What would turn out better in terms of strength, detail, without warping? I what to print a helmet. This helmet is a prop and will not be worn! Would this helmet be able to survive a drop if printed with these?
Can you give me more information about this? How is this compared to the other colorfabb, colorfabb ht? Why not proto-pasta ss? Will this break when dropped?
Can you give me more information about this? How is this compared to the other colorfabb, colorfabb ht? Why not proto-pasta ss? Will this break when dropped?
Xeno
5
Colorfabb XT has the strength of ABS and the printing characteristics of PLA,
normally I would recommend PLA, but it is terrible to sand smooth without using water during sanding, and XT sands great.
printing temps for XT are also lower then HT (I don’t have any experience with Proto-pasta)
I have switched from PLA to XT because I just don’t like ABS smell, and the ABS cracking (even after a while)
bump resistance is for most printable materials (if not all) no problem, they are all hard enough, but I print a few degrees higher if I want to make sure I have good layer adhesion, and will sand it anyway 
Thanks so much! Does ABS warp a lot like people say it does? Does it crack a lot?
RCole
7
Both materials have their pros and cons. PLA is twice the strength of ABS, but it is more brittle. ABS has more flex (and will survive a drop better because of it). Yes, ABS has to be kept warmer while printing and cooled down more slowly to avoid warping.
If a piece is just for show, I would suggest PLA. It’s easier to print and bio-degradable.
Xeno
8
because ABS shrinks more when cooling down, you build up tension in the material, and this results in warping,
and also can cause rips between layers is they are not printed well enough.
even after a long time, if you drop a printed part, it can still ripe the layers apart instead of denting.
but one of the huge advantages of ABS is, being able to glue/melt the parts with Acetone, this will make a smooth surface and melt the top layers to get a better bond, just don’t forget acetone is a dangerous chemical to work with, and highly flammable
Thanks so much for the info.
Do you think a helmet would crack if dropped if printed in PLA?
RCole
11
I have not cracked anything that I dropped, but I have had corners break off.
PLA is also sandable. Overprint the width a little and sand it down. You can get a nice smooth surface that way. I’ve done a lot of sanding of PLA.
I hope it gives you a better insight - ABS or PLA? Choosing The Right Filament ABS or PLA? Choosing The Right Filament | Make:
