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Review on Proto-Pasta - HTPC1705-BRO Proto-Pasta Composite Bronze HTPLA by Ken Wilson

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Wonderful filament, although it can be difficult

I've printed over 14 kg (32 lbs) of PLA Magnetic Iron, which is probably more than any other filament I've ever used. What I love about this yarn is the realistic look once the print has rusted. This is particularly useful as I work in the railway industry where many of the prints are for display purposes and the rusty look immediately catches people's attention - see attached photos of the reduced R36 switch post. Although this thread has its caveats. First off, I've found that a geared extruder is practically essential to successfully print this filament. I'm not saying you can't get good printing without it, but it just helps. Second, I have a Bowden setup and have had countless successful prints, but I need to increase the extruder flow rate by about 10% to avoid under-extrusion issues. Third, I have to print much slower (<35mm/s) than regular PLA, although that makes sense since there are literally iron particles in the filament. Fourth, I need to print my print at a higher level of the recommended temperature range of 235°C. Finally, as other people have pointed out, nozzle clogs are a lot more common than usual with this filament. To prevent this I made the above adjustments, but I also found that reducing the retract distance to around 3mm (less could be good) was also very helpful. But don't think you can just load the filament, start printing and go all the way on the first use and have no problems which is why I'm giving it four stars.

Pros
  • 3D printing consumables
Cons
  • Unbelievable price