What 3D printing filament are you using for armor/helmets?

[Rook 3]

Wondering what the community feels is the best filament for FDM printing of helmets and armor these days?

PETG? PLA? PLA+ ?

Looking for a good combo of thermal resistance and flexibility/impact resistance for things like \
Trooper/Mando armor.

Thanks!

 

[Rogviler]

ABS, I would say. I would personally never use PLA, but that's just me. I've seen how it breaks down over time, which is what it's designed to do. People love it for some reason though. It's great for fast prototypes but yeesh, I would never use it for a permanent cosplay that I was spending hundreds of hours on.

ABS is very hard and durable but also easy to fill, sand, and paint, just like a styrene model kit (which is what the "S" stands for anyway).

But I suspect you'll get as many answers as people doing the answering.

 

[Rook 3]

The Shoretrooper group seems to swear by PETG. I've never used it myself. PLA+ is supposed to be pretty decent, but I've never used that either.

 

[Ned Figglehorn]

I started using PETG in 2019 and I will never go back to any other filament. Prints almost as forgiving as PLA, although a tad bit stringy, and sands just like ABS. I would like to add that I have never used a 3d print as the final product though, I usually mold and cast all my 3D printed helmets and armor pieces as I don't trust 3D prints as the final item, no matter what material they are printed out of.

 

[Rogviler]

I've never used PETG, what's it like to paint? Polyethylene is usually pretty miserable in that regard.

It's interesting to me that the most popular filaments seem like they would be the most problematic for what a prop/model maker would want out of a material.

 

[JPH]

I prefer PetG.

If I am going to coat it with loads of XTC 3d then I will consider using PLA, because it prints faster.

Also, the metallic PLAs are beautiful.
But PLA is weak. Petg is stronger and I don't hafta worry about making the hot environment that ABS needs. If ABS gets cool during the print, prepare for it to split/separate.

 

[masterjedi322]

I’m still relatively new to 3D printing, but I have found PETG easier to work with than ABS.

PLA+ seems to be inching closer to the material properties of PETG, but not quite there just yet…

Sean

 

[TazMan2000]

If you coat PLA with paint/sealant, you won't have a problem. Despite it being a "green" material, it takes a long, long time to break down.

TazMan2000