3D printing ODST armor soon. What type of filament should I use?

[LegacyAlloy227]

I'm going to 3D print ODST armor with a CR-10 S5. I want my ODST Armor to be heat resistant and durable. What would be the best filament for this? Is there a good plastic I can use, or should I stock up on carbon fiber?

 

[MrJamin]

I haven't used it, but I've heard that ABS is the way to go for heat resistant and durable prints. I've also heard that it is really easy to sand which makes finishing much easier. MoeSizzlac could probably tell you more.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

I haven't used it, but I've heard that ABS is the way to go for heat resistant and durable prints. I've also heard that it is really easy to sand which makes finishing much easier. MoeSizzlac could probably tell you more.

Yea, ABS is a good material from what I've researched, only problem is you need to keep the temperature up in the printer to use it. This means building an enclosure if it doesn't have one (like for the Creality products).

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What he's done is a little janky, but it works and is a good starting point.

 

[tahu505]

Yea, ABS is a good material from what I've researched, only problem is you need to keep the temperature up in the printer to use it. This means building an enclosure if it doesn't have one (like for the Creality products).

I didn't know this was necessary for ABS, that probably explains why I've never had good ABS results lol

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

I do believe that ABS would be the way to go, but I have a concern about its heat tolerance. I want to make some meme worthy content with this armor, and I need to make sure that it will withstand up to 120 degrees F. Would there be a way to make ABS heat resistant, or is there a better plastic?

 

[Callianis]

I didn't know this was necessary for ABS, that probably explains why I've never had good ABS results lol

You'll get warping especially on corners and larger prints if the air temp is not regulated, especially in winter/cold climates Sometimes you'll still get that in an enclosure so I help tack down the corners with a larger brim and "helper disks".

 

[Callianis]

Haven't had experience with filaments other than PLA, ABS, PETG I also don't know the heat and impact tolerances.

I do hear that PETG is impact and heat resistant actually. Printing with PETG can be frustrating if you don't have the printer dialed in right for this filament. For one thing it is very prone to stringing so the retraction settings need to be tuned. You might also want to look into Nylon as I suspect that is pretty durable and since you need a higher print temp perhaps it is more heat resistant. You'll need to upgrade your 3D printer hot end to an all metal one capable of 260C or more.

NylonX is a filament wth micro-carbon fibres in it which should add more rigidity.

Tough PLA at Matterhackers is heat reistant up to 60C/140F. Apparently more machinable than ABS.

I found those filaments mentioned at 3D Printer Filament Comparison | MatterHackers

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

Haven't had experience with filaments other than PLA, ABS, PETG I also don't know the heat and impact tolerances.

I do hear that PETG is impact and heat resistant actually. Printing with PETG can be frustrating if you don't have the printer dialed in right for this filament. For one thing it is very prone to stringing so the retraction settings need to be tuned. You might also want to look into Nylon as I suspect that is pretty durable and since you need a higher print temp perhaps it is more heat resistant. You'll need to upgrade your 3D printer hot end to an all metal one capable of 260C or more.

NylonX is a filament wth micro-carbon fibres in it which should add more rigidity.

Tough PLA at Matterhackers is heat reistant up to 60C/140F. Apparently more machinable than ABS.

I found those filaments mentioned at 3D Printer Filament Comparison | MatterHackers

Thanks for the advice! I'll take a look at that printer filament comparison for sure!

 

[MoeSizzlac]

I do believe that ABS would be the way to go, but I have a concern about its heat tolerance. I want to make some meme worthy content with this armor, and I need to make sure that it will withstand up to 120 degrees F. Would there be a way to make ABS heat resistant, or is there a better plastic?

120 Degrees? I take it you mean storage because at that temp, I don't know how my body would hold up without a cooling vest or something.

ABS and PETG anneals at around 105C/221F so they would most likely hold up to 120F and probably be your most cost effective material to use.

ABS sands like a dream and you can use several types of glue for bonding. I personally like all purpose cement. You can get it at the hardware store.

PetG can sand but it isn't as enjoyable to work with for me. It does, however, print well and removes from supports easily. The best glue I like with PetG would be crazy glue with an accelerator to speed up the glue time.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

And with ABS, you can use acetone in a small, contained space to smooth the layer lines.

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

Thanks for all the advice everyone! This has given me a good idea of what to work with. I know being able to handle 120 Degrees F is a bit much, but I'm looking to make some content of an ODST enjoying a day at the beach. It would normally be super hot already. 90-100 degrees. Add the fact that I'm covered in tactical black paint, more heat is absorbed. My concern is that between the summer heat and the black base paint, the armor will absorb too much heat and warp. I really should have said this sooner, so sorry about that.

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

I just got an idea regarding the material I use. If carbon fiber is (To an extent) bullet proof, what if I printed the ODST armor with carbon fiber, and then I could just have real life ODST armor? I got an idea for my YouTube channel where I would go through military obstacle courses in ODST armor to see how well the armor and myself would hold up, and I figured carbon fiber would be what I want for it. What do you guys think?

 

[PlanetAlexander]

I just got an idea regarding the material I use. If carbon fiber is (To an extent) bullet proof, what if I printed the ODST armor with carbon fiber, and then I could just have real life ODST armor? I got an idea for my YouTube channel where I would go through military obstacle courses in ODST armor to see how well the armor and myself would hold up, and I figured carbon fiber would be what I want for it. What do you guys think?

I'm not an admin, but just be careful - the 405th doesn't like posts about (excuse my language) Airsoft, because we can't construct armour that is built to provide protection. So to build it for the sake of protection in a situation like that may be pushing it. Would need a second opinion though.

EDIT: Not to say you can't construct it, just that you wouldn't be able to make a thread about it here.

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

I'm not an admin, but just be careful - the 405th doesn't like posts about (excuse my language) Airsoft, because we can't construct armour that is built to provide protection. So to build it for the sake of protection in a situation like that may be pushing it. Would need a second opinion though.

EDIT: Not to say you can't construct it, just that you wouldn't be able to make a thread about it here.

So, if we discuss armor crafting, someone takes another persons advice, and dies, the op giving the advice could be held accountable for the death of a 405th member? Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[PlanetAlexander]

So, if we discuss armor crafting, someone takes another persons advice, and dies, the op giving the advice could be held accountable for the death of a 405th member? Makes perfect sense to me.

Take a look at a few posts in this thread, which is about more than just paintball/airsoft. If you think that what you're doing will be fine, then go ahead! But maybe ask one of the community staff if you're not sure. Would hate to see you put in the effort to start a build thread only to have it locked because it's against the 405th's policy.

 

[LegacyAlloy227]

Haven't seen this thread before. Thanks for sharing!