Best rigid 3D printing filaments for the RC Hobby?

[@tvideo1189]

One thing you need to mention is that filament printing characteristics, even of the same type, can vary by the color alone. You wouldn't think that a roll of manufacturer X's BLACK PETG would have different print characteristics than the same manufacturer's WHITE filament... but it does. And in some cases the difference is very pronounced.

[@licensetodrive9930]

TPU has to be my favourite filament, I like thinking about how to use its flexible properties in ways nobody has thought about before, like the folding TPU holders I designed for: Crossfire, Tracer, Ghost, XM+, Happymodel ELRS EP1 + EP2 + ES900RX, BetaFPV ELRS, and various TPU antenna holders.

[@FunBitesTV]

Thanks lee, didn't know about the wood and carbon infused ones. Learnt something new.

[@hOZish7]

I might be wrong on this but I believe the 'r' at the start of Filamentive product names indicates recycled, not reinforced.

[@Walto86]

This is true. rPLA and rPETG are recycled variants.

[@wwjoesr]

Thanks for the video. I only use PETG (and occasionally lw-pla) for all my rc planes. It is a little tricky to dial in the settings but once you get them correct, the prints are strong and smooth. The heat and sun ruins my pla planes if I leave them out for very long, a problem I haven’t had with petg!

[@OneTwo-wt8qv]

Nice to see the old Ultimaker is still banging away .. gonna try PETg on my next Fixed wing F405 build .. cheers !!

[@rcmaniac98]

Very informative video, however filamentive is actually my go to brand and last I checked the "r" prefix such as on the "rPLA" and "rPETg" stood for recycled not reinforced as one of filamentives main selling points is that their materials are (depending on the material) 50+% recycled plastic and they're on fully recyclable cardboard spools and packaging

[@Athaprat]

Always helpful and forward thinking! Congratulations!

[@yannickg6904]

I'm currently going through a roll of white PLA-F (PLA/ABS blend) that is giving me great solid prints. For flexible parts, Eryone branded rolls of TPU from Amazon are giving me very consistent results.

[@sidd8310]

Good review. For durability and temp resistance I also mostly use black PETG. Great for FC, VTX and gimbal mounts.

[@pbshooter100]

Good video. I print a lot of parts in PLA, e.g. ducts for cinewhoop, fixed wing planes, etc. Just need to keep that stuff out of the heat and it works fine. If I break a part I just print another. For parts that will experience heat I use PETG. For soft mounting stuff I use TPU. Never tried ABS (due to the fumes mainly) or ASA. I probably should give ASA a go sometime and see how it works out.

[@GUCR44]

Thanks for the video.! Great information.. Have a great Christmas!

[@marielizysurourcq]

3d850 and 3d870 are wonderful very strong pla, especially if you heat the piece in the oven afterwards. Of, course, they are plas, so, never leave the stuff in the summer sun ;) . Lighter than petg but i like petg as well

[@RebelGoatFPV]

PETG and TPU are generally my go to for quad parts. But for frames I recently went to Taulman 910 Alloy Nylon, it is a bit more flexible than PETG, so you have to make your parts thicker and/or increase your infill. It is also more expensive and a bit more finicky to print. But so far it has held up to crashes better than PETG.

[@Fly_High_FPV]

100% agree with everything here, will add that Nylon requires an all metal hotend, 270C, and ventilation...styrene offgassing in the house is bad

[@MCsCreations]

Fantastic, Lee! Thanks a lot! 😃 For printing ABS some people make a enclosure for the whole 3d printer. Really nasty stuff to print! 😬 Happy holidays! And stay safe there with your family there! 🖖😊

[@chrischoate1214]

You guys should try ninjatek Armadillo tpu, almost indestructible and super slippery great fir skids antenna mounts Not as soft as regular tpu good for super light Cine ducts that hold there shape but are flexible and durable kinda of spendy but worth it 😉

[@Pilotltd]

I use Fluorescent Yellow TPU a lot for drone parts, PETG for pretty much everything else. Wood has a tendency to block standard 0.4mm nozzles - seems OK with 0.5mm. Printed thousands of hours commercially with ABS - contrary to popular belief it does not need an enclosure. just a constant temperature room with NO draughts.

[@robson668]

ABS releases Styrene fumes which are very toxic, without ventilation it's not advised to print this material. CNC kitchen tested a whole bunch of different filaments and it seems that the so called superior mechanical properties of ABS are not what people tend to think they are. PETG has similar mechanical properties as ABS with the exception of the higher temperature resistance and it's a lot safer to print.

[@Pilotltd]

@@robson668 ABS fumes are comprised mostly of styrene monomer and uncharacterized ultrafine particles. The human nose is extremely sensitive to styrene, so even if it stinks the place out it won't be harmful at any level that a hobby 3D printer can output. Some people find he smell offensive but at the levels were talking about it's not going to do to do you any harm. You inhale more toxic chemicals in minutes walking down a busy city street! Burning ABS is a different matter, it can give off cyanides in some instances... BTW - Don't believe everything you see on youtube, , especially from one source. Do the research and testing and come to your own conclusions..

