Toxins in 3D print(ABS)?

I was looking around for 3D parts and saw an article about ABS vs PLA. Is ABS safe to use for the watering nozzle? If not it would be a good idea to specify in the Bill of Materials.

ABS is completely safe :slight_smile: and a great material to print with, much better than PLA in my opinion. Plus it holds up better to UV and heat.

It is safe, I talked to my 3D print yesterday. He said however that the between the layers there can be bacteria. If there is just a little bacteria in the watertool, on a hot summerday there will be a problem with bacteriagrowth. You could of course clean it every time it has used the watertool. Is just something one needs to be watchful of.

Yes, great point! And at then of the day, all veggies will need to be washed before consumption to remove bugs, bird poop, dust, etc.

PLA is biodegradable so probably not the best choice for being in the elements :slight_smile:

Something that can help with the ABS and other printed plastic layer gaps is like some form solvent smoothing like Vapor Smoothing. With ABS is Acetone so parts would need a good wash after smoothing just to make sure no acetone is hiding anywhere. The solvent melts the outer edges of the layers into each other sealing off the internal voids in between the layers it also does alter parts minor-ally.

It is something to consider on parts that are going to be more exposed if they should be smoothed by on of the methods. Reduced gaps reduced homes for bacteria.

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Hey there,

wich mass (kg) of ABS does it need to print all of the parts?

couldn’t find this information anyhere.

thx
GB

about 500g is enough if you print everything well :wink: So you can get a kilo and you’ll be fine
PLA is biodegradable but under very specific conditions (very high temperature & high humidity & put it underground) : https://www.filabot.com/blogs/news/57233604-the-misleading-biodegradability-of-pla
ABS is safe to use, but avoid to smell the smokes during the printing process, the microparticules in the air are not the best to breathe.

thanks a lot!