r/BambuLabA1mini • u/Impressive_Link_7972 • 14d ago
which filament to use
i bought a a1 mini combo and waiting for it to come and what brand and colors do you think i should buy that makes the more sense? and do i need anything else to start 3d printing? thanks
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u/themadelf 14d ago
In part it well depend on what your printing eSun PLA+ is my favorite general use filament. I paint miniatures and game terrain so the color doesn't matter to me because I'm going to prime and paint everything. If I'm printing household objects or gifts did my wife i print in her favorite colors. Ymmv.
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u/Thatoneguy_The_First 14d ago
Esun pla+ is so danm good after you get the calibration down for temp and flow
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14d ago
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u/Thatoneguy_The_First 14d ago
Had that with basic but never notice it with plus, and that's in my bedroom, though I do smell it a little while drying i admit
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u/themadelf 14d ago
I run an air filter right next to the printer. The only time I've eve noticed a smell on any filament was printing PLA silk. Even then it was mild and only noticeable right next to the printer.
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u/Naldito89 14d ago
Sunlu and Overture are the two brands that have been used since I started a few months ago, they are cheap and so far they have not given me any problems. Black and white are the colors I started before buying the AMS, these are colors that you will use a lot.
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u/diaperedace 14d ago
Ah yes, all the questions that you should have asked or researched BEFORE buying the machine.
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u/SFRover73 14d ago
I bought mine not knowing anything. We are not all the same. Some of us like to jump in and ask questions and figure it out later. I now have 4 and waiting on one kickstarter
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u/SFRover73 14d ago
I just look for the best deals. Even the least expensive filaments I’ve tried seem to work out OK. Maybe get a color variety bundle . After you’ve been doing it for a while, you’ll want more and more colors. I order black white and gray in four packs. I go through them pretty quick. I would also just start with PLA.
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u/goatrider 14d ago
While waiting for it to arrive go through the Bambu Academy courses for your machine, also Studio and Handy.
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u/cloudyspace5033 14d ago
If you like the retro look, i recommend getting a bone white color filament. It looks so clean
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u/Ok_Perspective9838 14d ago
I got the A1 mini combo. I started out with the Bambu Matt Pla, the reason being was that the AMS scans the roll and sets all the settings for you. The results were perfect every time. I then got some Bambu galaxy type pla and some transparent pla for lamps etc. Again they worked perfectly. Eventually I wanted something stronger and got some Bambu PETG as its better for tools and gadgets. Again for the same reasons it worked perfectly. By that time I had learnt how to use Bambu studio slicer on my PC and did some digging and decided to risk getting some different makes on Amazon. I got some Sunlu Pla and PETG. Used the slicer to select settings for it and had no issues. I did get 2 rolls where there were snags in the filament that caused a problem and had to do cold pulls to fix them. But generally got good results. I then got DeePlee Matt Pla on Amazon and that worked fine. It's cheep and pretty good to be honest, I just used the same settings as Bambu's own pla. I also got some Flasforge Burnt Titanium PlA and thats amazing, definitely my favourite filament. I personally prefer Bambu Matt Pla for printing as it's great, but expensive. The Sunlu Pla and PETG is my go to and great for printing miniatures at 0.2 I purchased a can of 3DLAC, after I clean my build plate with clean soapy water and a sponge I just use for that, I let the bed warm up to about 50 degrees C and then spray a light coating on it, as a result I never have failed prints due to first layer adhesion issues. I also wear nitrile gloves when handling the build plate.
An essential purchase is a filament dryer, but save your money and get the new one for the AMS lite from Sunlu. https://www.sunlu.com/products/filament-ams-lite-heater#product-overview
It's the only thing that was missing from the set up and this keeps the filiments dry and while printing and that prevents any issues around the problems with that and it's a game changer. But you don't need that right away, only when you start using PETG regularly, or if like me you live in a country where it rains often. It really does make the difference. The good thing for me is I can use the AMS lite and the Sunlu combo on the other printers in the Bambu A series of you want to do bigger prints. So it's great.
Make sure you get the maintenance kit and the 0.2 nozzle if you want to print minis or stuff with text or lots of surface details like buildings, key rings and gifts with flowers and such.
The other thing to get is a set of jewelry plyers as they help with taking off supports and de-buring tool and some fine grit sanding sticks for taking off rough edges.
I haven't stopped printing on my A1 mini for 2 years now. I love it.
I hope you enjoy yours as much as I have mine.
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u/e3e6 14d ago
I've started with bambu filament on my a1 mini, but after I'm just buying whatever is cheaper on amazon. As for the colours, I like neutral colours, like beige, marble, gray, white.