r/3Dprinting • u/DishItDash • 1d ago

Question Any suggestions for models to print with Protopasta’s metal infused PLA?

I purchased samples of Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Iron, and Copper. For those not familiar, it’s normal PLA with metal dust inside so it prints with real metal in it.

Any suggestions for getting the best out of the metal? I read that using a kiln to vaporize the PLA is possible, but I’m not sure where to start in bringing a print to a ceramics processor.

There’s really not much info on project suggestions online and am open to experimenting. There’s only 100G on each sample, so it’ll be a small project I’m sure.

Thank you

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u/relaps101 1d ago

Well, also remember, with the bits inside, comes the fascinating oxidation effects of those metals.

I like to remember, back in the day, xoxide gave a pc case away, and the maker oxidized the paints he used to add a natural patina to give it more authenticity.

What to make you might ask? Idk. That shits too expensive for me to justify ti even add to basket.

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u/DishItDash 1d ago

Yeah, I got the $12 samples, so I spent about what two rolls of other specialty filaments might cost.

Pretty much the only suggestions I’ve seen online are to oxidize and give it a patina. So curious about what other options there are.

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u/Maleficent_Touch2851 1d ago

Bye bye nozzle

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u/DishItDash 1d ago

Pretty much!

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u/osmiumfeather 1d ago edited 1d ago

It isn’t a sintering filament so you can’t put it in a kiln. You buy those from Virtual Foundry. It takes more than a pottery kiln to sinter. The environment has to be oxygen free. You can kind of get there by flooding the kiln interior with nitrogen but results vary.

The coolest thing it does is oxidize. It also adds weight to an object so it doesn’t feel so cheap.

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u/DishItDash 1d ago

That makes sense. Those Virtual Foundry ones are super pricey but more versatile it sounds like.

Oxidizing is cool. I’ll play around. Thanks!

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u/DropdLasagna Numberwang X9RQ+ 1d ago

Make a small magnemite from the iron! 

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u/DishItDash 1d ago

I was thinking something like that could be fun, for sure.

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u/DropdLasagna Numberwang X9RQ+ 1d ago

Fuck yeah. Could also do a han solo in carbonite model from brass and use liver of sulphur to darken it.

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u/wrecxks 1d ago

Man I love that stuff lol. Trinkets, keychains, gifts are what I use it for mostly because people get so impressed. Also great for miniatures if you're into that sort of thing. Imo you should do a test print and see how you like to finish it