Things you should know about PETG

[@spacemanspiff559]

I gave you an upvote in the first 5 seconds of the video for launching right into it. No life story, no 5 minute long explanation of the title, no ridiculous intro. Thanks!

[@Domfootstitch]

I started with PETG almost immediately after my starter role ran out. I use PLA for some non-functional parts, cheap test prints, the occasional pointless object/desk thing, but petg has been my go to for nearly everything. It's worth the hassle to dial it in - it's a really excellent filament.

[@OnceShy_TwiceBitten]

was it a hassle? Or was it more jsut having to dial in something different... again? (I assume the same as PLA but just doing it all again lol)

[@kaniobal2]

@@OnceShy_TwiceBitten For me achieving string-free PETG prints _is_ a lot more hassle than PLA which just prints with default settings pretty much flawlessly. But for a lot of stuff PLA is simply not an option.

[@Xubor]

I tried PETG a lot and I find it to be less strong than PLA. It breaks equite asily. Would you agree or am I doing something wrong?

[@joeking433]

PETG needs to print slower, it's much stringier, it is more toxic, it's harder to glue, much better for use in the sun, and it's more flexible than PLA. I would only use PETG over PLA for outdoor use situations.

[@LazerLord10]

The first time I printed with PETG on a large-ish print, it took a nice big chunk out of my glass build plate. yay. I learned the hard way. I went with painters tape and it worked a bit better.

[@magmatri-studios]

What is painters tape, and how did you use it?

[@WatermelonNinja299]

@@magmatri-studios it's just blue tape that's easy to remove off of a surface. you can get it at any hardware store. good for bed adhesion but is a pain to get off the bottom of your print.

[@gopro2027]

I know this is old but I have been printing PETG for a few months (overture and hatchbox) on my ender 3 glass bed with very large flat prints covering probably 50% of the bed and hot or cold never had an issue. If I let it cool all the way it pops right off ittself.

[@WatermelonNinja299]

@cgwworldministries or glue stick

[@techprosinc]

@cgwworldministries hey I’m new, printed on a raft once and it looked like a raft is a nice flat solid bit that the piece then prints on top of. Wouldn’t a bigger, flatter, piece like that be even MORE likely to ‘stick’ and take a chunk off the bed? What am I misunderstanding?

[@KrustyKlown]

After a lot of PETG printing, much of what Thomas said is is good info .. Everyone has their preferred approach, here is mine: .. to reduce stringing > NO Z lift (using Z lift creates a string of material) > Tweek flow rate within 1%, reduce flow rate so that nozzle does NOT drag through the layer being printed > Be aware that optimum nozzle temp varies considerably between PETG brands (I run eSUn at 240C and Hatchbox at 250C) > careful trying to use large retractions, as material may freeze off and jam nozzle due to high print temp, I limit retraction to 1mm > Print SLOWLY ~30mm/s to get reasonable cosmetic appearance,, infill faster 40mm/s, and travel VERY fast >80mm/s to break & reduce stringing > print on PEI surface, NO tape or spray required! ... adhesion will be VERY strong, may require a razor blade carefully slide under to release parts .. but very few parts will come loose during printing Timelapse example of PETG printing a finely detailed thin wall set of camera cases for a 360 video camera I designed... camera external faces are fully filled smooth surfaces printed against the PEI top sheet .. but you will note the inevitable stringing at the end of the print job, which must be cleaned away ... that said, these parts were great, are flexible, tough, and handle the high operating temperature of the camera boards (a job ABS or PLA can NOT do): kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5zceX1ndsuBr9k www.thingiverse.com/thing:1884782 Also another example of a durable PETG designed drone, a very large 7 pound flying monster with nearly 4hp of power .. many flights and NEVER broke a single PETG printed part: Video flying / landing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ7OiKuplsSGnZY www.thingiverse.com/thing:2420214 Overall, IMO, PETG is the single best material for mechanically functional parts, the trade off is accepting a cosmetic appearance less than that of ABS or PLA. PETG is more flexible, tough, and temp resistant than PLA .. and stiffer & stronger than ABS, and does not shrink/warp like ABS (I hate ABS, basically worthless IMO).

[@lapidations]

I prefer ABS and Nylon to PETG. ABS is way better then PETG at small details and can vapor smooth (which I do a lot) and Nylon is way stronger than PETG. I will only go for PETG if the part requires high rigidity but less brittleness than PLA.

[@benjaminchen4367]

What kind of petg do you use?

[@Sven_Hein]

I use DasFilament PETG at 225°C and it comes out great, sticks well, doesn't string and is rock solid. Glue it with Poly adhesive.

[@benjaminchen4367]

@@Sven_Hein Yeah I been thinking about getting some of that, but shipping to the US is kind of expensive. I might try some prusament petg

[@Sven_Hein]

@@benjaminchen4367 I live in Germany so DasFilament is my cheapest and best option, since somehow prusament is really expensive with shipping to germany (about 35€ per spool).

