nylon!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6WpSjm0XHc
Bridge is one of my favourite filaments, prints lovely and is almost indestructible when done right. I even printed a new extruder assembly with it.
The only thing I wish was for it to be available in different colours but I’m not sure if it’s even possible?
@Daniel_Bull , the reason it’s not available in different colors is that it can be dyed. Boil some water, put in some RIT dye, and drop it in. Pull it out a couple minutes later, dry it, and voila. Any color you want, from a base color. It means a little post processing, but in the low quantities that @Tom_Martz does this stuff at, I’m sure it doesn’t make a ton of sense to divide product up into colors and possibly reduce the amount you’re able to sell because certain colors being unpopular vs others.
Thanks @ThantiK that’s well worth knowing. I might give that a go!
I know one of my goals when I got my machine is to print with standard 1.6mm ‘line trimmer’ nylon. As I can get it locally and I don’t care if the finish isn’t so good. It’ll be for machinery parts. It seems mostly a matter of drying it out and going for it. I’m expecting ‘usable’ results, but nothing better.
@Electra_Flarefire from a random Nylon 6 datasheet: “Thermal breakdown products may include a complex mixture of compounds, including but not limited to carbon monoxide, ammonia, aliphatic amines, ketones, nitriles, and hydrogen cyanide, which may be flammable, toxic and/or irritating. The specific materials generated will vary depending on the additives and colorants used, specific temperature, time of exposure and other immediate environmental factors”
Make sure you use you printer outside or in a well-ventilated room. Taulman’s nylons are engineered (and tested) to minimize the amount of toxins they release during printing, other random nylons might give off nastier fumes.
@Thomas_Sanladerer Of course it’ll be done in a well ventilated area(outside if the weather is good) and at the lowest temperature possible to minamise this effect. The Taulman ones are just way too expensive for what I want to do, compared to trimmer line for $30AU/kg from local hardware shop on sale. So it’s this or don’t try nylon at all and that’s half the point of getting this machine.
Others seem to have good results: http://www.tridimake.com/2013/04/3D-printing-with-cheap-trimmer-line.html
Thanks for the heads up though. I’ll be extra careful.
@Electra_Flarefire I’m in Aust and when bridge nylon is on special at http://3dprintergear.com.au I can get it for $21/0.5kg or $42/kg. For me the benefits far outweigh the costs
@Tom_Carson I’ll keep an eye out for it.
Still trying to find PLA for less than $30 delivered. Any suggestions?
http://www.modfab.com.au/product-category/filament/ looks hopeful but I haven’t tried them yet.