Looking for matte filament

[zumfab 3]

For a project I am currently undertaking I am looking for a matte black filament. It should preferably be of quality and not too much of a hassle to print. Carbon filled filament comes to mind, but I am a bit put off by the stories about clogs.

If it could be done relatively cheaply that would be great, which is another strike against carbon filled, but the other requirements are a bit more important.

Any recommendations?

 

[visu-al 2]

i print with conductive filaments containing carbon. it's one of best surface quality i've seen regarding to matte look. but yes, it can be troubling sometimes but if you watch the printer it should go well.

i use this at the moment:

http://www.3dxtech.com/3dxnano-esd-petg-cnt/

printing on kapton tape

 

[zumfab 3]

Those ESD-properties are interesting. It just so happens that I have been contemplating a HDD storage case for the past week, but I got stuck on it being a static drive death trap. Having this material would make all the difference.

It is not cheap though and I fear shipping is going to make it prohibitively expensive, but I am certainly going to give this a look.

Edit: it seems shipping and customs would put this beyond what is reasonable. Apparently Colorfabb has a new material that includes carbon too, though they focus on stiffness rather than conductive properties. I will inquire about that.

Do you happen to know the carbon content of the filament you mentioned?

 

[jonnybischof 60]

Diamond Age Plastics has a "tactical matt black" PLA. No carbon fiber or conductive properties afaik - but it's easier to print with because it's regular PLA...

Haven't tested it myself, though. I wanted to try Colorfabbs XT CF20, but you should get a stainless steel nozzle if you want to print abrasive (CF) materials. E3D now has stainless steel nozzles (VERY expensive, but at least they should have a very long lifespan). I believe they fit an UMO hotend, but I'm actually not sure about that.

 

[shurik 87]

Not sure if it fits but ABS generally prints matte. Could that help?

 

[zumfab 3]

Diamond Age Plastics has a "tactical matt black" PLA. No carbon fiber or conductive properties afaik - but it's easier to print with because it's regular PLA...

Haven't tested it myself, though. I wanted to try Colorfabbs XT CF20, but you should get a stainless steel nozzle if you want to print abrasive (CF) materials. E3D now has stainless steel nozzles (VERY expensive, but at least they should have a very long lifespan). I believe they fit an UMO hotend, but I'm actually not sure about that.

 

I can't find much about that Diamond Age filament, but the one person commenting on it says it is not too easy to print with and not all that matte. Thanks for the suggestion though, I will see what more I can dig up about that.

The XT-CF20 looks interesting and, as I have thought about it a little more, actually coincides with what I am trying to build. It is expensive, but not outside the realm of reason,. Not unimportantly, it's available. How easy it is to print remains unclear, but I am willing to experiment a bit.

The biggest issue remaining would be wear. I have a spare nozzle, so I would be good for a little while, but a more permanent solution would be appreciated, if only because results will become more unpredictable over time. If anything, I loathe hardware being fickle.

This might be a silly question, but are those E3D nozzles interchangable or would I need to upgrade the whole assembly to another extruder? Would any other parts need upgrading or replacing?

Update: I missed your comment on this before, so you can disregard the first question about the parts being interchangeable

 

Not sure if it fits but ABS generally prints matte. Could that help?

 

Currently I am not capable of properly printing ABS, but I am working on it. I think I am looking for more of a matte finish though. Someone printed ABS parts for me on an Ultimaker 2 and those are pretty glossy, although other filements might print differently.

Another option to investigate

 

[amedee 349]

E3D now has stainless steel nozzles (VERY expensive, but at least they should have a very long lifespan). I believe they fit an UMO hotend, but I'm actually not sure about that.

 

From the datasheet they should fit, but the part outside the heating block seems to be 3.5 mm shorter, so the hot end will be 3.5mm higher which might be a problem with the fan shroud, in particular with the metal one in the latest UMO version...

I'll give it try one of these days...

 

[zumfab 3]

From the datasheet they should fit, but the part outside the heating block seems to be 3.5 mm shorter, so the hot end will be 3.5mm higher which might be a problem with the fan shroud, in particular with the metal one in the latest UMO version...

I'll give it try one of these days...