[@HeyaTwigletts]

You are a god send, i was having real issues with my PETG, would highly recommend this video to anyone having a issue printing with PETG, I own a P1S and the benchy test come out flawless

[@JamesRivera1]

Off topic but your photography is some of the best I've seen on KZbin. On topic, I think your 3D printing video content is some of the best on KZbin. Keep up the good work, thanks!

[@babylonfive]

Plus, those dreamy ice-blue eyes!

[@drewrinker2071]

@@babylonfive WTF??

[@martinwebster8702]

@@drewrinker2071 It's like staring into the eyes of an angle. Like the first time I heard the Beatles :-|

[@drewrinker2071]

@@martinwebster8702 oh lol 😂 .

[@wingsounds13]

PETG has been one of my favorite printing filaments for some time now. As noted in the video and other places, it is usually considerably more durable than PLA, tolerates higher temperatures and is almost as easy to print as PLA.

[@schogaia]

I see what you did at 3:13 - you changed the value to OVER 9000!!!

[@gossumx]

Ah, someone else with the same mental twitch as me

[@gavindow7159]

In my experience, PETG parts that are under constant stress will exhibit considerable creep, significantly more than the same parts printed in PLA or ABS. Anything like tension clips, or parts that are bent to form a press fit will creep out of tolerance relatively quickly. The only solution to this is to drastically overengineer the parts, or just print them out of something else. Otherwise, PETG prints like butter and looks incredible - very nice stuff!

[@isthattrue1083]

What brand are you using? I haven't had any issues with creep. PETG is stronger than PLA and ABS. "Regardless of the exact bulk material, we can say for sure that most PET and PETG are heavier plastics than ABS, and most PETs (including PETG) have a higher tensile strength than the various ABS types. PLA sits above ABS for tensile strength but below PETG, and is a little heavier than ABS in general."

[@isthattrue1083]

If you are looking for something stronger then I would highly suggest carbon fiber.

[@LongestYardstick]

I wonder why Prusa makes a bunch of their printer parts out of it then -- this is curious

[@Ramesiel]

I thought creep was supposed to be one of the things PETG is good at... Seen people recommending not to print things in PLA if they'll be taking heavy loads, because there'll be significant creep, and to use PETG instead. Now you're saying PETG has creep...

[@Boz1211111]

Is it good for making cases that would be assembled woth screws because of creep? Pla is good but its temperature resistance is not enough so i rly looking into petg

[@t3hb1gr1gProductions]

Some additional info helpful for beginners: - Clean nozzle is especially important for PETG. - Fan speeds are based on a Prusa. It needs to be tuned depending on the cooling setup you have. (On a Wanhao stock cooler, it's not very powerful and will have trouble bridging.)

[@MrNightware]

About PETG adhesion on glass. Use only heated glass surface and after printing when it cools down, it comes off itself without any need of external help.

[@ChinaAl]

I just started switching to PETG for my printing. Love the stuff. Had some transparent samples and they came out beautiful. I have an Ender 5 modified to direct drive with an Apollo mk8 coated aluminum nozzle that requires a hotter temp. My PETG Hot-end @ 250ºc and bed @ 70ºc. For PLA it was 225/63. I just printed a basket and absolutely no stringing. So cool. Make Shaper PETG Purple and Amazon Basics Grey both PETG. Speeds 35mm/s Thanks Tom

[@ejohnfel]

First, really this series is knocking out of the park, video quality and content are super high quality, thanks for that. Second, I tend to vapor smooth my ABS parts often, not always, but not rarely either. Almost always when I do, the parts are external. Internal parts I don't care about so much.

[@KRGraphicsCG]

I've been printing with PETG for the past week now and I REALLY love how strong the prints are, especially when printed solid. Now the one challenge I've faced is printing on BuildTak, and after tearing a chunk out of it, I ended up using Aqua Net hair spray to ensure it holds onto my cold plate. I use PLA for test parts and PETG for my final parts...

[@proximityzero]

Great video! I've ditched ABS in favor of PETG for most of my printing. The stringing and bed adhesion are trickier, but overall, the parts come out strong, and warping seems much better as compared to ABS.

[@koreenium5840]

In order to paint PETG you must use primer first. Painting directly onto the plastic surface will cause the paint to peel off. Not all primers work as well so you may have to try few different ones before you find one that works perfectly.

[@ChrisMuncy]

Tom, I'm really loving these new filament videos. Thank you sir.

[@ChrisKurtz]

Gorilla Glue White (polyurethane) works great for gluing PETG for me, and I've found with a good primer (Rustoleum Filler Primer) it takes paint very well! Also thanks for the note about over setting retraction, I think mine is set way too high, causing globs exactly as you described!

[@timgraves9893]

Chris, thank you for this comment. I am currently printing some replacement feet for an outside deck swing in PETG and was looking around trying to figure out how i was going to print this stuff. I appreciate your specificity; heading to the hardware store tomorrow to find the filler primer and then a proper color to go over the top.

