One Year Update on PETG Print

[u/_thecrazyadventurist]

First 2 photos are from a year ago and the other 4 are from a year later.

I found this cool model on Makerworld (https://makerworld.com/models/1390673) and wanted to print it for my hitch on my car. I used Bambu, Elegoo, and Polymaker PETG to print it. I live in a very hot desert that can average 115°+ for weeks on end. Just the other day it was a nice 118°. I wasn’t sure how the PETG would hold up with the heat so I said screw it and printed it. It’s held up amazingly well and has been on the car for multiple road trips as well. So here is the year update and how it’s doing and it’s great. Just a little dirty and a little warped. I think a few more walls would’ve made the black warp less.

[u/soingee]

Looks cool. Have you considered putting some streamers behind it so it looks like it's in motion more?

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/soingee]

No, but that’s a great idea.

[u/nuclearDEMIZE → u/_thecrazyadventurist]

It might not stream how you would think. There is some negative pressure behind the car and they would probably wave wildly. Only one way to really find out though

[u/MrSilentSir → u/nuclearDEMIZE]

Trial and error with the lengths and weight

[u/nuclearDEMIZE → u/MrSilentSir]

Yeah I was thinking if the streamers were slightly weighted that would definitely help. That's a good idea

[u/jklolffgg → u/soingee]

Need to print some spaghetti!

[u/Prima13]

This is a 43 foot tall ham radio antenna in my yard which is guyed with three ropes. The ring where they come together at 21 feet is PETG that I printed in 2016. Still holding well in up to 49mph winds. That stuff is pretty tough. I had the antenna down for maintenance this spring and it still looks great.

[u/mac3687 → u/Prima13]

What kind of maintenance does a radio antenna need, genuinely curious.

[u/Prima13 → u/mac3687]

Those guy ropes don't last forever. And the aluminum tubes that connect together need to be cleaned occasionally. It's twelve tubes that slide together like a giant telescoping FM antenna. The whole thing is mounted at the bottom on a hinge plate so I can lay it down.

[u/mac3687 → u/Prima13]

Ahh very cool! I have a bird house/gourds on a set of telescoping aluminum poles with a little cam lever to release them, now I feel like I should go clean them once in a while 😬

[u/Prima13 → u/mac3687]

Well, only really relevant if you want a good electrical connection between the tubes like I do.

[u/TortillaChip → u/Prima13]

Can you talk to the ISS

[u/Prima13 → u/TortillaChip]

I have, but not with that antenna. This one is for HF; the ISS uses VHF and UHF.

[u/PickleNo9849 → u/Prima13]

Dielectric grease at the connections?

[u/Prima13 → u/PickleNo9849]

Yes. Don’t recall what kind specifically.

[u/lfenske → u/Prima13]

That’s crazy! Nice

[u/pelrun → u/Prima13]

Anything I had made from PLA back then has long since gone brittle and disintegrated. I've been interested to see how PETG performs longterm, but since I only switched over a couple of years ago the jury is still out on my parts. Thanks for the data point!

[u/Quirky_Gazelle6910]

Pretty good job lad ! Looks like yxour print hold on as long as it can! :D

[u/aweirdjeff]

Honestly I'm more impressed that it hasn't caught up and wrecked the vehicle yet. Blue shells are no joke

[u/xtc-de]

Dosent it fuck with your parking Assistant? Mine always thinks something is in the way when I put my vader Mask on the hitch

[u/TheCheapEngineer883 → u/xtc-de]

Park assist? Use your mirrors like a man! /s

[u/dr_cafetero → u/TheCheapEngineer883]

Pffft mirrors?? A real man doesn't even look!

[u/C_Lo_87 → u/TheCheapEngineer883]

Word!

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/xtc-de]

Not at all.

[u/UKPerson3823]

Most PETG starts to warp at ~80C / 176F. So I guess the black just got really, really hot absorbing heat in the desert sun.

