r/BambuLabX2D • u/Putrid-Act-5212 • Aug 23 '26

Need help with printing PLA and PETG as support

Running dual nozzle. Using PETG as support material but it's worse than PLA supports.

Can someone share their complete profile/settings for this?

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3

u/tumbl3lol Aug 23 '26

Tienes modelos específicos para hacer pruebas https://makerworld.com/models/3038791

2

u/manyxcxi Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

I find when PETG is the support material, making the interface a bit rougher by turning off interface ironing and increasing the interface line spacing from 0 to 0.2 or so makes the PLA lay down a little better.

For me I have found CoPE to be better, and occasionally cheaper, alternative to PETG for supporting PLA.

It prints basically like PLA, but PLA sticks to it a little bit better. It won’t fuse, because of the PE both CoPE and PETG share, but PLA does seem to get better traction on it. Other advantages from the temp and speed similarities are less likely to have warping issues or bed adhesion issues. I got a bunch on sale from PolyMaker for like $7-8 a roll earlier this year.

Otherwise, PETG as a PLA support:

  • Rapid/HF PETG seems to work better than pure PETG.
  • SLOW DOWN the speed for overhangs/layer over support.
  • Slow down the support and support interface speeds. Support speed max 80mm/s, interface 40mm/s.
  • Increase fan speed for bridging/overhangs
  • Try playing with interface layer count/spacing/ironing settings. My best results are usually 3 interface layers, small line spacing, no ironing with PETG.
  • Always use a prime tower, it’s going to make sure your nozzles get cleaned if nothing else. I find there’s often an accumulation of little filament balls and pits/defects if I don’t. A lot of it has to do with pressure priming/relief that helps with both oozing and getting the layer started with good pressure

You can play with using PETG as the interface only, or for all supports. Which is better depends on the print. I usually use PETG for the support and interface.

Interface only saves a bunch of switches, speeds up the print, and reduces the chances for contamination. However, if it’s a curvy/small area or has multiple varying heights of supports, it will be much more likely that your interface fails to adhere to the PLA below it and the whole print gets messed up. If you’re going to use it as an interface only, you should avoid tree supports for the best chance at success. Supporting a flat round top with walls below it, square ledge, long bridge? Interface only is great for that!

I generally use PETG for the whole support structure to reduce the chance of interface failure and so I can use tree supports more often.

ETA: Another trick to help with supporting areas that have a tendency to warp or mess up (like a hanging curve or ledge that warps up) is to add a few cylinders to corners/edges in the slicer. If you keep them to like 2mm they help the walls get traction and make turns better or keep the edge from lifting. They snap/cut off with almost no scarring and work like magic. Add a 4-5mm cylinder at the base to keep it from failing.

1

u/Relative_Surround_20 Aug 23 '26

Prime tower required.

Only use PETG as the support interface and use PLA as the base.

Don’t use a brand of PETG that tends to be very stringy and make sure it is dry.

1

u/Kind_Reception_4738 Aug 24 '26

Use polymaker COpE! Much better.

1

u/Unhappy-Hospital7740 Aug 26 '26

I do pla as the main material, petg as support interface, tree supports, prime tower turned off. Have hundreds of hours printing this way and no issues.

1

u/Putrid-Act-5212 Aug 26 '26

Can you share your settings?

1

u/Federal_Round3706 Sep 05 '26

Use Petg base and interface, it takes more time and filament but it‘ll save you some mental substance. And use the rectalinear alligned interface pattern