[@mattgraham4340]

I had better luck using E6000 glue

[@mattlogue1300]

Glad my next print with petg has zero obligatory retracts.

[@davidswe98]

now i know where the chunk of glass from my bed went ...

[@BigDan1190]

I've damaged "3D printing" glass and PEI sheets, but never had an issue with a plain mirror. Similarly, the WhamBam PEX is absolutely BRILLIANT for PETG. Changed my life :D

[@algungonzalo]

@@BigDan1190 How safe it is to use a mirror? The heated bed worries me a bit, but I've seen it being use quite a lot

[@BigDan1190]

@@algungonzalo I can't really say as your mileage may vary but i had 2 x pieces of 4mm mirror glass cut from a local glass shop for £4.50 each and they worked fine for a year. Then i bought an Artillery sidewinder X1 and that has a glass ultrabase bed as stock and after 3-4 months of PETG printing i did have some damage. I've recently added a WhamBam flex sheet which uses PEX not PEI - PEX is much better for PETG i find, i have had PETG fuse too strongly to PEI in the past.

[@RSEngineer23]

RIP

[@andythorington7513]

@@BigDan1190 I got the plain 12x12 mirror from HD and it made my adhesion issues with mu CR-10 go away and I tried everything else it's "THE FIX" for adhesion issues just wipe with alcohol first (no glue/tape etc)

[@raven50x]

thank you so much for making this video. I took your advice to modify settings- and after making PETG spaghetti for serveral prints before your video... Now my prints are pristine after watching your video!

[@stofstik]

Nice I've been waiting for this one! 0:49 is pure gold

[@syntheticmedic3140]

Not saying your other videos wasn't helpful, but due to starting to play with PETG, I found this extremely helpful. I'd like to see more of these types of videos to get a better sense of the next material I want to play with and maybe get a head start instead of walking in blind. Thx & keep up the great work!

[@stephenoliveau]

i go with "terra fellate"... just used your link to buy $100 in parts and filament on amazon. i hope you get your cut. you're my favorite 3d printing youtuber. the extra work you put into your videos really pays off.

[@jfboulanger5368]

I have been using PET-G for quite a while now and I have had great success printing on thick (5mil) Kapton tape on heated bed (75Deg), it sticks very well without need to 'squish' the first layer. Cooled to room temperature, parts come off without problem. I also have no problem gluing PET-G parts: I use common acrylic glue (Methylene Chloride based) applied with a seringe, it welds the parts together making a very strong bond.

[@DanielVicenteVelardeGarrido]

After the fillaween series I tried PETG and is now my favorite material. I even find it easier to print than PLA, and parts are way stronger. Thanks for the great content.

[@waywardhero1177]

This is really helpful, I was about to buy a PETG spool but didn’t know about the whole don’t print on glass thing. What’s nice is that my second option actually comes with a removable print surface and now I know why

[@3DPrintingNerd]

You still pronounce the real name for PET better than I do.

[@MadeWithLayers]

+3D Printing Nerd I bet Chuck Norris can pronounce it flawlessly

[@MiggyManMike]

Chuck Norris tells PET how it's pronounced.

[@hartk5353]

+3D Printing Nerd Congrats on going full time Content Creator!

[@TodayIMade]

I guess I'll have to scrap my plans on my big first video and just do one about pronouncing PET correctly! :D #staytuned

[@ILikeWeatherGuy]

poly a they lean tariff they late

[@nemanjamalenic2613]

I started 3d printing like a month ago, i was using PLA all the time, but now buyed PET-G , and i must say it's much better, print is cleaner and it's easyer to brush it with sand paper to look better, i recommend it ;)

[@TMS5100]

PEI is actually the ideal print surface for PETG. it adheres well but doesn't fuse like it does to glass. the huge advantage of PETG over ABS is minimal warping, so you don't need a heated chamber. and virtually no smell with PETG.

[@stringfellowhawk4843]

As a noob to this Cartesian printing here's some topics I'd love to see: 1. What is retraction? 2. What exactly does travel speed refer to? 3. Does lowering the print speed slow down everything? Or just certain movements? 4. Normal extrusion vs. direct extrusion. Just some ideas. Thanks!!!

[@mathc1769]

Definitely should read up all you can on 3d printing basics and "getting started" and save yourself the headache of having to learn stuff like 'what is retraction' or how to baby step your z axis or whatever lol. This is definitely a hobby for those of us who like tinkering and hacking around voiding all the warranties on everything we own.. lol

[@ModestAndroid]

I love PETG. I print exclusively PETG or PLA. PETG for strength and durability, PLA for speed and a little extra quality. It's good stuff :D

[@pavelskripec7133]

Same here! ;)

[@mentaluproar]

It's also completely recyclable. Another reason I print primarily in PETG.

[@jch8376]

Petg vs pla on toughness?

[@spunkmire2664]

Glad you mentioned the glass chunks part!

[@steelwitness]

thank you so much you said some things i havent heard yet from other videos. the travel speed combined with a very small retraction speed and length change made my prints almost perfect

[@stinkmage]

i absolutely love this new series breaking down each filament great information!

