Hahahahaha. Thank you! But seriously thank you for the videos. This was my go to channel when I was trying to get into printing and I now have an Ender 3 and a creality LD and I’m getting great results.
Pro tip: When pouring from a large canister (like your denatured alcohol), try pouring with the can horizontally with the spout on top half. It sounds weird, but it allows air to enter at a lower tip angle and ultimately prevents 'glugs' (and hence spills).
This is how oil is actually designed to be poured. The spout is supposed to be on the high side. Everyone does it wrong (even knowing this I still do it the other way).
After seeing your initial video about alternate cleaning methods, I tried the Mean Green. I use the Mean Green in my Ultra Sonic Cleaner to get my resin prints cleaned out, but in a slightly different way. After the print, I swish the build plate and model in bucket of water mixed with Mean Green to get the initial resin off the models. Then I pop it into the Ultra Sonic Cleaner in which I have a large Zip Lock bag full of Mean Green to hold the model in for the cleaning.. the tank is full of water. The bag catches the resin during cleaning. When the solution in the Zip Lock Bag gets too saturated, I zip it up, lay it out in the sun and the resin that is in the solution will harden. I then strain the solution through a filter which now renders my Mean Green solution clean and ready for re-use in the bag, keeping my Ultra Sonic Cleaner clean. After the part comes out of the Ultra Sonic Cleaner, I go back to the bucket of water and Mean Green, I use a soft tooth brush to clean off the resin from the nooks and crannies and finally a clean fresh water clean and rinse. After a while, I put the bucket out in the sun to cure any resin that's in the solution and again, strain it through a filter to remove the hardened resin, and keep my bucket solution clean. My models come out crisp and clean, all the details are showing and no white spots etc. Using this method, I don't waste a lot of Mean Green, clean out the resin and render it harmless. I am unable to locate any IPA so this method works well for me.
Also great for soaking rags in to make flaming arrows, if you're that kind of teenager. I hear simple green concentrate which is readily available at Bunnings is a good non-toxic option.
Please don't use denatured alcohol in a spray bottle. Denatured alcohol is ethanol or grain alcohol that contains additional chemicals called denaturants that make it unfit for human consumption. It is basically the same as everclear with additives to make it poisonous. The reason denatured alcohol is cheaper is because the everclear has an alcohol tax. Since denatured alcohol is not for human consumption, it does not have that extra tax. Denatured alcohol's main use is for fuel in camp stoves. One common toxic denaturant is methanol or methyl alcohol. Methanol is absorbed through skin and produces symptoms resembling intoxication if ingested. However, it also causes nervous system damage and other serious health effects.
@@happninmojo Both of you are right any alcohol with no alcohol tax is poisoned to make in not able to drink. Putting it in the air may not give that effect (I don't want to try to see) but aerating flammable liquid is a good way to get flashed. Think about your car engine fuel jets. Aerating makes stuff ignite easier. like flour, yes what you cook with. So Like the one said before me, don't put it in a spray bottle!
The amount of methanol in such a situation is kinda negligible. The bigger issue using a spray bottle with denatured ethanol is both flammability and airway irritation. The odds of inhaling a toxic amount of methanol fumes from such a set-up are negligible at best. Remember that denatured ethanol can be used a topical disinfectant, so while it may not be safe to drink (though, do note that methanol actually isn't as common as it once was, often the denaturing chemical is a bitterent (chemical that tastes extremely bitter) like denatonium, not methanol. Obviously something labeled as "methylated" is a different story, but often the bottles you can get at the pharmacy simply contain an extremely bitter chemical that's technically relatively safe to consume like denatonium), it is often safe to handle for a bit, or even apply as a disinfectant. Just use in a well ventilated area, like any volatile solvent. The actual risk of methanol toxicity is extremely low, even if misted from a spray bottle. Though, best practice would be to wear a gas mask just in case, because even if the methanol doesn't get you, it's not like breathing in ethanol fumes is particularly healthy lol
IPA is just as flamable as Metho, so if you're printing near flames, don't put your alchohol in a spray bottle, especailly if you've drank half a bottle of everyclear while printing you're minatures.
I've used the mean green method since you first recommended it. I've struggled with how long the solution/processing was taking, so I added some steps that cut down my processing time. I ready hot water in a small tub or tupperware and dunk my prints into it as soon as they are off the build plate. This "melts" off the supports with no damage to the prints and seems to lift off excess resin in the process. Then the prints get a quick (3-4min) mean green bath followed by a final quick scrub with a soft charcoal toothbrush in warm water (I add dish soap as a surfactant to a Fresh batch of water). My prints no longer have artifacts, pooling, surface powdering or any other undesirable results. Most importantly, it now takes half the time to get excess resin off. random print hack: dunking your build plate in hot water for a few seconds will also help lift off prints that are sticking to it a little too well. Last thought - Upgrading to an all-in-one wash+cure station is a reasonable investment for those that are rightfully thinking that this is all a pain in the ass. :)
I tried simple green, and it left my prints sticky. Never tried Mean Green, but I did grab a bottle of off-brand Everclear, and now that's what I use. Works great.
Do you think you could do a roundup including both this and the previous set, but with transparent resin? It'd be nice to see how these might affect the clarity of prints before and after curing.
with the large cans, pour with the spout at the top of the can, not at the bottom. It seems counter-intuitive, but look at the quart oil bottles one uses for motor vehicle lubrication. There's an icon showing just that.
I work with acetone a lot and we use it in an ultra sonic bath all the time. We fill our stainless steel ultra sonic tub with DI water. Then we fill a glass beaker with acetone and put our product in the acetone. We lower the beaker into the ultra sonic bath and it clears the hardened photoresist very quickly. This is also done under a fume hood.
