Why I still make my own ABS filament and use it for 3D printing (2024)

3D printing filament cost is still expensive, it's not given to everyone esp in poor countries to have fun by wasting hard earned money and buy tons of filament rolls to print unnecessary objects. While lot of people see ABS as obsolete, and prefer PLA, PETG or other low warp user-friendly filaments, I'm still against the idea of buying 3D printing filament unless it is a special filament like TPU Nylon or a blend that is difficult or impossible to make at home.

In this Article I will share my personal experience and journey making ABS 3D printing filament at home and why I still in 2024 use it for 3D printing and save from %70 to %90 of the filament cost.

 1- Filament Extruder (Filastruder) test:  

I bought my Filastrder back in 2016 in hope to have filament freedom, but I couldn't make use of it to extrude anything, neither recycle material except from HDPE Head & Shoulders bottles recycling test, nor raw material extrusion except the half pound of ABS MG94 that comes with the Filastuder to clean the barrel, I recycled this half pound in an attempt to create some kind of metallic filament (that ended up looking like Wood Filament), and in both experiments I made a 3mm filament because I was still not convinced to convert my hot-ends to use 1.75mm filament.

Filastruder Parts

While some users had negative experience with this kit has, I personally had none, although the parcel arrived in a horrible condition due low quality postal service in my area, the seller proposed replacements parts and I had nothing but good experience using this product. It is still working after 8 years of use, and I have nothing to say about it, Filastruder is currently out of stock on the official website, but it is still the best cheap DIY Filament Extruder kit.

Assembled Filastruder

2- ABS raw material test : 

Were I live raw materials are sold for industrial customers only and may be it's the case for many countries, the minimum order quantity for raw ABS pellets is 1 ton or a pallet of 40 bags, so I had to lie and pretend I own a plastic mold injection factory and just need a 25kg bag sample to use as test, otherwise it was almost impossible to buy one.

2020, I was hoping to spend the pandemic lock-down making filament and 3D printing,  the only material I had access to was to was Sabic Cycolac MG47F, although the material did extrude well and the print quality was acceptable, I experienced slow extrusions speeds while making the filament, it was very stiff to print with lots of under-extrusion, warping and de-lamination.

3- Acetone turning point :

In 2022, I was able to buy acetone, and again where I live acetone is not something you find in hardware stores, I had a friend who works in a company that supplies equipment for medical labs, who was able to bring me a 2,5L Honeywell bottle, sounds ridiculous...

Although the intent was to create a colored filament, the process of making ABS master-batch at home helped me increase the extrusion speed and be able to make use off the Sabic MG47F pellets and create tons of colored filament. 

Acetone was a life saver...

Mass 3D printing filament extrusion at home :

I am still mass extruding and coloring my own filament at home, Although it took me 8 years to do it (because I'm lazy) and because of the inaccessibility of materials, the filament I make at home works very well for with some difference a few colors printing better than others. 

Mass filament production at home

  

4- Why I make and use home made ABS filament:

• Easy to extrude: ABS is very easy to extrude at home for any of user, I just fill my hopper with pellets and let the extruder do the work, hours of continuous extrusion with acceptable filament diameter tolerances and without any noticeable problems, no winding system is required, gravity will do the work and ABS will automatically self roll on the ground, it can be spooled later (or use it as is).

• High quality 3D printing filament at home: close and even better than commercial filaments esp the colored ones like : Red, Yellow and Black.

• Possibility to make colored filament: using Acetone and paint pigment you can create your own ABS master-batch and literally make any color you want, anything that is not available in the market.

• Hours of 3D printing without problems: I did not a single clog while 3D printing, even if I'm extruding filament without filter, hours of 3D printing with 0 clog.

• 3D printing Filament Freedom: no more worrying about how much filament a 3D object is going to cost, I run both printer and extruder at the same time, failed print? no problem print again!

• Real 3D printing filament: honestly I always skip Pulstruder Youtube videos, were people make 3D printing filament from PET bottles, I don't like it and I would probably never extrude it at home, if it was a good idea then PETG would never have existed, and you would see PET filament instead.

