Resin Printing with the Elegoo Mars // First prints, troubleshooting, impressions

MyMiniFactory sent me their special edition of the Elegoo Mars DLP Resin Printer. In this video, I'll show you how it performs while making an absolutely adorable figurine. Guest appearance by the 3Doodler Create+ Leather Edition!
Shopping List :
Elegoo Mars MMF Edition : bit.ly/MMFmars
Elegoo Mars on Amazon (Currently $229) : amzn.to/2IO8oiW
Elegoo Mars on GearBest (international shipping) : bit.ly/GBmars
Elegoo ABS-like Resin : amzn.to/2wfhbYt
'Mozz' STL files for 3D printing : bit.ly/mozz_
3M Respirator : amzn.to/2ISkWG1
3M Vapor Cartridges : amzn.to/2TWWEAU
3Doodler+ Leather Edition : amzn.to/39Uxo3W
3Doodler Create+ Standard : amzn.to/3b5AiTx
Bulb Air Blower/Duster + Microfiber Cloth : amzn.to/38T0a3O
Super Lube PTFE Lubricant : amzn.to/33lwBqo
Sandpaper Multipack : amzn.to/2IQjxQa
91% Isopropyl Alcohol : amzn.to/2TWWeuk
E6000 Adhesive : amzn.to/3aYD9hd
3Dmate Base 3D Pen Mat : amzn.to/2TYMH6l
Thank you to MyMiniFactory and 3Doodler for providing products in exchange for my honest opinions. I have not been paid for this review.
See more Rejected Animals at rejected.animals
** Corrections **
This is an MSLA printer, not a DLP printer. It is essentially the same in how it works, but the way the UV light image is created is slightly different.
NITRILE gloves not LATEX. Latex gloves may react to printing resins so use Nitrile.

[@KaelumYodi]

Hey Devin, there are a couple things that I noticed. First, you have the reservoir in backwards. You want the notch to be in the front right corner to make it easier to pour resin into it while printing, and when removing. Also, it appears that you didn’t fully cure the prints, as they were way to flexible. It’s a misnomer that you can let them sit in the Sun for a few hours. It would take days. It takes a few hours to fully cure prints with a 60W UV lamp. As for the failures, that is due to the build plate not being flat. I used 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper to level the plate against a perfectly flat marble surface. Sand it down until there is no black anodization on the plate. You can either leave it that way, or continue to smooth it with 400 grit. Then make sure you level it properly. You didn’t show the test to ensure that it was flat, where you slide the paper in and out. Pay special attention to the corners. The good thing is that they replaced the screws on your build plate with bolts, which is what you need to do if you buy the normal Elegoo Mars. If you want truly accurate prints, you’ll also want to manually set the Z axis zero. There are other things in the configuration that will make life easier too, so I suggest looking into them. I don’t have the links right now, but I can get them when I get home, if you need them. Great content!

[@make.anything]

Sounds like solid advice. Thanks!

[@giliant]

​@@make.anything Fantastic video, few more small things i hope save you some time! silicone sculpting tools are a great way to stir up your vat and the edged ones will also usually remove failed prints from the vat with a guarantee that you won't scratch anything I would advise against paper towels on the vat! They leave lint and micro scratches and greatly increase the probability of something sticking to the surface. Pick up some PEC-PADs for photography, they are very cheap and you can use them for you camera gear too! Great for cleaning the screen and other clear surfaces. Most of the time you won't need to drain the entire vat for a failed print, if it's a large flat surface, you can use the silicone tools or your fingers (wearing gloves obviously) to extricate it. Ambient temperature has a dramatic impact on print success, generally, warmer is better but consistent temperature is also critical. take a look at egg incubators, they are cheap, you can position the thermocouple as needed and usually a ikea container or even a tote is enough insulation. Might consider inverting your model if you are going to sand the surface regardless those "drip details would come out perfect A #11 scalpel is a great tool for cleaning off supports, very cheap too. Typically two separate washes of alcohol are used, if that's what your manufacturer suggests though, i would defer to that. A tooth brush really helps clean out those details after ten minutes of soaking in alcohol. Finally, i second the build plate abrasion. (note: i use a Moai 130 and Form 2 so there may be some machine specific differences) Love your content and look forward to your future uploads!

[@johnbickford9221]

I would add that it is easier to remove the supports before fully curing. This is information I only have second hand knowledge of as I have not yet printed anything on my Mars.

[@KaelumYodi]

giliant you can use Kimwipes and alcohol on the film, as they are lint free and are non-abrasive when wet. Kimwipes are heavily used in the electronics industry, and very minor scratches on the film don’t affect print quality. 😎

[@BillyNoMate]

It might be very flexible because he used "ABS-like" resin.

