Resin 3D Printers are Great But...

[@PlayArena635]

what i like abt resin printing is that you don’t get a lot of errors, and you can start as soon as you unpack the printer

[@LetsMakeAThing]

There are definitely fewer moving parts and less things to tune on a resin printer than an FDM printer for sure.

[@MichalKaczorowski]

This! I have FDM printer for years and almost never had good print. No fails with resin printer except the time I make poor supports.

[@timothy5972]

Printing in resin and casting in resin are two very different processes. You should only use a butane torch for removing bubbles on casting, not on printing. Printing starts on the bottom where there are no bubbles. Please don't set your printer on fire. And I may be mistaken, but I think that Acetone is quite flammable also. Please be careful

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I've been using these methods for a long time and am always extremely careful when using them but I should have added a massive don't try this at home disclaimer for people new to 3D printing. In fact I'm going to go add that to the description now. Thank you for the comment!

[@tracywilliams61]

Thank you sooo much. Great tutorial. I just received a resin printer and was scared to try but thanks to your video I’m a little less scared. ❤❤❤❤

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Welcome to the wonderful world of resin printing!

[@andypughtube]

Just as a pedantic point, the output from the slicer with a resin printer is not G-code. It is a series of bitmap images corresponding to each layer of the model stored in a proprietary format. (Which has been reverse-engineered, if you need to create your own)

[@jimharris8707]

Super interesting video. There's obviously a lot to digest before getting into resin printing.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Glad you liked the video! It's a great tool to have as long as you know what to expect when you get into it!

[@sierraecho884]

when water curing use hot water, this will improve the molecular bond and therefore strength of up to +40% depending on the resin.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the tip!

[@sierraecho884]

@@LetsMakeAThing You are welcome

[@DrX6xx]

flex plate makes all the difference for removable can cut a lug and print the plug to avoid suction and trapping resin.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the tip!

[@johncahill3644]

It looks like you manually added a support at each place Chitubox recommended/suggested one. You could just click the “all” button (and then add any supports beyond the recommendations manually). Sorry if I misunderstood...but otherwise you should be thrilled at this improvement (!)

[@LetsMakeAThing]

When I first started resin printing years ago automatic supports were terrible. So I've always been in the habit of manually adding my supports. I guess I should give automatic supports another chance. Thanks for sharing!

[@Oozaru85]

They looked much cleaner and better before washing. I'd just let them dry as is without cleaning them first, and cure them after all the excess resin has dripped off and dried, to keep the shinyness and transparency of the resin.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Has this method worked for you? If so, what resin are you using?

[@Oozaru85]

@@LetsMakeAThing Haven't tested it myself yet, but I've heard other people recommend not to wash it. Of course, on detailed models you gonna lose some detail if you don't wash the excess resin off, I'd assume. Maybe there's some after-wash treatment to make the resin look shiny and transparent again, that I don't know of yet.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I'll have to test not washing first and see what happens. You can use a clear coat spray on the print that will make it shiny again.

[@markburton5292]

the reason water works so well is that oxygen is a inhibiter to the curing process. water has less free oxygen.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for the info!

[@BrilliantNews]

Great video! Keep 'em coming! How long did you cure it for? I guess it takes longer than if you didn't have the pieces in the water as it would act as a bit of a UV filter, no?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thank you! I did a total of 8 minutes curing (two cycles of 4 minutes).

[@BrilliantNews]

@@LetsMakeAThing Thanks, I never know how long to do. Sometimes more than 15 minutes... ':D

[@LetsMakeAThing]

@@BrilliantNews You can safely reduce your cure time. The only reason I went 8 minutes this time was it was my first time using transparent resin and I wanted to be extra sure. Usually 2-4 minutes is plenty for opaque resins.

[@BrilliantNews]

@@LetsMakeAThing Wow, okay, I'm seriously over-doing it then! Thanks for the advice bro!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

@@BrilliantNews Glad I could help!

[@Rapidlaser]

You printed it flat down but hollow why?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

The base is hollow so it can be filled with weights to make a weighted chess set. The rest of the piece is solid.

[@gaborhuszar4452]

I find it strange that you rotate the lid. I usually use my forearms to lift it and set it aside. Also it's not messy this way.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Not sure why I rotate the lid, it's something that I've always done. The forearm method is a good idea I'll give that a try!

[@aomedina3844]

The side facing the supports always looks terrible. You can't rely on those being flat or anything where the surface needs to look great. You have to sand and polish that.

[@TristynRusselo]

should IPA wash, then warm in water, remove supports, IPA wash again, then cure. dont want to get resin in your waste water. very bad stuff to get in water system

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I agree, resin is something that you don't want getting into a waste water treatment system.

[@robguyatt9602]

No you don't have to have supports on resin prints. I only print on the build plate. I was and dry the prints on the build and even put the build plate with parts still attached in the UV curing station. Depending on the resin I cure in water. Some resins are discolored by water. I print functional components for my products. Printing with supports dramatically adds to the labor costs.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

I did forget to mention that most wash and cure machines allow you to put the entire build plate inside. Thanks for the reminder!

[@garylarson6386]

I sold my resin printer I couldnt put up with the mess any longer, filiment much cleaner

[@LetsMakeAThing]

They certainly do require a level of dedication to use!

[@ricardojlrufino]

A magnetic build plate save lifes !!!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Never thought about a magnetic plate for a resin printer until you mentioned it.

[@tazanteflight8670]

Why not just use the 3d printed chess pieces?

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Good question! I wanted to do effects in the resin chess pieces that I can't achieve with 3D printed resin.

[@graynoble4795]

I didnt see you stick a 405nm curing light over all your trash. This stuff is HIGHLY toxic to the environment, I'm not a tree-hugger, but please recommend to your viewers to ALWAYS cure everything (either by taking it outside and leaving it under the sun or by buying an LED curing light and sticking it over the trash can, like I do, for 30 minutes) before discarding the trash. Kind Regards!

[@LetsMakeAThing]

Thanks for sharing.

[@float32]

Eek, I see pieces of resin covered plastic flying across the room, and getting onto the floor, for a poor smuck to get on them, while removing from the build plate.

[@LetsMakeAThing]

In 2016 I got an original Formlabs resin printer and their official media demonstrated using the side cutter method to remove prints from the bed easily. I've been using that method since then and I have dropped one or two like in the video but I haven't had any pieces go flying across the room.