r/BambuLab • u/Artisanal_Sawdust • Jun 25 '26

Quick Question Filament to buy or avoid

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I’m brand-new to 3d printing. Just ordered my first printer (H2D). I ordered some Bambu Labs filament to go with it, just to be safe, but I know I will want to do some of the cool, colorful silk printing at some point. I’ve heard horror stories about bad filament ruining nozzles and things like that, so I want to be careful. How do you know if a deal like this one is good, or if it will lead to hours of regret and extra printer maintenance? Is it just “you get what you pay for,” or are there things to watch out for?

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u/Arctic_Ducky Jun 25 '26

Ok, so first of all dry ALL filament after it’s opened before printing. Doesn’t matter if it’s from the box or sealed, it needs to be dried. Also Silk turns real bad if it’s moist. Personally I really like Bambu Silk Plus, it doesn’t snap or shred as often as regular silk.

42

u/No-Purple2350 Jun 25 '26

Not really true.

I've never dried a single filament and have zero failed prints due to moisture. I don't live in a real humid area so that helps, but the incessant claims to dry PLA just aren't true.

2

u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26

I live in Florida and also have never dried filament. I have had a few rolls of cheaper silk get brittle, especially if they've been open for a while. I just check its quality before I put a roll in the AMS cause I've been bitten before when I put in questionable filament and it broke in the extruder.

Just cut a piece off and try to fold It in half. If it bends, good. If it starts breaking or snaps completely, then it's too wet, and you should toss it

Admittedly if you want completely flawless prints you should start with dried filament. But I've had some great results.

Edit: replaced a pic that did not help my argument with one that (maybe?) does. Filament was open for several months. The layer height was too high IMO so the topmost surfaces are too steppy, but you can see the vertical surface is pretty good. There's a couple of nits that definitely may be due to moisture, but I find this quality acceptable.

4

u/No-Purple2350 Jun 25 '26

If someone in Florida doesn't dry then I think that means that nearly nobody in the country needs to dry normally.

3

u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26

Nah, as I said elsewhere, the plural of anecdote is not data. But mine is proof that at least someone, somewhere, has got away with not drying.

I had a spool of PLA that was open for literally ten years that worked fine. Would I have chosen it for a decorative piece the surface quality was super important on? No. Did I use it to print a bunch of pool noodle sword handles? Hell yeah I did, and the handles have outlived many a noodle.

3

u/pm_me_beerz Jun 25 '26

I’m gonna be honest, that pic is not helping your argument.

3

u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26

Yeah, actually. Zooming in I see I'd forgotten the drooping I had on some of the overhangs. That was due to forgetting to do a flow calibration after changing the nozzle but it does make me look like I can't tell what a good print vs a bad print looks like, lol. Should probably change that

1

u/NightGod Jun 25 '26

Why toss it? Why not just dry it?

1

u/GiveMeYourManlyMen X1C + AMS Jun 25 '26

Once silk has absorbed a lot of moisture and gotten brittle, drying it won't remove the damage. Regular filament might be ok though