So, I've been using Mean Green in the ultrasonic cleaner and then after rinsing with water I do 2 or 3 quick dips in acetone and my prints have never been cleaner. I'll have to try the Denatured Alcohol as well. As always a great informative video.The trick with acetone is that it can and will melt very fine details so you have to be careful not to do to much.
Since IPA became so hard to find I started using Simple Green. It works really well but I do notice that my prints still smell like it even after it's all washed off and dried. Which sucks because right now all of my prints are being sent to a client or customers. It's not a really bad smell but it's still there.
I'm about to go buy a quart of acetone. Going to use it outside and wear goggles and nitrile gloves. Is that proper ppe and if not what is. Also what are the risks, it seems like its a safer alternative to Denatured Alcohol
@@printermodeler8889 Please don't use nitrile gloves with acetone. Use butyl gloves, which are made for such circumstances. Acetone will eat through the nitrile. You also need to use protective goggles and a respirator with a filter for organic vapor.
@@TheBuefurd Yea found that out the hard way. I have some 8mil chemical resistant nitrile gloves and they hold up better, but still not for too long. I use them quickly and discard them
True acetone might be too strong. I mean if you pour this in a thin plastic container like a empty water bottle it won't take long before it melt the bottom part of the bottle. So using it on a print might be too much.
Here's my setup thats been working absolutely great. 5min in 1/3 Mean green 2/3 water in the ultra sonic cleaner to get most of the resin off. Then a few minuets in a small container filled with denatured alcohol with locking lid (lid open while working but keeps the alcohol from evaporating when not in use) the with a magnetic stirrer to get rid of the rest of of. So far this has worked absolutely great and I have had to do very very little scrubbing with a small brush to get that last little bit off. Its usually in those odd areas when the flowing alcohol cant get to. The reason I do both is that the Mean green/water is cheaper and gets much dirtier than the alcohol. I am still on my first container of the alcohol and Ive done dozens of prints.
whoa....! wait a sec! I've been washing my resin prints with ipa in an ultrasonic cleaner since that video where you tested Mean Green/Mr.Cleaner/IPA ... fortunate enough nothing bad has happened
I've just started TPM - I don't want to use anything highly flammable like IPA, acetone or denatured alcohol because of where the printer is located but TPM beats all of those for cleaning effectiveness.
Good tests, thanks. I do a 2-step: Mean Green in heated ultrasonic, followed up with a good dunk in IPA. Makes the alcohol last a whole lot longer since most of the residue comes off in the Mean Green. I'm going to have to try the denatured alcohol.
thx for this. What do you do with the liquid afterwards? Also if I switch to water washable and then clean with water what should I do with that dirty water?
So fun fact. Denatured alcohol and Everclear would have been the recommended cleaners for a lot of brands of Resin. The recommended solvent was ethanol and then IPA.
This brand of denatured alcohol contains up to 60% methanol based on their MSDS/SDS product information. Methanol and acetone are both very toxic and flammable. It is a fire hazard equivalent to gasoline. The active ingredient in Super Green (CAS # 127087-87-0) is a very strong surfactant that is non-toxic. It does have a very high pH of 11. If you get it in your eyes it will dissolve them so you should wear full coverage safety glasses. The good thing it's non flammable. I have a BS in chemistry and a masters in chemical engineering so take my advice for what it's worth.
@@highwaymen1237 i should probrably have been more specific, obviously ethanol is flamible but does the higher flash point indicate that it will make less flamible vapors compared to ipa or methanol?
I will be switching to mean green because of the price and availability of alcohol. I use a large mouth plastic trail mix container fill with a achohol, drop in parts, put the lid on tight, put it into the empty ultrasonic cleaner, fill up the tub around the plastic container with water until just before the plastic container floats, then run the cleaner. I even once used this method to clean a lawn mower carb with gasoline outside away from the house with great results and my ultrasonic cleaner stays clean.
someone online mentioned you can use flammable cleaning products in an ultrasonic cleaner *IF* you fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water *THEN* seal your print inside a plastic bag filled with IPA and carefully lower the plastic bag into the water
The white on the acetone prints is from over exposure to the acetone. I only rinse models for about 5-10 seconds in acetone. Over exposure can cause the layers of the print to actually seperate if your exposure time is even half a second low during the print. Some resins also just do NOT do well with acetone, like Sidekick. For the most part I use acetone for thick resins as it cuts thru it super quick and prints that have super super fine details, while I use denatured alcohol (about 15 second rinse) for everything else. I stopped using an ultrasonic cleaner months ago as it just was a time waste vs the seconds it takes with acetone/denatured alcohol.
Awesome Confirmation Bias Confirmed, jokes aside I assumed what you described. Since Denatured alcohol is typically 60% ethanol alcohol (everclear) and 40% methanol I suspect acetone diluted with 40-50% water will give me 15 second rinse time with the added bonus of being even cheaper per 1 gallon of diluted solution.
Just FYI, nitrile is, well, not super great when working with acetone. The acetone can both penetrate the nitrile and damage it. Found that out the hard way in a college lab lol, when I suddenly could feel liquid on my skin and my gloves turned colors from blue to an orangish brown. Apparently we weren't supposed to be using the acetone to dry our glassware in the class I was in lol, and that's probably a pretty good reason as to why. That being said, acetone is pretty harsh on skin, but if you wash it off quickly it's not a super big deal. It's the primary ingredient in nail polish remover, after all! Believe it or not standard latex gloves stand up better against acetone than nitrile, though the absolute best are generally considered to be butyl rubber gloves
Jessy, great video with a lot of helpful tips, thanks! Just bought an Elegoo Mars Pro after months of watching your videos and I couldn't be more excited to join the resin printing community! But it is De-Natured! As in dee-nei-chrd! Not dentured :)
Big heads up: Denatured Alcohol is not 1 thing. It's an extremely broad category. This means the exact brand/formula can make a huge difference. Simply, it is Ethanol that has been made poisonous with additives. So, nominally it would have performed equally to the Everclear, which is 95%+ Ethanol. However: The exact brand you got says they actually use only about 40% Ethanol and around 50% Methanol. This begs the question: How does pure methanol perform? It's definitely more expensive, easily $20-$30 per gallon though.
