My Adventures in 3D Printing

I just got a resin printer over the holidays and have been running off some prints on it. It's interesting how different it is from FDM.

I find I take much longer in the preproduction process-- slicing takes me so much more time to complete. That could speed up as I get more confident with the program though.

Setup is much easier. I have had 2 minor failures because my buildplate wasnt leveled, but it just takes 5 minutes then the printer is back up and running.

Post processing is messy, but not terrible. it will be better once I can get my space built out. I am surprised at just how easy it is to sand the resin pieces-- Ive only ever worked with PLA, which people say is one of the more annoying ones to sand.

masterjedi322 Im not exactly an expert at resin printing yet, but I have seen multiple people recommending PTFE lube for the FEP sheet-- just put a few drops on and buff it off with a paper towel. I bought this bottle: Super Lube 51004 Synthetic Oil with PTFE, High Viscosity, 4 oz Bottle,Translucent white: Fishing Equipment: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Havent had any before/after tests myself to know if it makes a difference, but doesnt seem to hurt it at all
 
I just got a resin printer over the holidays and have been running off some prints on it. It's interesting how different it is from FDM.

I find I take much longer in the preproduction process-- slicing takes me so much more time to complete. That could speed up as I get more confident with the program though.

Setup is much easier. I have had 2 minor failures because my buildplate wasnt leveled, but it just takes 5 minutes then the printer is back up and running.

Post processing is messy, but not terrible. it will be better once I can get my space built out. I am surprised at just how easy it is to sand the resin pieces-- Ive only ever worked with PLA, which people say is one of the more annoying ones to sand.

masterjedi322 Im not exactly an expert at resin printing yet, but I have seen multiple people recommending PTFE lube for the FEP sheet-- just put a few drops on and buff it off with a paper towel. I bought this bottle: Super Lube 51004 Synthetic Oil with PTFE, High Viscosity, 4 oz Bottle,Translucent white: Fishing Equipment: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

Havent had any before/after tests myself to know if it makes a difference, but doesnt seem to hurt it at all
Congrats on your resin printer! I think you'll find they are a lot of fun!

Running both a resin and FDM printers, the resin printing process is much messier, IMHO, but, as you noted, the prints are a lot easier to prep for paint and finishing.

I also use PTFE lubricant on my FEP, although I have a different brand I got at Lowes or something. Some people claim it's snake oil, but it seemingly cured my issue of having prints stick to the FEP.

I say do what works for you!

Look forward to seeing what you print!

Sean
 
Anyone know the best way to dry out a resin 3D print? I've got one that has some water inside as it was printed hollow but it's steadily been leaking for a few days now. Impressive considering it's only 3 inches tall. Can you bake it safely?
 
Anyone know the best way to dry out a resin 3D print? I've got one that has some water inside as it was printed hollow but it's steadily been leaking for a few days now. Impressive considering it's only 3 inches tall. Can you bake it safely?
How did water get inside?
If it was printed hollow, do not bake it. You need to drill a hole in it and let the resin run out. Then fill up the cavity with alcohol if it is regular resin or water if it is the water washable resin. Then cure with UV light.

TazMan2000
 
Basically it's the head of a figure and in the bottom there's a hole to allow for the joint on the neck to attach. After sanding I did a rinse with some water but it's like it's become trapped inside the cavities inside.
 
If you’re sure that it’s only water, it will dry out eventually, but if you need to fast track that, leave the resin in a warm place, like over a heating vent or run a hair dryer over it. But be careful, you don’t want to overheat the piece as it may develop cracks.

TazMan2000
 
If you’re sure that it’s only water, it will dry out eventually, but if you need to fast track that, leave the resin in a warm place, like over a heating vent or run a hair dryer over it. But be careful, you don’t want to overheat the piece as it may develop cracks.

TazMan2000
I appreciate the advice, thanks!
 
Congrats on your resin printer! I think you'll find they are a lot of fun!

Running both a resin and FDM printers, the resin printing process is much messier, IMHO, but, as you noted, the prints are a lot easier to prep for paint and finishing.

I also use PTFE lubricant on my FEP, although I have a different brand I got at Lowes or something. Some people claim it's snake oil, but it seemingly cured my issue of having prints stick to the FEP.

I say do what works for you!

Look forward to seeing what you print!

Sean
This is my current project-- Lastimosa/Jack Cooper's Helmet from Titanfall 2. It's been a monster of a project-- over 200 hours of printing for just the main body, I don't want to guess how many ours of sanding and post processing. Probably close to 20-25 at this point?

Still got a lot to go with it. The official replica versions have cool canvas and leather strap webbing I want to try and replicate, along with a really cool neck flap/cowl.
IMG_1933.jpg
IMG_1934.jpg
 
A couple of tips I’ve picked up is you can use Rain X on the Fep to help keep the print from sticking. And if you ever have uncured resin inside, you can drill a small hole, let it out, wash it, then insert a small UV led inside to cure. Both have helped me out.
 
534FFEE8-1B0C-44CF-B2EC-D32CF19BF49C.jpeg
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F4B2301A-CDED-43E9-98A2-637D8CF7B6B3.jpeg
E840AC3C-4B74-49BD-888C-D04A8ED57518.jpeg

HELP!!!!
Broke my lcd screen and had a massive resin leak into the machine. Started on replacing the screen & found a ton of resin inside & dripped onto the lenses & below on the led array - anybody think I can recover this mess or do I need to order a whole new led array?

Elegoo Saturn btw
 
HELP!!!!
Broke my lcd screen and had a massive resin leak into the machine. Started on replacing the screen & found a ton of resin inside & dripped onto the lenses & below on the led array - anybody think I can recover this mess or do I need to order a whole new led array?

Elegoo Saturn btw
Eeek! That doesn’t look good!

I would say, clean everything the best you can, reassemble, and run the LCD test to see if everything works as expected. If not, you can pursue a replacement array.

Best of luck!

Sean
 
After about 6 months of abusing the Vyper, the tube from the extractor to the print head broke. Reading on some FB pages, seems this is a pretty common problem and will give me an opportunity to upgrade to a more robust Capricorn tube and fittings.

Sean
DC9FDB8A-5C76-4D43-8865-D7A0644C608F.jpeg
 
After about 6 months of abusing the Vyper, the tube from the extractor to the print head broke. Reading on some FB pages, seems this is a pretty common problem and will give me an opportunity to upgrade to a more robust Capricorn tube and fittings.

Sean
Yep. For sure will happen. Great news is that they are super cheap on Amazon and come in packs of like, 20+. So you're probably buying a lifetime supply for your printer in one go haha.
 
My buddy was printing me a couple things on his resin printer and for some reason with this model these lines seem to be appearing. He’s tried changing the orientation but it hasn’t helped at all. Anyone have any ideas what might be going wrong?
 

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Looks like a layer got stuck or new resin was mixed in. Has it happened multiple times or just the one print?

Sean
It’s happened multiple times now. What’s strange is it’s only on this particular model. All the other we’ve printed look fine. They are smaller in size though, so I guess that could be causing it? ‍♂️
 
It’s happened multiple times now. What’s strange is it’s only on this particular model. All the other we’ve printed look fine. They are smaller in size though, so I guess that could be causing it? ‍♂️
If that’s the case, it sounds like there’s a problem with the model itself. Do you happen to have access to another printer that you could try it on?

Sean
 

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