[@SBVCP]

I love the little guy, I cant believe he was rejected

[@JDMOON55555]

Fr

[@HypaBeast]

i mean there's no space for a brain

[@NeX128]

these are not latex glove, don't use latex with these kind of resin, use nitrile gloves!

[@make.anything]

You're right, thanks!

[@OllieDraws]

Why?

[@ScaryScarab21]

@@OllieDraws Because Resin eats through latex and can get absorbed into your skin.

[@CrossedCoder]

@@ScaryScarab21 resin isn't caustic...

[@jaycececil]

CrossedCoder Yeah, resin definitely doesn’t “eat” through latex. Although the pores in latex gloves are big enough to allow resin to seep through.

[@EvelynH-tj1qt]

"It looks like our little buddy is enjoying it" The creature: *°----°*

[@dannybagley9333]

No way hes more like ○)-----(○

[@achannelhasnoname5182]

I don't know, that message at the beginning cheered me more up than it probably should.

[@BliffleSplick]

"There's something in you that the world needs."

[@thesentientcomputer7404]

I was having a bad day today, but the "You are looking especially beautiful today" was the absolute highlight of my day. thank you. first video of yours I have ever saw, but this is an instant subscription and like from me. again, thanks.

[@Loafy23]

That is a GREAT character! Whomever passed on that character was a fool! Excellent work, dude. Can't wait to see what you do next.

[@T-Fyre]

I honestly do want one now, Mozz not the Elegoo

[@T-Fyre]

Tristanzpixelated AAAAHHHHH A KNOCK OFF

[@hsmacaraig]

same

[@MLiskindagay]

I’m a bit late but same

[@theglitch9325]

oof i want one too its soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute

[@IbakonFerba]

The queality of resin prints always amazes me. Also, for some reason they *feel* super satisfying!

[@bas2362]

I actually love the way those droplets move to the side like that!

[@54V4]

After seeing your intro, I thought to myself... "what a nice way to even just trigger a thought that I might be beautiful on some level". How can you not smile, and feel at least a tiny bit better? It took you 5 sec to make me SUB! (Also NOTED! 😀 )

[@Tdub415]

I would recommend removing supports before the final cure. They're much easier to remove and have much less of a chance of shattering/pitting parts of print. I usually just pop them off by hand after washing, and letting them dry.

[@make.anything]

That makes sense. I wasn't sure if I should handle the prints much before curing

[@Tdub415]

Caution is always a good idea when working with resin (and new things in general) :)

[@sirayatech2]

@@make.anything Resin OEM here. We would recommend keeping the supports on for 2 reasons: - some prints cannot stand on its own so you need support to keep it upright for curing - prints shrinkage during post-curing. For long / thing parts, keeping support on would prevent/reduce wrapping during the post-curing stage.

[@J0SHUAKANE]

@@sirayatech2 I appreciate how active you are. Im doing research for a purchase and you are everywhere.

[@UncleJessy]

Excited to see you working with the Mars!!

[@Bostonbowser]

"Don't breathe in these toxic fumes!" Formlabs: "Our rigid resin has a light pine scent."

[@nomasan]

Teacher: "only wave the scent to you, don't put your nose over it" kids in chemistry class: *Loudest Sniffing noise ever to exist*

[@Camtcan]

@@nomasan cocaine!

[@mikecicciari845]

@@nomasan I messed my smell up for years lol "chemical X" was ammonia - 0/5 don't recommend.

[@pladddot]

Thanks so much for sharing this. I bought a Mars about a year ago and gave it a break because I was getting frustrated about prints sticking to the film. I fired it back up this month with the same issues. I just found your video a few days ago. The oil did the trick! Thank you! I'll be posting the results and giving you a shout out on my next youtube video, GenX Vault.

[@make.anything]

So glad I could help!

[@pladddot]

@@make.anything Me too!

[@robcaboose510]

This video really resin-ated with me

[@hand_emoji8280]

robcaboose510 underrated comment

[@chantalgodfrey9413]

👏👏

[@isc8900]

Ba-Dumm Chang...

[@666BlackBlood]

I wasn’t sure which 3D printer get but seeing that result made me choose the Elegoo. So smooth!

[@AllanBjerreAbbondio]

I like that you always have such a high attention to detailing and finishing. I learn a lot from these videos. That also sets you apart from many other KZbin creators.

[@First_Class_Amateur]

I had the same trouble. You don't need to drain the tank to remove a failed print from the FEP sheet. Take the tank out and hold it level so you don't spill anything. Using light pressure, run your finger underneath the failed print from one end to the other. The failed print will peel away and you can fish it out with the plastic scraper.

