As a variation on bronzeFill copperFill is a true stunner. Now you can print with copper on your desktop 3D printer! The true value of this PLA/PHA based 3D printing filament comes to light when you sand and polish your print. It transforms from a red-brown clay like print into a work of art. With the added weight of real copper in the filament, copperFill is the perfect material for statues and other mementos that need to have a non-printed look
Thanks to ColorFabb's copperFill, we can shake things up a bit by printing with actual copper! At first, the copperFill appears to be laser sintered with a matte finish - fear not, for a little sanding and polishing allows the infused copper particles to sparkle unlike any filament that you have seen before!
Another great characteristic of copperFill is its weight - it's about three times heavier than standard PLA, which really adds to the authenticity of your prints. This is ideal if you are printing items like jewelry or other artistic pieces.
Before and after polishing
During production, ColorFabb copperFill uses laser measurment systems to confirm that the diameter of the filament is consistant - this guarantees that your printer is extruding the exact amount of filament that is should be.
Printing Tips and Tricks:
Bed Adhesion: use blue painter's tape with no heat, or bare glass @ 55-60C; when printing straight on the heated glass, use gluestick or kapton tape.
Print Temp: 190-220C
Because of copperFill's combination of PLA and copper fibers, heat will travel through the filament more efficiently - this means that the filament will heat more easily, and cool down faster when leaving the nozzle. (This is great for printing objects with an overhang)
Density: ~3.9 g·cm^-3
After the Print:
Use coarse steel wool to polish the surface of the print. You can apply quite a bit of pressure but don’t polish a specific spot for too long - it can get hot and soften the material.
After using the steel wool, the print should be shimmering and smooth, with no visible print lines.
To acheive the darker, almost shadow like look in certain print, apply a very thin layer of black spray paint, and then immediately wipe it off with cloth. The paint will remain in the nooks and crannies of the details that you want to look enhanced.
Finally, use a copper polish to get the piece to really shine!
