5 Big Mistakes Beginners Make with Resin 3D Printing
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- Опубліковано 22 тра 2024
- A quick vid listing a few things I wish i knew at the beginning of my printing "journey"
disclaimer: i use anycubic eco grey resin, if you use a different one the results may vary.
Resin left in the tank over a long time will build up a film over everything from the fumes curing which may cause issues over time. however I have not experienced this I will respect the wisdom of my viewers
My 3D Print files: cults3d.com/en/users/EdwardPe...
#Edwardpeak #3dprinting #resinprinting - Навчання та стиль
Tip #7 - use a leftover support structure and the "tank clean" feature on your vat. No need to empty it at all as the Fails stuck to the FEP will come off in one nice sheet.
I don't think mine has a tank clean feature, but would it not just be the same as blasting the screen on for 30 seconds ?
@@edwardpeak01 You can blast the entire surface via Tools > Detection, "cleaning" function does exactly the same
@@edwardpeak01 I have a Photon Mono 4K, it doesn’t have that feature, but it does have a “screentest”, I think its called Detection?
Just use that, choose the full screen, and give it a 15-20 second exposure! Keep in mind, if your old supports aren’t even, then they may have a bit of trouble holding on to the sheet…!
@@edwardpeak01 On my mono x I use the tools-exposure function. default option is 10 seconds of full screen exposure which works fine for me at 60% power. Depending on how high your power is set, you might have to tweek the exposure time
@@StubbsDK i will have to give this a try thankyou
I'd recommend putting UV film on windows for the room you print in. Chose the clear version and you won't even notice after fitting, it's cheap enough to give that peace of mind when leaving resin about.
That's a great idea, luckily I have since moved and now have a shed that doesn't have windows. But thanks for the tip I'm sure others will find that useful
Why not UV film on the printer cover?
@@luisernestomercadochagoya9721 Because you have to remove the printer cover to do everything else (cleaning, maintenance, etc). Any exposure to sunlight is potentially bad exposure.
good idea. there's a wall of the enclosure between the window and the printer so I'll put uv stuff on that. should do the trick
@@luisernestomercadochagoya9721 Aren't all printer covers opaque to UV already?
Hey there! Great video! I have a recommendation for cleaning the fep. Rather than a microfiber tower, a silicone spatula works very very well. It will not damage the fep at all, will not leave any scratches, and doesn't require you to come in contact with the resin with your hands, less glove usage if you use disposable. Also, resin is quite good at draining itself off, if you print a stand for the vat to drain and leave it for 10 minutes or so, most times you come back to a perfectly clean fep.
Good suggestions I will give them a go thankyou
im super new to this, it took me atleast five reads of your last sentence to know what you were talking about..but I figured it out!!! shopping for vat drain stands now to print next! omg I was cleaning the vat way too much..
I use a silicone spatula, but then I clean the vat with IPA or ethanol... Now I'm wondering I should be doing that.
Another method I found works it's a modified Uncle Jesse quick clean. I empty the vat only leaving about 1/2 mm or less, just enough to cover the FEP film. Put a small waste part like a support in the corner for a handle. Fire up the screen clean feature if your printer has it, wait the 20 or so seconds, pull up lightly on the waste support and everything comes right out. No rubbing any FEP film been doing this for a few weeks and I have had no issues with left over resin at all.
I like this idea providing you can get all resin left cured that would be easier. I have been using the screen cleaning option recently and it is alot quicker and easier
Oh, very good method, i've already had tiny damages on FEP by rubbing with scraper. Thank you.
I followed the instructions that came with my Mars 3 Pro and haven't had any problems at all. Been printing nonstop for a few weeks now
Great 👍
Another mistake is to not hollow out bigger pieces. It's easy to do in the slicer, saves a bunch of resin and actually improves reliability since having to peel off a big cross section repeatedly is a big strain on the supports.
Worse yet is hollowing out the parts without adding drain holes.
another problem with hollowing out are islands with no supports which will result in failed prints...
@@stevec9315 Hollowing does often require extra supports on the inside but you don't have to remove those and it still saves a lot or resin compared to leaving a big part full.
I made this mistake several times. Couldn't figure out why it wouldn't stay on the build plate. To be fair I did check to see if it was hollow, but I didn't realize that it was actually full of material. The skin was light blue and the inside was dark so I thought "that's a cavity". Oops.
@@nortran11 Wait, I'm supposed to have drain holes? But where? If I put them on the bottom most of the stuff I'm printing would come out looking weird. I've never seen any of the models printed on these videos have holes even the big ones that would have to be hollow. More google searches for me I guess. Glad I came to the comments and found this though. Thanks!
When leveling, the paper should slide with mild resistance, not be firm. This is to take into account for the FEP film. If the paper is tight and doesn't move, you're likely struggling to remove prints from the build plate. You also risk damage to your screen/FEP if there are any fragments in the tank.
yea he is doing a tutorial on UA-cam and doesn't even know that
The way I always heard it is that you should be able to pull on the paper and have it move but you should not be able to push it back. I've always leveled like that and never had problems
The difference in Z height between the paper being super tight and movable is insignificant compared to the thickness of the film. The film is typically 0.1mm to 0.15 mm thick. The typical printer paper used is 0.1mm thick. What you are suggesting just makes the effective thickness of the paper just 0.11mm thick.
@@robguyatt9602 is not insignificant when we are talking about 0.05 layers , that can make a difference on you fk Up the screen or the fep wich can make a mess
@@mosqueraaa Sorry but you clearly did not understand what I wrote. What is insignificant is the vertical distance between tight paper just movable paper. That difference is a small fraction of the layer height. I've been professionally printing production parts for my products parts for almost 2 years. All parts are printed on the build plate without supports so the calibration of the Z axis is critical for dimensional accuracy within production tolerances. By the way, in all my time I have never damaged the NFEP or screen of any of my printers during calibration. I frankly can't see how that can be done. But idiots will always find a way.
