This Filament Is Incredible! (CopperFill Printing)

[@TankRust]

I used this filament several years ago to print a custom medallion for my wife. It printed great. I did use a hardened nozzle and printed slightly hotter than standard PLA. I used steel wool and brasso to bring out the metallic sheen and it came out great! I agree that the printed objects are on the brittle side but for ornamental pieces it is well worth the trade off. Keep up the great content!

[@Shadow__X]

A flat copper fill ornament could be put into a TPU of PLA frame/case

[@PWNHUB]

17:35 Salt in the tumbler would probably be one of the best abrasives to be honest.

[@rb6719]

The metal-fil filaments can be pretty great when they print. They have a nice heft and really stand out after the post processing (sanding, rock tumbler, rub-n-buff, etc...). Would like to see more vids showcasing some of the more exotic filaments.

[@ModBotArmy]

I will definitely keep this in mine. It is crazy how heavy they are. Definitely has a great weight when you pick it up. Thanks for watching :)

[@AndrewSink]

Man, that patina really sells the copper-like look of that material. Nice work!

[@ModBotArmy]

Thanks man! Right?! It was such a fun material to play around with. I love the functional stuff but sometimes you gotta get down with some pretty filaments :).

[@NEutebach]

you're discussing print issues at 12:10. I noticed (e.g. around 7:35) that you seem to have retractions between each infill move - this would mean thousands of retractions which can really wear the material down as the feeder goes over the same stretch of filament again and again. It looks like you set "combing" off in Cura, combined with a "lines" or "grid" infill and "connect infill lines" off it should result in this behaviour. You can set combing to "within infill" and use "zigzag" infill to alleviate. It might be worth another shot on the first printer, and go a lot quicker too!

[@andreaudio]

that was the issue. For sure

[@stevewest5397]

I'm working on an antique radio cabinet PC case build, and I really want to try making my parts out of this. New knobs, LCD screen mount and a GPU shroud would be awesome with this!

[@ge2719]

12:00 i believe its more likely that because you were printing a smaller model, it will have printed the raft fine since that was one constant extrusion, then the first solid layers of the print, same thing, its one solid line of extrusion with no retraction. But once it got to a section of infill, the printer would print a tiny amount of infill, retract the filament, move to the next line of infill, extrude the filament through to print a tiny bit of infill, retract again, move to the next line, extrude, retract, move, extrude, retract, move over and over and over. so because the amount printed in each line of infill was so small the extruder was retracting and extruding the same section of filament over and over and over, wearing into it to the point that it became so deformed it wasn't able to extrude it any more. This happened for me with basic pla when i upgraded by extruder to an all metal one, because the spring that came with it was far stronger than it needed to be and the extruder gear was digging into the filament way too hard, it worked fine for a vase print because theres no retraction, but as soon as i tried printing something with infill that was lots of tiny lines of infill thats when i had the exact same issue you had here. The solution was to use the spring on my old plastic extruder. So for you you need to adjust the force of the extruder gear, however it is yours works.

[@omichromium]

We have a lot of ancient Greek statues that were copies of original bronze statues but we don't have the original bronze and very few people have gone out of their way to reimagine what these things would have looked like as a bronze so seeming them recreated, even on a smaller scale in a 3d model would be AWESOME!

[@scottthroop6208]

Gotta try this stuff! Already have ideas for deco/functional parts...drawer/cabinet knobs, table lamps, wall hooks...

[@brianhutchinson7863]

On the Owl model because it was smaller opposed to the Dragon Fish and making more retractions in relation to deposited material likely the extruder advancement wheel was heating and work softening the filament.

[@paleogeology9554]

If you really wanna see cool results, use in a tumbler with brass fines such as chips off a mill or lathe or even brass powder along with plastic pellets as a buffer

[@AkiraFurball]

had the non flat bottom issue, I spent entirely too long trying to slice a bit off the bottom to fit it, it was a big mesh and could not get it in tinker.. at the time I had NO idea how to use blender.. its was a nightmare battle.. Then it dawned on me, just drop the thing half a mm below the build plate in cura... Sometimes you just canny see the wood f the trees!

[@whiskeyjim4126]

Modbot probably won't see that but what you want is a vibrating tumbler that people use for cleaning firearms cases for reloading. That would be very gentle and the media they use would be perfect for your needs

[@jakesells2379]

A simple solution to solve the flat surface problem with the owl is to just offset the model negative in Z, burying it into the plate. That will increase the first layer surface area.

[@4thfrom7]

Underrated advice imo

[@ktmkantenlijmers]

I paused the video when it happened and went to search the comment section. Looks like this simple trick is not that common. Welcome to the flat bottom club !

