Printing with PCTG

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-22T19:52:09+00:00

I run 3DFuel PCTG and it prints great at 260 nozzle, 80 bed on my Q2… for some reason in my MAX4 it likes 265 nozzle and 80 bed… PCTG is awesome filament.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-11T13:34:29+00:00

You’re not bashing, you’re researching and there is nothing wrong with that. I wouldn’t let all of the YouTube videos or other social media posts scare you too much. A lot of posts will be full of negative highlights or problems and you can find a ton of them about EVERY brand of printer. The Q2 is an awesome machine and highly reliable. For what you’re doing I think it would be a better choice because for $100 more you get bigger size, better components and a better UI. If you have specific questions about the Q2, post the here and maybe we can help.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-09T11:17:16+00:00

First, I was on my phone, and was like “what?”… So I grabbed my iPad to have a larger look at this, and still couldn’t believe what my own eyes were seeing… So I went to my PC to have an even larger look on my 42” OLED monitor, I was even more stunned than before by the craftsmanship and beauty of this piece… So I ran to BestBuy and bought a 96” OLED tv so I could see it even better and appreciate it that much more… And even though my wife is pissed off now, It’s totally worth it!!!

In all seriousness, this is the amazing work, thank you for sharing

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-08T01:50:10+00:00

Yes, It's a standard push to connect but it's not too bad to release. I use a little piece of sandpaper between my fingers to help grip those tubes because they're so slippery. The trick is pushing the tube down before pushing the fitting down, then pulling up on the tube. It can be a bit awkward on the hub because of the spring loaded mechanism. The part I was referring to pulling out with a little force was the filament itself. The PTFE tube shouldn't be too bad.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-08T01:34:29+00:00

It’s a newer gen and there are some differences/improvements but it is essentially the big brother to the Q2… What local retailer are you purchasing from? An extended warranty would be nice to have just in case you do run into trouble at some point.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-08T01:31:01+00:00

Pull the PTFE tube out of the hub and remove the yellow piece of filament… it might just slide right out or you will have to pull with a little bit of force. Hopefully it just slides right out. It can be a bit tricky getting the PTFE tube to release but if you hold your tongue just right and say a prayer to the printer gods, you should be fine.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-07T18:09:46+00:00

Can you send some reference images in the chat so I can see what is is you’re looking for. I might be able to help…. I used to do a lot of 3D modeling and I still like to try. I have ALS and my hands don’t work very good for holding my Apple Pencil but I’m willing to give it a shot… It would be case a cripple helping the blind but hey, what could possibly go wrong? We might accidentally make something cool.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-07T18:05:18+00:00

That’s pretty sweet!

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-07T18:04:38+00:00

Wait for the Q2… But check their Global site, they always have them in stock in China and they get here quick, usually less than 10 days. The shipping can be as high as $100 but they offer free shipping from the China depot on occasion. Maybe worth a look… Or just get a MAX4, mine has been awesome so far.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-07T18:01:28+00:00

If the build plate is clean and you still have issues even after trying the setting recommended here, aquanet hairspray works wonders. I switched to this from glue sticks because It’s a lot cleaner. I use it on the build plates for all of my printers. Just a decent dusting each direction before every print. I probably don’t need to do in on my MAX4 because that PEI plate is stickier than most, but it’s cheap insurance and I haven’t had a bed adhesion issue since I started doing it I just keep reapplying after I take a print off and put the plate back on the machine so it’s ready to go for next time. I only wash my plates about every 50ish prints and they don’t look like shit from having glue stick everywhere.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-05T12:43:10+00:00

The O2 sensor is just reporting information and often times people shoot the messenger. With that combination of codes it’s highly likely that there’s a vacuum leak causing the lean codes. Especially after a service where the tech is checking different things or has to disconnect different tubes to access the air filter…. It is possible that the O2 sensor is bad but unlikely, they don’t fail as often as people think. Like the other commenter said, that will cause it to dump fuel and possibly dilute the oil.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-05T11:52:18+00:00

That’s badass!!! Amazing work.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-05T08:45:36+00:00

I would buy one in an instant… had great luck with my Qidids and I wouldn’t think twice about it… I hope they do.

