{"id":164211,"date":"2021-12-28T11:17:41","date_gmt":"2021-12-28T03:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/?post_type=kb&p=164211"},"modified":"2022-08-12T17:04:21","modified_gmt":"2022-08-12T09:04:21","slug":"wood-filament-best-wood-pla-brands-of-2021","status":"publish","type":"kb","link":"https:\/\/facfox.com\/docs\/kb\/wood-filament-best-wood-pla-brands-of-2021","title":{"rendered":"Wood Filament: Best Wood PLA Brands of 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"

The advent of wood 3D printing was around 2012, when sawdust began being added to PLA filaments<\/a>\u00a0for a wood-like appearance. The early experiments, however, showed that sawdust wasn\u2019t the best solution for wood 3D printing nor wood filaments.<\/p>\n

These days, wood filaments are still PLA-based, but the wood is instead integrated in the form of wooden fibers. Many different types of wood have emerged, as well! You can now choose between birch, coconut, bamboo, timber, cedar, and many others. Typically, wood filaments contain 70% PLA and 30% wooden fibers, but it all really depends on the filament manufacturer.<\/p>\n

Despite this seemingly low proportion of wood, we guarantee you\u2019ll be impressed with just how wood-like the resulting prints feel. From texture to smell, everything feels very real. This means wood 3D printed parts can be treated as real wood. In other words, it\u2019s safe to sand the parts and apply different paints and coatings.<\/p>\n

One thing to keep in mind that you might not be aware of is the smell of melting wood filaments. During printing, it basically smells like burning wood, so be sure to have proper ventilation.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll take you through some more printing tips for wood PLA filaments before diving into the best brands around.<\/p>\n

How to Print with Wood Filament<\/h3>\n
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Increasing retraction with wood filament is necessary in order to prevent nozzle clogging (Source: Jeremie Francois via Wired)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Considering that wood filament is a composite material, it requires some tweaks to be done in the slicer settings to ensure reliable printing.<\/p>\n

For starters, it\u2019s important to know that you shouldn\u2019t be using\u00a0nozzles<\/a>\u00a0smaller than 0.4 mm. Otherwise, the wood fibers from the filament can get stuck in the nozzle and be burnt, which results in a\u00a0clogged nozzle<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also related to the topic of nozzle clogging, make sure to remove the wood filament from the print head as soon as possible after the print finishes. If that\u2019s not done, the remaining filament can get very hot if it stays in the nozzle and create a burning smell as well as a nozzle clog.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all about ensuring a good flow through the print head while working with wood filament. Increasing\u00a0retraction speeds<\/a>\u00a0helps reduce\u00a0stringing<\/a>\u00a0and nozzle clogging, while larger\u00a0layer heights<\/a>\u00a0and faster\u00a0printing speeds<\/a>\u00a0help ensure a steady flow during the printing process.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s take a look at our choices for the best wood filaments currently available.<\/p>\n

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Colorfabb:\u00a0WoodFill<\/span>\u00a0&\u00a0CorkFill<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Colorfabb’s WoodFill and CorkFill filaments include 30% bio wood fiber (Source: Colorfabb)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Arguably one of the most exclusive FDM filament manufacturers is the Dutch firm ColorFabb. ColorFabb\u2019s filaments are among the most expensive on the market, but they\u2019re certainly worth it. As you\u2019d expect from a premium filament, the surface finish of the final parts is stunning. The filaments smell nice and are relatively easy to print with.<\/p>\n

If you wish to post-process your parts printed with either CorkFill or WoodFill, you can freely do so. Both of the filaments are easily sanded and can therefore provide an even better surface finish.<\/p>\n

If you have a large enough budget, we highly recommend you try these phenomenal filaments.<\/p>\n