What Am I Printing? (Week of Feb 5, 2023)
This week I started experimenting with PETG prints because I wanted to create some mounts for my Thunderbolt 4 dock and laptop, and wanted the extra structural integrity that comes with PETG. One thing that was noticeable was that the PETG doesn’t appear to flow into cracks quite as easily as PLA when printing, so I’ve had to tweak the flow on my PETG prints to make sure enough material was being extruded to fill in the edges on the base layer. I’ve made my Z-offset as low as possible to ensure good squeeze out of the nozzle, and it was still not quite filling in everything.
The Prints
Caldigit TS4 Brackets
A pair of brackets designed for the Caldigit TS4.
I figured as a first foray into printing parts that I would expect to sustain some load, I would print these brackets for my Thunderbolt dock. I probably went a little overboard making sure these are up for the task, but I have no doubts they will hold the relatively small weight of the dock. I also feel better knowing that something that I’d expect to get hot is being held by something with a higher glass transition point than PLA.
Printing Information
Filament: Hatchbox Black PETG
Nozzle Temperature: 230C first layer, 240C otherwise
Bed Temperature: 85C first layer, 90C otherwise
Solid Layers: 6 top, 6 bottom
Perimeters: 4
Download: Printables Link
Stream Deck mk.2 + Wave XLR Mount
Another PETG print, this one was to save space on my desk that has been continually overflowing with too much clutter. This mount gives both my Stream Desk mk.2 and Wave XLR a clear spot to sit on my desk, and the design of this mount keeps their face plates flush! The only knock I have on the model is that the original stand for the Stream Deck isn’t used, meaning the bottom is smooth plastic that slides around way too easily. Luckily I had some tacky paper designed for the inside of drawers that worked as a great replacement without needing to order anything else.
Printing Information
Filament: Hatchbox Black PETG
Nozzle Temperature: 230C first layer, 240C otherwise
Bed Temperature: 85C first layer, 90C otherwise
Download: Thingiverse Link
Other Printer Thoughts
Prusaslicer 2.6 Alpha
This week, Prusa finally released the public alpha for Prusaslicer 2.6, which had a number of improvements. Most interesting to me, and many people, was the long-awaited addition of organic tree supports. I got to use them while prototyping a part and they are incredibly satisfying to watch print. They seem to be an awesome addition, as they snapped off extremely easily and cleanly. I missed the option to use organic supports when switching from Cura to Prusaslicer, so I’m so happy to see this!
Prusa MK3S+ Stringing
I’ve noticed with both PLA and PETG that my Prusa is having a lot of trouble with stringing. I’ve seen some possible soultions that I’m going to try out soon (no Z-Hop, increase retraction speed) but I need to do something because every part is requiring a decent amount of cleanup!