[@ChrisSudlik]

What could be more iconic than the Statue of liberty, cover it's whole "new to green" transition with scale

[@michaelsemenas6346]

The first thing that came to my mind is trying to recreate the Statue of Liberty with it's green patina.

[@ModBotArmy]

That is an awesome idea :)

[@guillermorobledo2842]

Big Penny Coins.

[@Eluderatnight]

@@guillermorobledo2842 real copper pennies are 2+ cents of copper per.

[@TheModShopCO]

Just what I came to the comments to say! Would love to see some kind of follow up with that.

[@ModBotArmy]

@@TheModShopCO haha it seems like there are quite a few that agree 😬. Also nice to see your name. I hope you are doing good brotha 🙏

[@jon-jp3oz]

I saw this filament on amazon either yesterday or today I did look it up after.

[@JonS]

I suspect the overhangs suffer both due to the weight AND the thermal heat capacity of the copper fill. The filament will cool more slowly than a pure PLA.

[@richsoftwareguy]

Would the copper allow for the Prints to undergo electroforming without any additional conductive paint?

[@mrfrupo]

this is the only reason I was even interested in this video.

[@Mr-Highball]

I use virtual foundry copper and love it. Welcome to check out some videos I have on my channel showing my trials. The best thing... it's sinterable to a 100% metal piece (which I do), so not only can you get the great patina, it's actually functional as a metal piece 😁

[@Chad.The.Flornadian]

Seeing things like this sure do get the gears 'a grindin' with ideas.

[@isthattrue1083]

How about a nozzle that has two extrusion points? An inner one and an outer one that could run two filaments. One on the inside that extrudes copper and the outer one extrude insulator plastic. You could extrude a completed wire with insulator in one step.

[@steve_seguin]

Fun video. I'm keen to try to sintering with 90% copper or other metal filament. Probably makes more sense though to just live vicariously thru KZbinrs, given the price and hassle. as per the jamming issue, I sometimes have issues with my high Carbon Fiber filament, where the extruder wears down the filament, leading to a jam as the filament pancakes out to much. Putting a limit on the number of retractions per length of filament solved that issue, as well as reducing the acceleration of the extruder. I at first thought it was heat creep up the heat break, but even with a fancy ceramic heat break the issue persisted.

[@danne77sthlm]

I did not know about this filament, thank you for showing it, its pretty amazing what you got as a result :)

[@ModBotArmy]

Thanks for watching! It is such a unique filament. Definitely not for every day printing but so cool for gifts or certain props. Even custom things if you were selling items :)

[@ayylmao.mp3]

Really cool, this would do great statues and other details for table top minis, e.g. set pieces for DnD. Please do a follow up in a couple weeks / months to see how the patina turns out over time.

[@Coolfwip]

this is actually the reason im looking into copper pla

[@criticalposts3143]

you can just move any model below z=0 in cura if you disable "drop down part" in the transform controls. This cuts off the bottom and gives it a flat bottom

[@charleyedwards2121]

im sure the fill got hot and softened, it probably takes a bit more force to pull it off the roll too

[@enochroot9438]

I've used metallic additive pla with no problem but when I tried using some wood based it was a disaster

[@jbizzbuildsmanstuff9932]

Your issue with the squished filiment is retraction. If it has alot of retraction the extruder wheels keep going over the same spot over and over and even more so if it has more moves without alot of filiment being needed till its too thin. There's a setting to limit retraction based on how much filiment is used and needed to go through to keep the rollers off the same spots.

[@RedbeardInBluegrass]

Ive had rolls of this and the Lead fill in my makerspace for the last couple years, printed a few things with them but didnt know they would post process like that! I knew other brands would, or maybe did easier because the company also sells a solvent to do it I think, but now Im excited to play around with this some more and maybe take a pass at the Statue of Liberty I did preCovid and make her green.

[@terryclair2914]

Iron filled treated with vinegar for patina is awesome and magnetic.

[@AwesomeSaussage]

Great video, great results, huge THANK YOU!

[@vernonjennings5921]

Awesome subject and excellent video. Thanks for sharing!

[@stevesloan6775]

Please do a short update of your copper prints ageing as part of your future videos.. I’m sure everyone would love to see the progressive process. You could create a time lapse if you set up a rig. Great video🇦🇺🤜🏼🤛🏼🍀😎🤓

[@markmorgan8378]

Nice video, never thought of copper. But my son just picked out the Steel filament from Proto-Pasta that we are going to give a try. May have to try copper next.