[@TW-lt1vr]

PETG is my absolute favorite. Straight up beast of a material! I've used it ever since I bought my first role of PETG--which was my second roll of filament ever.

[@chloemcholoe3280]

It's expensive tho :(

[@crateer]

@@chloemcholoe3280 where do you live? Because in Germany it's basically the same price as PLA

[@Spoogitywoogums]

Polycarbonate paint, normally used for RC bodies sticks really well and is designed to flex once it's dried

[@ducomaritiem7160]

About "vapour smoothing," ABS, yes, it works. I use a large stainless soup pan with a glass lid, and put it on the stove, gently heating it up and only put 2 spoons of Acetone inside. After 20 minutes or so, the surface starts to shine nicely. It works for me, no danger involved, and it's very easy to do.

[@0calvin]

Hey Tom! I'm liking this series. I think a lot of people will find it useful. You asked about ABS acetone vapor smoothing... I only print in ABS when I need to smooth the finished print. Besides just looking nice, I'll use a smoothed print if I am making a silicone mold from it since the cast part will look better and release from the mold easier. Cheers!

[@daviddth99]

Your comment on vapor smoothing ABS, I do it all the time here. Most of my ABS prints are designed for my Christmas Light display and thus are either very thin walled LED covers, or clips and similar. Vapor smoothing does wonders for inter-layer adhesion, and while the originals are tough, the smoothed ones are way better and will often bend before breaking, and rarely break along layer lines anymore. It also makes them more weather resistant, and thus they are much less likely to allow water to get inside the items. I have literally smoothed thousands of LED covers, and hundreds of other parts, 90% of which are used outside mid summer in Australia for 6-8 weeks

[@vizionthing]

I have printed around 3kg of PETG onto glass without any problems at all, I use a 3mm 220x220 glass mirror intended for bathroom walls, the surface is kept very clean - no touching. The parts adhere with no problem at around 60C enough that the print would easily lift the mirror off the bed - to remove you just need to wait for thermal contraction, you can normally hear a cracking sound at around 40C and the part will just lift free, as for joining - weld it with a 3D Pen - I haven't tried this yet but others have, so much so that I have parts on order to build my own.

[@Corbald]

Thomas, I print my moulds out of ABS, so vapor smoothing is a must to remove the internal layer lines. This both helps the mould to release, and improves the quality of the moulded product.

[@3DPrintingNerd]

Tom - what about PET/PETG on the new Prusa PEI beds? It's not a PEI sheet, so would it be better at handling PET/PETG without a release agent?

[@MadeWithLayers]

+3D Printing Nerd I've been too scared to try it directly onto the coated one, but I guess I can try it in the name of science (and then beg Prusa for a new one)

[@boherrmannsen8219]

maybe a follow up video with tricks to avoid ripping holes in PEi when using PETG... but agree PETG is the middleman between PLA and ABS. Love it but its a pain in the butt to change out.

[@ytfpv2627]

I dont know about the powder coated ones, as you guys are the only ones to have them at this point! But try a quick wipe down with windex on your plate. It works great.

[@tochti]

I've print a lot onto the coated PEI sheet on the mk3. No Problems so far! Stick very well and pop of easily when you bend the bed.

[@andrewwhittle5094]

Yeah, i have printed Matterhackers PETG on the PEI coated spring steel sheet of my MK3 and had no problems when flexing it off. Feels exactly like PLA.

[@Lavadog11]

PETG is my goto filament of choice. One thing I would like to add is that its pretty easy to glue together. I bought some store brand general adhesive and haven't had an issue. Used it to glue together a star trek phaser rifle, and the only place where it has broken is where I used hot glue.

[@bobwhitlok]

I too have made PETG my favorite. The properties are good and the transparent look is fantastic.

[@GearKnowHow]

Been testing some PLA and PETG for awhile now. PLA is the way to go as PETG needs to stay very hot at the nozzle to even work at all and it likes to bunch up and tends to be brittle if conditions aren't right.

[@Tony-nl6pf]

This is why I love Prusa. You just click PETG and the setting change by themselves. I've always printed PLA and needed PETG, one click and I'm printing. No stringing, no sticking, perfect prints.

[@Hanzi2u]

Really is it that simple i have a prusa mk3 and was thinking of startin printing PETG

[@rastus_26]

Just started using PETG a few days ago printing the parts for my Hypercube300 build. One thing I had to do was bring the exit tube/throat on my extruder right up close to the drive gear, because the filament is so flexible I got a ball of spaghetti a few times before I done that, prints perfectly now.

[@MegaRetroRocket]

Thanks for this Tom! I got some PETG for a few original handheld video game concepts I designed, but I've been a bit hesitant to try it until I know what I'm doing. Looks like I'll be experimenting this weekend!

