Category: 3D Printing

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NEAT PLA Filament (In-Depth Review)
Not only does NEAT PLA filament get beautiful results from your 3D printer, but they’re also earth-friendly and biodegradable.
Reviewing filament for 3D printers has opened my eyes to all the possibilities of PLA (Polylactic Acid) filaments. Typically I would just order whatever is cheap and be done with it. Thanks to 3D Printing Canada I found there are much better products available in the same price range. For instance, the other PLA filament I have tried have had issues with supports sticking way too much, even with lower temperatures. I won’t name these companies or sellers.
I would definitely recommend 3D printing Canada for the filaments I have reviewed so far.
This filament was sent to me to review and I received no other payment. This is my opinion only and I ask that you try it and form your own opinion. I believe you would come to the same or similar conclusion of your own.
This review is of the Neat brand PLA. This filament is in the $25 CDN price range which is a great price. Their shipping is a flat $10 fee or free for orders over $120 CDN. So for 5 rolls, you get free shipping and you will be well stocked. Depending on how often you print of course. Haha, I go through a lot of filament for personal use and for printer reviews.
Neat PLA Filaments: Unpacking the box.
Photo of Neat PLA filaments with blue, red, green, and pink. PLA stands for Polylactic Acid, a biodegradable, earth-friendly material made from plants.
Green 3d printer PLA filament.
The label shows that Neat PLA Filaments comply with standards set by the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS). Neato PLA filaments are non-toxic, odorless, eco-friendly, and also take less energy to process.
OK, let’s get to the good stuff. I have a friend who asked me if I could make some dinosaurs for his friend’s 3-year-old kid who loves dinosaurs.
I started with the pink. My first print was a test print on the Tevo Michelangelo. I review printers as well as filaments and other technical Items. It started rough with strange shifts in the prints. I printed a couple of dinosaurs and wound up with some odd artifacts in the prints. The arms and legs have overhangs.
The pink tugboat has some issues.
Photo: Pink Tugboat with NEAT PLA Filament for 3D printers.
Photo: First attempt at a pink Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Photo: Two pink Tyrannosaurus Rex dinosaurs straight off the 3D printer (with NEAT PLA filament). The arms and legs have overhangs.
Photo: Waste products left from the 3D printing process.
Photo of a shape printed with pink Neat PDA Filament.
Next, I printed the ever popular Benchi and the shifts were very obvious. It showed me the shift was in the X axis. After finding the grub screws loose on the X motor pulley I printed a new T-Rex. That one turned out perfectly. Zero issues at all. This little printer prints awesomely and a review is coming soon. Which brings me to a point. When reviewing filaments and printers you need to know what is the fault of the printer, what is the fault of the filament and what is the fault of the software.
After an adjustment, the T-Rex printed out perfectly,
The other side of the above T-Rex.
I printed a pixel dinosaur and an articulated triceratops in the red filament. The pixel one was a little under extruded but that is the fault of the printer and not the filament.
This pixel T-Rex is a little under-extruded. But that’s the fault of the printer, not the NEAT PLA filament.
Red Triceratops – side view.
Red triceratops – three-quarters view.

Articulated red triceratops from a different angle.
Articulated triceratops, printed with the red NEAT PLA filament.
Red pixel T-Rex from a different angle.
Toy dinosaurs are great but the Moon city is tremendous. Jukka Seppänen created a tiny city in a tiny moon. I have a thing for space. Stars, planets and other celestial bodies are fascinating. This model is a quarter shape moon with the city on the inside like a shell. The detail looks like Middle East architecture with a bit of modern and future tech.
“Moon City” by Jukka Seppänen. Printed with NEAT PLA filament on a Tevo Michelangelo printer.
Moon City – closeup in greater detail.
Moon City – from behind.
A quarter-shape moon with the city on the inside like a shell.
A couple of blue dinosaurs to add to the set. You can find almost anything you’d want to print on the two big free model sites: ThingIVerse.Com and MyMiniFactory.com. If not you can probably find it on one of the pay sites. There is a site that you can buy models for RC airplanes which you can actually fly. I’m looking forward to trying a 3D printed RC plane.
3D printout of a blue triceratops at a front, three-quarters angle.
3D printout of a blue stegosaurus, front view.
3D printout of a blue stegosaurus lying down, from the side..
View of blue triceratops from another angle.
Blue triceratops at a rear, three-quarters angle.
Next, a Captain America figure from the Avengers Infinity War movie and a very nerdy Star Wars clock. 3D printing is a nerd and geeks dream come true. I painted the minute and hour hands in red and green to represent lightsabers. I will probably design my own hands the shape of lightsabers and print them in the proper colours as soon as I have the time.
Captain America from a front three-quarters angle.
3D Printout with a Star Wars clock.
3D printing is more than just printing trinkets and cosplay. It also has it’s practical uses. For instance, I purchased a new set of jewelry screwdrivers for my workbench. I plan to use them quite often and don’t want to get out the case and open it then put them back when I’m done. So I opened Fusion 360 which is a free computer aided drawing (CAD) for students and hobbyists. Then I designed the cool little holder that I can screw to the side of the desk and have easy access to the screwdrivers. It printed easy and is plenty strong enough to hold them and not break if it gets knocked by something or someone.
A set of screwdrivers for my workbench, complete with a base.