[@TripTrap1]

Been 3D Printing for over 2 years now, and this blew me away. Definitely looking into getting a resin printer now

[@JAYTEEAU]

Great stuff Devin, I'm glad I wasn't the only one to "overflow" resin while filtering. Messy indeed, but outstanding results. Thanks for sharing your experience. Cheers, JAYTEE

[@Corn_DOG]

I appreciate you stressing that this isn't a toy and safety is important for res printers. Another great video!

[@botondbota6350]

You just made me buy a 3d printer, your channel is awesome!

[@jackweidow3794]

Was it worth it

[@jackweidow3794]

Botond Bóta what one did you get

[@flymario8046]

Moz is so very cute! Well done!

[@flpsht]

Hey Devin. I enjoy your videos and i don't like to be this guy, but please make sure you use (and point out to use) a proper respirator that takes care of organic vapors when dealing with the resin. I do own this fantastic printer, and the supplied face mask does not protect you from anything but splashes. 3M has a 'A2' filter that removes all odor and (as far as i could find) takes care of the other stuff as well. And of course as others have pointed out, be safe, use nitrile gloves. Otherwise great video, and nice showing of the problem solving with the first layer. I had some issues with his too, but after some fiddling, i got it sorted. Have fun printing with with this great printer, and use proper protection =)

[@SvdB1992]

I've been sick for a week sitting at my desk looking like hell, but... still a nice message at the beginning and it's sweet to start that way. thank you

[@MrAcDc2000]

I can't believe that Mozz was rejected, HE'S SO CUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[@hsmacaraig]

MrAcDc2000 Sorry but rejected from what?

[@finnwilliams7128]

devon: you look beautiful today me: in bed sick from school

[@crumpet_]

Great vid Devin! Lovely pace, and I enjoyed seeing you overcome the challenges. Cheers!

[@bevkcan]

I'm not even into figurines but I'd love to watch you create more of them!

[@I-be-chillin-bruh]

*MOZZ IS A PRECIOUS LOOKING LITTLE GHOSTLY BEAN AND I WANT ONE.* 😭

[@ThePeixoteira]

I'm in love with this character! I want a cartoon with it!

[@JPWestmas]

I like that tilting bed like that for dripping off the resin. Wish my printers had that.

[@markrichards5630]

Its just a 3d printed part (I know, the irony!) You pull the print plate off and then slide on the angled 3D part and slide the print plate onto the part to let it rest.

[@Nacho-WhatDoWePlayNext]

3:20 ... "power shaking" is not recommended as it introduces tiny bubbles to the resin. lighter rotation for a longer period may work better. FYI.

[@ericschrdr]

Great tutorial, love the way you troubleshot the situation - going to set mine up and this is extremely useful info. Thanks!

[@CJICantLie]

The graphics work was awesome.

[@Keep-Making]

Wow looks like you had quite a test of patience with this video.... Really love the outcome tho. Not to mention had no idea about this Instagram. Love the creatures!

[@andershenriksen7592]

13:18 I love how he explains this like we have a ultrasonic knife

[@MileyonDisney]

Wondercutter S on Amazon is only $400.

[@FranklyWry]

Miley onDisney “Only”?

[@andershenriksen7592]

Nunya Business agreeed

[@Ivi-Tora]

Nunya Business It seems like a fair price for a tool that can make small precision cuts without splintering the model by accident but also can pierce through an Angel's protective AT Field.

[@gabrielbecker2607]

Mozz needs to be the new mascott

[@FusionSource]

Hey Devon, how does this compare to the Creality Ld-002R. I just purchased the LD and I am very impressed with it. Great video as always. When I reviewed the LD-002R I was also a total noob working on the Resin printer but they are pretty easy to use.

[@chrinamint]

Your stuff is always so freakin adorable!!!

[@PeterSFam]

I'm sure you probably found out by now but its advised to remove supports prior to curing.

[@stc.martin822]

Awesome job as always! Seeing your designs makes me wish you would do a character from The Hollow Knight series. It has a very cute but grimm aesthetic I think you'd enjoy. Anyways looking forward to your future ideas.

[@tree2]

If you need 99% isopropyl alcohol try going to a pharmacy and asking the pharmacist, alot of the time they carry it but it isn't out on the shelves

[@caidenbritton5481]

Can you make more videos on these creatures?! Absolutely wonderful production and outcome!

[@Eric_Shaun]

Like the explenation doodle on the video . very entertaining and good explaination :)

[@sjm4306]

Great video and perfect timing too! I just got a anycubic photon and the past weekend had the exact same issue of parts either sticking to the fep or separating from the build plate a few hours into a print. I'll have to try the lubrication trick and see if that solves my woes.

[@DavidLaMorte]

I've been subscribed to you for a year, but missed this video. The weird part is I just got my hands on an Elegoo Mars as my first printer.

[@MadShamanLodur]

A tool that's incredibly useful for getting rid of the support marks is the AK Glass Fibre Pencil from AK Interactive. It's made for scale modelers but works insanely well (better in my opinion than sand paper) for getting rid of the support marks and blending the surface and surrounding area to looks smooth as butter.

