I don’t print a ton, just an object here and there: like board game upgrades, etc.
As a result, buying 1kg spools, especially in many different colors, is both expensive up-front and takes up a lot of storage space.
For example:
- In the board game Root there are up-to 9 factions with their own color scheme for the most part: upgrades.
- I usually use eSun PLA+ at $25/kg
- Not counting other pieces/colors, that’s $225 in filament upfront. But only needing like ~500g total.
- Sure, I’d have the rest of that filament for future projects, but now I’ve got to store all that for an indeterminant time that I have another project with that color.
Are there any manufacturers that sell affordable, low-volume amounts of filament? Maybe half kg or even 250g? I’m in the United States if that matters.
Closest I’ve found is Sunlu filament, but that’s only sold in bundles (what happens when I run out of a color and need just another 250g?) and I have some concerns over the quality and business practices I’ve seen online.
My local public libraries offer use of their 3D printers for just the cost of filament and the prices are pretty reasonable for filament. You might be able to simply buy the small quantities of raw filament from them.
Oooh, that’s a neat idea that I hadn’t thought of. I’ll definitely be reaching out to my library!
If you search for “3d pen filament” on AliExpress or Amazon you can get smaller quantities (often in multi bags but it’s dirt cheap)
I have done this before once, though I do find that each ‘spool’ of color is a bit too small especially a bowden setup as there’s a good amount of waste there.
Which does work for some projects, but then not terribly viable for medium sized projects especially if I need just a bit more. I need a Goldilocks solution! lol
I might have to look more into buying more multi-bags though, nice idea!
This is the route I ultimately took and it has worked out well for me. Most of the multi-packs I found had individual rolls that were too short to really be practical. I considered buying two packs, but with a lot of brands there will be some variability between two rolls of the same color which means you can’t switch mid-print. I ultimately found a pack with rolls that were twice the typical length and that has worked out well. The one I bought was Mika 3d brand on Amazon.
If you get a runout sensor, you can print the tiny bits and then the printer will wait for you to refill it.
Not really answering your question, but have you considered painting the parts that are printed?
$225 is a ton, but you could always buy a single roll of $20 and a hobby acrylic painting kit.
9 cans of spray paint is also an option, you’d probably be upwards of $100 for that, but you’re still half the cost of filament.
There are some things I do paint as a result of my struggles lol
But sometimes I don’t want that aesthetic or that painting so many tiny things doesn’t sound appealing from a labor perspective, etc. But yes, it’s always a valid option!
If you poke around long enough, you can find sample packs of 200g-500g spools, for instance this set of 9 colours from a Canadian company (they offer most of it in individual 1kg spools as well, with Pantone colour references for matching, so if you really need to reorder you can).
The sovol brand filament you can get a pack of 2 for $35, in the states that is
Unfortunately that doesn’t help me as much with the storage issue, though that’s definitely decent pricing if I need two specific colors!
Whoops yeah missed the storage problem part but Stupid idea could you just hang them on the wall like every 8-12 inches put another hook? And same left to right?
Can you find anyone who provides samples?
I have used this website (UK based so no help to you I’m afraid) in the past and they provide small quantities of filament for you try https://3dfilaprint.com/filament-samples/
Might be worth having a look around to see if there is anyone stateside who does a similar service.
I’ll have to look around, thanks!
Where in the world are you? Most answers to this are going to be very location specific.
Oooh, I always overlook that, good point. I’m from the US and I’ll add that to my post. Thanks.
I believe Protopasta sells half size rolls. It’s a really good brand too