Pure methanol (99.5%) is actually *much* cheaper to get here in Canada, whereas "denatured alcohol" is almost impossible to find. Any hardware store sells methanol by the gallon under the name of "methyl hydrate" for the equivalent of about $13 USD.
pro tip when pouring have the spout on the top. It seems like the wrong way to do it but as the air gets in the can it does spray if the spout is at the bottom
On small pieces I use a 10 percent solution of simple green in my ultrasonic cleaner for about 6 minutes at 40C. Then I rince with water and agitate in IPA for 2 minutes. A final rince in water and then compressed air to dry. Very clean, matte finish, not sticky.
Hmm.. This is good to know, im tight with money so might go with Mean Green till i can afford the Dental Alcohol. Just wondering if you try Goo-Gone or Off-Goo. I seen them at my hardware store and just wonder.
I bet he's saying all these names wrongs to mess with people on purpose. At the end of the day, very valuable information and much appreciated. By the way, acetone will soften and/or dissolve plastic, so probably not the best idea to use those in the plastic pickle containers.
@UncleJessy I have a quick question that isn't necessarily related to the video, but you mentioned 'a 22hr print' for the faceplate and I was wondering if you had any solutions on resin level indicators in the vat. I have looked but can't seem to find anything that warns you the vat is low.
Not sure if anyone has mentioned, but careful around acetone. It can dissolve certain rubber materials. I was cleaning some spray foam insulation with acetone, and it got on my Fitbit band and it quickly dissolved/broke the band in half.
You are one brave Uncle brushing like that so close to your eyes on the iron man mask with no protection! great video though and this sold me on the turps/white spirit/DEEEEE natured 😁 alcohol solution for washing, ISO is 5 times the price of turps in the UK.
Hi Jessy. Please tell me you didn't pour the dirty Everclear back in the bottle! 😂 My first 3d printer and some resin etc. are on order; while I'm waiting for them to get here I'm reading and watching videos all I can about it. A few cleaners I intend to try: (what do you think?) Thanks. 1) 35% IPA in an ultrasonic cleaner; mix cheap 70% drugstore IPA half-n-half with distilled water. 2) Acetone and water in different dilutions; either dunking it like you did, or if you dilute it far enough it would be safe in an ultrasonic that has a stainless steel tank. 3) E85 gasoline (manual washing only, obviously) It is mostly denatured alcohol.
metholated spirit is 95% alcohol, added 5 to 1 with simple green ( to keep the resin in suspension) in the wash and cure plus and its relatively cheap from bunnings at $30 AUD for 8 litres of solution. when the wash gets too dirty i add 240g flocking (aluminium sulphate used for pool cleaning) with 1.5 litres distilled water per 4 litres to treat, run the wash for 20 minutes then hand stir occasionally for 30 minutes and let settle, pour off extremely clean liquid in less than an hour for reuse. works really well with ipa that i cant get hold of lol. would love to see how well this mix would go in an ultrasonic cleaner but im pretty happy with the current results.
I use metho (denatured alcohol) in a plastic tub with a secure lid and vibrate the tub with a jigsaw. Does a really good job cleaning every little crevice.
I was actually using Simple Green in my washer but it felt tacky. I would do the same, spray some IPA and even wash it with some dish soap and water. Is that okay?
Been using denatured alcohol for years to clean electronic circuit boards. The main advantage over IPA is there is no residue with Denatured. Thanks for the great video.
@@renny9879 The fact is that there was ALWAYS white residue left after using IPA to clean our electronics boards. Using denatured did not leave that white residue. That is the same reason for its use on tape heads back in the day. I will conside that the higher percent alcohol may also work, but I am speaking from my first hand experience here.
@@IainNitro that’s very interesting and quite the mystery. A test I commonly do with solvents is to pour some out on a black tray and let it evaporate. Then inspect the tray for residue. I would love to know what is going on that gives you a different result. They are essentially the same thing but one is ethyl alcohol with additives. Usually it’s methanol at around 10%, common additives include isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone. In the US, denatured is often only 50% ethyl alcohol. But hey, if it works for you, who am I to say otherwise! Happy printing.
I know you said that denatured alcohol should NEVER be used in an ultrasonic cleaner or in a spray bottle, but would it be ok when used in an Anycubic wash & cure machine? (assuming you take all the necessary precautions)
Should be ok although probably overkill. Also I’m not sure I would want to store it in there long term so transferring it back and forth seems like it would be a pain. If you don’t own a Wash and Cure then I don’t see what benefit it would have since you only need to put the print in there for 30-40 seconds from what I hear. Better off using a pickle jar if you don’t own one.
Sorry I meant to add some text to the video. It’s due to the Transform having a perforated bed. Each of the prints have little circles on the bottom vs perfectly flat
The reason the denatured alcohol splashed everywhere? You are supposed to orient the spout to be the high point. That’s why the spout is in a corner. If you look at how you held the can to pour, just do the opposite of that. 😌
Good day, Sir-- Question. I'm looking for ways/means of washing my 3d prints. I wanted to ask if it is okay to mix 'Formula 409 Degreaser' with de-natured alcohol to create a post print wash solution for my 3d models? I've looked for information via the 'Google' but am unable to find whether this is hazardous/dangerous or not. Wanted to check with you to see if you have any de-natured alcohol combinations that have worked for you to wash your prints given your extensive background with 3d printing? Thank you in advance and kind regards.