• 3D printing Challenge: my last challenge after changing the build plate, will be making my own enclosure and being able to print large ABS parts, because until now I did not see a single demonstration of a 100% successful print of a large part in ABS, while a lot of people claim it is possible, I won't believe it until I see one in front of me (see the de-lamination in this video)

 

 

5- Filament extrusion at home VS 3D Printer Pellets extruders:

I see these pellet extruders trending a lot these days, for the moment I'm still not convinced they are any helpful at all and I call them a bad "good idea", I see lots of fans in Reddit and lots of people on Youtube who think they can skip the filament part and just go directly with pellets and believe that filament production is a conspiracy to make huge profit on the back of the 3D printing enthusiasts, well there is an offside here Mr referee.. 

Mahor Pellet Extruder. Source:mahor.xyz

Available in all grades from DIY, hobbyist to industrial grades, these pellet extruders promise higher throughput and higher print speeds, a good extrusion control, possibility to print in color, and to use non plastic pellets, at the same time you will find no honest test or review except final prints (big objects printed in vase mode), not a single whole print video, although the main propose is to save money and may be shred and recycle failed prints rafts supports purge towers and all waste materials, filaments remains, there is no honest and successful demonstration of that.

Here is a quick comparison, Pros and Cons of these pellets extruders against filament extruders:

5-1. Process Overview

Filament Extruders:

• Pellet to Filament: Pellets are melted down and extruded into filament, which is then cooled and spooled for later use in a 3D printer.
• Filament to Print: The filament is later fed into a 3D printer where it’s re-melted and used to create the 3D print.

Pellet Extruders:

• Pellets to Print: Pellets are fed directly into the 3D printer’s extruder, where they are melted and deposited layer by layer to create the 3D print. There is no intermediate filament production step.

 

5-2. Material Handling and Versatility 

Filament Extruders:

• Material Control: By creating filament first, you have more control over the material properties. You can mix colors or additives during the filament-making process to achieve specific characteristics.
• Customization: Ideal for creating custom filaments with specific properties (e.g., flexibility, color) before printing.  

Pellet Extruders:

• Direct Use: Pellets are used directly, which can be more efficient for large-scale printing, but offers less control over the material's final properties unless you mix the pellets beforehand.
• Versatility: More versatile in terms of materials that can be used, especially with larger-scale or industrial 3D printers.

 

5-3. Cost and Efficiency

Filament Extruders:

• Two-Step Process: The process involves two stages—first making the filament, then using it in printing. This can add time and complexity but allows for pre-testing and quality control of the filament.
• Waste Reduction: Any leftover filament can be reused in future prints, though this may lead to some waste in the filament-making process itself.

Pellet Extruders:

• Efficiency: Skips the filament creation step, which can save time and energy, making the process more efficient for large-scale or high-volume projects. 
• Cost-Effective: Generally more cost-effective for large prints since there’s no need to buy pre-made filament, and any waste material can be re-melted and reused immediately.

5-4. Print Quality and Consistency

Filament Extruders:

• Consistency: Filament produced in a controlled environment ensures consistent diameter and material properties, leading to more predictable print quality. 
• Surface Finish: Typically results in a smoother surface finish due to the consistent feed rate and filament quality.

Pellet Extruders:

• Quality Variability: Print quality can be less consistent if the pellet extrusion system isn’t well-calibrated. Variations in pellet size or composition can affect the extrusion rate. 
• Surface Finish: May result in a rougher surface finish compared to filament extrusion, though advances in technology are closing this gap.

 

5-5. Application and Scale

Filament Extruders:

• Small to Medium Scale: Ideal for hobbyists, small businesses, and applications where precision and material consistency are paramount. 
• Prototype and Precision Work: Best suited for producing prototypes or detailed parts where material quality needs to be consistent.

Pellet Extruders:

• Large-Scale and Industrial: More suitable for large-scale industrial applications where the volume and speed of production are more critical than minute precision. 
• Cost Efficiency: Beneficial in scenarios where material cost savings and speed are prioritized over surface finish or exact precision.

 

6- Final Thoughts : 

• Filament Extruders are better for projects that require precise, consistent materials, particularly when quality control is important. They are more suited for smaller-scale, detailed work.

• Pellet Extruders offer advantages in speed, cost-efficiency, and material versatility, making them ideal for large-scale projects where raw material costs and time savings are significant factors.

The choice between them depends on your specific needs, such as the scale of your project, the importance of material consistency, and whether you prioritize speed over detail.

For now I'm sticking with filament extrusion as pellet extruders are still expensive, and for the same money you can buy or build your own filament extrduer, unless you want to experiment, there are half price pellet extruders avaialble at Aliexpress.