this post was submitted on 29 Jul 2023
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I recently got my first 3D printer to my place just a couple weeks ago! I thought it would be really nice to keep a small sample of each of my filaments printed out so that I have a readily-available example of what each actually looks like.

Does anybody else do this? If so, which part(s) do you use? I spent probably 15-20 minutes looking for a nice, small, low-poly object that I really liked.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Those are the worst looking d20s I’ve ever seen.

;-)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Huh, so they're pragmatic after all

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

I use something like this to keep an example of filaments I have used. It is customizable to you can add your own text.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3346069

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

Nota bene that author asks that folks use the printables link so they can earn filament from the downloads. It's linked in that thingiverse entry but here's the direct link:

https://www.printables.com/model/27814

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

I've been trying to figure out how I'll keep track of which filament corresponds to which egg in the future when I have a lot of them. Yours takes care of that. Solid choice

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I use this one. There are probably better ones, but now I have holders and cases for them, so there's no going back now.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing! I may end up switching to something like this and use my eggs elsewhere for decoration

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You can see what the filament looks like by looking at the filament.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Having samples makes it easier if you have a lot of filament, and in my case I have a bunch of cards in a box I can easily carry with if I get a request and want to show them their options.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They kinda look like Easter eggs that didn't render properly

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

Still waiting for the texture pop to hit

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I use this one. They're cards, you can print a box to hold them, they have text easily editable with OpenSCAD.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

The swatches have been the most common answer so far, I think. I’ll likely switch over to something like that in the future and use the eggs for some other decoration or whatever

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Love it! Saving this one for later.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Nice, I like this too! I wish I had thought of the keyword “swatch” when first thinking about this

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Benchy also verifies your print settings are correct. Not as great as a temp tower/retraction test, but decent at detecting major setting problems

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s pretty good-looking too. And may I ask which filament your Mac-n-cheese colored one is? (Maybe it’s just the lighting - doesn’t look true orange)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's a janbex pla orange filament. And yeah, it's a little lighter orange and not a too intense orange.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I do, but with a temperature tower. You get top and sides, curves and spanning, overhangs, and, well... temperature. ^_^

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do a benchy whenever I get new filament. It's relatively small and since it's technically a torture test it lets me know if there are any potential issues to look out for with that particular one.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Can't knock that. I of course knocked out a benchy when I first started out, but I figured I'm not much of a boat guy haha

[–] HamBrick 3 points 1 year ago

And to solve your filament label problem, although clunky, you can use some masking tape and a sharpie

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Doing the same with almost all my filaments. I picked the Cali-Dragon model since it also somewhat benchmarks the filament and printers. Basically a nicer Benchy

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

I just use boring old XYZ calibration cubes.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I do the same thing with low poly brains (and a swatch card). I'm tempted to order one roll of each filament I used before starting this, but that would be hard to justify. My collection shall be forever incomplete.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I do the cali cat at half size (because I have no patience). They look cute and you get a performance review for the filament as well as color.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

They are cute! Seeing people even making shelves for them lol. Didn't know this was a thing

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I always print a low poly cat I found years ago on thingiverse, you can see it on this timelapse video, there are also a handful of the other ones I've printed at the end.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/H6hkkoc8W1U

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s): https://piped.video/shorts/H6hkkoc8W1U

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source, check me out at GitHub.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Can't you just look at the spool?

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Some filaments look much different when printed than they look on the spool. Matte, shiny, multi-colored ones for example.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Not when I run out in the future! I also found out that the silk gold I'm using definitely printed different/shinier than I was expecting, based on the spool filament.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yes.

Seems like the ones that find it necessary to print color references are either using fancier materials or use a ton of different colors.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I like the gold one, in the back. Can I see a close up of It? It's really pretty.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure! My gold came out really nice. As a bonus, I also tried printing one of the amogus ghosts in good, and it’s probably the nicest print I’ve had yet. Can’t even see the layer lines!

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago

That's crazy pretty!! Thanks!