Thanks for trying all these alternatives. I have some 99% IPA but I still don't use my resin printer unless I have to. You'll be like Edison, trying 100 things to find the one replacement for us.
Just bought a resin printer after 5 years of experience with FDM, I was wondering about the effectiveness of acetone. Turns out my suspicion was spot on, quick to dissolve liquids and will breakdown solids with some time. Fun fact De-Natured Alcohol is basically 60% Everclear with 40% acetone or 40% methanol and possibly 1-5% of other contaminants depending on your region. If you look up the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the particular product you have you could guesstimate what you have since the exact percentage are obfuscated. FYI Klean Strip denatured Alcohol is about 60% Everclear 200 proof and 40% methanol.
That's really useful info, thanks! I actually have a gallon jug of denatured alcohol chillin in my cupboard, I use it to prevent soda ash on my handmade soaps, I've been wondering if I could use it for an IPA substitute! And the acetone is amazing to know as well you can get a 500ml bottle in poundland here, so that's definitely a more affordable option lol.
Thinking of running prints through Mean Green in sonic cleaner followed by Acetone or Denatured Alcohol in pickle jar for a quick wash before rinsing and curing.
For me im using petrol or diesel to completely clean my printed resin.just stir a couple times in the petrol/diesel, then i wash it with dish liquid/detergent. After that i wash it with water. It works great.less time consuming and fast result.
Dentured or Denatured? Also last time you had people inform you about Isopropyl (as written on the bottle) isn't called isopropanol alcohol. It's Propanol 2, or Isopropyl Alcohol.
Running the mean green in the ultrasonic does it make it where the ultrasonic cleaner should only be used for resin? Like do not use it to clean your jewelry?
Love the vid, but I think you needed to emphasize more on just how DANGEROUS it is to work with substances like acitone. They are a huge health risk for anyone not ready to use it.
Take a shot of Everclear every time I screw up the pronunciation of Isopropyl or Denatured Alcohol 😂🤘
Stay safe out there everyone!
Pretty sure drinking that much would be fatal! :D
@@ozcanison LOL
LOLOLOL
"I'm really proud of this video. I think it's all ready to go. FFS, you mean I mispronounced something throughout the entire video? 😖"
Hahahahaha. Thank you! But seriously thank you for the videos. This was my go to channel when I was trying to get into printing and I now have an Ender 3 and a creality LD and I’m getting great results.
Its "de-natured ", not "dentured".
😂😬🤘
Oh gawd, thank you, thank you, thank you! (Also "ni-trial") 😁
Yeah I was just about to comment the same thing lol
"Dentured" is the Uncle Jessy brand.
It's also "Iso-pro-pyl" no N.
Love the video. I do have to note, it's de-natured alcohol. Dentured Alcohol makes me think it's for old people. LOL
🦷 🤘🙃
Haha was gonna say the same thing!
Hey, not all dentures are in old people.
LOL ya too fun dentured LOL 😂 insert lol it’s a strainer basket you sure have an odd way of saying things!
@@RC-Flight he also says isopropyl like it has a "nul" at the end. we all know what he means but I can't help wincing every time I hear it 😂
Pro tip: When pouring from a large canister (like your denatured alcohol), try pouring with the can horizontally with the spout on top half. It sounds weird, but it allows air to enter at a lower tip angle and ultimately prevents 'glugs' (and hence spills).
This is how oil is actually designed to be poured. The spout is supposed to be on the high side. Everyone does it wrong (even knowing this I still do it the other way).
Came to the comments to say this very thing! Much cleaner!
After seeing your initial video about alternate cleaning methods, I tried the Mean Green. I use the Mean Green in my Ultra Sonic Cleaner to get my resin prints cleaned out, but in a slightly different way. After the print, I swish the build plate and model in bucket of water mixed with Mean Green to get the initial resin off the models. Then I pop it into the Ultra Sonic Cleaner in which I have a large Zip Lock bag full of Mean Green to hold the model in for the cleaning.. the tank is full of water. The bag catches the resin during cleaning. When the solution in the Zip Lock Bag gets too saturated, I zip it up, lay it out in the sun and the resin that is in the solution will harden. I then strain the solution through a filter which now renders my Mean Green solution clean and ready for re-use in the bag, keeping my Ultra Sonic Cleaner clean. After the part comes out of the Ultra Sonic Cleaner, I go back to the bucket of water and Mean Green, I use a soft tooth brush to clean off the resin from the nooks and crannies and finally a clean fresh water clean and rinse. After a while, I put the bucket out in the sun to cure any resin that's in the solution and again, strain it through a filter to remove the hardened resin, and keep my bucket solution clean. My models come out crisp and clean, all the details are showing and no white spots etc. Using this method, I don't waste a lot of Mean Green, clean out the resin and render it harmless. I am unable to locate any IPA so this method works well for me.
Denatured alcohol is also known as methylated spirits or "metho" here in Aus, it's my go to as well :D I'd just drink the everclear... 😂
Can confirm, metho works great.
Angus, I'm gonna have to try that since IPA is so difficult to find.
Denatured is my go to period. Got rid of everything else. And not nearly as dangerous as acetone, regular nitrile gloves are fine.
Also great for soaking rags in to make flaming arrows, if you're that kind of teenager.
I hear simple green concentrate which is readily available at Bunnings is a good non-toxic option.