[@terrygould781]

Thomas, I've been enjoying printing with PETG on my Mk3s but ran into a problem with what to do with jammed up brass nozzles. I didn't want to throw them away because I've had problems with the cheap knock-off nozzles and the original E3D V6 nozzles are $9 each on Amazon. PETG was resistant to almost every solvent I tried--acetone, toluene, etc I could find. Some people use a blowtorch on them but it seemed a bit extreme. The solution I finally found was simple and effective--sulfuric battery acid, available at any auto parts store. Leave the nozzles overnight in a few centimeters of the battery acid. The next day, the plastic has turned to putty and is easy to poke out with a needle. The brass is totally unaffected. Hope this helps somebody and saves some money.

[@jeremiahembs5343]

Great tip! Thanks. Mounting in a steel vice and a heatgun to soften the plastic and then the needle will clean them too.

[@tyakoss]

I just started with 3D printing and so far tried PLA, ABS, Acetal (POM) and PETG. PLA is nice and simple, ABS warps too much without an enclosure, so does POM. PETG is just the right stuff - hard and durable, print well given that the bed temperature is high enough and doesn't require anything else. Will try HIPS and Nylon soon, will see how it goes.

[@Fullscreen007]

I do printing PETG on glas from the first time and its awesome my Last Print was 43 hours or Sticks perfectly and i can remove it very easy unser 40°C And you get a perfect surface

[@ryankrammes8245]

$19 a kilo at Microcenter. I haven't bought anything but PETG for over a year.

[@rosettec6068]

Thanks for producing this video on PETG. I was really wondering about the potential of this material for different applications. I come from using ABS for most things and wondered if there is any material that might be even better (especially for weather hardiness). I will proceed with many of these things in mind (esp safety). I can say I am one person who has done Vapor Smoothing for ABS prints. I do agree that for some stuff, it might be only an aesthetic benefit so I dont know if it is always necessary. We are careful in getting the acetone heated just right, either using a hotplate or by boiling water (no flame!!). Setting up a good rack system can help for making sure it is dried fully.

[@SparkyHelper]

Best PETG vid I could find! Thanks. I'm drawn to PETG as a beginner with a hotbed.

[@column.01]

Recently printed a cupholder for my brother's car in PETG and it came out great

[@dvanborkulo]

Hey Tom, When it comes to my ABS prints I almost always end up using acetone even if I don't go for a full smoothing job. I find that it's quick and easy too clean up marks and blemishes, or just knock down the layer lines to make prints look a little less chunky and more glossy, with acetone and paper towel. It can really change the feel of a part too. Some pigments tend to develop a haze if I'm too heavy handed with it and you also have to move to clean sections of paper towel regularly, but it's pretty reliable after getting used to it. I don't go for a full smooth very often, seems like more of a decorative effect and not usually what I need, but I have a cheap rice cooker just for this task(one of Angus's tips). As for ABS over other filaments, I guess I'm a bit backwards. I had a poor experience with the sample roll of PLA from my first printer and enjoyed everything about the ABS. The fact that I was using a Flashforge Creator with no part cooling fan and a Kapton bed may have contributed to this. I never really looked back, not trying PLA again for years until I bought a Cetus recently. I did start using PETg for translucent prints fairly early on, and lately for mechanical ones too. That Cetus hadn't seen anything but PETg since I installed a heated bed either... Besides that, thank you for the excellent videos! I'm loving the level of detail with this filament series.

[@fredgenius]

I love PETG, it's my main printing material now. I print on glass with a thin layer of ABS (applied dissolved in acetone), prints release easily as the bed cools below 40°C. Btw, PETG is also resistant to acetone - although there maybe a deterioration over time. I try to use a little cooling as possible, parts with large layers I have zero cooling. I really only use cooling for supports interfaces and small features.

[@garage_monster]

perfect timing as I am printing a new carriage with some petg today!

[@Michallote]

I do vapor smooth ABS because the surface finish is incredible, and that is actually one of the most important factors when taking a 3D printed part to a wind tunnel

[@gossumx]

Your Speed for Non-Print Moves is OVER 9000!!!!!!

[@isthattrue1083]

Honestly, the best brand of PETG I have found has been Overture Filament. They are an excellent brand.

[@anglerfish61]

I'm happy you confirmed what I thought. Because I basically bought a lot of PETG for a project going off on nothing more than an educated guess, lmao. I'm happy I guessed right

[@mysteriouspikachuman]

Congratulations on 400 thousand subscribers! Wish you luck in the future!

[@MadeWithLayers]

Thank you very much!

[@nubbyninja1721]

I've had a LOT of success with the old Windex release agent method. Worth noting. Acetone to clean PEI (NON-textured version) when stubborn residue is there. Some shop towels and acetone itself can leave residue if the build plate is warm or if there is a ton of plastic residue on the bed. May take a couple of passes to get all of the residue off of the build area. Alcohol for easy residue. 99% or any high grade. Actually have a lot of success with 91% generic brand alcohol but 99% can improve success rate for adhesion. Windex for release agent while printing PETG). I've had the most success when applying Windex to a cold, clean bed. When the bed is warm Windex can tend to just evaporate without leaving enough of the "release agent" to be effective, causing parts to either fail to adhere, or adhere too much. Apply when bed is cold/room temp just to be sure.

