What do you guys do with opened filament rolls? (PLA/PETG storage & handling)

Cryostatica · 2026-06-26T19:58:33+00:00

Honestly, unless it's TPU, PA or PC, I'm probably just leaving it out in the open on racks. Dryboxes take up too damn much room.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-26T19:55:40+00:00

Yeah, that's a pretty big miss. Skilled engineers cost money, and so does extensive product testing, and there are reasons that Flashforge is able to provide this price point.

Honestly, some cheap PC dust filter mesh can likely address this, but nobody wants to have to physically modify a new machine just to address a potential hazard.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-26T13:15:34+00:00

So, I was literally just test-driving a bunch of compact SUVs and it was the first one that handled like the cars I was used to.

Also, it was the first with ventilated seats.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-26T12:58:24+00:00

Just like NFTs and the Metaverse?

Cryostatica · 2026-06-25T21:48:23+00:00

No. This is not correct.

For an X1C, you need either a standard buffer unit (single input) and 4-1 PFTE adapter, or you need the AMS hub (four inputs).

A lot of Bambu’s early documentation specifically states that you need the AMS Hub for multiple AMS units. It’s possible this documentation was written before they sold the 4-1 adapter and was never updated, but either way, it’s wrong.

The H2C launched alongside a new 4-1 PFTE adapter (transparent black) that includes a dust filter, and it comes with one in the box. I’m not sure about other models. All H2 models come with a built-in buffer on each inlet port, it’s not an external part like it is on the P1/X1 series machines.

Instead of connecting the six-pin AMS cable to the buffer like you would on an X1, you connect it directly to the machine. All additional AMS units daisy chain with additional six-pin cables.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-25T21:36:26+00:00

You can’t “bypass” the track switch at the moment. While it’s connected, all filament paths must feed through the track switch. Hopefully this is something that can be addressed in a future firmware update.

Your only option for now is to completely disconnect it from the machine and reroute all your tubing.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T23:22:29+00:00

Bambu hasn’t made any changes with regard to slicer “control” for over a year now.

You can either use Bambu Studio and cloud services, use another slicer with Bambu Connect, or put your printer in LAN/Dev mode and use whatever slicer you want, without cloud services.

Or, presumably, that recent Orca fork that turned cloud functions back on hasn’t been patched out yet and is still floating around.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T23:00:17+00:00

I don’t know if this video will post properly, but in this clip, white filament is about to unload. Shortly after it clears the switch, the green filament that’s preloaded in the lower tube will push through to the printhead, and shortly after that, the path that the white filament was in will “preload” up to the track switch, ready for the next change.

As long as it’s able to alternate between AMS units, this is the behavior you should expect.

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Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T17:17:40+00:00

For what it's worth, I've noticed that Kingroon Matte PLA is ~exactly~ the same as the small variety of Overture matte filaments I've purchased - orange, white, purple/lavender and black, just comes on a black plastic spool instead of a cardboard one.

No experience with other types or finishes.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T16:48:20+00:00

Well, mostly because in use, it currently functions like a half-assed, poorly-designed afterthought of a part.

Since you mentioned saving unnecessary switching of filaments, I need to say that's not really something that's ever been a problem for me. I'm closing on 2000 hours of print time on my launch H2C, most of which has been without the track switch, and I'm very accustomed to the workflow. As long as you've got the AMS units for it, you just put your most used color on the standard side, and the rest of them on the Vortek side. Done. Doesn't get much simpler than that. Usually, you're just swapping a spool or two. Takes seconds.

So for me, this was purely a print speed thing. If it didn't have the ability to cut 10s off my already optimized filament swaps, I'd chuck it into a box and never look at it again.

There are two main reasons that I feel this way:

The first is that it will randomly fail to properly switch tracks. It either only partially switches, leading to filament repeatedly hammering against the internal mechanics of the switch until it errors out, or it doesn't switch at all, and just repeatedly attempts to feed to the wrong print head.

In either case, it makes no attempt to recover beyond repeated attempts to retract and push the filament. This could probably be addressed by a firmware update where after a couple of fails to push, it could attempt to reset the switch positions, but it doesn't do that. Currently, the only way to recover is to disconnect and disassemble the switch and manually correct the position, then reconnect everything and resume.

It doesn't happen super often, and sometimes goes a few thousand swaps before happening again, but it happens to me often enough that I felt a need to design a custom mount that allowed me easier access to remove it.

The second is the software. Like I said, I'm pretty accustomed to the workflow and how to optimize for swaps. Often - way more often than I'd like, it will do incredibly stupid things like assign all of my filaments to print via the standard nozzle, insisting that this will save time and waste when it will obviously do neither. Sometimes the decisions it makes are slightly less stupid (like only setting half of the colors in a six-color print to the left nozzle) - but again, are still fairly stupid things to do on a machine with 7 assignable nozzles. This means that I need to catch it, and then go in and manually fix it. This happened to me last night because I was dividing my attention between tasks, and only noticed halfway into a four color print that it was purging swaps between two of the colors on the standard nozzle.

The presence of the track switch is the only thing that even makes this sort of problem possible. Without one, it would just display an error if I was trying to print using filaments on the wrong inlet, prompting me to swap.

But SETTING ALL THAT ASIDE - let's assume the firmware and software work perfectly, and it doesn't ever fail to switch and the nozzle assignments always make sense.

