NylonX Printing Guide

Nylon-X and other nylon-based filaments are a game-changer for combat robots. In this video, I tell you what you need to know to print with these awesome filaments.
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[@bretrishelrc9789]

hey, just a quick thanks, I just got an ender 3, and I only wanted to print nylonx and with this my first print was 95% good. thank you

[@ShahriarFarkhan]

So good! This is so much better than some of the other KZbinrs that have done similar tutorials. To the point and no fluff!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Thanks!

[@generovinsky]

once glass reaches room temp you can throw it in a freezer to release any part easily.. about 10-15min and the part will fall off..

[@jordiic8506]

Watching this 4 years later,and thank you for educating me on this subject.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Sure thing, glad the video is still helpful.

[@kamhaq]

I been pressing hard my first layer to have warping on the corner, now I know what was the reason. This guid still stand for 2021 :) just subbed

[@pammio3756]

I'm about to start printing nylon/carbon fiber filament. This is one of the best video I've ever seen. Thanks a lot for precious informations you gave me. :-)

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Awesome!

[@shadow7037932]

The best bed adhesive I've found for NylonX is the Nano Polymer from Vision Miner. It works incredibly well on glass and PEI coated spring steel.

[@Harpagophytum67]

Not too long, not long enough. thanks for this guide.

[@terryclair2914]

Great video, I use a Pulse XE which is set up for NylonX and I'm a big fan of of the Garolite bed with NylonX. NylonX is a great product and makes great printing material. I think you will like NylonG and it comes in a few colors.

[@sujanarejab]

great video. greetings from Malaysia

[@yo_vlad]

The first minute already caught me. U got another sub tho it's 2 years later.

[@skaramicke]

+1

[@ryandowney8743]

Thank you for the video. This was helpful. I am printing pretty successfully so far. The one issue I am having now in the areas where I do need support they stick to the parts and are difficult to remove.

[@coreymccarthy489]

"HOLD ON THERE TURBO" ha ha ha, yep, that's me

[@robgoodsight6216]

❤👍🙂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@NeyBliK]

very nice

[@andreaborsato2830]

Great video, probably the best I've seen so far

[@justindyster7073]

I have a Formbot T-Rex 3.0 and my hot end just broke. I am curious what hot end you’re using on your printer? Thanks for sharing your results with Nylon printing.

[@michaelsykes3603]

Thanks for the info.

[@SandersChicken]

Hey robert, Just wanted to say I got the Formbot raptor after watching this video for my first printer and it's been awesome! I'm now looking at getting a tormach pcnc. Give it a few years and I'll have my robot ready!

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Glad to hear it! I still really like mine, it's nothing TOO special, but has been a good printer for me, I can't remember the last time (or ever) that I've had a failed print.

[@ZrOuT85]

excellent tutorial!

[@rogerwalsberg]

Garolite bed at 30c with zero glue works great with Dupont zytel nylon from MH.

[@thealexasterphe1138]

Great Video, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@BikinTV1]

really great vid brother. u got another subscriber. greetings from malaysia

[@kevinrhug]

I have been using garolite with no bed heat and no cooling fan with remarkable results on an Utimaker S5

[@St.Maurice]

Very informative video!!!! Perfect!! Thank you!!!!

[@WEEDTHEHABIT]

I love that spool holder on top with filament guild, I need that in my life! stl?

[@robgoodsight6216]

Very good and straight information! Thank you!!!

[@josemarti9992]

Gracias

[@vdel9036]

Many thanks. I try to print nylon 856 filament with no success and no way to find the right tips to help me... until now ! And your barbe suits you perfectly...

[@linzenmeyer]

NylonX is SUPERB at handling overhangs....you need to adjust your overhang (Bridging) settings.

[@LonersGuide]

Great video--you really broke it down well with a lot of practical information.

[@undercrackers56]

Pure gold. Thank you for sharing. | wish I had a printer like yours though.

[@mrsaturdaynightspecial3055]

Can a person drill throughout nylons? Does it machine well? What does it do to cutters? Thank you.

[@jamesk1619]

Good info. You didn't mention anything about shrinkage..so I'm assuming nylonx doesn't have this problem like ABS?

[@sirranico8022]

Hopefully not a duplicate question -- you don't need to put the printer in an enclosure to print NylonX?

[@_blair5759]

Markforged great

[@malloott]

Very good video, thank you!

[@rogerwalsberg]

I've started printing with Dupont zytel. 20 hour prints with near zero warping. Very tough parts.

[@grantdeisig1360]

What temp are you printing at with the Zytel?

[@JonathanRansom]

I need a 3d printer in my life.

[@paulblair7515]

It's been 2 years, have you gotten a 3d printer yet?

[@JonathanRansom]

Thanks for checking in. Haha. I do have a printer now. I got an Ender 3 not too long after this comment. Now I want a Prusa i3.

[@fukcg00gle95]

@@paulblair7515 Lmao I was about to ask the same question. 2 years - nothing, then 2 inquiries within 24 hrs. 😁

[@fukcg00gle95]

@@JonathanRansom Are you satisfied with the Ender? It's obviously the most popular "budget" printer.

[@JonathanRansom]

@@fukcg00gle95 yeah, it's been a great printer!

[@williamsobral9056]

Can you do a stress test? Im really interested in using it for AVC next year.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I already have. The parts I was showing came out of my 30 pounder that was at AVC (and won). It took SIGNIFICANT damage to the metal parts, but the nylonx held up well. I'll be releasing my damage report video in the next couple of weeks, you should check that out.

[@loganhughes2935]

Did u go to avc this year?

[@wunlymshim7768]

Where is they NylonG video??? :)

[@TRINITYIMPERAT]

Very useful, thank you.

[@bkstyles5769]

Hi there, greetings can you tell us why nylon combined with chopped carbon fiber, rather than pla/abs which are easy to print and cost effective! thank you

[@jsctekco6975]

Great video on Nylon printing, very informative! Where did you get the All metal hot end for the raptor?

[@GabrielChua75]

Thanks for sharing this awesome video Robert! May I know what thinkness you'll recommend for a pp/glass/garolite bed respectively?

[@jeffdughman9741]

when you said crippling depression i really felt that XD

[@John-NeverStopLearning]

Hi, I see I am about 2yrs late. Have you used delrin? I am looking for a filament for an Ender 3 Pro to print, print in place bearings.

[@peterscheler]

Can you print Nylon-X with a 0.4mm Nozzle or is a minimum of 0.6 highly recommended?

[@theilluminatimember8896]

Wouldn't a closed printer yield better results or at least an easier experience?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Correct. This video is over 5 years old and hobby-level enclosed printers just weren't a thing back then.

[@Mitch3D]

Sgt. Cuddles faired very well with it's new Nylon X chassis, the layers did split after some hits from another drum spinner.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Nice! I think it's a great material for insect-class robots.

[@CM-xq3wy]

Mitch, did you run into any issues printing with this stuff?

[@Mitch3D]

@@CM-xq3wy make sure its dry and keeps dry. I have a food dehydrator, leave it overnight at the highest temp (70C) and then keep it heated and drying in the food dehydrator as it prints. I stuck my prusa in the closet so no air ventilation and that helped. I used glue stick to help it stick. Used the E3D hardened nozzle or you can use a Nozzle X on the prusa it works fine.

[@CM-xq3wy]

@@Mitch3D I might have to find a dry place for my printer and I'll probably modify my dehydrator to feed filament, currently I'm just drying the hydroscopic filaments for 5 or 6 hours before the print. I keep them in dry boxes with desiccant when not in use but Dallas is humid AF right now and both my printers are in the garage.

[@Mitch3D]

@@CM-xq3wy that's why we went back to cnc milling Sgt Cuddles chassis. Nylon X is too expensive to mess up.

[@gdeisig]

Capricorn makes ptfe tubing that can handle 350°c. Mine just arrived and I'm going to try it out on the left extruder on my Flashforge Dreamer. The right extruder already got a Micro Swiss all metal hotend a few years back. But if this works, it's a way cheaper and easier to install option! Just thought I'd let people know. It's called their "XS" premium bowden tubing.

[@bldjln3158]

NOOO! Please do not do this! Xs premium is no different than any other Capricorn tubing. Also, it is known to kill birds at 275c.

[@ahmetaydn9173]

Thanks for your clear English pronunciations. Do you know itailan basketball player "datome" you must be twin whit him. Check it.