I have so far never leveled my printer. It was good out of the box and worked since then.
Even if you do have a failed print many printers have a clean up function which just exposes the whole bottom and creates a film that should catch anything on the FEP. Just leave it to settle, stick a raft with supports from a previous print in the corner, run the clean up function and pull it up by the supports.
Yeah haven't leveled mine in three years lol
Really good advice. Additional tip: If you have a failed print with bits stuck to the FEP, then run it on a full screen detect for 30-45s (same as you would do for an initial layer). Drain most (no need to remove all and clear) and then peel it all off by one of the corners. It will make sure you don't leave any bits to potentially ruin the FEP on next run.
I'd definitely recommend the cleaning station - i've seen adhoc methods of some people setting up their own stations, but the Elagoo Yellow one that i've got is so simple and works. In one box you can cure models as it rotates and clean models in a vat of your chosen cleaning solution (i use alcohol).
They look nice, but plastic pickling jars are super cheap and can store ISO, set outside in the sun, etc. Size options are limited though.
For 1st stage cleaning I use a stainless steel bottle cooler inside a 15L plastic paint bucket with lid against fumes & spilling and for storing my cleaning brushes. I stir manually with thick household cleaning gloves and count to 100-150. The gloves are perfectly reusable for dozens of times with some sensible handling protocol. Very efficient, much less contaminated polymer waste and no need for powered gadgetry.
@@Dan-yk6sy Sitting in the sun can take days to properly cure if it's cloudy.
Good stuff! Might have to try that fermentation belt trick once winter comes around, tends to get a bit chilly where I live.
Thank you, so far I've found it to be the cheapest and easiest option. Depending on how your printers cover works you can cut a little chunk out of it for the wire to go through which makes the lid fit on alot neater
@@edwardpeak01do you have a link to the fermentation belt you are using? I love this idea and have a Photon M3 plus which has basically the same vat as yours. Cheers!
The hammer at the end killed me. 😂Great tips. I’ve wondered how often I should be cleaning. I’ve definitely been doing more than necessary.
Glad you enjoyed it, as you can see from this comment section nothing is set in stone and there's alot of debate over it but personally I only clean if something goes wrong
confirmed all of the things i was thinking or concerned about in advance; it's been very helpful
Great tipps and video. Thanks for telling it so clearly :D
Dude thank you. Seriously video is underrated for you're every day man.
You are welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for making me feel better about leaving resin in the vat for long periods! 😂 hasn’t given me any trouble yet even though I use it infrequently.
Your welcome and join the club I literally never empty mine
All these were super important and nobody mentioned it. I almost quit because so much cleaning and the printer being cold. I got a terranium pad for this but your solution looks much better
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you for the valuable information!
Thankyou you are very welcome ☺️
Honestly I’ve found great success designating a “wet” and “dry” towel to use for fep cleaning. Using the wet with ipa to go in and clean everything off and gut the bulk of it down, then going back over everything to agitate and lift the layer of ipa that causes the cloudiness, and then essentially buffering it with the dry cloth till clear. Can be pretty time consuming at times, but it works
That's very similar to what I currently do
Electric heater belt brilliant idea and I even have one in the cupboard!
It's the cheapest and easiest way I've found 😁
Exquisite video. Leaves a good space for us newbies to add more findings as well. Earned my sub!
Thankyou and welcome aboard
nice job. Well made video. Took a while for me to learn that you only had to clean the tank after failures or whatever too.
Thankyou, i will say I've got alot of stick for saying not to clean out the tank. Personally I tend to leave resin in as I use it often and don't really see the point in emptying each time. However if I leave it for months on end like atm in winter it is emptied out as the resin fumes can cause issues in the long run.
Great video!
Some good tips here! But a few clarifications too:
1. IPA doesn't react with FEP. It's not going to damage anything or cause cloudiness unless it's terrible quality. Something else in your process probably did that, not the IPA.
2. Depending on the resin you use, you may not want to leave it there even if you technically can. Some (most) resins will settle over time and will not give you the stated isotropic properties if you then print with them without mixing.
Thankyou, good points I'll add a little disclaimer in the description
I have a vat for moths , if i want to print, first i check fep integrity , and move the resin mixing the again with the spatula,anycubic photon mono x
I clean up my vat after each print session and find it pretty quick. After dumping the resin back into the bottle I use a spray bottle to put some IPA in the vat and slosh it around like I'm panning for gold. Then I hold it over a container and spray it clean without touching it. Probably don't use more than 100ml of IPA and I buy that in 4L jugs.
This keeps the resin clean and away from sunlight, lets me inspect the FEP before the next print session and test for leaks by putting it on a paper towel and using clean IPA to look for leaks, and it lets me warm and shake the resin before the next print session.
Takes maybe 15 minutes for the cleanup and I can do that while I'm waiting on the timers for the wash and cure.
Also, if your only workbench is in front of a window, why don't you just tape some tinfoil over it and use a light? Would solve your unwanted curing issue.
@@the_omg3242 like you hold it upside down and spray upwards into the vat with IPA, over a trashcan?
@@majorair1 Actually I hold it vertical and let it drain into a tupperware container. I then use a UV flashlight to cure the resin into a gel, scoop it out with a strainer and put it in the sun to harden so I can throw it away. You can also spray in a bit while you hold the vat horizontal then slosh it around a bit to dissolve resin before going vertical for the final few spritzes with the spray bottle.