[@jeffklein602]

As the filament on the spool gets smaller in diameter, the lever arm also shrinks, making it harder to spin the spool by pulling on the filament. Hence the slipping later in the process.

[@24cata24]

extruder skipping was because you increased flow rate. Extruder doesnt have enough time to melt the thing and skips. It doenst take much force to push the filament through if is melted enough

[@B4IRUTUARU16]

I absolutely love this dragon fish

[@markwilliams5654]

You can use sugar and water mixed as build plate adhesion

[@OtakuNoShitpost]

When I looked into metal filaments a few years ago, I was reading about them needing to be sintered in a heated chamber after printing. Perhaps this would help with the mechanical issues you ran into?

[@tcarney57]

This is a copper _filled_ filament. It's PLA with powdered metal mixed in. It is not the kind you can sinter. The mechanical issues have to do with the fact that it's _not_ solid PLA.

[@theghost1920]

Just found your channel, I've got a stock CR6-SE and I've had nothing but trouble printing with copper PLA, I'm trying to print a deluxe psyduck so when my grandkids go through my stuff they'll be freaked out by it 😂

[@ModBotArmy]

Haha wait what is a deluxe psyduck? The Pokémon?? Do you have a link??

[@LisaHarsh]

I love this series. Not for me but good to know. Just ordered through your link the micro Swiss direct drive w hot end so am planning on different filaments

[@ModBotArmy]

Awesome! They are great. I have used them for quite a long time on various printers and have done everything from flexibles to carbon fiber nylons on them.

[@AndrewAHayes]

If you paint mustard thickly to the brass or copper filament once sanded and then wrap in cling film and place in a warm area you get a beautiful light blue/ turquoise colour rather than the green with vinegar

[@ModBotArmy]

How cool! I did not see that method mentioned but there were a TON of different options. It is incredible how there are so many ways to get a different unique look with copper.

[@markbrinton6815]

You should try ammonia fumes to see if you can get it to turn blue!

[@Frentraken]

Annealing before tumbler would probably be enough, especially if using lighter medium like walnut shell

[@ameliabuns4058]

i have the esun and it's incredible but god it costs more than my kidneys. I used sand paper and then polish and god it's even cold to the touch like metal! it feels heavy etc like metal, it' sooooooo coool! i only ever printed a cube out of it tho, i'm debating printing some earrings! I have a tool changer so I should check if the cost of 0.02g of purge per tool change is less than the having only the outer wall in this material! the eSun eCopper or whatever I tried wasn't as clay like as these. it was kinda stiff actually. if you fully polish a model (specially with the tumble i feel, maybe you can use softer tumbling stuff rather than screws?) it looks STUNNING I personally don't like rusting them tho, I like leaving them as shiny metallic.

[@ModBotArmy]

How awesome! I may need to try some out just to compare how it is then with what I used here. I do like the shiny alot. I really like both I can definitely see how shiny would be preferred. I am honestly surprised I have not picked up a tumbler I have thought about it for some time. I keep thinking I will build my own but maybe it does make sense to just purchase one. I think that the metal screws really sand it well but definitely I have seen some use tacs and I think I mentioned walnut shells was one that I saw floating around. Earrings would be super cool!

[@3DJapan]

I wonder if there's any way to add copper to resin.

[@AndrewAHayes]

Is there any chance of you doing a video on coverting a standard MK8 hot end to all metal with one of the converter heatbreaks?

[@ModBotArmy]

You mean like one of the slice bi metal heat breaks people have been talking about? On something like a Creality?

[@pa1kkumar]

Or either you can try electroplating technique to remove upper copper material on the print

[@lunareclipse1882]

The antique look could for terrain

[@daviddad7388]

Hey, just discovered your channel. Keep on the good work.

[@GoldenJaguar3D]

I would also say to run it at a higher temperature

[@paleogeology9554]

If you use a tumbler you need to add plastic pellets in with whatever media you are using as a buffer. I sell materials to the Lapidary and Jewelry industry and plastic pellets is a must anytime you use a tumbler, especially during polish

[@felonebike9859]

I'd love to see a strength test with this filament. And can it come in ABS or carbon fiber?

[@megamanpwn3dmario]

i have to wonder, what would happen if you put a piece into a kiln or something? would it heat the copper enough to make it stronger, or just fuck up the entire thing?

[@adeptuscraftus2399]

You were looking for suggestions of things to print. Uncle Jesse did a video a couple months ago talking about post processing some of his old prints. He used stuff like Rub n' Buff or something to give a patina'd worn look. Maybe take a look at his video and print one of the same models(can't remember if they were all Resin or if there were some FDM) then do a comparison.

