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Quantum PLA

I just received two rolls of some really incredible looking dual color PLA filament that should make some great looking clock gears. The gears will change colors as they rotate.

Here is the same gear with different orientations.

It is a bit pricey at $37 for a 0.75kg spool. A typical clock will use about one half to one third of a roll.

3 comments

3 Comments

Andy

May 07, 2022

Did you have any bed adhesion issues? I just got a roll of Quantum and have found it quite challenging to stick, although it was with some small parts (the McGuybeer articulated dragon). Finally got good stick with a brim.

That demo gear looks really good though.

Steve

May 07, 2022

Replying to

I did have a gear that lifted from the bed part way through the print. Thought it might be a fluke since large round circular objects usually stick really well. I can't even remember the last time I had a gear separate from the bed until using the Quantum PLA.

The next gear was fine after washing the bed really good.

So, yes, I did have bed adhesion issues. I can't even imagine something like the articulated dragon. I bet it looks incredible.

Andy

May 07, 2022

Replying to

@Steve It's actually kind of underwhelming. I think part of it is I ran thr outer perimeters too slow and the overhangs sagged a little giving a fuzzy appearance, and part of it is the individual segments, so you don't really get that continuous outer perimeter like in the gear.

At any rate, the print that finally adhered failed because the extruder stripped the filament out 2/3 of the way through ... my fault for having too aggressive retraction settings. To make matters worse, I tried to recover the print with manual gcode edits, screwed up the Z height, and rammed my BLTouch into the model at full speed.

Suffice it to say I'm a little frustrated with it right now, so I went back to printing lithophanes for my wife for mother's day. :)