You end up with a tupperware container full of somewhat contaminated IPA, but it doesn't take that much to spray out the vat when cleaning it. If you're buying IPA by the 4 liter jug for washing, cleaning the vat is a very tiny portion of it. I probably use less than 50ml on cleanup of the vat and build plate, but you want a sprayer that can do a nice hard spray of mist. (like you'd use on plants)
I've also heard of people curing the contaminated IPA and straining it through cheesecloth then using it for a prewash dip to keep your wash solution cleaner.
Holy cow! That fermentation belt idea to heat up the resin in the vat is awesome! I'm stealin it for my printers that have aluminium vats. I'll keep the PFC heater for those with plastic ones. Many thanks.
You are most welcome
Thank you so much. I was wondering about several of these.
You are very welcome
Great vid. Good tip on not using alcohol to clean the fep.
Thankyou
That clean up and not having an lot of space really puts off resin printing for me.
Fdm is alot cleaner but if you want detail then there's really only one option
I only emptied the tank at the beginning. Then really left resin in there for about a year until I started printing again. Just added some more resin, stirred it up a bit to become more homogenous, and started printing with no issues whatsoever. The printer was also placed inside its original box, where I'd usually keep it when I wasn't printing.
I've had alot of people complain that resin can't be left in the vat but I've had the same experience as this and never had any issues.
What resin do you use?
I've got a large roasting tray where is do all my clean up, support removing etc, it's amazing how messed up it gets even when I'm being careful. It's all contained so is easy to clean.
Another tip go to one of those bulk buy places and buy a bulk load of kitchen roll, I go through tissue paper like a teenage boy ;)
The roasting tray is a good one and you can never have enough kitchen roll
Fantastic vid dude subbed new to printing cold seems to be my biggest hurdles currently
Cheers mate, printing cold was the biggest problem I had the belt trick really does work wonders
I had the same issue and started heating the whole machine with a heat gun at the start, It warms it enough that when the printing starts it retains enough heat for a successful print. I have a Photon SE, the entire machine is metal except for the windows. Warming the build plate especially helps as it transfers the heat to the resin during initial printing.
Amazing work keep it up
Cheers mate
1:18 - depends. If you are in dry climate - the resin might form a hard shell on the surface.
Have you had this happen? I've a heard a few whispers about it being possible but never experienced it myself (live in UK not dry)
Yet to start printing in resin and I'm glad I chose it's "forever room" as it were that has a sliding door closet that has a desk built in there... Oh and there is only one window in the room too that I can shut off with the blinds and curtains cause I live in the Highlands and thus don't like the sun (the giant ball in the sky that is. Not the news paper).
Perfect environment for it, the added bonus of it being not in the garden shed so it'll be at room temp not freezing.
I went to the Highlands earlier this year and I remember thinking what a great place it would be to just relax and make things.
@@edwardpeak01 until the midgies come out but thankfully that's only during summer. I dare not use the shed or garage due to dust and the aforementioned cold you brought up. Only downside that I can think of will be the fumes but idk how bad that will be. My resin printer is a anycubic photon as I heard good things about it. Just need to get a cleaning station and what not before I eventually dive into making mini figures.
Also need to find a better home for my fdm printers but I digress.
@@hikaru9624 personally I probably wouldn't use my resin printer inside (photon mono x with anycubics eco resin) but alot of people will just have it in there office and vent the room. Different resins give off various smells but anycubics eco doesn't give off much. But definitely at the least contain the fumes and vent them out we don't know what long term effects they may have.
@@edwardpeak01 oh absolutely! I grew up with a family of smokers and I'm convinced I'm now paying for it in my 30's. I'll definitely vent the room after each use while trying to stop the spread as best as I can when it's being used (and use the appropriate safety gear). I live remotely in a cottage so I don't have much choice but to use my house. I mean it's the house or the dusty garage that has all my tools, petrol for the mowers and my car.
I'm curious what air purifiers will also help with resins printers? I mean proper ones, not the nice smelly ones. Semi professional ones would probably do the trick (harmless at worst anyway).
Tip for FEP sheet tightness: Use a plastic soda bottle twist cap under the FEP sheet as you place it on the Bracket that holds it, it will give you enough slack to tighten it down perfectly on the vat, after tightening tap it with your finger and if it sounds like a drum you're good.
Good tips
About cleaning the tank, I had some resin sitting on my printer for at the very least six months and just printed a model today. No problems whatsoever.
I never empty mine unless something goes wrong, apparently some resin's can't be left for a long time but I've never used a resin which had that problem
Bro, the fuking FIRST tip is just what I've been searching to listen to in internet since 3 weeks ago.. THANKS!
You are very welcome 😁
Great video.
Thankyou
Invest in a silicone spatula for clean up and use reflective tank lagging to block daylight or buy a seedling starter tent to fit the printer and block light.
The spatulas a good idea. Luckily I now have a shed with no windows
For #2, I actrually use a rubber or silicone squeegee to clear 99% of the FEP and then if I feel I need to, microfiber on the edges but not usually.
I like this idea seems alot less wasteful does it not catch on the FEP at all ?
@@edwardpeak01 I have used the same FEP for 18 months now and the reason I think is that "touch" it as little as possible. Same color resin and only using the squeegee when absolutely needed
@@edwardpeak01 nope, the silicone squeegee, the kind you get inside a lot of scren protectors, works perfect for cleaning your fep. It slick enough not to drag, but tight enough it easily removes the resin.