A set of screwdrivers for my workbench, complete with a base.
I love playing in Fusion 360. There are plenty of free YouTube or other online tutorials to get you started. There are also plenty of advanced tutorials. I get a sense of accomplishment when I print something I came up with in my head.
The fourth colour I chose to review was green. I have been wanting to print a cool Hulk statue since I started 3D printing. So I went to www.thingiverse.com to find the perfect Hulk statue. The one I chose is 300mm(30cm) tall. It used almost the entire roll of filament. The tolerances were not set right so the pieces need to be sanded a bit to assemble it. It uses block extrusions and cavities to hold the parts together.
This Hulk shows the level of detail that can be accomplished with the right printer and NEAT PLA filament.
Hulk action figure printed with green NEAT PLA filament on TEVA Michelangelo 3D printer.
The Tevo Michelangelo printer with NEAT PLA filament renders the Incredible Hulk in great detail.

Detail: Hulk’s right leg, facing front.
Lower body with connectors for legs (rear view).
Lower body with connectors for legs.
The Incredible Hulk – upper body – back.
One thing about 3D printing is the waste of plastic. There is often a waste when it comes to supports. If there is a more than 45% overhang then you need to add supports so the filament doesn’t ooze down onto the build plate. The other waste of plastic is failed prints. Many times you will have a print start off well and part way through the nozzle will catch a curled up part and pulls it off the platform. You can count on probably 20% waste depending on what you print most.
Unfortunately, 3D printers leave a lot of waste.
Again 3D Printing Canada has impressed me with another spectacular filament. The only downside is the supports sticking to well to the prints. This can be adjusted within the supports settings but that only gets you so far. Being mid price range the Neat filament is definitely worth the price of admission.

