Please do let me do the RMA. We will send a shpping label so there will be no cost to you. Even if it is an old run we would still like to identify the issue.
Yes we do still do the samples. We also have a new ABS polymer that we are testing. There is not a lot of difference for the old one, but I would love to have you test it too if you are going to do some testing If you have some preference for which samples, just put it in the order comments. We will do our best to satisfy them.
Our natural filament is pretty much the same color as the natural PLA4043D pellets. There are addatives that make it look clearer. Maybe we should add this as a new product, but it will not be as cheap as natural due to the added process. Please see the other thread for my mini-rant about suppliers.
I would be very interested in testing a new ABS polymer. I donāt know if itās what youāre talking about, but Iām telling anyone who will listen that Methyl Methacrylate Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (MABS) copolymer, or ātransparent ABSā, is my current favorite printing material, and I want more suppliers to carry it.
The Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene component is normal ABS, and Methyl Methacrylate is better known as acrylic (which @nop_head has successfully extruded, but it is normally so stiff that it is a rod rather than a filament). I really like the way it performs, and I would like to start seeing colored filaments using that formula, especially if someone can make a milky transparent white and a smokey transparent black.
@Whosa_whatsis and others ā is the fact that a particular blend has to run hotter or colder really objectionable? My experience with various ABSās Iāve tried has shown a noticeable difference in ideal temperature depending on the particular filament. The PLAās Iāve started to test has also shown some to need higher or lower temps. If it ultimately extrudes well, isnāt that ok? Thatās the main concern, isnāt it?
@Joseph_Chiu the problem comes when it needs to extrude further above its glass temperature. PLA stays soft at pretty low temperatures, and the hotter it is extruded, the longer it will take to solidify. When plastic is extruded much higher than its glass temperature, thermal issues like stringing and blobbing become more difficult to control. Also, PLA will oxidize and discolor if you use too much heat.
@Johnny_Russell Please consider offering a āsample packā of your filament like Faberdashery does (10 meters of 10 different colors - http://www.faberdashery.co.uk/products-page/print-materials/rainbow-fun-pack/) , itās been an awesome way for me to actually test their filament in my own machine (and various colors which as you know, can make a difference). Iām about to place a large-ish order for filament but Iād really like to know how it works in my machine first, so Iām probably going to go with Fab even though Iād rather buy something that doesnāt have to ship so far.
@Jason_Gullickson Found a good crew for PLA and ABS up in Oregon. Ordered 4 reels of PLA from them. Delivery was timely and product was high quality and competitively priced. http://www.protoparadigm.com/
@Jason_Gullickson Thanks for the suggestion. We usually send fre* samples to anybody that asks. Use the contact us form on our site. I will try to get a sample pack product added soon.
Iāll check them out @Thomas_Sanford , what printer have you tested their filament with? Iām running a j-head on a Makergear extruder drive and itās just been awesome so farā¦
Mh - i am a bit biased too (Makible Community Manager) but for $ 4500 you can buy around 15 LowTemp Makiboxes and some Filament. Maybe more fitting for a Hackerspace, but i know the Lead Time might kill your decision.
@Tara_Tiger_Brown asap @Jonathan_Buford and the team will have to go through the first 800 orders in the backlog but i think once weāre into production we can ship a lot of them in a short time.
Good to hear @Nils_Hitze ; $200 for the ācoldā units seems pretty hard to beat, even if you DIY it; Iām looking for a printer for my daughterās school (just got them to teach a CAD class, now they need something to output it with so I was considering building a Tantillus or scraping up the cash to donate a Printrbot Jr.; but this might be a better option (especially if I can get two for the price of one Jr.).
If you have some preference for which samples, just put it in the order comments. We will do our best to satisfy them.