Materials › PLA

Price tier $$

Wood PLA

PLA blended with wood fibers for a warm, sandable, stainable look. Fussy to print.

Also called: wood filament, wood fill pla, wood-fill pla, wooden pla

A 3DBenchy boat printed in wood-based PLA, held in a hand, with a matte warm wood-toned finish
Photo: 3DBenchy.com, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↗

Good for

  • Display / decorative
  • Cosplay & props

Not great for

  • Load-bearing / mechanical
  • Fast / bulk printing
  • Hot environments
  • Outdoor / sunlight

Typical settings

Nozzle
190-215 °C
Bed
50-60 °C
Speed
30-60 mm/s
Cooling
100% part fan

You'll need

  • Nozzle of 0.5 mm or larger (0.4 mm can clog)
  • Dry filament

Ratings

Strength
2 out of 5
Heat resistance
1 out of 5
Flexibility
1 out of 5
Ease of printing
2 out of 5
Print speed
2 out of 5
Looks / finish
4 out of 5
Durability
2 out of 5

Ratings are relative, 1-5, for a typical filament of this type. Start from your filament maker's recommended settings.

Use it for

  • Signs, picture frames, decorative boxes, and gifts where a wood look matters.
  • You can sand and stain it like real wood.

Watch out for

  • Wood fibers clog small nozzles. Use 0.5 mm or larger.
  • Too hot and the fibers scorch, giving a burnt smell and dark streaks. Stay on the low side of the range.
  • It is weak and brittle. Do not use it for anything that takes load.

Tips

  • Vary temperature across a test tower for lighter or darker tones.
  • Sand lightly and seal with wax or oil for a wood finish.

Commonly printed in Wood PLA

Other PLA types

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