[@ModBotArmy]

I actually picked some up and tried it in a recent video. That being said it didnt exactly turn out great and I should probably watch some videos. I will take a look at his and see if I can get a better technique. Thanks for the recommendation :)

[@GPGOLDENTEE]

You also could have gone back & moved the model down one or two ticks till the whole butt is on the plate in Cura. I'm brand new to all this but noticed that issue with models from Thingiverse so checking code is a great tip for anybody. Dont beat your head against the wall troubleshooting the printer when it's your software you need to play with :)

[@SengirIndustries]

Ah good to see what you were doing with that filament after hearing about it

[@Yavorh55]

10:45 Why not just use the move/rotate to clip it slightly into the build plate (which will not be part of the gcode ofc), creating a flat base?

[@unconstit1onal29]

This should have been the recommendation. It looked like the first 2 layers were the problem. Move the entire print down (2 * Layer Height) to get the flat surface

[@seattledutch]

I have a copper filament print and trying to do my best to patina it but for some reason it doesn’t hold. It washes right off.

[@ericwilliams2122]

a power buffer would be good for finishing.🤔

[@stevendunn264]

Could you print a Faraday Box with Copper Filament?

[@billallen275]

I see it only in 2.85 mm. ?? Is it available in 1.75mm?

[@kennyg21ful]

is it possible to sinter with that filament?

[@baodybag]

wait..you said it had direct drive but there was a ptfe tube running to the direct drive?? (at about 13:00)

[@markbrinton6815]

Definitely do a Medusa!

[@fabianweihe8702]

5:22 I don't get these adhesion problems almost everyone seems to have. I print on a textured glass for about 2 years and never use any glue or spray, not even with ABS (abs inside an enclosure of course) Maybe someone can explain to me if I'm just very good at first layers (cant imagine bc I level manually) or if I am missing something.

[@baljazz]

Throw some 3xtcd on it to give more durability and shin.

[@StuffyAk79]

Does copper fill cause quicker nozzle wear kinda like how glow in the dark pla does and carbon fill does too or is copper soft enough it does not wear the nozzle quicker?

[@NicolasSilvaVasault]

you can't print this material on a normal nozzle, is going to destroy it

[@DisgruntledPigumon]

You should use a wire brush to burnish it, not sandpaper.

[@gyzmoduck]

I'm a bit late to the party, but I'd suggest printing the pirate medallion from Pirates of the Caribbean

[@FranklyWry]

Have you tried burning away the pla and sintering the copper? It might not have the right consistency as the filament used in commercial printers like the Metalforge line.

[@ModBotArmy]

As far as I know it will not work with this filament. Not sure entirely (perhaps not enough copper). There is a company called Virtual Foundry that does sell a filament that will do exactly that. I just wish I had a way to sinter :)

[@FranklyWry]

@@ModBotArmy If you have access to a ceramic kiln, set it for 1800. Even though copper melts at 1850F, 1800 should be enough to sinter it; you don’t want it to completely melt, or it will flow and become a puddle.

[@ianross2352]

I wanna make a copper golem that Mojang showed off for Minecraft live . My cousin would love it

[@ryanokeefe12]

Just move the model below the build plate next time. Your first owl failure was because of multiple retractions over one section of filament.

[@TechOffZedOn]

What about a brass dragon mini for DnD? :o

[@sevilnatas]

Can this filament benefit from a sintering step? Maybe harden it further.

[@ModBotArmy]

Not with this filament. Not totally certain of the reason but it maybe the PLA base or that it does not have high enough metal powder. There is a company called Virtual Foundry that does make material which can be sintered.

[@sevilnatas]

@@ModBotArmy Good to know, thanks!

[@brianhutchinson7863]

You asked for suggestions on models to print. Divers Helmet

[@jon9947]

Loved those prints!

[@jon9947]

So I bought an idex printer a few days ago, havnt really done anything more than print the test print and do the calibration with it yet. Since watching this video Iv been thinking, this might be a perfect application for a printer like that. Maybe you could use regular PLA for the infill and the metal infused PLA for the walls? Might be able to make a spool go a little further.

[@ModBotArmy]

How exciting! What printer did you go with? I have done some dual extrusion but still have a lot more experimenting to go. I know you can choose the hotend for support material. I actually didnt know you could choose which for infill. Have you seen that in the slicer? If so then definitely would make sense on something like this. As long as this bonds to the normal PLA which it totally should. That could save alot of $$.

