ABS

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)

A very nice thermoplastic that is stronger, more durable, and more resistant than HDPE. Its a bit pricier, but it has better mechanical properties than plastics such as HDPE.

• ABS is good because it is easier to buy and requires less force to extrude than PLA because it has a lower coefficient of friction. This makes its extrusion characteristics better small parts, compared to PLA. The downside of ABS is that it has to be extruded at a higher temperature: anywhere from 225-250 Degreees C.

Fumes

ABS creates mild, tolerable fumes while being extruded. These fumes, while usually tolerable, may be dangerous for people (or pet birds) with chemical sensitivities or breathing difficulties.

This is caused by the following combustion byproducts: 
???? - --Sebastien Bailard 21:55, 27 April 2010 (UTC)

Heater Settings

225-250 C, depending on your particular plastic.

Extrusion width

There has been some evidence that pigment may affect extrusion width.  
If you are switching plastics a lot, it is a good idea to measure the 
extrusion before going through the toolpath process.
???True for ABS ??? --Sebastien Bailard 22:02, 27 April 2010 (UTC)

Build Surface and Warping

ABS is bad because it tends to warp catastrophically off the build platform when printing large parts. This can be remedied by using a heated build platform (in which case it is just as nice as PLA and because it requires less force to extrude, is easier to print with!).

ABS will stick to acrylic at low temperatures and to PET or Kapton tape if the bed is hot.

Suppliers

Check the forums... someone might be able to ship you some for cheap.

otherwise see Printing Material Suppliers