February 25, 2025
Tronxy X1 Review
Tronxy X1 Review
Along with the now ubiquitous action cams, the market of the 3D printers also started to increase exponentially, tempting a lot of brands to follow this trend. Tronxy offers a lot of type of printers, both the bigger and the smaller ones. After many other brands have already been tested by our 3D printer guru Norm, we are now testing one of the smallest models made by Tronxy and notably one of the smallest 3D printers on the market nowadays. I like to think of it as a desktop printer. Conversely, from the most of other 3D printers, the X1 can be placed next to your PC without any particular problems.
Let’s take a look at this printer specifications:
Tronxy X1 Specifications
Model: Tronxy X1
[go_pricing id=”tronxy_x1″]
Inside the Box
Most of the 3D printers come already partially assembled. Well, not this one! The Tronxy X1 comes fully taken apart. Thus, in the box, we find dozens of acrylic and aluminum pieces waiting to be assembled.
Everything will fit and stay together thanks to almost one hundred screws and nuts.
With all the pieces needed to build the printer, you also get a screwdriver and a little wrench that are fundamental to connect all the components.
SDcard
In the box, there is also an SDcard reader with an unbranded 8GB SDcard. As the Fortune would have it, the SDcard was my first problem. My PC recognized it, but the printer didn’t. I circumvented the problem by using another SDcard. and from then on everything went great.
There are building instructions on this card that, honestly, I found extremely helpful. There was also a free version of the RepetierHost software and a test figure to be printed, in .STL and .Gcode format. Personally however, I’d recommend you use the CURA printing software because it is more complete while also easy to use.
Assembly
I don’t want to hide from you that the assembling of this printer was a true nightmare. Truth is, the instructions are perfectly clear – but it takes a lot of time to screw everything together properly. There are a lot of screws and little pieces that require a lot of time – and precision.
After about 12 hours over the 3 days of assembling, I thought the worst part was over.
Let me gently and politely state – I was wrong!
When I finally finished the assemblage of the main structure, I started adding the electrical parts. I just want to say that this chapter is composed of a lot of long cables, and all of these twist and snake to the mainboard positioned behind the screen and controls. I’ll let the photos talk.
Long story short, the montage in total commanded my 20 hours. Ok, when it comes to building of 3D printers I’m not the fastest man on Earth, but 20 hours hints at a bit too much!
Components and Building Quality
All the components, both structural and electrical, are of good quality. Nothing seems cheap despite the overall price of this printer. All the aluminum structure is solid as well as the screws. The four motors are perfect, and so are the other, more fragile components.
The only two things I have to grumble about is that the PLA filament was of very poor quality, and it was all chopped in little pieces, thus nearly impossible to use.
The second thing is/was an issue with the heater. In my first test print it just quit working. After several tries I found out that the heater cylinder was set a little bit off its position. Nothing serious, but for a moment I thought the worst.
OK, all the components are pretty good, but all together – do they match? Obviously not. I checked all the structure a lot of times over. Everything is perfectly connected to the next piece, but the two main axes, X and Z were extremely wobbly. The main problem found was that the 3 axis wheels didn’t perfectly fit into their aluminum guides.
Having this problem, the bed will wobble badly on its sides.
I woke up the MacGyver in me and almost resolved this problem by adding a round of scotch tape around the bed wheels.
The Z axis had the same problem, but even with this modification it still wobbled badly and it was not perfectly straight, but tilted at 2-3°.
This problem revealed a strangely imperfect alignment between the bed and the arm of the printer, because everything seemed to be angled and twisted. Regulating the bed doesn’t help to fix this problem as it is completely manual. There are four screws under the fiberglass plate that are used to set the height of each corner.
I should warn you that every time you want to print something, you have to adjust these screws because they are always off their last setup.
Printing Quality
My first print was a petty disaster. I tried to print the test object from the SD card but something went wrong. Probably the filament was not positioned perfectly, due its small dimensions.
The second attempt was better, or at least it was fully completed.
The little PLA drop on the side is a problem in the project, seeing that it is always present.
After several printings, I found out that the X1 has a big problem with the structures where it is required to retract the filament, it’s not done very sharply, so it creates an effect that is not pretty.
The wobble problem is responsible for a row of serious issues. The first one is that the printer can’t create perfectly symmetrical objects.
The second issue is that it can’t create neither circles nor tiny empty spaces, like SDcard holders.
Things are getting better with linear objects without particular retraction zones. The perfect example is this little creeper.
As you can see, it is almost perfect. For a creeper…
Another problem that pissed me off is the infinite number of adjustments that you are forced to make, due to bad alignments. Half a turn to the left, and it’s too much, half a turn to the right and it’s not enough; every printing is a nightmare to set up, and every print starts like this:
… or it ends like this:
It’s a weeping pity, since this printer is beautiful to look at and easy to accomodate in your house, but half of its components wobble and the printouts are… far from good.
I tried to also print some objects using the cable provided with the printer, and things went from bad to worse. One and the same object printed from the SDcard is OK – but via the cable directly out of your PC, it is a veritable mess. After the first steps the printer decides to make its own moves which absolutely make no sense, as it goes on creating futuristic flying structures.
Honestly, I don’t know what causes this problem.
You can try to modify some parts of this printer using info from this website:
https://www.thingiverse.com/Caverntwo/collections/tronxy-x1-upgrades
In that sense, I tried to print a Z axis stabilizer but… I don’t think I can use it.
Summary of the Tronxy X1
The idea of producing a small 3D printer was big, but it was built extremely sloppily. The quality of the components is high, true, however, the assemblage is poor and not sufficiently precise at all. All the wobbling issues ruin the entire printer experience, making it impossible to print something within the minimal accuracy. Moreover, as the printer is fully manual, the eternal adjustments are time-consuming and frequent. I think it is a good printer for folks to understand how 3D printers work, but if you can barely print some simple and linear object, it is then too limited.
I don’t want to completely bash this 3D printer because I want to upgrade it in foreseeable future, believing that there is a margin for improvements. I surely intend to update this review when I find quality solutions for all the problems mentioned.
Pros
- It is a pretty, tiny 3D printer, one of the smallest on the market.
- Easy to place in an office or at home.
- Very affordably priced.
- Good to understand how the 3D printers works, though limited.
Cons
- It’s nigh nerve-racking to build (took me almost 20 hours).
- Printer structure wobbles (too much).
- The printouts are not at all precise.
- Enclosed SDcard doesn’t work, and neither does the PC-to-printer cable.
February 24, 2025
JGAurora A5 Review
JGAurora A5 Review
Is the JGAurora A5 just a bigger copy of the A3S? Let’s find out!
After reviewing the JGAurora A3S and liking that printer very much, the A5 is welcome. This printer was sent to me for review, and I haven’t been paid for doing it, nor have received anything except the printer to review. The findings are therefore based only upon my opinion and experience.
The A5 looks slick and professional. When I first reviewed the A3S JGAurora I had a problem with the power supply, and their customer support. Since then, they have been on top of things and are listening to their customers. From the Facebook group talks they learn what is wrong with their products – and improve these as they go. For instance, the Z-axis smooth rod upper supports were 3D printed, and kept breaking during shipping. They since replaced this with aluminum parts.
Technical Specifications
[go_pricing id=”jgaurora_a5_5b2cf323e1154″]
Unboxing
I really don’t grasp why those unboxing videos are so popular! I understand that people are curious, though. I’m more into looking at the finished product and it functions.
The A5 comes in three pieces: its base, the upper portion, and the spool holder. Also included in the box are a few Allen keys, a 16GB SD stick, and 250g roll of PLA filament. It’s nice they include filament, as the most companies do not, or they just throw in a 10m piece that can’t print much. Also, the added length usually is not very good and often jams in the printer.

