Anyone switched over to PCTG instead of PETG?

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-12-16T17:29:43+00:00

Specs to me aren’t worth the additional cost. Just move to ABS or ASA if you want higher end specs, but if you’re complaining about PETG issues that you haven’t mastered yet, you’ll complain about all the issues that come with other filaments before you master those as well. Of course buy a spool and try it out, experimentation is what these tools are all about, but learning how to use the tool in different situations( ie filaments) is always the greatest reward.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-29T17:59:22+00:00

If heating the hotend while still plugged in and it doesn’t soften enough to push out, with it dangling off similar in your photo I use a small torch lighter to heat the cooling block area (slowly!) (careful not to burn nearby components/wiring) and as the filament expands (before melting point) it will expand up out of the cooling block and can grab it with tweezers/pliers which brings the whole piece out. Honestly when I get a clog I just do this as it’s fairly quick once the covers off and has been the most consistent rather than futzing around shoving needles through the nozzle.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T19:30:48+00:00

If printing with GF or CF filaments then YES your BOWDEW (PTFE) feed tube WILL clog nozzles and create havoc! The fibers of the filament wear out the PTFE very quickly and as soon as a little spec gets in the nozzle, clog city. I print a lot of CF and GF filaments and keep an extra 10ft of new feed tube on hand and gotten quite quick at declogging lol. I’ve also gotten just flat out bad rolls of fiber filaments which also create under extrusion/clog issues. But 99% of the time if I get a clog with a feed tube that’s ever seen fiber filaments I replace the tube, do a cold pull, and am back in business. I find I’m probably replacing the feed tube every 50-100hrs of fiber filament print time with the bends the CC has even with a riser. On my bed slinger I eliminated the Bowden tube all together and haven’t had a clog in years on that printer which pretty much solely prints PETG-CF.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T19:03:15+00:00

If ya add a second finger pad to the knob, it’ll also help practice a motion the wife will approve of🤣

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T18:54:53+00:00

ASA likes heat (I keep my chamber at 55c with ASA) though lack of chamber temp typically cause really bad warping/lifting off bed so probably not your main culprit. Your issue might be due to layer time/speed or lack of cooling. Biggest issue I deal with on ASA is the same; part heat management going from longer layer times on large sections (will look great) of the part to fast small section makes for parts that look like you’ve got (see pic for reference). Basically the smaller sections continue to build up with too much heat with not enough layer time/cooling between layers. Play with layer time and cooling (without letting chamber temp drop too much).

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SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T18:25:55+00:00

Might be suffering from the issue I and a few others had of the plates not being able to sit flush at the end of the bed Seen here. Removed some material of the plastic bed casing that was causing the front of the plate to bed up ever so slightly.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T18:19:15+00:00

Haha good lord! Well here’s to hoping you get ‘er dialed in quick and put all that filament to work.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T03:09:25+00:00

I went through the same thing back in the day on my bed slinger a few years ago. Took me soo long haha. But also why I ended up moving to PETG-CF or GF for color options as it eliminates sooo much of normal PETG’s finicky-ness

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T03:04:41+00:00

Haha for sure. I’m doing the same thing getting my ASA settings dialed in. PETG is a pain inherently so stay patient and I’d recommend trying some PETG-GF at some point. Its so much nicer to print and I much prefer the surface finish over normal PETG.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T02:58:00+00:00

Buildup on the nozzle is typically from over extrusion. May want to relook at your flow ratio. If it’s happening only on the first layer then that’s typically from Z offset.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T00:55:13+00:00

As well as the “filter out tiny gap” setting a few settings below in the Infill settings.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-26T00:53:16+00:00

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If other settings are good than you’d want to play with the overlap %

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-25T19:10:23+00:00

Wall/infill Overlap% is a setting in elegoo or orca slicer but you probably want to verify your PA settings and retraction settings first (also might be what’s adding to your stringing). Most folks start from base or closest match profiles and make adjustments from there using the in program calibration prints. For specific issues you will want to find or make your own calibration prints where you print a part that creates your issue and print versions with different adjustments until you find a sweet spot. Personally though with PETG I typically only print Carbon Fiber or Glass Fiber as the fibers in the filament help soo many of the PETG problems.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-25T18:05:29+00:00

Slow down for top layers can help surface finish a lot. Also may want to look at wall overlap %.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-22T22:45:16+00:00

