The Beginners Guide To Printing With Polyalchemy Elixir

Basic Settings

Here are the basic settings to get you started with Elixir.

Hot End Temp - As the box reads your print temp should be between 200-220℃. We recommend starting at 215℃ and adjust from there. It isn’t recommend ever going over 220℃ as it is possible to burn off the sheen if you get too hot.

Bed Temp - 45℃ -65℃ but a heated bed isn’t required.

Layer Cooling – Not required but helps with bridging and overhangs.

Speed – Recommended starting point at 30mm/sec and adjust from there. The slower you print the better the sheen will be. Some of the best results we’ve seen were printed at 25mm/sec. It is not recommended to print above 40mm/sec.

Infill - Infill can be done at any level from hollow to 100% solid achieving the same great sheen. Obviously the closer to solid you get the better your layer adhesion will be and the more durable end result.

Notice the shift in color and sheen halfway up. This was caused by speeding the print up from 25mm/sec to above 40mm/sec.

Retraction – As always you will want to keep this at a minimum, but you may find it will take more retraction than you would use for a typical PLA.

Nozzle size – Any nozzle size can be used, but the larger diameter the better layer adhesion will be. This is especially noticeable in vase mode prints. There is a significant improvement in layer adhesion increasing from .4 to .6 nozzle diameter.

Trouble Shooting

Problem: When loading filament it extrudes very thick from nozzle.

Solution: This is normal for Polyalchemy Elixir, this filament has a unique surface tension that causes it to pull back and swell into the thick extrusion you are seeing.

Problem: When performing a “Cold Pull” the filament jams in the heat break.

Solution: It is not recommended to perform Cold Pulls with Elixir. The same surface tension that causes the thick extrusion swell can cause the filament to swell and jam in the heat break if pulled at low temps. It is recommended to instead perform “Warm Pulls” at temps above 160℃. If you feel a Cold Pull is necessary to clear debris from the nozzle it is recommended to load a regular PLA then perform the Cold Pull.

Problem: After several successful prints now I’m starting to get jams.

Solution: Like with other filaments debris/residues can accumulate in the nozzle. Perform a “Warm Pull” and reload the filament. This typically will resolve the clogging issue.

Problem: Print is all stringy but printed without stringing previously with same settings.

Solution: Check Humidity level in your Maker Space, if humidity is above 50% it can cause excessive stringing.

Problem: Filament has problems feeding down Bowden tube.

Solution: Check Humidity level in your Maker Space, if humidity is above 50% it may cause the filament to stick to the Bowden tube and not move smoothly down the tube.

Solution: Install a filament filter/oiler.

Humidity in Maker Space was at 75% and caused stringing and under extrusion due to feed issue.

This how to guide was written by

Karl Brown

@NAK3DDesigns

It is based on his personal experiences using Polyalchemy Elixir filaments. As with any filament, results may vary due to differences in printing technology.

The Beginners Guide To Printing With Polyalchemy Elixir

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