@@DIOtds Great for prints, but a big nono for the nitril gloves mate: www.dartmouth.edu/ehs/chemical/nitrile_gloves_chemical_resistance_guide.pdf
Please don't use denatured alcohol in a spray bottle. Denatured alcohol is ethanol or grain alcohol that contains additional chemicals called denaturants that make it unfit for human consumption. It is basically the same as everclear with additives to make it poisonous. The reason denatured alcohol is cheaper is because the everclear has an alcohol tax. Since denatured alcohol is not for human consumption, it does not have that extra tax. Denatured alcohol's main use is for fuel in camp stoves. One common toxic denaturant is methanol or methyl alcohol. Methanol is absorbed through skin and produces symptoms resembling intoxication if ingested. However, it also causes nervous system damage and other serious health effects.
Tldr; don't use denatured alcohol/methylated spirits in a spray bottle as it has a toxic chemical in it and spray bottles go everywhere
@@happninmojo Both of you are right any alcohol with no alcohol tax is poisoned to make in not able to drink. Putting it in the air may not give that effect (I don't want to try to see) but aerating flammable liquid is a good way to get flashed. Think about your car engine fuel jets. Aerating makes stuff ignite easier. like flour, yes what you cook with. So Like the one said before me, don't put it in a spray bottle!
The amount of methanol in such a situation is kinda negligible. The bigger issue using a spray bottle with denatured ethanol is both flammability and airway irritation. The odds of inhaling a toxic amount of methanol fumes from such a set-up are negligible at best. Remember that denatured ethanol can be used a topical disinfectant, so while it may not be safe to drink (though, do note that methanol actually isn't as common as it once was, often the denaturing chemical is a bitterent (chemical that tastes extremely bitter) like denatonium, not methanol. Obviously something labeled as "methylated" is a different story, but often the bottles you can get at the pharmacy simply contain an extremely bitter chemical that's technically relatively safe to consume like denatonium), it is often safe to handle for a bit, or even apply as a disinfectant. Just use in a well ventilated area, like any volatile solvent. The actual risk of methanol toxicity is extremely low, even if misted from a spray bottle. Though, best practice would be to wear a gas mask just in case, because even if the methanol doesn't get you, it's not like breathing in ethanol fumes is particularly healthy lol
IPA is just as flamable as Metho, so if you're printing near flames, don't put your alchohol in a spray bottle, especailly if you've drank half a bottle of everyclear while printing you're minatures.
I've used the mean green method since you first recommended it. I've struggled with how long the solution/processing was taking, so I added some steps that cut down my processing time. I ready hot water in a small tub or tupperware and dunk my prints into it as soon as they are off the build plate. This "melts" off the supports with no damage to the prints and seems to lift off excess resin in the process. Then the prints get a quick (3-4min) mean green bath followed by a final quick scrub with a soft charcoal toothbrush in warm water (I add dish soap as a surfactant to a Fresh batch of water). My prints no longer have artifacts, pooling, surface powdering or any other undesirable results. Most importantly, it now takes half the time to get excess resin off.
random print hack: dunking your build plate in hot water for a few seconds will also help lift off prints that are sticking to it a little too well.
Last thought - Upgrading to an all-in-one wash+cure station is a reasonable investment for those that are rightfully thinking that this is all a pain in the ass. :)
Thanks for the tips! What temp of hot water do you recommend?
I tried simple green, and it left my prints sticky. Never tried Mean Green, but I did grab a bottle of off-brand Everclear, and now that's what I use. Works great.
Everclear: One shot for me. One shot for the resin.
Do you think you could do a roundup including both this and the previous set, but with transparent resin? It'd be nice to see how these might affect the clarity of prints before and after curing.
with the large cans, pour with the spout at the top of the can, not at the bottom. It seems counter-intuitive, but look at the quart oil bottles one uses for motor vehicle lubrication. There's an icon showing just that.
I learned this trick when pouring epoxy resin components :) Very handy
Can you do a cleaning test video with translucent resins and review how cloudy/foggy the wash makes the prints?
+1
I would take a guess and say that the Acetone would make them more cloudy. I've seen what happens to Catalyst mixed resins and it is no bueno.
I work with acetone a lot and we use it in an ultra sonic bath all the time. We fill our stainless steel ultra sonic tub with DI water. Then we fill a glass beaker with acetone and put our product in the acetone. We lower the beaker into the ultra sonic bath and it clears the hardened photoresist very quickly. This is also done under a fume hood.
Awesome video, your timing is perfect because IPA is so difficulyt to come by at the moment. Thank you for the video , keep them coming.
So, I've been using Mean Green in the ultrasonic cleaner and then after rinsing with water I do 2 or 3 quick dips in acetone and my prints have never been cleaner. I'll have to try the Denatured Alcohol as well. As always a great informative video.The trick with acetone is that it can and will melt very fine details so you have to be careful not to do to much.
Thanks for this review. Just a note, for those in CA, apparently denatured alcohol is no longer sold in stores.
Since IPA became so hard to find I started using Simple Green. It works really well but I do notice that my prints still smell like it even after it's all washed off and dried. Which sucks because right now all of my prints are being sent to a client or customers. It's not a really bad smell but it's still there.
just started resin printing and I've been using a 50/50 mix of ipa and acetone. it works great
I’m a chemist and don’t recommend Acetone without the proper PPE and definitely not indoors! I’ve had good luck with Purple Power from Walmart.
I'm about to go buy a quart of acetone. Going to use it outside and wear goggles and nitrile gloves. Is that proper ppe and if not what is. Also what are the risks, it seems like its a safer alternative to Denatured Alcohol
@@printermodeler8889 Please don't use nitrile gloves with acetone. Use butyl gloves, which are made for such circumstances. Acetone will eat through the nitrile. You also need to use protective goggles and a respirator with a filter for organic vapor.