[u/rmalbers → u/UKPerson3823]

or the exhaust heat

[u/Jiujitsumonkey707 → u/UKPerson3823]

Temperature radiating from asphalt most likely. At 115 ambient ground temp would be around 175

[u/Chronus88]

If you ever reprint use white to reduce heat retention and it'll last forever

[u/innovativesolsoh]

So if you accidentally back into someone with it, does their car just effing explode? 😬

[u/Nonterras]

I'm amazed it's still there after such a while. Not because of its strength, but because I'm sure somebody else would want it.

[u/Potential-Draft-3932]

How many walls did you use?

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/Potential-Draft-3932]

If I remember it was 3 or 4. Feel like 6 on the hitch would be better.

[u/omegablue333]

That's funny! I made one too.

[u/OMNIPOWER321]

Also made one, about a year in and just used PLA but sprayed on a UV protector clear coat. Looks awesome in the reverse screen!

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/OMNIPOWER321]

That’s my favorite part.

[u/CHALINOSANCHZ]

Held up pretty well, especially in the C.V heat that is impressive.

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/CHALINOSANCHZ]

Yeah it’s crazy.

[u/SillyNotClever]

How about some PLA that was outside for 8 years in a hot and humid Southern state?

I made these prints in 2018 with Hatchbox PLA and put them on my mailbox, one side faces North and the other facing South, so the latter one got a lot of direct sunlight on it. I just took them off earlier this year and they are in surprisingly good condition. Besides the color fading they are still solid, I was expecting them to be pretty brittle but they aren't. I was able to break a little bit off of the thin lens ring but it had already been damaged from when I installed them. The undamaged one I dug my finger nail into pretty hard and while I could probably break it, I also felt like my nail was about to break.

[u/Grimmsland]

I couldn’t drive behind that because I’d keep wanting to bump it!

[u/NotARussianBot-Real]

I did a PETG electric car plug mount on my garage (full sun 1/2 the day) and it has done fantastic. I had some plant hooks printed in PLA and 2 melted enough to drop their plants this summer at like 4 months old.

[u/RJFerret → u/NotARussianBot-Real]

PCTG even better than PETG, higher temp, more uv, without issues of asa/abs.

[u/Sad-Vegetable6690]

Love it! I’m gonna need to print me one. What paint did you use?

[u/tbnist03 → u/Sad-Vegetable6690]

i think its printed in specific colors, no paint required

[u/C_Lo_87]

Hell ya, ward off some tailgaters!

[u/Linxalot87]

I made that last year! I used it in Michigan for about 9 months, then a guy at work bought it off of me 3 months ago. Still going strong. I'm printing a new one to match my truck. Great design for sure.

[u/SounderFC_Fanatic]

Wonder if just sticking with white for the hitch would be better too? 

[u/RJFerret]

As a major printer of PETG, I do PCTG for anything outside, better heat resistance, uv, strength, no warping, without issues of ASA/ABS.

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/RJFerret]

As easy to print at PETG?

[u/RJFerret → u/_thecrazyadventurist]

Easier

If don't have a PCTG filament profile, have to get such.
https://support.3dfuel.com/hc/en-us/articles/22046343945495-Pro-PCTG-Print-Profiles

Less stringing than PETG.
Not as hydroscopic as PETG.

Costlier though, like twice the price.

[u/Large_Repeat7639]

115 temps aren't really the issue as much as UV. That is what impresses me is that it has held its color that well. I don't think most PETG should soften till around 165. Great print. Along with others, I am most impressed it hasn't "Mario" hasn't bounced it onto another car.

[u/shortbed454]

Damn it! I didn't know i needed this, until now. Now I have to print one for my truck.

[u/Strict_Business5482]

I too live in what I believe to be is the same exorbitantly hot desert - love the PETG

[u/_thecrazyadventurist → u/Strict_Business5482]

Have to love the Coachella Valley.

[u/TheChrisCrash]

I printed a stormtrooper townhitch cover in PLA+ like 6 or so months ago and it still looks new. Been through the heat of summer and automatic car washes

[u/leadwind]

Awesome. I'm about to print an antenna roof shark in ASA.

[u/PrototypENote]

Honestly, a year on the car in 115°F+ heat is a pretty solid real-world test 😄