01 Heat is the enemy
PLA softens around 55 °C. That’s cooler than you’d think: a parked car in summer, a sunny windowsill behind glass, or a dishwasher will all do it. PETG manages about 70 °C, and ASA about 95 °C.
02 Cleaning
Warm water with a little washing-up liquid and a soft brush. Avoid acetone, nail polish remover and strong solvents, which dissolve some plastics. Don’t put prints in the dishwasher.
03 Outdoors
Only ASA is meant for years outdoors. PLA goes brittle and fades in sunlight within a season or two; PETG lasts longer but still fades. Resin prints yellow and crack in sunlight.
04 If it bends
A PLA part that has warped in heat can sometimes be eased back: warm it gently in hot (not boiling) water, reshape it by hand, and hold it until it cools. It won’t be quite as strong afterwards.
More guides
- Replacing a broken partMost of our custom work is a small plastic part that broke on something that still works. How to get it remade, even without a 3D model.
- Ordering in quantityTens or hundreds of the same part: how we price batches, keep them consistent, and fit them around the rest of the queue.