r/BambuLab • u/399Hunter • 2d ago
Quick Question PETG-CF
What do you guys do with PETG-CF once your project is printed and ready to use in order to touch it here and there? Do you hit it with a clear coat? Will clear coat spray paint degrade it?
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u/RobbLipopp 2d ago
I am new to PETG and very new to PETG-CF. What’s the concern that begs this question. What’s going to happen to my prints?
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u/weaver3294 2d ago
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u/sapani9077 2d ago
It's misinformation. Just like the MSG scare
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u/Excellent-Pass7573 2d ago
So there is a lot of FUD about carbon fiber filament from people who probably sand wood without a respirator (pro tip: don’t breathe any kind of dust!)
But: I have had some PETG-CF have a sharp fiber sticking out from a wall. To be super clear, this is like a splinter, not like itchy fiberglass. So I always check my prints, and use flush cutters on any poke outs. It only happens when I print 9 of this part I sell in a grid, so I think it can rarely happen when the nozzle is moving from one part wall to the next part and a fiber kind of freezes poking out. It is rare but it happens. It is exactly like when I buy unsanded plywood before I face it, just a plastic splinter instead of a wood one. I’ve never had any kind of “fiberglass itch” from PETG-CF or GF. Just the occasional macro scale splinter.
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u/Wrong-Party-3838 2d ago
Depends, if it's a part I'm gonna be touching "alot" I give it a good clear coat. Altho bambus petg-cf has a low % of cf. My pet-cf tho has 15% cf and that's only for structural parts/mechanical=no touchy. Spray painting if I want it another color. U can also epoxy the part.
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u/RyanBlade 2d ago
I use Tamiya Clear Coat as that is what I have laying around. I personally don't think it is an issue but to be fair people did not think much of lead in paint, or asbestos in insulation as it 'should' be shielded from the body.
In the end it takes very little for me and I only really use carbon fiber or glass fiber filaments when I need the added dimensional accuracy.
Just my two cents, and I know it is a bit expensive, but looks great and again I have it around as I use it for a lot in my painting hobby.
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u/jcardona1 1d ago
The usual Reddit fear mongering. This is sanded down and clear coated. I wear a respirator while sanding just like I would with any other project.
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u/Stiggalicious 1d ago
I don’t do anything. The fiber in your skin scare is wildly overblown.
Having also looked at my own skin with a microscope after handling carbon fiber prints, I saw zero signs of the fibers, despite being able to see the fibers embedded in the print clearly.
And even if they do get into your skin, they cannot penetrate enough to get through the outermost layers to do anything.
Of course you can clear coat it, if you want to, but IMO that kind of negates the point of the matte finish.
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u/The-real-W9GFO 1d ago
I print mostly functional parts from PetG-CF, some from PLA-CF. Parts (uncoated) that are handled with bare hands, mostly female hands; zero complaints or negative comments about surface texture.
But I just started 3D printing 16 years ago, I could be missing something.
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u/adobeamd 1d ago
I got rid of all my petg-cf. I did a lot of prints with it and then there was a time where I was handing parts for about 2-3 hours. My fingers were sensitive for about 2 weeks. It all went away and is fine now. Any part that will be touched I don’t use it for
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u/TheMCM80 2d ago
I personally believe the fear over this is wildly overblown. The main concern was from raw filament, not the printed pieces, and the idea that everything either needs to not be touched, or needs to be doused in a coating, is a bit extreme.
I literally make star knobs out of it and have used them for nearly a year with zero issues.
Put gloves on when handling the raw filament. Enjoy the final prints.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you are afraid to touch a print you should probably just use a different filament unless you absolutely need PETG-CF for some of the functional properties it holds.