Like desktop 3D printers, lasers are becoming more common and available. 3D printer brands like Snapmaker and Bambu Lab thought, " Why not combine the two into one machine?" Cool idea! So we thought, "Why not combine the two into one filament?"
That's just what we did and thanks to our friend Amie and her xTool, here's a look at what's possible when marking Laser Gray Glass Fiber HTPLA. Pretty cool, huh?
As any engineer would do, I prepared different amounts of additive in different materials, but I liked this one best. I know all of you don't have lasers, so you can also just enjoy it as a nice machine gray. Worst case, use it for prototypes or paint over it. Just make sure to print with a hard steel nozzle because Glass Fiber HTPLA is abrasive.
Want to learn more about Glass Fiber HTPLA? Visit our blog from 1 year ago when we introduced this material. Because I didn't want to inundate you with gray filaments, I revisited our September 2024 topic: Glow-in-the-dark for the rest of this shipment.
Almost 2 years ago, we created an exceptional glow-in-the-dark filament. It both glows as much as any rival filament and is clean looking. The clean look is from being a low abrasion formulation. Dirty looking glows are gray because they were wearing away the machinery that made them.
Prusament, for example, is grayish in daylight. It glows well, but not any better than Protopasta. It also costs more and looks less attractive in daylight. Prusa's budget brand Buddy PLA glow is about the same price as Protopasta, but barely glows. Here's all 3 in the dark: Prusament on the left, Buddy on the right, and Protopasta in the middle.
Protopasta is not a budget filament, but we seek to deliver a good value for novel, high quality filaments. Glow is no exception, so this month I took the liberty (yes, choosing that word in honor of the 4th) of mashing up our Green Glow Natural with some of our multicolor filaments for fun, brilliant colors in both day and night. I chose glow because I knew everyone could enjoy it! What do you think?
Thank you for choosing Protopasta. You enable me to express myself, and for that I am eternally grateful. I truly cherish working for an independent filament producer where I can be both an artist and an engineer. I hope you find the same freedom and satisfaction in your work. If not, I'm sorry, but maybe you can find it in your hobby? I hope so! And if Protopatsa is a little part of the joy in your life, well I couldn't ask for anything more.
Take care and enjoy the pasta,
Alex and the Protopasta Team
Missed out? Join us next time by subscribing to Endless Exploration by August 31st for our September shipment or browse our newest releases. Know a group of people who'd like to make filament with us or need a custom color for your business? Contact us.
3D Printing with Protopasta
For Protopasta HTPLA (and PLA) on Bambu machines, I start with the Generic PLA settings and increase the nozzle temp from 220 to 240 for our HTPLA colors. Make sure the build plate is set to 55C and the maximum volume rate is limited to 12 mm3/s. Use 100% layer fan, but I recommend turning off auxiliary fans.
I can't wait to see what you print with these. Whatever you make, I hope you are inspired by these fun filaments! Tag Protopasta to show us what you make!!!
Looking for more models to print? Browse our models on you favorite model platform with the links below.
More about Protopasta
Protopasta is 100% made in the USA by Protoplant Inc. Founded in 2013 by engineers, Dustin and Aaron Cram, we control every step of the process with in-house made machinery and materials. We’re a small team with a passion for making things, just like you! We’re here because of you. We’re here for you. Thank you for choosing Protopasta!