USB Stick
Most 3D printers use micro SD, or standard SD cards. These are okay, but are typically harder to access as these are placed in the motherboard, or behind the LCD screen. The A5 uses standard USB stick which is cheap and easier to deal with. Not all computers have SD slots, and very few have micro SD slots.
The USB comes with the JGAurora-branded Cura. Also on the stick is the User Guide, and a 4-seconds long (!) assembly video; the same as with the A3S.
Assembly
Assembling this printer is so easy that anyone can do it. It consists of placing the two pieces together and fixing 4 screws into the bottom. After that, simply screw in the filament holder to the side, and plug in four wires to the side of the base. The entire thing was ready for operation in less than 5 minutes. As I said, there is an assembly video on the USB Stick, but it is only 4 seconds long, and why they made it so short is beyond me.

Print Quality
I have been 3D-printing for quite a while. Almost any printer can print well, given enough understanding, time, and effort. It’s always a surprise when some model prints extremely well right out of the box. The A5 does it, and so is the perfect beginner’s printer. At least that has been my experience with it. It’s right up there in output quality with the prints of the Tevo Black Widow and Tornado. Even better, in my experience. With the Tornado I had to install the TL Smoothers on the X and Y motors to remove the salmon skin from the prints. Salmon skin are lines on the print that look like a piece of sliced salmon. It’s no big deal and easy to fix.
I’m sure the PLA filament that comes with the printer is probably some cheaper stuff, but it printed the Chinese Money Cat that comes pre-sliced on the SD card very well. I’m sure I’ll find a good use for this filament.

Select PLA
PLA being the easiest to print, there has been an influx of PLA types recently. A Canadian company asked me to review their Select PLA. The filament prints beautifully and is premium at a good price.
What is a 3D printer review without printing a 3DBenchy? Benchy (short for benchmark) is a little boat that was developed to test print aspects; such as the text on the bottom, and overhangs like the front of the boat. You can find out more about it at www.3dbenchy.com. The Benchy I have printed came out perfect!