I use only water-washable resin and print multiple times every day. I completely agree with what you say. Except it is easier to submerge the build platform in alcohol after printing. Same with the resin tank. I keep a big container with about 5 liters of medical alcohol and i let parts soak after removing most of the resin. This just cleans everything really well. Then i rinse the parts and let them dry out before printing again. This might help preventing parts with a lot of cured resin on them
That's a lot of alcohol, I can see that working as generally resin will get everywhere especially with printers like the mono x. Good tips might try
That fermentation belt is a genius idea!! I've already set up a heating element in the printer but that is a way better idea.
Awesome video man! Will certainly try that fermentation belt trick. The temperature has always been a bottleneck for my resinprinting.
Thankyou , for me I struggled getting any prints before finding out the belt trick. Hope it helps
@@edwardpeak01 Following your advice, I'm planning to install the same gizmo. I suppose you keep track of the temp of the heating belt with a thermostat plug and temp sensor . How do you stick the sensor to the vat frame ?
great video man
I was watching this and figured it would have a couple thousand view! Your content has great quality, maybe turn down the music but I didn't even notice that until 3/4 of the way through.
Thankyou hopefully I'll be crawling into the thousands soon. Thanks for the feedback I wasn't 100% how to have the music
, next time I will try it a bit quieter or perhaps not have it all the way through
Just found your channel. Hope to get my 1st printer later this year.
Hello and welcome to the hobby 😁, currently working on a new printing tips video as we speak
Would add getting an angled usb extender cable. (30cm/12") it fits with a down profile to the printer and you plug the USB stick into that. As damage to both is very easy when you catch them or constant plugging in ur out.
Hmmm I like the sound of that might have to get myself one
That’s a good idea. I’m always accidentally hitting the usb during a print and it stops the print and can’t resume.
I know nothing about 3D printing, but I am trying to learn from all these video presentations. Reading through the comments is literally a foreign language regarding terminology and processes. I am fast approaching retirement and am looking for a good hobby/pastime that complements my interest in model making and the comic book universe(s?) LOL
Thank you for your video.
Your are welcome, enjoy your new hobby 😁
I was washing mine with dawn d8sh soap after using alcohol. Then using lint free towels to dry and clean, but have had to replace so many fep films. It's good to know that I don't need to use alcohol on the FEP.
Personally I avoid using alcohol as much as possible especially with the FEP. It's nasty stuff even through a mask and just tends to ruin FEPs
Not sure what the FEP is made out of but Dawn "might" break down some plastics over time.
My beginner first mistakes:
Letting a tiny amount of clear resin seep under the vat unnoticed and harden on next use. Good luck removing that!
Cleaning the printing LCD surface with acetone. This makes the polarizer permanently cloudy (I thought it has glass on top of it. It doesn't.). I buffed it for hours with chrome polishing paste, so it was somewhat clear again, and it printed almost as good as new. I later bought a new screen.
Not using gloves and breathing the air with the smell produced when the resin cures or is printed. At first, nothing happened to me. For more than a month. But the allergizing effect is cumulative. Now I get a month-long skin rash from a tiny drop of the resin left on my skin, using it a lot through very thick rubber (not latex, actual >1mm thick rubber) gloves, or maybe it's just the fumes now. Anyway, I use my resin printer very rarely now because of that, went back to FDM almost entirely. Also, I don't want to end up growing a tail or a third hand because of that stuff.
Getting my desk soiled with 3D resin. Now I'm allergic to my desk, no matter how many times I clean it or blast it with UV light to make the remaining resin harden and become inert. I use a full-desk mousepad now to isolate myself from it to avoid buying a new desk.
Reusing IPA for cleaning many prints. This makes your prints sticky and whitened when cured with a UV lamp. Same for using soap and water to clean prints. IPA is just so expensive when it is single-use.
Trying to remove resin from used IPA with UV, in a plastic bottle, in my bathroom. The resin did come out of the solution, but so did the terrible odour that remained for a few days, and was highly allergenic. Also, the white HDPE plastic bottle seems to decompose from the UV. Definitely do this outdoors in a glass bottle or better yet, a flat metal tray lit up with UV from the top.
Using soap and water to clean prints that are supposed to be clear. They will definitely become white when dried. If they are supposed to be white/frosted anyway, go ahead and save some money.
Using denaturated ethanol (clear, not purple of course) instead of IPA to make cleaning cheaper without checking if it contains MEK, bad smelling additives, or acetone. Find a brand that has less obtrusive additiives before you buy more than a liter of it.
Getting resin on the rubber knob of my 3D printer that holds the build plate to the Z axis. Now the knob is permanently sticky, since the resin reacted with it. It cleans off with the rubber.
Don't add glow-in-the-dark powder to clear resin. The few first layers, which is usually just supports, will glow intensely (almost all the powder ends up there). The rest will almost not glow, but the resin will contain enough of the powder to be infuriatingly crunchy and hard to clean out of the vat.
Interesting what you say about becoming allergic, personally I dress like I'm working in a meth lab when printing because I'm paranoid but never thought too much into what would happen if I didn't wear protective gear.
How long were you exposed to the resin before you became allergic?
@@edwardpeak01 Hard to tell, about a month or two of 1-2 prints per week, more than that in first two weeks.
@@krzysztofczarnecki8238 that's not that much exposure I thought you were gunna say you did it every day. Do you think you'll get back into resin in the future ? I got myself an fdm recently and its so much easier and cleaner but it's got nothing on the detail of resin
@@edwardpeak01 I think I will, but I will avoid being in the same room as th printer when it's printing. Also the first two weeks or so were like a few prints per day, as I had to get the hang of it. Then I just printed what I wanted to print, as cleaning is a lot of fuss. FDM just doesn't have that step, which is why I use it for when I do not need that much detail. And I usually don't, but for stuff like figurines or small mechanisms SLA is much better.