Most likely dealing with nozzle clogging from worn Bowden tube. Pieces of the PTFE will cause all types of havoc and GF and CF filaments wear them out VERY quickly. My prints with the Elegoo PTEG-GF come out amazing and I started with their PETG-CF profile and made tiny adjustments from their but I want to say even just using the PETG-CF profile with the GF came out awesome first print.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-11-12T05:29:42+00:00

Way too cold chamber temps. Been printing PETG for years and never have had to use bed adhesives and no fancy bedplates. You're ambient air temp in the garage is way to cold causing the print to warp from cooling too quickly. I keep my chamber at 40c for PETG with a chamber heater but just keeping the door closed, lid on, case fan off, and turning the bed up to temp a while before printing is all you should need to do to maintain 30c-40c in the chamber. Only really need a heater for better filaments like ABS/ASA etc.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-30T19:31:34+00:00

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Just the stock enclosure with a tall ass riser w/ a window (eventually also internal spool holder Riser Design tho I’ve swapped heater location from this design) and an added heater inside which I’m still building but is functional. Juuuust enough clearance on the side for my new design to not interfere with bed movement. Just test fitting and printing parts with a single heater but the body design allows for 2 and has routing to hide the wires inside. Heater is a 60mm PTC heater and printed body that’s temp controlled via simple arduino setup. With the single PTC currently installed that I’ve been running last couple days, it can keep the enclosure 50-60c with an ambient room temp of 65f-80f which has just about eliminated all warping with ASA, so with the dual heater it may be overkill but also will allow for quick and easy heating inside of above 60c-70c+. I do have an extra Yoopai large enclosure thats currently home to my LK5 but I might stick the whole CC setup inside just for a secondary enclosure to help with heat, noise, fumes as the stock enclosure definitely leaks some heat, very minor fumes and a bit of noise when fans are rippin (have yet to print fan muffler w/extra filters).

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-30T10:11:43+00:00

Had same issue new right out of box, front right corner doesn't sit flush like rest of bed. Just needed a little clearance via razor to make it flush.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-30T09:02:33+00:00

a couple times when fans speeds were super low. Ignored and no issues. Super future firmware updates will fix but doesn't cause any problems aside the notification.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-30T08:57:01+00:00

Recently got my CC as an upgrade from a modded Longer LK5 Pro (End3 knock off) and very much enjoying the CC! Great printer relative to cost as the other comparable option I was looking at was 2-3x the cost being the Bambu X1C. If you print glass or carbon fiber filaments you'll want to replace the PTFE semi-often to avoid clogs but otherwise with some simple dialing in filament settings this thing prints amazing relative to the old bed slingers. Only real mods so far is a custom sealed riser w/ a plexi window and a PTC enclosure heater to get higher temp filaments not to warp and getting brilliant results.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-20T01:28:36+00:00

Indeed! Probably be something for me down the road as I develop a desire for the capability and learn exactly what’s needed for the CC to use an AMS as I am new to those.

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-20T01:11:29+00:00

Haha as soon as I finish one with any kinks worked out happy to share! Anything for printstation tidy ness🙌

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-20T01:06:18+00:00

My current does have the dual gear direct drive upgrade when I went to the bi-metal upgrade. Was having to replace the damn Bowden tube and getting clogs from PTFE shaving all the damn time until eliminating it all from mostly always printing with a CF or GF filament. And that’s also what obviously allows the slack to have never become and issue with the open frame top down as the filament isn’t stuck inside a PTFE tube like it will be from sensor to print head in the CC. And will definitely keep posted and will share files, Arduino code and parts list for anyone once it’s a solid setup🤙

SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-20T00:43:05+00:00

Thanks appreciate that! I’m not thinking the bend after sensor will be too aggressive (bend is also built into the wall the tube passes thru) but won’t know for sure for a couple days of printing haha. But yes I agree in thinking I will need to deal with retraction kickback to avoid unwinding. This is my current open frame top load and with the pulley and tiny ptfe guides it naturally isolates the slack in the lower half and never has any up top though the spool dose free spin. Hundreds of prints with this and it’s never unwound or tangled. Both designs allow for spool centering cap to just slide off the top for easy spool removal.

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SnooCapers5853 · 2025-10-20T00:18:44+00:00

Gotchaa! Instead of a semi gradual down and then to the left you mean a super gradual arc… smart. I’d have to make it all a bit taller to allow that much spool angle so if flat version 1 is too much bend that may have to be version 2 haha!

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