@@TheBuefurd Yea found that out the hard way. I have some 8mil chemical resistant nitrile gloves and they hold up better, but still not for too long. I use them quickly and discard them
True acetone might be too strong. I mean if you pour this in a thin plastic container like a empty water bottle it won't take long before it melt the bottom part of the bottle. So using it on a print might be too much.
Here's my setup thats been working absolutely great. 5min in 1/3 Mean green 2/3 water in the ultra sonic cleaner to get most of the resin off. Then a few minuets in a small container filled with denatured alcohol with locking lid (lid open while working but keeps the alcohol from evaporating when not in use) the with a magnetic stirrer to get rid of the rest of of. So far this has worked absolutely great and I have had to do very very little scrubbing with a small brush to get that last little bit off. Its usually in those odd areas when the flowing alcohol cant get to. The reason I do both is that the Mean green/water is cheaper and gets much dirtier than the alcohol. I am still on my first container of the alcohol and Ive done dozens of prints.
whoa....! wait a sec! I've been washing my resin prints with ipa in an ultrasonic cleaner since that video where you tested Mean Green/Mr.Cleaner/IPA ... fortunate enough nothing bad has happened
hello unle jessy, is it safe to use kitchen gloves for resin
question. If I'm going to be painting the miniatures, should I care about the little white spots?
I've just started TPM - I don't want to use anything highly flammable like IPA, acetone or denatured alcohol because of where the printer is located but TPM beats all of those for cleaning effectiveness.
where do you get it from?
Hey by any chance can you use dawn dish soap?
i feel like there may have been 2 bottles of everclear before he started and the missing one explains the chemical name pronunciation.
Hey, thanks for putting in the time and effort into testing these! I enjoy your style and I’m glad I’ve found your content.
Good tests, thanks. I do a 2-step: Mean Green in heated ultrasonic, followed up with a good dunk in IPA. Makes the alcohol last a whole lot longer since most of the residue comes off in the Mean Green. I'm going to have to try the denatured alcohol.
thx for this. What do you do with the liquid afterwards? Also if I switch to water washable and then clean with water what should I do with that dirty water?
So fun fact. Denatured alcohol and Everclear would have been the recommended cleaners for a lot of brands of Resin. The recommended solvent was ethanol and then IPA.
I know you're a fan of the Wham Bam build plate, but what was that plate your pieces were on at 1:30??
This brand of denatured alcohol contains up to 60% methanol based on their MSDS/SDS product information. Methanol and acetone are both very toxic and flammable. It is a fire hazard equivalent to gasoline.
The active ingredient in Super Green (CAS # 127087-87-0) is a very strong surfactant that is non-toxic. It does have a very high pH of 11. If you get it in your eyes it will dissolve them so you should wear full coverage safety glasses. The good thing it's non flammable.
I have a BS in chemistry and a masters in chemical engineering so take my advice for what it's worth.
Disuelve nuestros ojos? O.O ??
So would ethanol not pose the same fire hazard?
@@noobulon4334 Yes, ethanol is a fire hazard. If it's pure ethanol the flashpoint is 57° F. If it's a 50% mixture with water the flashpoint is 75° F.
@@highwaymen1237 i should probrably have been more specific, obviously ethanol is flamible but does the higher flash point indicate that it will make less flamible vapors compared to ipa or methanol?
I will be switching to mean green because of the price and availability of alcohol. I use a large mouth plastic trail mix container fill with a achohol, drop in parts, put the lid on tight, put it into the empty ultrasonic cleaner, fill up the tub around the plastic container with water until just before the plastic container floats, then run the cleaner. I even once used this method to clean a lawn mower carb with gasoline outside away from the house with great results and my ultrasonic cleaner stays clean.
someone online mentioned you can use flammable cleaning products in an ultrasonic cleaner *IF* you fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water *THEN* seal your print inside a plastic bag filled with IPA and carefully lower the plastic bag into the water
The white on the acetone prints is from over exposure to the acetone. I only rinse models for about 5-10 seconds in acetone. Over exposure can cause the layers of the print to actually seperate if your exposure time is even half a second low during the print. Some resins also just do NOT do well with acetone, like Sidekick. For the most part I use acetone for thick resins as it cuts thru it super quick and prints that have super super fine details, while I use denatured alcohol (about 15 second rinse) for everything else. I stopped using an ultrasonic cleaner months ago as it just was a time waste vs the seconds it takes with acetone/denatured alcohol.
Awesome Confirmation Bias Confirmed, jokes aside I assumed what you described. Since Denatured alcohol is typically 60% ethanol alcohol (everclear) and 40% methanol I suspect acetone diluted with 40-50% water will give me 15 second rinse time with the added bonus of being even cheaper per 1 gallon of diluted solution.
Just FYI, nitrile is, well, not super great when working with acetone. The acetone can both penetrate the nitrile and damage it. Found that out the hard way in a college lab lol, when I suddenly could feel liquid on my skin and my gloves turned colors from blue to an orangish brown. Apparently we weren't supposed to be using the acetone to dry our glassware in the class I was in lol, and that's probably a pretty good reason as to why. That being said, acetone is pretty harsh on skin, but if you wash it off quickly it's not a super big deal. It's the primary ingredient in nail polish remover, after all! Believe it or not standard latex gloves stand up better against acetone than nitrile, though the absolute best are generally considered to be butyl rubber gloves
lmao every time he said dentured alcohol.
It's like he's stabbing my brain every time
And isopro-pon-ol
So are you not planning to use mean green anymore?