I put a spray nozzle on my IPA and spray the print as needed instead of bathing it... Cleans the print without tainting and wasting tons of IPA
I live in Cali but it can get fairly cold in my garage. Other than lubricating the shaft of my printer, the only real thing I do is add extra wait times in my prints to account for the increased viscosity. At least for now. This seems to work most times. It makes a slower print, yes, but at least I get good prints nearly every time.
No way of heating ? If that's working for you great but I've always found everything works better warmer
IPA has never clouded up my fep. If anything, wiping the fep puts micro scratches in it. That not only degrades the fep and eventually fogs it up itself, but also makes the print more likely to hold on during the retract. Which in turn degrades the fep even further.
Use a non lint cloth too.
Degrade? It's literally plastic. You'd have to be doing something seriously wrong to degrade a FEP sheet.
@@WardenOfTerra It's pretty soft, I used toilet paper to clean it, but it is not as clear as it used to be because of a lot of tiny scratches. I now use a silicone spatula to scoop all the resin out until there is as little left as possible, and then use the toilet paper. With soap and water, because that is cheaper than IPA. Will consider using microfibre, but when I figure out how to get resin out of microfibre. I am not buying a new microfibre cloth every single time I clean out the vat.
@@WardenOfTerra 😂 you clearly don’t have a 3D printer. You can fuck up your fep easily.
@@krzysztofczarnecki8238 You can cut a cloth and use only a piece of it. And you can clean it in a cleaning station with IPA. Works fine for me. I think toilet paper can do a lot of little scratches...
I bought a used resin printer, I printed some wedges for it’s flaw. But the plate arm wiggles even when unreasonably tight. Check for loose things. It should be solid feeling.
some great points, I would like to add that I use IPA to clean my VAT and build plate on my Mono X, I find the cloudyness only happens if the IPA is smeared with a cloth.. if you poor some IPA into the VAP, clean with an old toothbrush and poor out the IPA, then leave it on its long metal edge to dry out in the air the FEP dries clear, I then apply a small amount of 3-in-1 PTFE spray as lubricant before adding the resin for the next print. I hope this helps!
Thanks for the tip about the sound of the FEP and checking that with a smartphone
I might try that method at some point but I would have thought a toothbrush would be too abrasive? To me the less IPA I have to use the better, less toxic that way. You are welcome and thankyou for the comment.
@@edwardpeak01 Yea i thought the same about the toothbrush when i heard about it but the soft bristles are great for getting into the small gap between the FEP and the VAT and aslong as one doesnt press too hard there is no scratching of the FEP.. I use as little IPA as possible too, then leave it in a container in the sun to evaporate, leaving a small amount of cured resin at the bottom, which just gets thrown away
@@dans-designs I think I'd end up jamming the brush through the fep but still worth a go cheers
thanks for the tips, i need to get better at this
You are most welcome
One of the best tips I can give, buy these, 2PCS 3D Printer Platform for Building Plate and Magnetic Sheet, Flexible Steel Plate Flex Bed for 3D Printers. just remember to re-level the build plate after fitting them and scuff up the surface you print on, to help with adhesion.
I am yet to invest into one of these things, perhaps now is the time would be easier than attacking it with a scraper
Excellent video. Quick question. Your heater you use, how do you run the cable out of the UV cover? HAve you cut a small hole in your cover?
Thankyou, yes I basically got a little saw and cut a groove for it
Ha! I have almost the same Printer/Station combo! I've got the Anycubic Photon Mono 4k and the Elegoo Mercury, so not quite the same setup, but pretty close.
How is the Saturn? That was my original choice but the first one arrived broken and then I couldn't get my hands on one for love nor money.
That's why I have an elagoo cleaning/curing station cause that bit turned up okay where the printer did not
@@edwardpeak01, ha! My bad. I meant mercury, as in the cleaning station. You see in the video that he has a Mercury Plus, and I was like, “Ha! That’s basically my setup!”
Ah I see yeah we share an unlikely combo but so far I'm happy with the both of them
I was given an old Proton Mono X but I can't even test it as I don't have the power supply - what is it rated at?
My best guess is 12V at 6A positive tip.
Literally bought a new printer last week, and have cleaned it every print! FEP already looks a bit scuffed and cloudy... 🤦♂ Thanks for the advice mate!
Your most welcome, I dread to think how much money I spent on fep sheets I broke at the start
Thank you for this information . I have a question , where did you buy the VAT heating tape and how do you control its temperature ?
So the belt around the vat is a fermentation belt which you will find at any homebrew/DIY beer making shop, on my one you can't set the temp but I'm sure there are ones where you can
I put a spray nozzle on my IPA and spray prints as needed instead of bathing them. Sometimes I use an old toothbrush to get leftover resin completely off before curing. Uses a fraction of IPA compared to bathing prints
I have done this too a little bit. Although I feel like it isn't as effective as my washing station
Be careful with flammability issues; you don't want to aerosolize IPA if you can help it!
I mainly just put the parts in a sealed container and swish/shake them, but I also do something similar to you; I use a large measuring syringe (250ml I think) and - submersed - squirt the IPA into the nooks and crannies. Mini jet-washing.
@@herculeholmes504 I've taken to doing a similar trick. Outside of the accidental flame thrower issue, it's also putting something into the air you don't want to breath in even with a mask
I use E85 now for cleaning as it is about 3 dollars a gallon instead of 21 to 50 ish like Denatured and IPA. I have it in a well ventilated setting and I use a filter respirator mask also.
