1

Hello!

I’m working with a Makerbot Replicator 2X. Usually we use the Makerbot True Black 1.75 mm ABS but we recently needed clear filament for a piece, so I ordered Afinia 3D’s 1.75 mm clear ABS and I’ve run into a ton of problems with it.

Right now, the I can load the filament just fine; I go through the load process on the screen and then push the filament down into the extruder when it’s reached the right temperature. It pushes all the way through and begins extruding just fine.

The problem comes when I start the print. I’ve tried a variety of temperatures ranging between 210 and 250 degrees, as per Afinia’s specs on the filament webpage. But it just doesn’t extrude at all and sometimes I can hear the extruder gear slipping against the filament.

I feel pretty sure that it’s a temperature problem but I don’t know if it would be because I’ve had the extruder set too high or too low. I’ve tried unloading the clear filament and replacing it with the usual Makerbot black and that works as seamlessly as always, but the clear filament just isn’t behaving.

I did get one successful print from the clear filament last night, but even trying to mimic those settings as well as I can remember, I haven’t had any success.

Please help!

Thanks!

2

Afinia suggests setting the temperature in the range of 235C to 245C.

3

Hi there!

As you are well aware of by now, different brands of filament behave very differently from one another, even when they’re the same base type of plastic. Further complicating the issue is that different colors also seem to require different print settings.

In my experience, black and white filament (regardless of plastic family or brand) require higher print temperatures to behave well. Natural on the other hand tends to print well at a wide range of temperatures (I print my natural ABS at 215deg while black, silver and red get printed closer to 245-250deg). By clear ABS do you mean natural (no added color)? I don’t see a true clear ABS offered on Afinia’s site.