[@TeamCroc]

Out of interest, how does it compare to such as Markforged’s Onyx strength wise if you’ve got any experience with that?

[@rescuemethod]

I printed a few parts using NylonX (on Raise3D) and Onyx, and the Onyx prints were more flexible, printed way slower, and had a finer finish. The NylonX parts were super strong and super rigid with a matte finish.

[@DennisMurphey]

i tried NylonX for a high heat resistance application but the moisture was killing me, I tried CF PETG with better success except for the nurds and drips and overhangs issues, it has a great surface and good heat resistance. Good video well informed and great tips i print at 240/80 and may need to test your 250/70 settings. Dennis

[@DennisMurphey]

Changed my setup using some of your points and had a very clean print. Put them in my standard print setup thank you very much. D

[@donaldhollingsworth3875]

What is the best filament for a great surface finish? Something like a 63 surface finish you would get when machining a part?

[@ewolnai]

What type of polypropylene do you use, Co-polymer or Homo-polymer and what thickness.

[@aschreiber]

Had reasonable luck with masking tape on the bed as well. Still heated to ~60C, but maybe a bit cleaner/easier than glue sticks. Also makes removing the finished part fairly easy.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I had the opposite experience. The tape stuck to my print and it was a pain to get off. Also, with the glue, it's water-soluble, so just a little bit of water cleans it off and it can be re-used several times without re-applying. I always ended up ripping the tape.

[@reggie3h694]

The same happened to me.

[@aschreiber]

Odd, I had the tape come clean off the part. I'll have to dry out my NylonX and try the glue to see if it works better. Still need to cut the Garolite down to size for my bed and give that a shot too.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

It might be that I'm closer to the bed? I've had great luck with the glue, and it just takes a wet paper towel to clean it off afterwards and the bed is good to go for another print. Tape worked OK for me, but when it stuck, it REALLY stuck and it would rip the tape.

[@aschreiber]

@@RobertCowanDIY Hmm, good to know. I'll give the glue a shot once the dehydrator comes in (previously was in a very humid area), will give it a shot on the Prusa and the Fusion F400. Fusion also suggests glue so guess I'm giving that a whack.

[@A.Al-Selek]

best!!

[@hammondclarke942]

I want to order ender 5 pro they said carbon but will that work with nylon at 250c

[@sugardove6075]

Nozzle SIZE ?

[@Straderthanyou]

Has any of this changed since you got your Prusa? Would you be able to provide settings from Prusa slicer that has worked?

[@bterzini1]

I'm very curious what your experiences with the NylonG are. I'm looking at printing some gears for a small lathe, and think they might be best done in NylonG.

[@VestedUTuber]

Personal experience, NylonX isn't necessarily bad at overhangs outright, it's just bad at flat overhangs. I haven't had too many issues with it on inverted slopes or arches.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Well, that's pretty much an overhang ;-) But you're right, if it's partially supported (like a fillet), it works OK. But actual overhangs are really tricky.

[@JCElzinga]

So i have a note: i had adhesion problems with larger prints. the larger the buildplace realestate Directly attached to my part, the more the warpage, My fix was to go into blender and make a cube about 2cm under my object and export both the cube and what I want to obj. I would import into cura and basically that little cube would force my piece to hover 2 cm in the air. I used tree support with 0 infill. That way no matter how it wanted to warp, the warpage wouldnt pull a corner off the glass... and I would end up with a slightly wasteful but functional print.

[@JCElzinga]

my problem was much more of a problem at 100% density

[@sammybrown6730]

What support settings do you recommend for getting a good looking finish where the support was??

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I just use the standard profiles in prusaslicer and they work great. you might be able to adapt those to your printer.

[@TheBetterRyanKelly]

What made you decide to go with PP for the bed? I am in the process of designing a table size printer and exploring different bed surface options. Does the glue stick do the heavy lifting for adhesion and the PP acts as an easy release surface? have you tried anything else? I am looking to do something ~ 20 in x 40 in range so "conventional" adhesion solutions like build tak are cost prohibitive. If I could just buy a big slab of PP off mcmaster and sand it that would be ideal!

[@JN2023]

What brand drawers in matte black?

[@brandonstevens1832]

I thought PTFE melts above 300 degrees C?