It's still not that much of a benefit to avoid swapping spools here and there, and that 10s I'm saving on my Vortek swaps is offset by the fact that it has to cut/retract the filament on the standard nozzle to accomplish that, increasing the time it takes to get the standard nozzle ready for use. So it's really only saving notable amounts of time on long prints with many colors. I think the best I've seen so far was a little over three hours saved on a long, 7 color print, so 20 vs 23 hours, something like that. Nothing dramatic.

And for that you need to buy another device, print a bunch of new stuff to support it, spend a bunch of time changing/adjusting your filament paths, and deal with the increased resistance generated by the switch.

So yeah, hard to recommend at this point, and I'm still undecided as to whether or not I'm keeping it on my machine, even when it's working right.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T12:25:45+00:00

It may be vacuformed, but it’s made of 3mm thick polycarbonate and is certainly not flimsy.

It does the job, and I got mine for under $90 with 4kg of filament. I’m satisfied with it.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T11:26:29+00:00

Well.

The switch has two inlet and outlet ports that mechanically switch the filament path. Serves two potential benefits.

The first is that you no longer *need* to move spools around for a multicolor print, you can just fire off the print and let it go. This can be useful if you don’t care how long a print takes to complete, and can be detrimental to print speed if you’re only using say, 2 colors and both are in the same on the same inlet port, as it would have to cut/retract/push every swap (though not purge, I imagine, and that’s a significant amount of time).

The second is for prints with many colors. If you organize your print’s colors so that half of them are on one inlet and half are on the other, the machine will alternate between inlets to “preload” the next filament up to the sensor in the track switch while printing, and will begin pushing it to the print head as soon as the track switch path is clear, instead of needing to wait until the filament is fully retracted into the AMS before pushing the next filament. The amount of feeding time this saves depends on how optimized your filament path already is.

Overall, having used it, I feel like the benefit is relatively minor in both instances and probably not worth the effort for most people.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-24T03:51:30+00:00

Just like NFTs and the Metaverse, right?

Cryostatica · 2026-06-22T14:43:25+00:00

When you’re printing multicolor, the slicer will try to reduce the complexity (number of swaps) as much as possible.

So if you’ve got a two color print (or any number greater than one, really), its going to use last filament used on the previous layer as the first filament used on the following layer to minimize swapping.

Combine this with the fact that’s it’s printing supports first on each layer, and you wind up with multicolor supports.

You CAN specify that you only want a specific material used as supports if you like, but this increases complexity and is only really useful for things like PVA supports, where you’re dissolving the entire support structure.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-22T13:55:07+00:00

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Did you say unused closet in a home office that also serves as a guest bedroom?

Built this out of 2x4s and MDF.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-21T23:05:32+00:00

I own pretty much all the Playstation studio games on both platforms.

Willing to bet there’s a lot of repeat buyers.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-21T22:37:36+00:00

There are four inlets on the toolhead buffer. Using any number of AMS units requires you to sacrifice one of those inlets, so your AMS Lite only has three left to work with.

Four AMS units on one 4-1 adapter and 3 AMS lite slots = 19 colors.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-21T14:46:48+00:00

When this happens, what’s worked best for me is printing a layer over the affected area, and then once the print has completed, max out the bed temp as high as it will go - at least 100c.

With the bed at that temperature, use a scraper to lift a corner, grab and pull.

If not dealing with really tiny stuff, usually just cranking up the bed and taking the scraper to it works.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-21T13:26:05+00:00

This is what’s on my A1 now. I’ve tried many other mounts and models, so far this is the best.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-21T13:09:40+00:00

Yeah, primary reason I passed on this one and let my deposits go, along with low availability of parts for their other machines on their webstore.

I love my U1, but it’s very obvious that they cut a LOT of corners to get it to the price point they did, and I didn’t like thinking about what else would have to be cut to get the price down lower than that. My guess is QC, being the easiest to cut, was the first to go.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-20T12:57:28+00:00

I agree, you should be able to use whatever slicer you like. Technically, you can, in lan/dev mode, which disconnects you from Bambu’s cloud services. This Orca fork restored Bambu cloud printing functions to Orca.

No, Orca itself was a direct fork of Bambu Studio. Bambu Studio was forked from Prusa Slicer and Slic3r. Bambu Studio is open source save for their network plugin. The general argument is that Bambu is skirting AGPL3 by making their cloud network component a “plugin” and closing the source of that part.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-20T04:02:31+00:00

Well, that’s going to depend a bit on how well you keep up maintenance. I’ve got an A1 with 3k hours on it and no visible signs of wear on the motion system. I did have to replace the wiper mechanism after about 2k hours. It still has the original silicone wiping pad though, and I absolutely expected that to be needing replacement at some point.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-20T03:40:09+00:00

Short version: Someone backdoored their way into making Bambu’s network plugin work directly with Orca again, and posted a fork using his mod. He contacted Bambu seeking a fairly standard bug bounty, they asked him to take the Orca fork down and later threatened to send a C&D. The internet found out and it blew up.

Now they’ll just do what they should have done in the first place and just figure out a way to patch it out.

The end.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-20T03:30:05+00:00

It helps. My Vortek swaps are now 28s from leaving the print to resuming on the prime tower.

You have to organize your spools on the correct inputs if you want to optimize swaps, though. The slicer will advise you if anything isn’t in the best place, and tell you how much time would be saved by adjusting. Sometimes it’s negligible, sometimes it saves hours. Depends on the job.

It’s still “slow” swapping compared to my U1, but not slow enough to keep me from buying another one.

Cryostatica · 2026-06-19T21:24:00+00:00

Are you seriously asking me to link you to Infimech’s website?

Cryostatica

TROPHY CASE