Welcome to the SeeMeCNC Community

Hi everyone,

First, i'd like to disclaim a few things, like the fact that english isn't my first language (hopefully you'll understand what i'm trying to say ) and second, i have next to no prior experience with 3d printing except the fact i sat next to a guy using one a few times.

Please, bear with me .

Here is the idea : Fiberglass is often used to reinforce resin ( a well know technique used to make small boats), so i was wondering if it wouldn't be possible to "pause" a print and drop a few very thin chopped fiberglass or carbon/graphite fibers between layers and then resume the print (and heaven forbid, maybe manually raise the extruder if necessary) ?

I think you'd need a hot glue gun heater to "soften" up the bottom layer so the fibers would stick to it. I figure that it wouldn't take much nicely spread, small and thin enough fibers, they shouldn't cause too much problems to most printed parts while greatly reinforcing them.

I know this could make a print job a real PITA (except if there is a way to automate the operation, like a kind of salt/pepper shaker fixed near the extruder??) to do, but the need to make parts that need reinforcement for whatever reason who could make this worthwhile .

That's it, i just wanted to throw the idea out there to see if someone more knowledgeable could pitch in and tell me whatever i had a workable/useable idea..or not !

Thank you for your patience ..

I really don't think it would help strengthen it. The perimeter would not print properly or get any pieces in it to strengthen it.

I also don't think it would work too well. There are a couple of issues I see. Since the extruded material is not really liquid it would not permeate the fibers as a resin would. This would actually reduce the strength of the final material as it would reduce the bonded area between layers. Aslo as you are putting the fibers down on a cooled layer there is little that is holding it in place while the next layer is printed, heating the layer to bond the fiber could distort it therefore destroying the part.

I have seen people pause prints to place inserts, nuts and other objects so the next layer traps them but there is no true bond to the captured parts.

Thank you for your answers, i had the same doubts but i wasn't sure, being new to the world of 3d printing. I still have a theory in mind (in regard to the shape of the fiber) and i'll test it when my printer is here and ready to print.

I'll publish the results here, good or bad. Who know, we could end up with unexpected results .

If one could put the fibers in the filament , and if they were fine enough. Then you might have something

Tempted to bring some fiber to the Midwest fest this weekend...

I did read that people were originally using weed wacker line for extruders. This was determined to be very destructive to the extruder tip due to the fibers and reinforcing media embedded in the line.

It would be interesting if someone does find a reliable method of tackling this.