Natural PETG is quite beautiful when properly calibrated.
0.1mm layer, 25mm/s on a p3steel.
And calibrating is easy with a microscope to check the layer deposition.
I think I’m going to make a lightbox.
very nice detail 
no need for a heated bed eh?
Nope. Blue tape works great
I’m using a heated bed, with glass on top, then blue tape. Bed is set at 80c. it requires accurate z level height, but once you set it it sticks good. Once the bed cools down, it pops off incredibly easy. I still don’t have bridges dialed in, but otherwise this material is fantastic. My first time using esun filament, no problems so far.
The print looks pretty! But I am worried about that hotend? that looks scary!
Looks like the hotend had a little plastic on it @Scottie_D369 . I don’t think it’s much to worry about but she could easily wipe it off
PETG sometimes makes little spiderwebs that accumulate on the part or hotend. Its a really thin layer on the heater block, cosmetic only.
What characteristics did you look and tune for with the microscope?
I’m also interested in the microscope method you mention…
Very beautiful job. I absolutely love PETG for its incredible strength but it’s gloopiness is driving me to distraction, especially those angel hairs.
I use a Lynx dynascope at work, 40x magnification. Print a tall test piece, the idea is to remove any error from the z height or level. It needs to be sufficiently wide, 20mm or so. I use a 202010mm cube.
Print the test piece and use the microscope to examine the top infill. If you’re over-extruding then the top of the infill will be very bumpy and you cannot make out the seams. If you are underextruding then you will see individual strands unconnected. The top layer should have a very small “v” at the seams, its smaller than a hair.
I plan on buying a digital microscope, like a $60 one so I can examine.
eSun clear PETG is bomber. It’s amazingly cheap at Microcenter. Can be a PITA with a bowden, but Simplify3d anti-ooze settings have helped tons.
@Dani_Epstein dry it out. It gets much cleaner and easier to print when it’s dry.
@Taylor_Landry Even straight out of the plastic wrap it’s very gloopy. Basically it behaves rather like glass, so I have realised that printing faster than 45mm/sec is simply not worth it, and with a 0.4mm nozzle short retractions work best. Also, fast travel moves - around 290mm/sec.
I have been trying to print with a 0.8mm nozzle, and retractions are a bit of a beast. Short retractions aren’t effective enough, longer retractions seem to introduce air. Needs more tinkering, methinks.