It does have odor but it is not as strong as Denatured Alcohol is, and as long as you are not huffing it, it is just as safe.
If it's cheap I'll give E85 a go nice thankyou
@@edwardpeak01 Just treat it like the other 2 in that they are all highly flammable, and put out vapors.
IPA is the most expensive and least smell but the vapors are still there.
The E85 is nice because I can use it to clean with about 15 dollars and have 5 gallons to submerse the model and swish it around in. (Use Nitril Gloves of course) and or even heavier rubber gloves like you are washing dishes.
If you do get it on your skin It has Gasoline in it, but it is not like 100% gasoline so as long as you wash it off like in a 10 minute period you will be fine, but avoid getting it on your skin just the same.
I filter mine and or have clear bottles for the resin to settle. I have also made a special flame heater that I can run the dirty E85 through when it is to the point where it has so much resin in it that it doesn't clean the models well any longer, but that takes a while.
All in all its 5 times less expensive than Denatured, and about 20 times less expensive than IPA.
Also if you are in California, You should be aware of the Cancer warning and Pregnant Women not using it warnings.
Be safe, and give it a try.
@@stltrekmodels.4157 Thankyou for the info I'll have to give it a try
@@edwardpeak01 It works good for me, I mostly give the safety talk also because of others who would be reading this along with you.
@@stltrekmodels.4157 I understand I do the same thing when people ask me things along the lines of " can i resin print in my bedroom"
Leveling - in addition to what you said, you will for sure need to relevel if you swap out the resin tank (appreciate maybe your model doesn't have this, but it's an extra on some models and you can buy a spare. ) :)
I don't follow, how does swapping out the resin tank effect leveling ?
New to resin printing and thank you for the point about leaving the resin. I had wondered about this and I had even said to myself after my first print, "It's not like it's milk..."
😂 I'm glad you found this helpful. I will mention because I've had so many comments saying that you are not supposed to leave resin. Mine is fine it's anycubic eco grey and I leave it for a month or so without changing however many people have said it'll damage the printer if you do this because of the fumes. I haven't experienced this but to be on the safe side if you are going to not be using it for over a couple of weeks maybe empty it
Quick question with the fermentation belt do you just heat up the vat before use or keep it on for the entire print? btw thank you so much for sharing because i live in Ireland and thought i needed to heat up the entire room just for wanting to print stuff.
Just leave the belt on the entire time. In fact what I do is start off each print by lowering the plate so it's touching the resin then heat for about 45 mins to an hour depending on how cold it is. You are very welcome, if the whole room was very very warm that would work create but wouldn't be practical
Hey thanks for the shout out!
Definitely a lot of great tips here!
As for me saying you can use 3 (roughly playing card) pieces of microfiber cloth. I should definitely have been more clear that I was talking about standard size resin printers. So a vat roughly half the size of the one you're using. You'll definitely need more for lager vats like the Mono X.
Keep up the great work!
I appreciate the kind words.
As for the microfiber cloths, that'll explain why I'm using so many cloths 😂 your method was really helpful for me when I first got into printing. So thankyou for that.
@@edwardpeak01 glad to hear that you found the video helpful. Best of luck with your channel!
As far as cleaning, I've simply used a paper towel. I've never had any issues doing this at all. I also recommend a flexible build plate! It's save me so much time and pain scraping my prints off the bed. I have one on my mono x and I can't imagine printing without it anymore. With leveling, I just loosen all my screws up, let it home all the way down, flatten it out, then tighten up and keep it flat, and once done raise it .2mm and you're good.
Paper towel on the FEP??? Hmmm flexible plate might be a good investment which one do you use ?
@@edwardpeak01 I just bought the Wham Bam flexible sheets a few days ago. The ones on Amazon are cheaper but seem kinda dodgy given the reviews
I have liked the smash button my bro!
Thankyou brother
the exact info I needed! Just got my first ever 3d printer Photon Mono M5s
Glad to help have fun ☺️
@@edwardpeak01 Any other advice you want to give me? I literally know nothing lol
@@DragonProtector there's alot you learn as you start printing. But here are a few things off the top of my head.
Keep away from sunlight.
Wear protective gear, 3m mask with carbon filter most importantly. As well as gloves and glasses.
If you have to take the vat out have a clean area to place it down, normally I put tissues down to put it on.
Get yourself a silicon spatula (normal kitchen one) it helps when you are mixing up the resin and when you are gently scraping the resin out of the vat for cleaning.
Use PTFE spray lube on the vat when it's empty and clean to make it easier for the prints to separate from it. Spray a two quick burts on the middle then gently rub around with a microfiber cloth, then use another cloth to get any excess liquid from it. Then leave it to dry before refilling.
Enclosures can be great for keeping the printer safe and help it stay warm when printing, mines from a company called comgrow.
Never touch the underside of the fep sheet unless you have to.
If your printer doesn't come with one get a screen protector for the printing screen.
Avoid letting the printer get to temperatures below 1 degrees because it's possible for it to freeze and the screen to be damaged.
Always have kitchen roll or large tissues handy for cleaning up messes.
Hope this helps
@@edwardpeak01 Thanks! Yea this is a lot of info. Since mine has a shield is this prep needed still?
@@DragonProtector how do you mean ?
You do have to empty your vat to be able to mix the resin properly if you use certain resins, Siraya Tech Fast Navy Grey is the best resin i've used but some components start to separate when it's just sitting there, and it has to be mixed very thoroughly, i'm made a habit of pouring the resin back into the bottle whenever i'm cleaning a print if I used Navy Grey
I think it depends on the resin, I am getting alot of comments similar to this. Personally I use anycubics eco grey and just heat and mix it in the vat with no issues.
