Printing ABS on the printrbot simple metal

After dialling in the printrbot simple metal using the sample PLA filament that came with the unit, I thought I'd give ABS a try. I knew from multiple sources online that it would be more tricky than printing PLA, and my first attempts caused some concerns, with lots of warping and prints breaking loose from the base.

There are two important factors when printing with ABS. First of all, the bed has to be at a much higher temperature than for PLA, recommended is at the 100-110°C mark. Now, the bed you get from the printrbot upgrade kit will not reach this. I can get mine to read around 94°C, and this is just fine.

Another important thing to remember is that your kapton tape is going to need some additional adhesive in order for the ABS to stick to it. I first printed using a regular old glue stick, which worked surprisingly well. It did, however, leave a pretty nasty mess on the tape that has to be cleaned up between prints. It's also very difficult to get an even spread when printing, and it leaves some residue on the item. But it works, if that's what you have ready.

One successfull ABS print

The second, and current, adhesive I tried, is hairspray. Yes. Spray for hair. I know. It's downright absurd, but it works like a charm. It still leaves some residue on the kapton, and you do have to clean it with Acetone every now and then, which is some nasty stuff, but it is a lot easier to work with. It also lasts for at least 3-4 prints with pretty much perfect adhesion and no warping, so I'm very happy with it.

Two ways to make things stick

The ABS items themselves feel a lot more solid than the PLA, and it's nowhere near as brittle. This being said, it's a lot more flexible, so if you need a really hard plastic, PLA probably is better. But overall, it seems very much like a better option.

The cylinders are hollow, the printrbot handles overhangs pretty well