[@quo82]

Good recommendations. I'm new to 3d printing. I made a table in pine wood with supports in PETG in addition to an enclosure for my CR10. With low budget. I really like the filament. All went for less than 100 dollars including the enclosure. I'm finished and it looks good. Greetings.

[@isthattrue1083]

I use PETG and literally get none of these issues. Make sure your extruder is completely clean. I print at 230°C with no stringing. Make sure your z-offset is set right. Another thing I have learned is to move your z axis to 0. Then disable your stepper motors and then manually move the z-index closer to the bed so that 0.0mm is actually closer to being 0.0mm in relation to the extruder and the bed. Then adjust z-offset after running an auto-level. Besides removing the brim, that's all the cleanup I have to do. It prints so cleanly that it looks like a molded part. $189.00 Anycubic Kobra Neo printer. PETG is different as it has Glycol in it.

[@andreashanle9179]

I also print almost all "useful" parts with PTEG, PLA only for testprints and deco-stuff. Fist i used a glass printbed but ran into the chipping-issue as descriped in your video. I now use FR4 and can strongly recomend it as printbed material for PETG. Even with very big parts i have no warping issues at only 60°C bed temp. For glueing PETG parts Tangit PVC-U is my favorite. It perfectly "welds" the parts together. Its based on MEK that is a close relativ to aceton and on cyclohexanon, not soo nasty. You can get it in every Baumarkt here in germany.

[@mikevia7530]

Perfect timing...thank you! I'm in the process of printing a PETG temperature tower and the notification for this video popped up.

[@JohnWayne99999a]

First attempt at printing PETG and I am already in love with it.

[@chrisstocksmith5145]

Okay, I subscribe to Mr. Sanladerer but rarely comment or participate in live Q&As. So why do I subscribe? Because when I need an authoritative source who's going to cover a 3DP topic, this is where I turn. I use my SX4 A LOT and the best habit I have is to watch Thomas, turn on the closed captioning and take notes. Like I'm still at school, except here I pause it a lot as to not miss anything. These lectures by TS save me a lot of hunting and pecking for bits of knowledge. I feel "armed for bear" when I dive into something new, "Printing with PETG" for example. Subscribing is worth every penny and it makes me feel good knowing that I'm helping keep this fount of knowledge available to us all! Thanks for the voodoo that you do Mr. Thomas Sanladerer! One question/suggestion: is the transcript of this video available to subscribers? It would be super nice to follow along with a highlighter, rather than all the stopping/starting of taking notes of the info that inevitably comes so fast. I'd have a binder full of transcripts of this and other items off the playlists "Tom's Guides" and "Tom's Tips".

[@LazerLord10]

All metal hotend needed for this or no?

[@frederikdesaulniers9699]

LazerLord10 No. PTFE can handle up to 245 degrees science.

[@LazerLord10]

I was just wondering, because he mentioned in the ABS video that you need an all-metal hotend even though it's only ~230C.

[@MarkWheadon]

Just FYI, you can take PETG up to circa 260C and it goes really glossy (for both Rigid Ink and Filaprint PET-G at least), but obviously you'd need an all-metal hot end for that.

[@jasonking7570]

Not needed, but I'd say it is recommended because the midworking temperatures of PETG are right where PTFE starts melting/degrading, so if you want to say do a proper temp tower, you have to go to and above those temperatures

[@Inferior_Machines]

This guy is awesome! I have learned a lot about 3D printing from him. Thanks for all the specs, safety requirements and good info!

[@tomandrews5392]

I started with PETG and had really good luck ....not sure what went wrong but now layer issues ...I did change to more recommender setting for PETG . need to go back to basics ...PLA setup to start good idea...

[@joelatrell5696]

Thanks! This is a great video series. I have found that I get the best performance with my PETg if I keep it in a humidity controlled (dry) box.

[@MrWobling]

Thanks Tom - until now I've only been printing in PLA but have a roll of PETG on the shelf for the printed parts of my planned AM8 upgrade for the Anet a8. This video had given me the confidence to dive in - the specifics around slicer settings in particular. I shall also switch over to the Prusa edition of Slic3r.

[@NeilHendin]

I used to vapor smooth some ABS prints from my old Soliddoodle SD3 printer, I would use a can with some acetone at the bottom, a wire rack to hold the part a ways up from the acetone, and a lid for fume control. As a heater, I would put the can on the still warm heated bed and set to a lower temperature. Self contained printing and smoothing.

[@Boomshankarim]

Great video, just a small correction, when a material absorbs humidity from the atmosphere it is called hygroscopy, hydrolysis is the chemical breakdown of a compound due to a reaction with water.

[@MadeWithLayers]

Hydrolysis happens once you try to print with the wet polyester.

[@hsiriyob]

Great video! recommended settings were very close. adjusted retraction speed and dialed it in nicely. Thank you for sharing this information!