[@jon9947]

@@ModBotArmy I got the Flashforge Creator Pro 2, got a deal on it I thought was too good to pass up. As far as the slicer settings I dont really know either, I havnt played with it any really yet to figure out much. My initial thoughts on doing something like that though is to use Microsofts 3D Builder to create a shell of the object and then an insert for that shell. You would import the item, go to edit and click hollow. Set the shell thickness. Duplicate the item. Make sure one of them is centered and one of them is out of the way. Add a square or some other object and make it slightly bigger than the hollowed object in all directions but the top. You would leave a faction of a mm at the top to reselect the item. Then subtract the original hollowed object from the square, delete the leftover material so you only have an insert. Then move the duplicated object to the center and save it all as a 3mf. Hopefully that made sense, if not let me know and I can do a screen capture and send it your way.

[@jessehavok4181]

Is that stuff conductive?

[@Rebar77_real]

They make an iron filled pla. So prints will rust if you want that patina look for rc or w/e. Anyone tried a sandblasted finish? (walnut or ?)

[@bryanst.martin7134]

You might consider ancient coins. Often from copper and brass. You could make a fake treasure find with lots of different coins and trinkets/jewelry. It would look great under glass on a coffee table. And don't forget the Gold and Silver filament too. People like money...

[@avejst]

wow, great video as always Thanks for sharing :-)

[@ModBotArmy]

Thanks for watching Asger! this was a really fun one to make.

[@Kinl23]

RULE 1 of PRINT CLUB ALWAYS CHECK YOUR FIRST LAYER... :)

[@thechillhacker]

Recommendation: An Antikythera mechanism...

[@tonyhill8300]

is it conductive?

[@ModBotArmy]

It is not. I cannot remember where I saw it in my research but I do remember seeing it was not conductive. There is conductive PLA that exists though. I do not believe it is very conductive but perhaps enough to power a low powered LED. There is also a very expensive filament called electrify (or something like that) that is very conductive compared to other filaments. The price is insane though I think a couple hundred dollars per spool.

[@mazhiveevihzam1829]

you use (1kilo) weight because the way transport costs per weight.

[@fracturedfun2347]

you could have just dropped it -0.2mm or -0.4mm in the z direction. this would have given it a flat bottom and you wouldnt need the supports or raft

[@shadowcard6923]

I will say about microswiss, you’re paying for the US made and drop in, not so much super quality with their hotend, the direct drive kit though is very nice but could use some lightening cuts to increase print speed possibility.

[@forgottenalex]

Just use BBs for your tumbler

[@tsayon13]

Iron man mark I (basically the one he did on the cave)

[@crckdns]

sad that micro-swiss is based in US and not europe, like the name would suggest :( would love to get a all-metal hotend for the cr-6SE.. edit: thanks for that review! never have known about anything like copper based filament! looks fantastic!

[@lugiber]

I think there are mods that enable you to fit the E3D v6 on the CR6. It's a great hotend too.

[@exploringthecosmos2073]

The art!

[@ModBotArmy]

Make all the arts! :D

[@CdoGtheGreat]

I 3d scan people and print with copper, brass and bronze

[@WillofNewZealand]

Fyi. Makers muse latest vid...thingiverse has sadly been hacked. Be sure to read comments its very grim.

[@ModBotArmy]

Thanks for the heads up I did see that. I transferred all of my files to Thangs would love to delete my Thingiverse account.

[@WillofNewZealand]

@@ModBotArmy may i suggest you move your files NOT to thangs. When i vetted them recently they failed horribly. There lack of understanding made me fear for anyone using there site. Didnt realise the date of invention had any bearing on anything. They are in my expert opinion going to end up with very serious piracy issues. And serious losses to comunity. If you delete original from thingiverse youll loose the original date of invention as thangs dont have a working migrate thing. You are very likely going to loose your invention all together. It may well end up in the hands of some pirate who has licensed your thing else where. There date of invention may well end up before you so youd loose invention to them. Cults3d have a similar priblem a migrate thingiverse account that dont work right then they ask you to remove your thingiverse things. So you may sell any items and bamm you may have just lost everything and have to remove your things entirly. Sorry for that grim news.

[@hannibalkingbarka1521]

Use antic wax 😉

[@UP209D]

it looks like wood filament to me, maybe just due to the light

[@GHILLIESARCADEANDMORE]

Cool

[@charlesforbin6937]

Use 0000 Steel Wool.....to finish....better than sandpaper.

[@markwilliams5654]

Leave it outside for a year see if it changes colour

[@ModBotArmy]

Haha I think it would melt in the california summers. Maybe not outside but it does get pretty damn hot here.

[@satina1169]

hmnnn yummy copper salts