The choice of whether to print with ABS or PLA can sometimes be emotionally charged. Those
enthusiasts who have perfected their printing of either choice can be quite insistent that theirs is the
best choice. Rather than supply yet more rhetoric, I will present arguments for and against each. With
this information, you can make your own choice. That is, provided you haven’t locked in on a printer that
prints only one type of filament (not that there is anything wrong with that).
ABS is a very good choice if you plan to create objects that are going to be in close proximity to heat
sources like a hot end. ABS is also somewhat flexible and can withstand bending that would break PLA
objects. It is also easily modified—you can cut it with a hobby knife and glue it together with either ABS
glue or acetone. In fact, ABS dissolves in acetone and can be smoothed with acetone vapor. You can
make your own ABS glue by dissolving a small amount of ABS in acetone. As the acetone evaporates,
it leaves hardened ABS that forms a strong bond. Lastly, ABS flexes well—forming strong bond layers.