Alot of people are saying a film will develope over everything under the UV lid when resin is left in but I havent had this issue yet either. Perhaps I'll add a disclaimer
On the subject of temperature - I live in Qatar and if the temperature goes over 30 degrees where you are printing, the prints become very brittle and will break apart rather tnhan releasing from the build plate. As a result I moved the printer (Mono X) to an airconditioned room and keep the temperature at 24 to 25 degrees. Another point is that IPA is not available here, and I ended up using a 70 ethyl alcohol solution that is available for cleaning the tank and lacquer thinners for the parts. Very smelly, but for those that can't get IPA it works well and is actually cheaper
im from mexico, and im having problems getting IPA here. When you say lacquer thinner, do you mean the one used for thinning paint?
@@noquedaniuno Lacquer thinner is a useful solvent but it's way too harsh. And a more dangerous one to handle in big volumes than IPA. Do you have access to methylated spirits in Mexico ? The other way would be to go the degreaser way and use US industrial detergents like Simple Green or LA Simply Awesome. I've been told they work really well.
Not too many prints in yet, but if I took the build plate off by using the top knob, the prints after didn't want to stick to the build plate until leveled again. If I take the prints off without removing the build plate I haven't had issues with the next print coming off the plate.
I tighten the 4 allen screws as much as I dare, looks to be all aluminum.
It must be becoming unlevel each time you take it off but it's strange for it to happen that easier. I knock mine about a bunch when taking prints off and rarely re level it but I do go pretty mad with the tightening
I feel engaged cheers
Success, cheers
I just bought my first resin printer and watching this video really helped me on things to and not to do. Question In my house I have a window in every room would putting a towel over the printer work or would it affect ventilation or ruin the resin/prints?
I'm glad you found it helpful. On the subject of printing inside your home there's alot of things to take into account. In a more recent video I talk about it. But in short if you are printing inside your house you need to block out all sunlight for the duration of the set up, printing and post processing. More importantly you need to contain the fumes the printer gives off to protect yourself and who ever you live with. The idea situation would to print away from your home or failing that a system that vents the fumes out the window
Only when you said "like that smash button and all that jazz" did I realize I had been hearing jazz for 5 minutes.
And I'm still trying to like that SMASH button ! haha
I've not done my first print yet with my freshly received Anycubic Mono 2, I'm a bit anxious to screw up hahaha...
Thanks for the video !
You are very welcome
Thats right jay!
Yes
Couple of things:
Tried leaving resin in the vat for long periods before, and this ended badly... very badly. I wouldn't leave it for more than about a week. There's a reason the bottles are brown and sealed.
Also, your fep clouding is not due to the IPA on the fep. It is due to the IPA on a small layer of resin still on your fep. You would achieve a better result just cleaning your fep properly then rubbing it over with the same microfibre cloth, instead of chopping it up - a process I use all the time. The microfibre cloth can be washed, But you soaked microfibre cloth pieces are useless once used and just add nastiness to landfill.
i've left my resin in the vat for a whole year and nothings happened to it. still prints fine.
i have black out curtains on my window.
i agree the ipa does nothing to the FEP. plus if your not cleaning it out often there isn't much to worry about anyway.
using microfiber cloth is a waste. paper towel will suffice.
i've had my printer for 4 years and only changed the FEP twice. one of those times was only because i accidentally put a hole in it.
@@darkshadowsx5949 I've heard paper will scratch fep. Cleaning my glassess mostly with paper tissue, or tshirt... it is surprising how much those things can scratch surfaces.
Washing anything that has resin in it is just as bad as washing resin down the drain. Once it's soaked with resin, the only proper way to deal with it is disposal.
what is the "proper" way to clean the fep?
@@darkshadowsx5949 Paper definitely scratches the FEP. I know, I've done it a few times with different papers.
Great video what is that heat thing called u had round the vat and where would I be able to get one
Thankyou and that is a fermentation belt and you can get one from most DIY brew your own beer stores
A cheap option for sun blocking is garden bed blackout you can buy like 10 metres of black polythene from your hardware store.
That's a good shout, I started using a small green house to keep my resin printing in. Contains the fumes a little bit and helps it get to the right temp so much easier
Thanks for this video. We've had a resin printer for a while now but I've been barely using it because I hated the clean up so much. I was told I needed to empty the resin out and clean it because if we left it it would set, but now I know that keeping the UV out is better for lots of reasons.
You are very welcome.
Yeah it does depend on the resin but generally speaking as long as no UV light hits it the resin isn't going to do much. Maybe the pigment will separate a bit if it's coloured but that can be mixed back in most of the time
Thanks mate!
Your welcome
I left my resin in my tank for a year. It became translucent black but after I stirred it up it was like new. Just printed a a Bulbasaur for my Daughter.
Just did a similar thing with my new printer, it had a cover on the vat but same story
Oh that is interesting to have a frequency for your FEP
I noticed your levelling didnt have the FEP involved. Isn't the levelling paper thinner than the FEP and so the level will be lower than the FEP?
I think the standard way is to take the vat off when leveling and use a bit of paper. I have heard some people just level it in the vat but personally I wouldn't use that method.
I don’t even take the build plate off my machine to get my prints. I just pry them off upside down. I find that I don’t have to relevel as much and have had zero fails other than when there has been a lack of supports. Also if I’m going into another print I pry off the previous prints and go right into another without cleaning off the build plate.
Do you have a special magnetic plate of something like that? I can't imagine scraping off my plate without removing it
@@edwardpeak01 Nope just the stock plate. I just use the metal spatula / scraper that comes with the machine. I never have a problem prying it off.