[@nerys71]

I have two problems with petg my first problem is getting it to stick to the bed no matter what surface I use it's always a real pain to get that first layer to stick once I get that first layer stick it Prince like a dream but I can never walk away from a petg print until that first layer is done The other problem I have with petg which I don't think there's anything I can do about it is that I can't make a tall delicate Prince with it without losing resolution because it's too flexible so the tall skinny part begins to actually Flex under the nozzle which of course ruins layer alignment you can see these in the spiral pens that I printed pla print looks fantastic and so does the petg print but you can see it lose resolution as it nears the top of the pen that's the layer alignment is no longer perfect and that's because the pain was flexing as a printed I don't think there's any way to fix that But any suggestions on getting that first layer to lay down better please by all means because I love printing with the stuff but it's such a pain in the butt to get it to stick :-)

[@prabhavathimajji8352]

Sir can we print petg on Pla based only printer I am asking you because I have only one printer which is purely based on Pla and tpu so can I print with it

[@Alluvian567]

Replacing ABS will be tough for me. I do vapor smooth fairly often, but now that I have a resin printer I might just be using that for smooth parts in the future. The real seller for ABS to me is the ease of acetone solvent welding. It is so easy to print sub parts in the orientation that they will be strongest and then weld them together. I also like how I can use an abs slurry to fix tolerance issues on parts. I have made several action figure type models and the joints are REALLY hard to get correct tolerances on, and even when perfect, over time they will loosen up. With abs I can just coat the ball of the ball joint with a thick abs slurry, let it sit for 24 hours and then I have a nice tight joint again. Similar things can be done with superglue on other substances as well though. I am just addicted to the ease of solvent welding.

[@kurtwagner6574]

This video series is great! Thank you so much!

[@KrustyKlown]

I rate Thomas #1 in the KZbin 3D Printing Universe ... his videos are clear, concise and packed with useful information.

[@ErikScott128]

I don't vapor smooth ABS parts all that often, but being able to do it makes having ABS and knowing how to print it worth while. It's really the only reason I would print ABS these days, as I'll opt for PETG over ABS otherwise. I've found a 1-hour cold vapor bath does the trick for ABS. I use plastic food-containers about 10cmx20cmx10cm. I lie in some paper towels so that they sit in the bottom and run up the sides. I pour acetone in the bottom only (not on the sides, it let it wick up the paper towels by itself). I have some aluminum trays that I put the parts on and place it on top of the now acetone-soaked paper towels. I close the lid and let it sit for an hour. Come back, remove the trays, let the paper towels and container dry out and let the parts sit for 24 hours. The trick is to trust that 1 hour is enough. The parts won't look finished after 1 hour, but that's okay. After they sit for a day and all the acetone evaporates, it'll look like an injection-molded part. I have a fume hood paint booth that I use for spray painting, but I also do all my vapor smoothing in there, even when the containers are sealed with their lids. I also always wear latex or nitrile gloves. I don't like taking chances.

[@dzitiatri]

Professional review ! I just bought 2 transparent petg spools (Spectrum) to change my pla. First print and it looks like sticking to bed the same way as pla just finishing looks is a bit messy. So still need to play with it as I hope it will be stronger than PLA for my threads. My settings fan 230C, 75C and 20% fan, the same as big Tom recommended. Thanks Tom !

[@JoelReid]

Vapour smoothing prints can get some excellent results, I have even used it on gaming miniatures to a great effect,often with it enhancing details, not removing them. When an ABS part is finished then there is often a lot of tension between the layers. vapour smoothing will also release some of this tension and make the model less likely to crack in the long run.

[@tomherd4179]

Very new to this and printing on TEVO Tornado. I have made a couple of items with PETG and by dumb luck, not really knowing what I was doing in CURA, I had increase bed and extruder temps and reduce fan speed even slower on first 2 layers, and I got in my opinion some good results that I was satisfied with.

[@pavelskripec7133]

Hi, I tested PET-G for the factory, where Prusa buys. And I must say that I came to the same conclusion. Great for printing and solid and heat resistant. My personal favorite. Thanks for great video and tip how to get rid of these lines after retracting. It sometimes happens, especially on the Kossel's bowden.

[@pavelskripec7133]

I still have a few spools PET from the very beginning. It's almost clean Polyethylene terephthalate and can not print with them more, than two centimeters of the height of the object. It just jam the nozzle. Regardless of speed. :-D

[@ElectraFlarefire]

While I don't vapor smooth, I do acetone smooth. As I do silicon and other casting that gets between the layers scarly well, brushing or dipping a part in acetone and leaving it to dry is nearly mandatory as well as being able to remove the worst of the ridging. Being able to glue a part together at full strength is the other reason I stick to ABS. (Superglue tends to shatter and tapes fail in the heat and with time.) That being said I'm slowly trying to print in more other materials, at least in part due to series and videos like this one that remind me that there are so many interesting materials and I got a e3dv6 back when they were brand new so I could!