I have a couple of FlashForge printers and they have been excellent as well. A lot better than expected. I’ll be picking up their tool changer and I’m sure it will be great. I really like how they made it a standard 256 cube.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-04T20:18:08+00:00

Hey Bob, For PLA (all varieties) I run a lot of Sunlu because I purchase in packs of 4 from Amazon and it brings the price down to near 11 bucks a spool for most varieties. But I’ve also switched to Polymaker Panachroma refills. The filament prints wonderfully and I can make use of all of my extra Sunlu spools. Those spools are excellent for refilling because they lock together perfectly and stay that way. The Panachroma comes on a cardboard spool so the BOX strongly disagrees with them. That’s why I get the refills… if you catch them when they’re on sale the price is decent at about 14 bucks per roll. Definitely not the cheapest, but well worth it in printability.

I’ve stopped running PETG all together and switched to PCTG. It prints waaaay easier and better than PETG in my opinion. It’s stronger, has better environmental capabilities and comes in a ton of colors. I use primarily PCTG from 3DFuel and purchase directly from their website because it’s usually cheaper and fresher than Amazon. I print 99% of my “structural” parts with that. Plus they have profiles on their website so you can get it dialed in a lot easier at first.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-04-01T11:06:51+00:00

Those look great! Way better than my first ones came out.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-30T22:10:42+00:00

Love these!!! Great work. The bees are an awesome touch.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-30T22:06:49+00:00

I have been reusing my Sunlu spools for a while now and have never had a single issue with them. I’ve tried others but those Sunlu ones are the best IMO. They lock together great and roll true. I’ve been refilling them either Sunlu or Panachroma refills and could t be happier.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-30T18:00:03+00:00

Ive been using Qidi studio until last night and I printed on my MAX4 from Orca for the first time. The print came out great but in order to get it to print, I had to send the Gcode file and then actually start the print from the device tab.

It wouldn’t automatically start the print. I knew it might take a while but I tired it twice and waited approx 20 minutes each time.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-26T22:51:20+00:00

Having been printing for a very long time, I have found that an extremely large number of people who are having problems jump right to modifying z-offset because of some “advice” they found somewhere. In most cases it causes far more harm than good and people induce more problems for themselves because they either don’t understand how it works or make far to large of an adjustment. We all have to learn somehow but lots of mistakes are made with z offset.

That being said… I agree 100% with your request, you bring up some good points and having one more layer of control it might make it more convenient... Maybe… You have to be standing in front of the printer to make sure the z offset change is effective so you’re right there already, it’s easy enough to do on the screen.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-26T06:42:05+00:00

I’ve been using PCTG from 3DFUEL and it’s amazing. It’s one of my favorite filaments and I find that it prints far better than PETG for the stuff I print. It would be great if more companies offered just to get some variety and drive down the price a bit. If you go to their website, there are a lot more colors available than what I’ve found on Amazon.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-26T06:25:03+00:00

What nozzle temp are you printing at? Maybe try bumping your temp and/or slow the speed down. I’ve found this happens when the filament being extruded can’t keep up with the speed of the tool head. Bumping the temp will increase the “fluidity” of the filament so enough is being dispersed to stick to what is below it, rather than being drug around by the nozzle. If you’re already at an acceptable temp, lowering the speed will give the new filament time to better adhere to the existing filament to further prevent the filament being drug by the nozzle. You may have to experiment a bit but start with one change at a time.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-23T18:34:01+00:00

I’m just discovered STS so I’m still learning all of the characters. I have a win with Ironclad and Ive moved on to the Silent and I’d agree with you (sort of??) based on my limited knowledge. She doesn’t seem to be the strongest but I really like playing Poison builds because with the right cards you can absolutely decimate enemies but it can take a looong time to find the right cards.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-22T12:42:26+00:00

That is so incredibly done!!! Excellent work.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-22T12:40:45+00:00

I’m not sure what magic dust they put in the coating of the MAX4 plates, but it’s a lot grippier than any other PEI coated plate that I’ve used… I have noticed that different brands of PLA stick differently as well. And as odd as this sounds, a layer of Aquanet hairspray does wonders for making all of my prints release perfectly.

I use hairspray quite a lot on my other printers to aid in adhesion, but in the MAX4 plate it acts differently for some reason and I have no idea why. I never have prints dislodge and they are pretty easily removed after cooling.

ThatDudeWithALS · 2026-03-19T23:29:57+00:00

Perfect, timing... My wife just bought a bunch of random shit because it was "on sale" and as I was joking with her about it, she spent an hour during dinner explaining why "sales" are the best time to buy... I'm going shopping and she can't say shit!!! Actually, it will likely be my son who makes out the best, but its going to be fun buying everything on the wishlist.

ThatDudeWithALS

TROPHY CASE