One issue people have while printing things is tolerance. Most of 3D printing is printing many parts of an object, and putting the pieces together. If you print a 5mm peg that needs to be inserted into another part with a 5mm hole you can’t just print them the same size. The size of the filament being extruded will vary. So you need to either make the hole bigger, or the peg smaller. To figure out how much, you need to print a tolerance test. A Youtuber named Maker Muse created a good one that has the biggest gap in the center. It makes the printout double as a fidget spinner. It consists of 6 outer circles and 1 inner one. Each has a different gap – from .5mm down to .05mm. The A5 printed a tolerance of .2 with ease. Most printers struggle with the .2mm precision.
Many model makers on the internet didn’t keep the tolerance in mind when they made their models. Items like the wrench that actually works are hard to print on printers valued below $500. But it works on this printer and it makes the A5 a great value. I also printed a 20mm cube that was off by a fraction of a millimeter only.

After I have printed a drawing robot and an articulating horse for my daughter, I then printed some highly detailed things; like the Moon, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and a Batman bust. As you can see they all look great.

PETG
The A5 prints well with every filament that I tried. PETG doesn’t shrink like PLA and is stronger, like ABS. But ABS is being used less and less. I won’t print with it because I read it was toxic to inhale its vapors. PETG is a good alternative but it’s stringy and hard to get the retraction settings right. I printed parts I needed for the Tesla phone-charging station. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1585498 and it came out with zero stringing. Which is in big part due to settings.

Flexible Filament (TPU)
Printing flexible filament is very cool and I like to test how well a printer copes with it! I print squishy little Pokemon or such figures for the kids. If the extruder gear has a lot of space between it and the Bowden tube, then it could get wound around it and ruin the print. To print TPU properly you should print it at 15-20mps with no retraction. The A5 prints flexible filament with no problems at all.