Have you done any testing with water washable resin?
I have been using IPA and it is leaving white streaks on my gray prints. I hate it. Definitely going to try something else.
I just switched from IPA to dish soap and the dish soap seems to be a lot better
Jessy, great video with a lot of helpful tips, thanks! Just bought an Elegoo Mars Pro after months of watching your videos and I couldn't be more excited to join the resin printing community! But it is De-Natured! As in dee-nei-chrd! Not dentured :)
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Big heads up:
Denatured Alcohol is not 1 thing. It's an extremely broad category. This means the exact brand/formula can make a huge difference.
Simply, it is Ethanol that has been made poisonous with additives. So, nominally it would have performed equally to the Everclear, which is 95%+ Ethanol.
However: The exact brand you got says they actually use only about 40% Ethanol and around 50% Methanol.
This begs the question: How does pure methanol perform? It's definitely more expensive, easily $20-$30 per gallon though.
Pure methanol (99.5%) is actually *much* cheaper to get here in Canada, whereas "denatured alcohol" is almost impossible to find. Any hardware store sells methanol by the gallon under the name of "methyl hydrate" for the equivalent of about $13 USD.
pro tip when pouring have the spout on the top. It seems like the wrong way to do it but as the air gets in the can it does spray if the spout is at the bottom
I've watched 3 videos so far. Thanks for all the info :) Love the channel.
How does this effect clear resin prints? IPA tends to frost the print before curing.
On small pieces I use a 10 percent solution of simple green in my ultrasonic cleaner for about 6 minutes at 40C. Then I rince with water and agitate in IPA for 2 minutes. A final rince in water and then compressed air to dry. Very clean, matte finish, not sticky.
How do you dispose of the water that you use to clean the resin off? Specifically that 5 gallon bucket...
sorry for the necropost, but can i rinse off prints in a sink? will it mess up pipes or will i get a call from the city?
Great video! Quick question, how do you go about disposing the dirty solution, like Mean Green once you are done with it?
I believe some people take it outside to let the resin cure in the mean green... then they strain it and use the mean green again
Hmm.. This is good to know, im tight with money so might go with Mean Green till i can afford the Dental Alcohol.
Just wondering if you try Goo-Gone or Off-Goo. I seen them at my hardware store and just wonder.
I bet he's saying all these names wrongs to mess with people on purpose. At the end of the day, very valuable information and much appreciated.
By the way, acetone will soften and/or dissolve plastic, so probably not the best idea to use those in the plastic pickle containers.
Me? do that on purpose??? Just to provoke more video comments.... Never ;)
Thanks for checking it out!
What about for clean and wash stations like the elgoo or creality? Could these also be used there or should we only use isopropyl ?
Is it okay to leave the denatured alcohol in a pickle jar? Or will it eat through the plastic?
@UncleJessy I have a quick question that isn't necessarily related to the video, but you mentioned 'a 22hr print' for the faceplate and I was wondering if you had any solutions on resin level indicators in the vat. I have looked but can't seem to find anything that warns you the vat is low.
Yeah, sure I did help a lot, even though I don't have a Resin printer. Always good to support other content creators here! Great video love it
De Natured lol Drove me nuts hearing you say it wrong :P haha, S'all good. Great vid uncle Jessy
Uncle Jessy, on all these or anything you use to wash prints...how many times can you use it before you shouldn't?
Love the video. What type of solution do you use in your wash-n-cure? Just IPA?
Can I use the denatured alcohol in a wash and cure or is that a bad idea?
I’m still using Mean Green which leaves it a bit tacky but a quick rinse in IPA completely removes the tacky feeling!
can ethyl alcohol be used , i am just getting started in resin printing and would like to know
Much appreciated for the info. You've helped clear up quite a few different things with your videos. Very happy I subscribed! 😉
Silicone dog feeding mats a way cheaper than WhamBam mats. Same thing.
Can you do this for clear prints?
Not sure if anyone has mentioned, but careful around acetone. It can dissolve certain rubber materials. I was cleaning some spray foam insulation with acetone, and it got on my Fitbit band and it quickly dissolved/broke the band in half.
How do these compare with any of the water washable resins?
they dont, water is the solvent for that type of resin, not as resistant to chemicals.
You are one brave Uncle brushing like that so close to your eyes on the iron man mask with no protection! great video though and this sold me on the turps/white spirit/DEEEEE natured 😁 alcohol solution for washing, ISO is 5 times the price of turps in the UK.
When can we get a quick video on your ultrasonic cleaner workflow?
Can you use 70% ethanol hand sanitizer because I have a pallet of unused sanitizer?
The irony of grinding my teeth as Jessy mispronounces de-natured alcohol as dentured alcohol
Hi Jessy. Please tell me you didn't pour the dirty Everclear back in the bottle! 😂 My first 3d printer and some resin etc. are on order; while I'm waiting for them to get here I'm reading and watching videos all I can about it. A few cleaners I intend to try: (what do you think?) Thanks.
1) 35% IPA in an ultrasonic cleaner; mix cheap 70% drugstore IPA half-n-half with distilled water.
2) Acetone and water in different dilutions; either dunking it like you did, or if you dilute it far enough it would be safe in an ultrasonic that has a stainless steel tank.
3) E85 gasoline (manual washing only, obviously) It is mostly denatured alcohol.
metholated spirit is 95% alcohol, added 5 to 1 with simple green ( to keep the resin in suspension) in the wash and cure plus and its relatively cheap from bunnings at $30 AUD for 8 litres of solution. when the wash gets too dirty i add 240g flocking (aluminium sulphate used for pool cleaning) with 1.5 litres distilled water per 4 litres to treat, run the wash for 20 minutes then hand stir occasionally for 30 minutes and let settle, pour off extremely clean liquid in less than an hour for reuse. works really well with ipa that i cant get hold of lol. would love to see how well this mix would go in an ultrasonic cleaner but im pretty happy with the current results.
