Endless Pastabilities #16 - ERRF Filament Design Contest Winners

by Protoplant, makers of Protopasta comments

Contents: Stratocumulus Multicolor, Fleck'n Fire Red Glitter, and Unicorn Tears White Glitter

Last time we got together in person prior to COVID-19
A portion of this subscription delivery’s proceeds will be donated in honor of e3d co-founder, Sanjay Mortimer. His passing on November 27th is a great loss, but he also left us so much. We’ll forever cherish his passion for 3d printing and contribution to the community. With this subscription delivery, we remember Sanjay and celebrate community creativity.

 

In October, Protopasta and ERRF challenged the community to describe filament color designs and vote on their favorites. Three winning descriptions were selected. Our challenge was to translate these descriptions into a filament. How refreshing, as I’ve missed our filament-making workshops.

The result? Stratocumulus Multicolor (HTGL-STC), Fleck’n Fire Red Glitter (HTGL-FFR), and Unicorn Tears White Glitter (HTGL-UTW).

How’d I arrive at these colors? Let me tell you.

stratocumulus multicolor icosastratocumulus multicolor filament
Jacob Kincheloe described an opaque, multicolor filament inspired by the weather of a late summer storm. He shared some pictures and described the included colors. The challenge was adding just the right amounts of the right concentrations of black and blue to not overpower the white base. I didn’t have blue glitter available, but silver glitter looks like rain or snow so you can enjoy Stratocumulus any time of year. Jacob, what do you think?

 

fleck'n fire red glitter icosafleck'n fire red glitter filament

Thaddeus Wells described a multicolor filament to express fire. It wasn’t possible to get the red to concentrate and dilute quickly enough for the desired effect so I decided to keep things simple. I embraced the red color and added plenty of gold glitter to create Fleck’n Fire. It’s a touch lighter than Blood of My Enemies with a ton of Gold Glitter for major pop! May your passion for 3d printing and this filament burn bright. Hot enough for you Thaddeus?

unicorn tears white glitter icosaunicorn tears white glitter filament

Adrian Farina described a playful filament we couldn’t do justice at this point. I’m not ready to make the rainbow that Unicorn Poop requires so I took the design a different way. Unicorn Tears is white with a touch of silver glitter. Silver glitter adds a gray tint, so I had to find the right amount to both keep it white and make it flashy. I hope you enjoy the one-of-a-kind result!

Thank you all for the opportunity to consider your proposed designs. I hope you find the result acceptable, and with any luck, exceptional, even inspirational. Can’t wait to see what you print!

Take care and happy holidays, Alex

P.S. Here’s the original contest page for reference: https://www.facebook.com/events/870191380266583/?active_tab=discussion

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We find these general parameters to work well for our prints, but don't hesitate to reach out to support@protoplant.com if you need any further guidance.

Machine(s): Prusa MK2/3, Prusa Mini, Creality Ender 3 
Nozzle: 0.4 mm standard brass w/ sock (if possible)
Nozzle Temp: 205 - 235 C      Bed Temp: 60 C      Bed Type: PEI
Bed Prep: Clean w/ water or alcohol; Magigoo for additional adhesion + easy release when cool

Outlines: 3      Top/Bot layers: 6     Infill type: Lines     Infill: 25%     
Overlaps: 0     Min layer time: 0     Min Speed: 0          Fill gaps: no     Expansion: 0
Layer height Ext width Speed Fan
 1st Layer 0.32 mm 0.44 mm 20 mm/s all over 0%
Rest of print 0.16 mm 0.44 mm

20 mm/s outline

40 mm/s infill

 40-60%

Interestingly enough, I found a similar result with the above parameters on all 3 machines at 205 C - 235 C. The Prusa Mini is upgraded to a Bondtech heatbreak to move the PTFE junction farther away from the hotend to reduce hang-ups. The Prusa MK3 has the stock Prusa heatbreak with lip, but swapping to a standard e3dv6 heatbreak or e3d lite6 hotend can bring more trouble-free results. The Creality Ender 3 requires no modifications.

All can benefit from a calibrated first layer that is not too close to the build platform. Leaving enough room for material to come out without restriction, yet still close enough to stick, is key for more trouble-free printing.
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Having trouble with your loose coils? We can help! Check out this awesome printable spool that only takes 50g of filament!

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We know printing isn't always trouble-free so if you're looking for instructions on how to wrangle those loose coils or need other printing help, please consider our getting started guide!

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Don't forget to show off your creations with our newest colors. When you tag Protopasta on Instagram, your photo could be chosen as one of our Top 9 for the month!