Software
Cheap printers always arrive with free open-source software. JGAurora re-branded their own version of Cura 2.5 which is open source and comes on the USB stick. I, for one, do not like Cura 2 and 3 at all, but Cura 14 and 15 seem OK. But luckily there are others you can download – such as Slic3r and Craftware.
Upgrades and Modifications
Being almost perfect out of the box, this printer doesn’t need much in the sense of upgrades. I printed new part cooling nozzle that cools the print from both sides (which is important).
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2757866
I opened my printer because of its bed size. When you are using cheaper printers it’s always best to install an external MOSFET if the bed is over 200 by 200mm in size. This one being 300 x 300mm, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Reviewing these printers I like to have extra MOSFETs at hand. Some companies, like Tevo and Creality3D, include these with their printers. It helps to keep the high current draw of the beds from going through the motherboard MOSFETs. (Here’s one from aliexpress)
Pros, cons, and evaluation
PROS:
- Full-metal construction makes this printer solid and heavy.
- The A5 does have a heated build plate. Heated build plate is not necessary, but is recommended.
- Full-color touchscreen. The touchscreen is a nice feature and makes the printer look more high-end. After using this touchscreen for a while, dealing with buttons and knobs becomes annoying.
- The A5, also the A3S, is the easiest kit printer I have built to date. No assembly knowledge is needed for this printer and it gets built in minutes.
- The printer looks great in black and with white side panels. It looks great beside the A3S
- Filament run out sensor! This is an awesome feature. I love how it pauses and uses a filament load and unload feature to change the filament. No more worrying whether there is enough filament to finish the job.
- Power Off recovery. I love this because I have had to use it already. Living out of the city, you are prone to experience frequent power cuts.
- USB stick instead of the SD card. Using USB is great. USB is faster than the SD cards when writing the Gcode to the drive. Sticks are easy to get and harder to lose than the tiny cards.
CONS:
- Black Diamond Bed. This didn’t last on my A3S. I had to cover it with glass and use hairspray. After the third print didn’t stick, I covered the A5 with a mirror and every print has stuck since.
- Hard to work on. The nice metal frame and enclosed bottom half make this printer difficult to work on. For instance, when I tighten the belts I have to carefully disassemble quite a lot to gain access.
- While I love the touchscreen controls and it being the same as the one on the A3S, the A5 screen is more sensitive and one-touch often results in two touch responses.
Evaluation
The A5 is a great printer. Unlike the Tevo Tornado and other larger volume printers, it’s in one piece. This makes it easy for me to move. I know most people don’t move their printers but I do it often, as I frequently get new printers and have to get rid of older ones. I’ll say this; I will be keeping the A5 for a long time, if not for good! It will have to be a special printer to replace this as my new go-to printer.
All that being said, I don’t think you can go wrong with the JGAurora A5 printer. I know there are reviews out there that are more critical, but I’m a member of the official JGAurora Facebook group and they are listening to their members. For instance, after my Power supply issue on the A3S, they have updated it with a better unit that can handle the 100deg C temperature on the bed. Also, the first A5’s had issues. Like the 3D printed parts holding the Z axis smooth rods breaking in shipping. Now those parts are machined aluminum. The users complained the white panels were not fixed well and rattled. Now thes eare screwed in an are very secure.
One thing I have to criticize is that the filament run-out sensor has changed from the A3S, and isn’t as user-friendly. I had issues feeding the filament at the beginning, but I have since figured it out. The A3S extruder was easy to feed from the beginning. After leveling the bed and followed by weeks of constant printing, it has stayed level. The design makes it secure and keeps it level.
PRINT QUALITY: 9.5/10
Again, the quality of the prints is impressive. It prints as well as the industrial printer we use at work.
BUILD QUALITY: 9/10
The build seems to keep space in mind. There is no wasted space like the other larger volume printers that keep the electronics in a tethered box attached to the printer. Simple to pick up and move, and doesn’t take much room on the desk.
USER INTERFACE AND NAVIGATION: 7/10
Although it has a nice colour touchscreen display, the sensitivity is an issue to me. I can’t say it’s a one-time deal as I have seen it in other reviews. But I know it can work as great as it does on my A3S.
VALUE FOR THE MONEY: 9/10
At $320 USD this printer is a steal. You can’t go wrong. It’s cheap but packed with features.
Where to buy:
February 24, 2025
3D Printing Canada Select PLA Filament Review
3D Printing Canada
With the sudden popularity in 3D printing there has been a race to create the perfect plastic material. Back when it was starting to go public there was only one big type and that was ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), which is strong but hard to print with because of its shrinking factor. As it is printing, any cool air makes ABS curl up on the corners making it hard to keep stuck to the bed.
Then came PLA (Polylactic Acid) which doesn’t shrink as bad and is much easier to print with. The best part of PLA is its biodegradability. Recently there has been a surge of newly created PLA filaments: PLA Plus, Advance PLA and now Select PLA.
I recently reviewed PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate with glycol), TPU (Thermoplastic polyurethane) and Wood filament for 3D Printing Canada, you can read that review here. Since I liked that filament so much, they’ve sent me their new Select PLA.
PLA typically prints at 180-205 °C. Select PLA prints best at 215 °C. Before 3D printing got popular it was hard to find cheap filament that was also good. As the industry grows the filament is getting better and better. Back then the cheaper filament cost around $60 for the good stuff. Now the $30 rolls is the good stuff and the value filament is around $15. And the $15 rolls are good enough for everyday use, although I haven’t tried the value filaments from 3D Printing Canada.
Select PLA is the filament you want for special items like display pieces, or if you sell prints to the public. For the price it’s good for everyday items as well. The value filament is probably something you would use for functional prototyping. I haven’t tried the value filaments yet, but I will be giving those a try.
3D Printing Canada gave me 4 colours to try. The first one I tried was White. First I printed a tolerance test to judge the printers accuracy. While I am reviewing the filament, I am also reviewing a 3D printer named JGAurora A5. The test showed me that the printer and filament can print articulate parts with a .2mm tolerance. That is a very good result. It means, if you want to print a hinge you would need to have a minimum of .2mm separation between the parts.

Then I printed something I have been wanting to print for a long time: the Skull of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Some day I will print a large-scale model of the entire T-Rex. The skull came out great and it is displayed proudly in my office display cabinet. Being a nerd, or geek, I like interesting things like space, dinosaurs, and fantasy stuff like super heroes!
Next I printed a simple toolbox that attaches to the side of my printer. The prints really came out beautifully; I am so impressed with this filament – as well as the printer!

After that impressive Dino skull I wanted to try something else that shows incredible details. Many nights I look up at the moon in awe. It’s a massive rock spinning around our planet and interfering with such things as our ocean tides and our weather. As you can see it is as impressive as the T-Rex Skull, and much more detailed. Links to these files are below.

The Orange filament has a nice colour but I’m not sure what to print with it. The colour of the filament doesn’t matter because it’s easy to paint. I recommend sanding them down and using a filler primer to fill in the layer lines. The first orange print was the ever-popular 3DBenchy, the little boat that was created to be a benchmark test; it printed great.