[@pr0xZen]

Doesn't the abrasive properties wear on the inside of that all-metal hot end too?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Not really, it's really the nozzle that sees the abrasive properties. The rest of the filament path isn't tight enough to really get worn away.

[@theoleana]

Hi I love your video

[@jacobmarkarian]

Anyone interested in printing 3 to 4 drone remote mounts for me in Nylon X...or any suggestions on where to go (before I commit to this setup)

[@amanchaure5584]

from where can I get the required nozzle for the purpose ?

[@LaughingMan44]

Do you find humidity effects it? I know nylon by itself loses its strength and rigidity in high humidity.

[@theroboticscodedepot7736]

Cool stuff. I was recently wondering if there was a type of carbon fiber 3D printing.

[@loganhughes2935]

CU just got a carbon fiber 3D printer for the students there

[@shainterry]

Where did you pick up the polypropylene bed?

[@gunlover92]

You keep saying strength, the carbon fibres add stiffness to the nylon

[@ellindsey000]

I have printed a few parts for use in my car out of NylonX on my printer. Using a ruby nozzle on an all metal E3D hotend, and blue painter's tape on the bed which seems to work much better for me than elmer's glue on a glass bed. I've been curious how well this stuff would hold up as a structural material for a featherweight or smaller combat robot, as it seems really tough when printed properly. My biggest problem has been keeping the hot end temperature high enough to get good layer fusion. Turning the layer fan off was mandatory, and the blue silicone sock helps a lot, but I still have a lot of airflow from the hot end cooling fan and the extruder motor cooling fan causing me problems. I may need to redesign the ductwork around the hot end to keep air away from the nozzle.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I had this problem on my CR10. The Formbot can hold temperature a LOT better. You might want to try recalibrating your hot-end. Mine would barely hit 250C before calibration. After the silicone sock and calibration, it gets up to temp very quickly and can hold 270C just fine.

[@ruzzcraze1862]

Your beard is epic.

[@Lusidous]

Print speed?

[@kingjamez80]

Nice Video, very helpful. Did you ever try NylonG? Any tips for printing with G?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

In my experience, it prints identically to NylonX. I use the same settings and process.

[@kingjamez80]

@@RobertCowanDIY Awesome, thank you very much. I'll be giving NylonG a go this week and found your video extremely helpful. There doesn't seem to be very much info out there on how to print with it, so again, thank you.

[@roberttan5602]

Can you share the link of your 3D printer? Plus, why didn't you use NylonX for Anxiety Attack and Kamikaze?

[@theherycksantos]

Robert Cowan, Do you recommend Nylon X to sumo robot 3kg or you think PLA is enough to this category?

[@jasonb938]

Do you have to print on glass? I have a prusa with metal plateS

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I now have two Prusa printers and I print on the metal beds. I just use a think layer of PCA glue (the glue sticks) and have had great results. If there's fine detail, I use the smooth bed, and use the textured for everything else.

[@CM-xq3wy]

What modifications did you make to the printer? I'm assuming just the PEI bed, hardened steel nozzle and metal Heat break.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yep, all the information is in the video. It's different for every printer though.

[@CM-xq3wy]

@@RobertCowanDIY Okay, thanks. I just wanted to verify i hadn't missed something.

[@Iamwolf134]

I can anticipate small layer height 3D printed part being reinforced by an outer skin comprised of two layers of graphene.

[@RioElMystic-999]

Hi I've been using nylon x for awhile loving the surface finish except for the top surface , has anyone adjusted settings to get good looking top surface finishes.

[@purplereignworldwide2681]

Ironing

[@SA-ow9yo]

Wich pva support will work with nylonx?

[@donaldhollingsworth3875]

What is the correct layer height to use to get a great surface finish?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Irrelevant? Layer height has nothing to do with surface finish. You just need the right multiplier for your nozzle size. Just use the correct slicer settings for your printer.

[@rcjd7834]

How impact resistant is NylonX? I am thinking of using it for structural parts on a DIY Onewheel project, but I don't want it to break on me.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

you should probably check out some of my other videos... I use it extensively in combat robot applications and it survives quite well. it depends on what you're doing with it exactly, but for impact resistance, nylonx or nylong are good options.

