MakerBot PSA: Fire and ABS/PLA don’t mix

There have been a number of printable candle holders uploaded to Thingiverse lately.  In all seriousness, please do not use ABS or PLA for printed candle handle holders or any kind of use involving flame or heat.  ABS will catch fire, even without a blow torch, and keep burning while giving off a bad smelling and toxic smoke.  PLA becomes very malleable at low heat, will deform and melt, and could easily drop a candle.  That’s one of the reasons PLA can’t be used as a hot beverage or food container.

Please have a safe holiday season and do not use any ABS or PLA with or near flame or heat.1

  1. Remember:  Only you can prevent bunny fires. []
Tagged with , , 6 comments
 

6 Comments so far

  • Luis Azmouz
    November 29, 2010 at 10:13 pm
     

    Oh no! Mine is the first one in the list!

     
  • Nemorem
    November 30, 2010 at 8:47 am
     

    Cool. burning printed bunnies and stuff looks like a lot of fun. That’s the message, isn’t it?

     
  • Marc Raiser
    November 30, 2010 at 9:45 am
     

    Excellent advice! As one of those “guilty” of uploading a candleholder, I would like to emphasize that these designs should be used with a ceramic extruder if you want to print a functional piece in one step. Plastic prints of these types of items should only be used as props or to make a cast for a not-so-highly-flammable material.

     
  • coasterman
    February 4, 2011 at 9:20 pm
     

    Poor bunny!

     
  • Thing-O-Matic / MK5 Extruder: DC Motor Safety Lamp vs Fuse « The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning
    February 10, 2011 at 7:06 am
     

    [...] Yesterday I came across my Big Box of Fuses and said the obvious thing: Let’s Find Out! [...]

     
  • I love my Makerbot Thing-o-Matic | OMG Sheep!
    February 11, 2012 at 10:14 pm
     

    [...] What if I give you a design file which you then print, and you hurt yourself with that object. Can you sue me under product liability law if it turns out my widget had a design flaw that was dangerous to you? That’s a pretty pertinent question given people are already sharing designs with the world on Makerbot’s site Thingiverse. Every now and then someone posts a design for a printed candle holder. Sounds pretty innocuous until you realise that the thermoplastic Makerbot prints with can easily melt and/or catch fire! [...]

     
 

Leave your comment

 
 
 

xhtml: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>