I use metho (denatured alcohol) in a plastic tub with a secure lid and vibrate the tub with a jigsaw. Does a really good job cleaning every little crevice.
I was actually using Simple Green in my washer but it felt tacky. I would do the same, spray some IPA and even wash it with some dish soap and water. Is that okay?
Been using denatured alcohol for years to clean electronic circuit boards. The main advantage over IPA is there is no residue with Denatured. Thanks for the great video.
That makes no sense whatsoever. IPA is alcohol and water. Denatured is alcohol, water and bitterants... any iso should evaporate completely clean.
@@renny9879 The fact is that there was ALWAYS white residue left after using IPA to clean our electronics boards. Using denatured did not leave that white residue. That is the same reason for its use on tape heads back in the day. I will conside that the higher percent alcohol may also work, but I am speaking from my first hand experience here.
@@IainNitro that’s very interesting and quite the mystery. A test I commonly do with solvents is to pour some out on a black tray and let it evaporate. Then inspect the tray for residue. I would love to know what is going on that gives you a different result. They are essentially the same thing but one is ethyl alcohol with additives. Usually it’s methanol at around 10%, common additives include isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone. In the US, denatured is often only 50% ethyl alcohol. But hey, if it works for you, who am I to say otherwise! Happy printing.
I know you said that denatured alcohol should NEVER be used in an ultrasonic cleaner or in a spray bottle, but would it be ok when used in an Anycubic wash & cure machine? (assuming you take all the necessary precautions)
Should be ok although probably overkill. Also I’m not sure I would want to store it in there long term so transferring it back and forth seems like it would be a pain.
If you don’t own a Wash and Cure then I don’t see what benefit it would have since you only need to put the print in there for 30-40 seconds from what I hear. Better off using a pickle jar if you don’t own one.
8:12 - I noticed that most of these test prints don't sit flat. Is that due to warping? Were they like this before post processing? Thanks.
Sorry I meant to add some text to the video. It’s due to the Transform having a perforated bed. Each of the prints have little circles on the bottom vs perfectly flat
The reason the denatured alcohol splashed everywhere? You are supposed to orient the spout to be the high point. That’s why the spout is in a corner. If you look at how you held the can to pour, just do the opposite of that. 😌
Good day, Sir-- Question. I'm looking for ways/means of washing my 3d prints. I wanted to ask if it is okay to mix 'Formula 409 Degreaser' with de-natured alcohol to create a post print wash solution for my 3d models? I've looked for information via the 'Google' but am unable to find whether this is hazardous/dangerous or not. Wanted to check with you to see if you have any de-natured alcohol combinations that have worked for you to wash your prints given your extensive background with 3d printing? Thank you in advance and kind regards.
Thanks for trying all these alternatives. I have some 99% IPA but I still don't use my resin printer unless I have to. You'll be like Edison, trying 100 things to find the one replacement for us.
Just bought a resin printer after 5 years of experience with FDM, I was wondering about the effectiveness of acetone. Turns out my suspicion was spot on, quick to dissolve liquids and will breakdown solids with some time.
Fun fact De-Natured Alcohol is basically 60% Everclear with 40% acetone or 40% methanol and possibly 1-5% of other contaminants depending on your region. If you look up the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the particular product you have you could guesstimate what you have since the exact percentage are obfuscated. FYI Klean Strip denatured Alcohol is about 60% Everclear 200 proof and 40% methanol.
With resin printing what's the reason for warped bottom on them?
Hello, i would like to know which face mask is good to work with resin,
what printer did you print that mask on that is cool
That's really useful info, thanks! I actually have a gallon jug of denatured alcohol chillin in my cupboard, I use it to prevent soda ash on my handmade soaps, I've been wondering if I could use it for an IPA substitute! And the acetone is amazing to know as well you can get a 500ml bottle in poundland here, so that's definitely a more affordable option lol.
Can you use something like Mr clean or denatured alcohol to clean the resin vat/tank?
Thank God you just put this vid out Unc! My Mars printer will be here any minute now! Lol talk about convenient timing!
Are denatured alcohol not something I can put in my washing machine?
Thinking of running prints through Mean Green in sonic cleaner followed by Acetone or Denatured Alcohol in pickle jar for a quick wash before rinsing and curing.
For me im using petrol or diesel to completely clean my printed resin.just stir a couple times in the petrol/diesel, then i wash it with dish liquid/detergent.
After that i wash it with water.
It works great.less time consuming and fast result.
Dentured or Denatured?
Also last time you had people inform you about Isopropyl (as written on the bottle) isn't called isopropanol alcohol. It's Propanol 2, or Isopropyl Alcohol.
😂🙃🤘
Congratulations :)
Running the mean green in the ultrasonic does it make it where the ultrasonic cleaner should only be used for resin? Like do not use it to clean your jewelry?
Love the vid, but I think you needed to emphasize more on just how DANGEROUS it is to work with substances like acitone. They are a huge health risk for anyone not ready to use it.
The pickle jar bowl could you sit that in the ultrasonic to save cleaner..
Great video and very informative!
Have you heard of anyone using Windex as an alternative to IPA for cleaning resin pieces?
Can i leave the printer on for days? or do i pause it and then resume it after an hour break? because i have a file that takes about 2 days to print.
How are you disposing the used cleaners?
He puts it right back in the can. 😅
ive used acetone to clean glass and also had little specs like that.
What about trying distilled white vinegar. Second idea windshield wiper fluid.