[@luke752010]

Outstanding video! My compliments! :-) This is a very interesting material. I have a couple of questions about it. Which are the % of carbon fibers and nylon ? What is the delta between a PETG printed part and NylonX printed part (same model and size etc) in terms of weight ?

[@chefevans5705]

What retraction settings are you using?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Most likely the default settings in the slicer profile. I don't have that printer any more, so I'm not sure. I didn't ever have to mess with retraction. For nylons, that's less of a concern than some other filaments. If you're having stringing issues, the filament needs to be dried. You really need to dry the filament before or during use every single print for best results.

[@renren8140]

where is the good place to get nylon x filament online?

[@satgod]

did you ever try garolyte

[@phlynch3]

I have been struggling with Nylon X with warpage and sticking to my Wham Bam PEX bed. Have all metal hotend, ruby 0.8 nozzle, 0.25mm layers. printing up to 275 C, 80 C bed, slow speeds with brim, enclosure, pre-dried in oven before use, and using an elmer all purpose glue stick. Still starts curling up along the edges about 5-10 layers in and can easily pop off all together So one question i have is how "gooey" or "liquidy" should nylonX be coming out of the nozzle. It is an abrasive material but just feels pretty dry coming out of my nozzle. Wondering if it needs to be more "gooey" for proper bed stick. And perhaps i have some thermistor calibration issues and i am not really printing at 275 C. I did check my nozzle with a temp probe and it measured about 250 C when setting was 270 C but a lot of inaccuracy with a surface based thermocouple measurement. so probably not that far off from true set point. Just have no basis for what it should feel like coming out of the nozzle. thanks for any info.

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Is your layer cooling fan disabled? Are you controlling ALL drafts? Are you printing out in the open with air movement around the printer? Has the filament been dried for 24+ hours? Those are are the first things that I would think about.

[@phlynch3]

@@RobertCowanDIY yes all of that (i put all my settings in my post above other than didnt indicate fans off but they are completely off). I just got a roll of SainSmart Nylon CF to see if maybe brand was a factor and it printed perfectly. perfect adhesion. So this is more specific to NylonX. And the Sainsmar, i printed at 260 and it felt more gooey than NylonX at 275 and stuck nice to the bed

[@RobertCowanDIY]

@@phlynch3 Yeah, I'm not sure what to tell you, I haven't had any issues with it. That seems a bit too hot though. It can be sensitive to the first layer. If you're too close to the bed, it might curl. And if you're too far away it might not stick.

[@phlynch3]

@@RobertCowanDIY i was just looking for your experience of how "molten" it is coming out of your hotend. I could have thermistor issues, etc so just needed a reference for when it comes out of your hot end at X C, is it a bit molten to your fingers or pretty dry. if i know that, then i can figure out what else i need to adjust or check for system issues. thanks

[@PilotCooking]

NOTE: In regard to glue stick application.....Found that if you use 90% alcohol in a spray bottle, spray your print surface down, and respread your glue with a white nylon brush.... you end up using far less glue. Dries almost instantly and has a very smooth surface texture.

[@amanchaure5584]

are these nozzles standard for all the printers?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

They are pretty universal, unless you have a really strange printer. But generally they will all fit. You can find them at matterhackers, amazon, or ebay, they are common enough now.

[@amanchaure5584]

@@RobertCowanDIY ah! Don't worry I will probably buy the same printer that you have.. coz the parameters you talked bout in the video will any ways work the best for the printer that you have.

[@WIVIDofficial]

Thanks :)

[@archeebookingagent1909]

Robert, have you managed to always stay off enclosed chamber with these?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Level bed, good adhesion, proper nozzle height, and no drafts. I have my printer in a closet now, and it's been just fine.

[@markespinosa1211]

Isn't this the Sparkfun Electronics guy from back in the day????

[@ramtek2702]

The Ender 5+ I just bought came with a textured glass surface on one side. Do you have any experience with that?

[@RobertCowanDIY]

I don't. I do have a textured plate on my Prusa. It isn't good for small detailed objects, but is really nice for prints with a larger footprint.

[@jfairplane8520]

Your print speed is very very slow. Can it also work faster ? or your printer cannot do ..? thanks

[@RobertCowanDIY]

Yes, it is slow. I usually speed it up a bit, but I found I get the best quality with around 50mm/s. I will go faster if I don't care about the aesthetics or if I'm printing PLA.