Garden Railway Forum

I have just bought and use a roll of PCTG filament and compared it to the PETG I was using.
The big plus for it is that the amount of stringing I got was so negligible that I could almost call it none.
Its plate adhesion was better than PETG to the extent that I could do away with a brim and just use a skirt.

There is a transparent version available and according to the blurb;
PCTG transparent filament is a high-performance 3D printing filament that offers superior optical clarity, high impact resistance, and greater toughness compared to standard PETG. It is BPA-free, exhibits low shrinkage, and provides an excellent glass-like finish for functional or aesthetic parts.
PCTG filament has good UV resistance and handles normal outdoor sun exposure well, outperforming standard PETG by resisting yellowing and brittleness for much longer. However, it is still not as weather-stable or long-lasting under extreme, permanent outdoor sun as ASA or ABS.

The no transparent version comparison to PETG boasts;
Impact Resistance: PCTG has vastly superior toughness and does not snap or shatter as easily under sudden stress.
Layer Adhesion: PCTG offers stronger inter-layer bonding, reducing the risk of catastrophic part delamination.
Clarity: PCTG provides higher optical transparency and less yellowing in thick prints.
Chemical & UV Resistance: PCTG withstands harsher solvents (like alcohols) and resists solar degradation better than PETG.
Price & Availability: PETG is inexpensive and widely stocked in many colors. PCTG is pricier and sold by fewer brands. On this part the roll I found was $10 more than PETG but for its UV and temperature resistance it may be worth it in the long run. PCTG offers a slight, incremental improvement in temperature resistance over PETG, softening around 75–85°C, whereas standard PETG typically deforms at 70–80°C.

Overall I am happy with the PCTG and will use it to print my points, couplers and bogies mainly because of its toughness and heat tolerance.

That's all interesting Graeme, thank you.
I must admit that I'd never even heard of PCTG until reading your post!

I've had a quick look around and came across this review of it: https://printaguide.com/pctg-filament-e ... d-to-know/
It is more expensive, as you say, but not really extortionate. It does require quite a high print temp though, so in your experience, is there much smell from it when printing?

philipy wrote: Fri Aug 07, 2026 6:46 am That's all interesting Graeme, thank you.
I must admit that I'd never even heard of PCTG until reading your post!

I've had a quick look around and came across this review of it: https://printaguide.com/pctg-filament-e ... d-to-know/
It is more expensive, as you say, but not really extortionate. It does require quite a high print temp though, so in your experience, is there much smell from it when printing?

No different than PETG, I notice the smell of PLA more.
I modified my Ender3V3SE's by adding micro-swiss all metal hot ends which got rid of a PTFE tube in the standard ones that used to breakdown and cause blockages and they also improved my PETG stringing issues a bit but PCTG effectively eliminates it.
Big call I know but the stringing I got was just fine whiskers that I burned off with a mini blow torch.
https://store.micro-swiss.com/collectio ... otend-kits