this post was submitted on 01 May 2026
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springy / hard elastic fillament reccommendations (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 2 days ago by KaninchenSpeed@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
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Hi, I'm searching for a fillament with a similar hardness/resistance to PLA but which doesn't plasticly deform when bent for longer periods of time.

This is for a wearable, specificly the c3cat cat ears. I printed mine out of PLA but they got too loose after 2 days of wearing.

I already got reccommended TPU 100A, but I worry that it's too soft.

Thankies :3

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[–] MxRemy@piefed.social 6 points 2 days ago (3 children)

Polypropylene, hands down. Most plastic thingies that're meant to bend constantly without wearing out are PP. Like those little straw caps attached to big drink tumblers? The bendy part, if not the whole hinge, is usually PP i think. I think generally things that could be described as "living hinges".

I will say though, that it's easily the most difficult filament I've ever had the displeasure of printing. It absolutely REFUSES to stick to literally anything but other polypropylene lol. What you do is just put some packing tape on your bed, that stuff's made of PP as well.

[–] KaninchenSpeed@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'll give your packing tape technique a try. I really hope my ender 3 survives this.

How sensitive is pp to air drafts in your experience? Do I need an enclosure, some articles said I'll need one, others said it's optional?

[–] MxRemy@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

I've never tried without an enclosure, because it smells way more poisonous than the internet says it is. Hard to imagine it being any harder to print than it already is though, I'd imagine it's fine

[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 days ago

Some brands offer dedicated PP print plates. I think Prusa has one.

[–] Sphks@jlai.lu 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

This is pure genius. Is the tape too stuck or you can remove it ?

[–] MxRemy@piefed.social 2 points 1 day ago

It's not too hard to remove from the bed. It will, however, become one with the print itself lol

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago

So... PETG and ABS/ASA- as already mentioned here- will probably be the best bet.

But if your printer can handle it (i don't know how difficult it is, mind,) polypropylene might be a good option. For example, the tic tac lid is made out of ppe.

[–] Vathsade@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 days ago

Both PETG, ABS/ASA will provide a hard/strong plastic finish and much better creep (plastic deformation over time) than PLA. PETG is easier to print if your don't have a (heated) enclosure, and fumes are less toxic.

TPU has no strength, but very tough and pliable.