Thought I had a dankpods video playing in the back at 2:55
I've literally had my resin left in the tank for up to 6 months before 😂 come back swirl it around and she's good as new
Same here buddy I've never had an issue either 😂
There may be one error in your advise, it depends on the actual resin that you are using. Formlabs resins definitely have a rated shelf life. According to formlabs most of the engineering resins have a 12 month life span which can be improved to a degree if the resin is stored in the cartridge rather than the build tank. I made the mistake of buying a large stock of various resins that I did not try to use aside from the standard modeling resin before I was informed of this aspect 8 months later. by the time I got around to changing to some of the other resins many had become less efficient and contributed to many failed prints. Particularly the flexible resins. a particularly expensive mistake.
You may be right, I did ad a note in the description a while ago that different resins will yield different results but overall I've not had an issue
I would suggest some kind of plastic tray to keep under your printer, and workarea, to contain the resin if your fep ever decides to break. Ikea has some very cheap ones that are perfect for it
Good tip
@@edwardpeak01 Oh and nice video by the way. Taking in all the tips I can find as I just started printing (after months of putting it off due to all the safety concerns)
@@roosma82 thankyou, you might like my more recent one about where to put a 3d printer there's a lot of safety concerns brought up in that
thank you for the video! Im a 3d game artist looking to make some of my anime sculpts into figures, would you have a good recommendation on what printer to get? my budget is 3k. Im doing research and it looks like a resin printer would be a start but I'm honestly a total beginner, haha. I appreciate any advice you can give! Thanks for the video!
You are welcome and thats a really cool job. Do you use Zbrush? and yes you will be wanting a resin printer for anything with high detail.
That is a pretty big budget. Ive actually just been sent a new printer that I'm very excited to try. It has its own built in heating and air filtering system. Along with a bunch of other features that make resin printing a lot easier.
I haven't had a chance to try it out myself yet but if you are interested here is a link .
Yes Thats 3D Printed: yesthats3dprinted.com/?ref=sdBAsKMc
I am just about to get a resin printer, and this was a good video to watch. I could not quite understand Number 6 could you elaborate if that would be ok?
so when putting on a new fep sheet on your vat you have to tighten it, with my one if i just tighten all the screws all the way it is at the correct tightness. however if this doesnt work a way of checking is to get a spectrometer app on your phone which will measure the tone and tell you the frequency of the fep sheet when you hit it like a drum (but lightly)
Im in the uk, do you have a link to the heating belt you use?
I need something like that to print next winter
I don't have a link as I actually bought it from a shop but you likely have a brew your own beer store near you. If you go in and ask for a fermentation belt they should have one
Love that dankpods music
Second time I've had a comment about dankpods and I still don't know what it is 😂
add some uv blocking film to your windows breh. Otherwise i've been stung by not cleaning the vat cause almost every print fails. Learned the no ipa on fep early on. To learning
Luckily i have since upgraded to a shed with no windows, waaaayyyyy easier
Hey
Came across your video man , I have an Anycubic Photon Mono X and the only issue I have is the resin is sticking to the FEP and its not Sticking to my build plate.
I have leveled the plate, I have changed the angle of the file , I have added supports, I added more supports. Im at a loss man.
I have made solid prints but mostly smaller prints and im trying print a File for my father for Christmas and unfortunately I will be unable too
I was wondering if you have any tips and tricks to help me out?
Cheers!
Of course.
So there are alot of factors that might be causing the issue. Providing that everything else like plate level, supports and temperature are all correct. Then using PTFE lube on the FEP will make it alot easier for the prints to come off.
The issue with this is there isn't really anyway for me to know that all the other steps have been done correctly. I used to level the plate wrong for example.
So for now just double check that the plate is level by homing it onto the paper as normal and pulling at each corner with a low amount of force, if it moves at all level it again. Then make sure the FEP is tight enough using the method I show in the video and add a tiny bit of PTFE lube rub around with a microfiber cloth, make sure it's dry before adding in resin. Now check the print settings on your slicer are the same as what your resin recommends, the bottom layer exposure time could be too low if it isn't sticking. Lastly try keeping the resin warm and letting the plate sit in the resin whilst it's warming up. Give the resin a good stir or do the lazy option which I do and raise and lower the plate into it a bunch (about 20 times) .
Hope this helps but if you still find you are struggling message me on Reddit and I can have a closer look at what's going on.
sunlight. most underrated factor in creating resin issues. ☀
Very true, that's why my resin printer is in a box inside a shed with no windows with a cover over the box
I would love to see like a longer break down of getting into 3d printing, you seem to make good points XD easy to understand and solid video framework.
thankyou, that is a good idea i will certainly put that on the list. i do have a video about getting into 3d designing but not yet one that is about getting into 3d printing specifically
Do you have a link to that fermentation belt? I’m looking for something similar, but the ones I’m finding are far wider then what you have in the video
Bare in mind the one I use is tied back on itself with a zip tie. I think you might struggle to find smaller ones, you might find it easier to get a big one and do what I do. I did struggle looking online mine actually came from a shop
You can clean the metal like new with acetone and or a heat gun and scrape the melting plastic and or heat it and wipe it with acetone.
I've done it with boiling water before but your method sounds alot less messy
@@edwardpeak01 Test a small area with the acetone. You may be surprised.
I have found certain window cleaners clean up the vat very nicely
Something in the window cleaner neutralizes the resin
I have heard this before but am yet to try it. What brand do you use ?
@@edwardpeak01 sprayway here in the usa
Cheers
Most window cleaners have denatured alcohol in them. It’s just more diluted so it can soak into the window grime easier.
I use the FEP to level my plate. Never had an issue.
If that works for you buddy