I printed an articulate horse for my daughter because she loves horses. It has tiny hinges between each piece to make it flexible. That is one of the greatest things about 3D printing, you can make things that connect and move, all in one piece. To show the accuracy I also printed a 20mm cube. As you can see, all those are very close to 20mm. Accuracy comes from both the printer and the filament.

I love printing things for my 11 year old. She loves to display these proudly in her section of my display cabinet. We share the office, and she has her own special desk. Another hobby of hers is drawing, so I decided to make her a drawing robot. It is still in the works, but getting close. It will have WiFi / Bluetooth connectivity.

Using Yellow filament I added a mix of colours to the drawing robot. The yellow prints as good as the other colours. I promised my son I would print him a plant holder. He has a love for plants since his school coop placement in a flower store. Here in Canada students in high school get placed in a job, for experience and a high school credit. Because of his interest in gaming I printed a Mario game block he can paint and use to grow plants in. I had to drill holes for drainage.

The last color I tried was black. Black and white are useful for lots of things. Me, when I see black – I think of Batman! I printed a small pair of toy grippers for the kids and a bust of Batman for myself.

I’m very happy to have a Canadian filament supplier that is pricing their filament competitively. For far too long we have been paying way more than people in the US. Ordering from the US means we pay a lot for shipping and duties. So the Canadian suppliers have been charging a minimum of $30 for the cheapest filaments. To get this quality at $30 CDN is a good thing. I can’t wait to try the value filament which is currently on sale for $15 CDN. The electronics shop in Ottawa charges $30 for 1/2 kg rolls of cheap filament that doesn’t print well at all.
The Select PLA filament prints at 215°C and bonds very well. It is nice and strong for functional parts that you prototype or download.
These are my opinions and you should form your own, by trying the product or doing more research. But this filament is well worth the price. They also offer free Canada wide shipping for purchases over $120 or $10 flat rate below. My friends and I buy together in bulk to save the shipping costs.
Links to everything I’ve printed:
3DBenchy
Drawing Robot
Batman Bust
Moon
T-Rex
Mario Cube
Horse, gripper and toolbox (I can’t seem to find these items…)
But there are plenty of things to print, on Thingiverse.com
February 23, 2025
Anet A8 3D Printer Giveaway Winner
Last month we offered an Anet A8 3D printer giveaway made possible. Since we all wonder if someone actually ever wins such giveaways, the answer is yes! Roland V. is the proud new owner of a free Anet A8 3D printer, congratulations Roland! After being randomly selected from a list of several hundred names, quickly shipped the printer so he could get building right away.
Roland with his free printer
Roland informed me that his printer arrived on time and in perfect condition. The Anet A8 is a DIY printer made for rookies and professionals alike, you can see our popular review of the printer here.
After a fairly simple build process, Roland had his new A8 up and running.
Out of the box and after assembly, the Anet A8 is ready to start printing, so that’s exactly what he did. Roland and Pevly both recommend upgrading the stock bearings to these polymer bearings which allow for smoother motion of the motors. We have a full article on recommend A8 upgrades that you can print yourself or purchase, read more.
Congratulations again Roland, and huge thanks to for making this possible! If you are currently in the market for a 3D printer then make sure to visit as they have the best prices on the internet. Note, the Anet A8 is currently If you would like us to do more giveaways in the future please let us know in the comments as your feedback is important to us.
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February 19, 2025
3D Printing Canada Filament Review – Wood, TPU, PETG
I’ve been very interested in 3D printing for a few years now. I enjoy reviewing printers because it gives me a chance to see new printing technology, but also lets me see how companies differ on the same technology. For instance the different types of hotends. I have used many different types and brands of filament but never gave it much thought; to me it was just a consumable. Sure there are different colors, but there are generally three main types used: ABS, PLA and PETG. Each filament comes with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. For instance, ABS is strong and withstands higher temperatures but it’s very hard to print because it shrinks as it cools and pops off the build plate. You need an enclosed printer to print ABS. PLA is easier to print with less shrinkage but isn’t as strong as ABS.
So when asked if I wanted to review filaments from 3D Printing Canada I at first said, no thanks. Then, after giving it some thought, I figured why not try filaments outside my wheel house. So I chose one that I haven’t used, one that I have only used once before, and one that I have used a few times with mixed results. These are, wood, TPU and PETG, in that order. 3D Printing Canada has not paid me in any way to write this review, they provided the filament for free, and that’s all.
Wood
Wood filament is very cool but costs a bit more, and has a limited use case. So far I have only seen people print vases and Groot from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. It is PLA with infused wood fibers, however it is hard on the brass nozzles commonly used on 3D printers (The nozzles are very cheap). I received the filament last week and asked on a 3D printing Facebook group what I should print. Of course, they said Groot and vases. As I wanted to be a bit different, I decided to go with a wooden shelf with a secret drawer.
The first print I started didn’t go too well. Not the fault of the filament but the printer itself. I started and it was going great, but when I went up stairs the Y axis started missing steps which caused major layer shifts.