[@Fly_High_FPV]

@@Pilotltd printing with ABS and Nylon in a ventilated (but not drafty) workshop...gives me headaches...i would def recommend an upgrade to your air system if youre printing anything over 250c (and an all metal hotend)

[@Pilotltd]

@@Fly_High_FPV Been FDM printing commercially and at home since 2009, never bothered me or my work colleagues. Perhaps doing something your not allergic or sensitive to might suit you better?

[@puntenpol]

since i have 2 printers, a filament smelling like fresh coffee would truly be a stroke of genius....so i can wake up with the smell of fresh coffee and waffles.

[@parker1ray]

I also use PLA +. It prints way better than PETG, and also has better thermal characteristics. and protection against UV than standard PLA.

[@Fly_High_FPV]

@@davidwesternall873 the PLA+ i tried from amazon was pretty easy to print, but still brittle compared to PETG

[@4thfrom7]

I'd love to know if there's any practical application for wood-fill filament. I got a sample of some wood stuff from my local shop and it was so ugly that I didn't even care when my Benchy failed due to a nozzle clog. Marble-fill is really nice though. (The real stuff; I haven't tried imitation marble yet.)

[@Fly_High_FPV]

It looks nice, has a soft texture, and it takes stain. You def need a .6mm or larger nozzle to print it. I tend to do 1.0mm vase mode, and get a nice strong flower pot/planter/vase...but like most PLA it's not functional

[@4thfrom7]

@@Fly_High_FPV Hey, thanks for the reply!! I had heard you can do a sort of imitation wood grain by printing with varying temps, but I couldn't even get my tests to work. I think your suggestion of a 0.6mm nozzle would fix my clogging issue though. I'm using a 0.4mm Nozzle X and a Micro Swiss direct extruder so I had hoped it would do a little better.

[@FATSNAIL-FPV]

tried PcTG yet? somehow my E3 Pro with direct drive prints petg like a charm. Tried a roll of PCTG and it's even smoother! great for control horns, motor mounts and quad frames. I printed the Floonda glider fuselage with it and it's almost like a production blowmolded fuse by looks.

[@kkuenzel56]

I wish more filament manufacturers sold sample rolls like the ones shown. Sometimes a small project only requires a small amount of material and I prefer not to buy a whole roll.

[@Fly_High_FPV]

I tend to see em sell 250g for half the price of a kilo...now i just buy 50-100 rolls at a time 🤣

[@dpkgray]

Great review, covered a few filaments but you left out nylon and some support filaments like pva. For me I use PETG most of the time but if I need something super tough and almost completely unbreakable I use nylon or nylon with carbon fiber.

[@Fly_High_FPV]

This

[@FATSNAIL-FPV]

how do you deal with the flex in Nylon then? I occasionally print standoffs for quad stacks or mounts for antennas etc but its a bit flexible for lets say part of a frame/fuselage?

[@heightaquariuslabs9809]

Great stuff as always! Would love to hear your thoughts on Lightweight PLA (LWPLA). Looks promising for the hobby.

[@WernerBeroux]

I'd have only focused on LW-PLA like ePLA-LW vs PLA. Those are the main contestant for the body of RC aircrafts. LW is twice less dense but also usually more than twice more fragile. Comparing both for small, large RC, and against expanded polystyrene would be useful. For example I'm not sure LW-PLA makes sense of you plan on painting it.

[@maxun1]

Nice video.

[@GarbachNL]

Great update!

[@tastenheber]

I wish the overall print quality of PETG would be better. Even my TPU prints look way better in comparison to PETG. Maybe I need to tweak a little more or try different brands. Obviously it's still better than ABS, which is really a pain and needs a lot of preparation and attention. Most parts for my drones are made of TPU, I really love the flexibility and rigidity of it.

[@Painless360]

I find that a lower temp for PETg works better. 250degC is way too hot...

[@JustinHunnicutt]

Might help to link to your thingiverse models on this video for new people

[@Painless360]

Great idea! Added!

[@Fly_High_FPV]

PLA is great for learning, lots of pretty colors, but it's trash for functional parts (even "tough" PLA and PLA+ it's all fragile) . TPU is my goto for cases, bumpers, antenna mounts, even kid toys. PETG for hard functional parts. And Nylon for hardcore durable hard plastics, but you need all metal hotend and gotta deal with styrene offgas, and it's expensive

[@tstrrtstrr745]

Try PCTPE, best stuff. For anything else, PA6 (Nylon). You need to mod your printer a bit though, for higher printing temperatures and dry filament feeding.

[@mattraymond2935]

What no tpu?

[@Painless360]

Rigid - in the title... Happy flying

[@mjohnson421]

Almost all my hobby related printing is done with Carbon Fiber PLA.

[@mattraymond2935]

Wood tested stronger than carbon filaments and is up there with polycarbonate

[@DanRogers1985]

You should be printing your camera mounts with tpu

[@Painless360]

Check out my camera mounts on Thingiverse including the new pan and tilt setups.. Happy flying

[@licensetodrive9930]

Don't buy the cheapest PLA you can find, I tried that because I wanted some filament I could print for days and not think it was costing me a fortune. Those £10/reel of PLA on eBay not worth it, mine wouldn't print properly at normal PLA temperatures, had to up it to 230C, prints 'ok' but not nearly as clean & easy as Prusament PLA filaments. On the other hand, I use the cheapest transparent TPU I can find on eBay (XYD branded stuff) and it works great with the right print settings and properly dried out before & during printing.