Methods and sources
Every number on SpoolQuote is either something you enter, a figure from a public source we link to with the date we checked it, or an example we label as one. This page lists all of them.
Last updatedOct 17, 2026
Correctionshello@spoolquote.com
Our rules
- Every page has a working calculator or computed data, with its formula written out in a "How this is calculated" section.
- Every outside figure links to its primary source (a government agency or the manufacturer) with the date we accessed it.
- Illustrative defaults are marked "example" next to the field.
- We don't test products, publish reviews, or say "we tested" about anything we didn't. Benchmarks are compiled from published specifications.
- Commissions never decide what appears in a table or what a default is (see the affiliate disclosure).
Source register
| Figure | Value | Source | Used on | Accessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average residential electricity price, July 2026 | 18.31¢/kWh | EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 (released Sep 24, 2026) | Cost, quote, farm, benchmark | Oct 17, 2026 |
| U.S. average commercial electricity price, July 2026 | 14.53¢/kWh | EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 | Benchmark | Oct 17, 2026 |
| New England residential electricity price, July 2026 | 28.00¢/kWh | EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A | Benchmark | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Printer average PLA power, standby and maximum power (12 models) | 80-250 W average | Bambu Lab Wiki, Printer and AMS power parameters | Benchmark, cost, quote, farm | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Etsy listing, transaction, Offsite Ads and currency conversion fees | $0.20; 6.5%; 15% or 12%, capped at $100; 2.5% | Etsy Fees & Payments Policy (updated Oct 5, 2026) | Etsy pricing | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Etsy payment processing, United States | 3% + $0.25 | Etsy Payments Policy (updated Jul 31, 2026) | Etsy pricing | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Bambu Lab printer prices (9 models), hotend and PEI plate prices | $219-$2,199; $17.99; $19.99 | Bambu Lab US Store | Hourly rate, payback | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Standard resin prices and densities, FEP film price | $18.99-$23.99 per kg; 1.10-1.13 g/mL; $24.99 for 5 | ELEGOO US store, ELEGOO resin guide, Anycubic US store | Resin cost | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Average and rated power, Prusa, Creality, ELEGOO and Anycubic printers | MK4S 80 W; CORE One+ 90 W (PLA); rated 350-1,200 W | Prusa, Creality, ELEGOO manual, Anycubic manual | Printer power | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Residential electricity price by state, July 2026 | 51 values, e.g. Texas 15.88¢/kWh | EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (released Sep 24, 2026) | Printer power | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Filament drying temperatures and times; AMS drying power; dryer power | e.g. PLA Basic 45 °C, 12 h (AMS); AMS HT 170 W | Bambu Lab Wiki (edited Jul 31, 2026), Prusa Knowledge Base, Creality, SUNLU | Filament drying | Oct 17, 2026 |
| AMS, filament and spool store prices | AMS 2 Pro $299; AMS HT $139; PLA Basic $15.99 MSRP; reusable spool $11.99 | Bambu Lab US Store | Startup cost, purge waste | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Empty spool weights | Polymaker 1 kg cardboard 140 ± 7 g | Polymaker, Bambu Lab store | Filament left on a spool | Oct 17, 2026 |
| Multicolor purge example | 153 changes, 83 g (0.2 mm); 111 changes, 61 g (0.28 mm) | Bambu Lab Wiki (edited Feb 11, 2026) | Purge waste | Oct 17, 2026 |
Filament densities (6 materials) are listed with links to each manufacturer data sheet on the filament length page and in its CSV: PLA 1.24, PETG 1.27, ABS 1.05, ASA 1.05, TPU 95A 1.20 and PC 1.20 g/cm³, all measured to ISO 1183 and accessed Oct 17, 2026.
Examples
Some inputs have no honest universal default: spool prices, printer prices and lifetimes, failure rates, labor rates, packaging, sale prices, demand. Those fields start with a round illustrative value marked "example" so the calculator shows a result, and you're expected to replace it. Examples are never presented as averages or survey results.
How often we check
- Electricity prices: monthly, when EIA publishes a new Electric Power Monthly.
- Manufacturer power figures and data sheets: every three months, and whenever a new printer or material is added.
- Store prices (printers, parts, resin) and Etsy fees: monthly, because stores run frequent sales and Etsy changes fees.
- Every change updates the page's "Last updated" date and the change log below.
How pages are made
SpoolQuote is built and maintained by Bockius Ventures LLC with the help of AI tools. AI drafts code and text; every figure is checked against its cited source before a page is published, and the formulas are shown so you can check them too.
Corrections
If a number is wrong or out of date, email hello@spoolquote.com with the page and, if you can, the source. We fix confirmed errors and note them in the change log.
Change log
- Oct 17, 2026: first version of all pages and sources, including Etsy pricing, hourly rate, payback, resin cost, printer power, filament drying, startup cost, spool weight and purge waste.