So I increased the current to my Y stepper motor because it was lower then the others, and started the shelf again. This time it printed great. Not perfect, because of a bit of shrinking on one part, but luckily that was the hidden part so not a huge deal.
The next item I printed was a square mug, and a circle mug.

Just kidding, that is one mug! Holding this mug in the right or left hand gives you a different perspective. The person who came up with this design must be highly intelligent. The person who made it for people to download and print is Devin at the Make anything Youtube channel. I don’t know if he came up with the idea, but he is smart and has great 3D printing content, you should look him up.

This being my first time to use wood filament I can’t say it’s better than any other brand. What I can say though is that it is a very good filament and I’m happy to use it. I may try a Groot some day soon.
Thingiverse – Secret Shelf
MyMiniFactory – Mug
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TPU
TPU, like wood, has a specific purpose and costs a bit more. I have purchased a roll of SainSmart TPU and used it for my printer reviews in the past. The 3D Printing Canada TPU filament has a softer feel to it. TPU is a rubbery type of filament, good to print things like RC tires and phone cases. It may also have uses for gaskets, rubber dampening parts for vibration control, and other specific use cases. I have no use for it at the moment, so I decided to print soft toys for the kids to play with.
The first was a MatterHackers mascot Phil A Ment. He is a cute little astronaut. The print that came out was softer than the tiers I printed with the SainSmart TPU. The 3D Printing Canada TPU also printed better. To make your prints stronger, use more outline layers and higher percentage of infill.

After seeing the astronaut the kids wanted a minion. So off to Thingiverse and MyMiniFactory to find one suitable to print with TPU. I found these two; one with one eye, and one with two eyes. That was to keep track of which was whose (2 year olds are very protective of their toys.) The one with the single eye needed support for the eye since it sticks out. Supports for any other filament are not an issue. TPU supports are hard to remove because they stick so well to the part. It being a tiny bit, I was able to cut these off with a pair of side covers.

MatterHackers – Phil
MyMiniFactory – Minion One Eye
Thingiverse – Minion Two Eyes
PETG
PETG was created to be the best of both PLA and ABS. It’s supposed to print with the ease of PLA, and be strong like ABS. In the past I have had mixed results with PETG and wasted a lot on failed prints. So I chose PETG in the hope of getting a good source. Not only was it good, it is located here in Canada and I don’t have to pay duties! My first PETG print was the ABS temp tower with PETG temps. This is two pillars with a bridge across every 60 layers or so. You set the start temperature at the highest, and decrease it by 5 degrees every section of the tower, then you look for the temperature that prints the best, and use it for the prints. Being made for ABS, the temps on the part are not what I used. I went from 250 to 225 and found 235 to be the right temp.

PETG is used to print parts intended for heavy duty or outside use. For instance, my friend is printing railing mounts for a deck he purchased a while back, since the company is no longer in business to sell parts. I offered to print a couple of mounts, so now he has a good source. The other filament sold in Canada that we tried didn’t have very good PETG. I printed parts for him with this PETG and was pleased with how they turned out. PETG is stringy, so you have to play with retraction setting for every roll, or do a bit of post print clean up.

Comparing it to the last brand, you can see a difference. (3D Printing Canada on top) Also not noticeable in the image is that 3D Printing Canada prints are a bit shinier.

Conclusion
While I was hesitant to review printer filaments, I am very glad that I did. The biggest issue with reviewing filaments is that it can be hard to ascertain what is the fault of the filament and what is the fault of the printer, or even slicer settings. 3D Printing Canada has gained a new customer in me! Additionally, their prices for premium filaments is very fair. I hope you give them a try. I look forward to testing their PLA and PLA+ filaments.
Happy Printing!
February 18, 2025