[@tiandutoit7287]

GPT Summary: From the video, here are some key takeaways about PETG (Copolyesters): 1. **Properties**: PETG combines the best properties of PLA and ABS, making it softer, more chewy, and having a lower melting temperature than pure PET. 2. **Printing Parameters**: Start with a PLA profile and adjust the part cooling fan speed, temperature, and retraction settings as needed. 3. **Stringing and Retraction**: PETG tends to string, so adjust retraction settings and consider increasing retraction length and speed to minimize stringing and blobbing. 4. **Print Surface**: Avoid printing PETG directly onto glass as it can fuse to the surface and damage it. Instead, use PEI or apply an additional layer of adhesive. 5. **Applications**: PETG can be used for a wide range of applications, similar to PLA, and has good temperature resistance (up to 70-80°C). It's suitable for detailed parts, electronics housings, and motor components. 6. **Strength and Transparency**: PETG is strong and transparent, making it suitable for various applications. However, its strength can be less predictable, and "wet" PETG can become more brittle due to hydrolysis. 7. **Post-Processing**: While PETG is more resistant to solvents, gluing and painting can be challenging. Solvent-welding and specialized tapes like VXB tape are recommended for joining PETG parts. 8. **Safety and Environmental Impact**: PETG is odorless when printing and can be food-safe if printed correctly. It's also resistant to chemicals and weather, but its color may fade over time in sunlight. Overall, PETG is a versatile and user-friendly material with properties that make it a preferred choice for many 3D printing applications, often replacing ABS for many users.

[@TheBludgutz]

ABS is my go to for printing, I do use PETG now and then as well. I rarely do vapor smoothing as most the parts I print are for mechanical use and not for show.

[@itcloset101]

As usual, great video. I've had PETG eat clean glass, but in my experience it seems like a well seasoned glass bed, I'm personally an Aquanet fan, reduces the chance of removing chunks of glass.

[@DogsBAwesome]

I have a toughened glass bed and that has been no problem with PetG

[@dontcallmebrave]

I leave a nice thick coating of hairspray on my picture frame glass bed and it works great, let the bed cool to room temp and parts just pop off themselves. I've had a few I tried to remove too soon take off the layer of hairspray but it just washes off the part lol A quick wipe with a damp cloth to fill in the missing spot and another blast of hairspray and the beds good to print again.

[@W.Keeling]

What a great go to videos when trying a different material

[@dooley9621]

Thanks Tom I just got my first roll of petg, going to give it a crack on the Flashforge creator pro 2 and see how it goes.

[@eddiemoser3150]

Great Video! I love printing in PETG and unless I am looking for a specific color that only comes in PLA will normally print in PETG first.

[@littleraptor9898]

what about "easy" PETG? i heard that it can be printed JUST like PLA. no need to change settings and it will be the same as normal PETG. do you know about this?

[@hillfortherstudios2757]

Up your's ABS! You've been replaced! Great rundown Thomas! I have this planned for my next project!

[@James-cr5mc]

If anyone needs this I have a good setup with my Ender 3 for PETG. Nozzle temp set to 240 Bed set to 85 Fan set to 100 Use a adhesion layer. I use Brim. USE A GLUE STICK ON THE BED. I have my printer surrounded by a cardboard box more or less to help keep the heat in as well. Let it cool down all the way before trying to remove from the bed.

[@ATMBelgium]

I always use 3D-Lac on glass surfaces, works great. After cooling com-ple-te-ly PETG pops off by itself. Sometimes I have to hit the part very mildly to release it from the glass. When I do, I always hit it as low as possible. Doing so, chances of breaking glass are slim. Having problems releasing PETG parts from a glass surface...? : The higher you hit the part to release it, the greater the chance of fracturing the glass. Hitting low you will slide the part off, not break it loose. It's pure mechanical logic.

[@JaredEldredge]

I print nearly 100% with PETG now. Everything just works better for me; supports slide off easily and leave no scars, surface quality is higher on my finished part (versus PLA without CURA's ironing feature anyway - wow ironing works great though!), and since it's less brittle I have fewer issues with mechanical stresses on parts that perform some useful function. the PETG i print with, though, prints at a much higher temp. the suggested print temp is 255C and I usually end up printing between 250C and 260C. the same company suggests 235C for their standard PLA as well. this is actually the root of my only real PETG complaint: printing at that high a temp requires a better hotend than my printer came with. (i also fight with warpage a bit, but a recent upgrade to a heated bed is helping a lot) i have an xmachines lorei (failed kickstarter, but i got one of the fewer that shipped). i love it, works great for me, but the e3d v6-lite (clone?) it shipped with has a teflon liner down to the nozzle and getting up to ~260C is entering the danger zone for that. i end up with plastic oozing UP around the heatbreak out the top of the heater block. so until i upgrade my hotend i just have to reach in and yank out a molten blob from the top of the heater block every couple hours.

[@iviaverick52]

Thanks for bringing up the point of being difficult to paint! I was debating using PETG for some cosplay armor due to it's higher strength, but I definitely need to paint it.