 

3,5 mm is quite a bit, but not something that cannot be solved. I would need to check how this lines up with the new fan duct I want to use.

Would replacing the nozzle be as simple as unscrewing the current one and screwing in the new one, or am I overlooking something else that also would need disassembly? If it is just a simple screw in replacement, experimenting would not be that much of a hassle. You could even switch nozzles with the filament.

Update: I just realized the difference would somehow be made clear to the Ultimaker too, either by adjusting the end stop, platform or through software somehow. That would make switching back and forth slightly more annoying.

 

[amedee 349]

Right, it is not a huge problem to adjust the fan duct, especially when it is home made.

Replacing the nozzle takes 2 minutes, so is is very easy to switch. But as you mention it, if it does not have the same height you need to adjust the Z end stop. So if you go to E3D, you should stick to these (But not necessarily the expensive stainless steel ones)

 

[zumfab 3]

Right, it is not a huge problem to adjust the fan duct, especially when it is home made.

Replacing the nozzle takes 2 minutes, so is is very easy to switch. But as you mention it, if it does not have the same height you need to adjust the Z end stop. So if you go to E3D, you should stick to these (But not necessarily the expensive stainless steel ones)

 

Good point! Switching to a cheaper alternative might not be a bad idea in general, especially since Ultimaker delivery times appear a bit fickle if I am to believe the forums. Though reducing operational costs in general and having a stainless steel option would be the main motivation for me - switching back and forth between the two should make life easier and allow for more flexibility.

Maybe I should just spend some cash and roll the dice. Though I am tempted to upgrade the whole hot-end in one go, but I would probably be best to leave that for a later time. Right now I just need to get printing.

Has anyone done the switch-over yet?

 

[amedee 349]

We are out of topic now, but as it is your post, it does not matter too much

Yes, I was hesitating as well in upgrading one of my UMO to the full E3D hot end, but after reading the full thread on that topic in the forum, there is no clear winner, so I am more inclined to just try their nozzles

 

[zumfab 3]

I started another thread for the nozzle side of the story Personally the full metal option seems interesting, as it would hopefully eliminate any consumables and thus reduce cost and downtime.

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/10060-using-e3d-nozzles-on-an-original-extruder/&do=findComment&comment=97640

Some XT-CF20 has also been ordered. I am very curious about how that works out. As I am mostly printing with the cheapest reasonable PLA I can find, I am looking forward to printing with a high grade material.

 

[Minkeproducts 3]

dear Zumfab,

About matte finishing, compare to PLA for instance, you could also try HIPS. I did not print it in black, but darkish blue and in white. The darkish blue gets a silkysh finish, the white gets more like a cardboard, paperlike finish.

Kind greetings

[fabreax 15]

You should have a look to Protopasta Matte Fiber !

[macouno 4]

I've seen a lot of "mattish" prints that were due to printing at the 'wrong temperature'... So personally I'd start by trying to print with my PLA or ABS a bit too hot (5 to 10 degrees).

[Wisar 86]

I've seen a lot of "mattish" prints that were due to printing at the 'wrong temperature'... So personally I'd start by trying to print with my PLA or ABS a bit too hot (5 to 10 degrees).

 

Colorfabb XT-CF20 (Carbon Fibre) is a bit of a challenge to print with but the finish is matt and is very nice.

[Wisar 86]

Deleted content as it was a duplicate of the above :-o

Edited December 27, 2016 by Guest

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

That's a really nice XT-CF20 print, @Wisar. Would you mind uploading it into the print section with some details about the Cura(?) configuration? How far did you have to deviate from a standard configuration?

[Wisar 86]

That's a really nice XT-CF20 print, @Wisar. Would you mind uploading it into the print section with some details about the Cura(?) configuration? How far did you have to deviate from a standard configuration?

 

Thanks. I have uploaded the print with some comments as to the configuration that I used (which was S3D).   I have not done a print with this material yet in Cura but having just looked at Cura I am wondering how to handle a nozzle that is not one of the selections.  Do I manually adjust stuff like extrusion width and flow rate to account for the 500 micron nozzle that I use or is the nozzle size accessible somewhere and I have missed it?

Edited December 28, 2016 by Guest