[@make.anything]

Sounds cool!

[@TheDerpyDeed]

Now feeling "Especially beautiful" That creature looks like something from Undertale - but designed better than most creatures in Undertale

[@pengil3]

Brave of you to talk about undertale

[@noctu711]

Please do more of these!

[@JavaJack59]

I've got a Beam3D Prism, which is very similar. I've had almost no success with it so far, and it's wicked messy. I also had a pinhole in my vat and got resin directly on the LCD. That was so demoralizing that I haven't even bothered trying to clean it off yet to try again. One tip about containing the mess is to get some disposable aluminum oven trays intended for baking turkeys from the grocery store. Some come with clear plastic lids which can be flipped over to use as another tray.

[@kyleniedermeier6651]

Love it! The Elegoo MOZZ!

[@BMathiesen]

Really love your content! I want a resin printer so bad!!

[@kickinitwithmydawg]

The cutters are way faster than the sonic knife. Thank you for your tips!

[@KayoMichiels]

10:31 don't poke the fep film! You might puncture it! Push in a bit from the other side untill one edge of the cured resin lifts up from the fep film and then pull it out with your other hand.

[@prestonmolloy808]

Yep, I was looking for this comment. If you very gently push the FEP from the bottom, any "misprint" resin just pops off. No need to touch the FEP with any tools (though you may need to wipe the fingerprint off the bottom).

[@daishawilliams1069]

Omg i love it so much great job

[@MDigitalProductions]

Love how you used that photoshop drawing infographic to explain how this machine works! Very unique!

[@DreadKnight666]

Yeah, that was so awesome! :D

[@neillpretorius]

Too good Devon dang love that character design! Do translucent Resin and LEDS next :)

[@joshuahales3417]

This is should become a series on your channel👀

[@ethanroberts8582]

If you made these little guys I would buy one lol

[@thinthle]

Sees moss . . . Okay I'm legally obligated to make fanart of them right now. *fervently starts drawing *

[@Mo_Ketchups]

FIVE HOURS w NO YIELD?!! Man, that thing woulda been WELL on its way into my neighbor’s yard!

[@rogueplanets]

Thanks for going through your troubleshooting, I'm having the same issues with mine right now. I ordered a tube of Super Lube with PFTE and I'm doing the masking tape on the side. Hopefully the tape works, but if not, I'm feeling confident that the Super Lube will work!

[@JavaJack59]

I've heard tales that microscopic amounts of baby powder between the vat and LCD can help, as an alternative to the clear tape shown in the video.

[@mohitreddy8082]

“Slightly warped areas”, well it did say it was abs like resin

[@andreasbagger2744]

THAT THING IS SOOO CUTE!!

[@0ona]

I love that there's pretty much no visible layers, but the whole process seems such a hassle 😩😩

[@sgamerxbox360]

true, but the higher quality print is SO worth it

[@alwood9566]

I know its 7 months late, but I recently got the Elegoo Mars, and its not a hassle at all. It may seem bad but its super easy

[@mudawott]

A year late but resin printing has different properties to fdm that make it more suitable for detail work aside from the layers being near invisible. The biggest one IMO is time. On an FDM machine printing a miniature for table top gaming takes around twelve hours to get decent detail. This doesnt include post processing either. On the other hand resin cures layer by layer and each layer will take the same amount of time to print so you can print a lot of small detailed things far quicker with resin. FDM and Resin have strengths and advantages.

[@lipvandip6480]

I love this model!

[@DreadKnight666]

Awesome video and end result. Loved how you explained how the printer works. Anyway, making something like this seems a bit too much hassle for me xD

[@loganeasley4343]

20:00 forbidden cookie, yummm.

[@drekeamohuang8727]

Soooo cute!

[@marklola12]

printers like this and 3d ones will never be mainstream till you can 3d print a item in many colours without changing reels per colour and without sanding and messing around

[@markrichards5630]

Printers like that are mainstream- its just that they are around $300,000. 3D printing isn't new. Its been around for 20 years. Its only these inexpensive home units that are new ish.

[@CS-ny3rm]

I Love the illustrative live drawing editing. a wonderful touch

[@Valentino-ok2hss]

Super interesting video. Thank you for sharing

[@yeeturmcbeetur8197]

Hmmm. How would this work for printing AR-15 lowers? Because regular 3D printing an AR-15 lower kind of sucks. All the shrinkage and tolerances make it damn near impossible to 3D print an AR-15 lower. Would be nice to test strength difference of resin vs different types of 3D printing plastics.

[@playboy5075]

This man is the 3D printing version of Bob Ross

[@Creative_Electronics]

Thank you for the good explaining of how a Resin printer works! :-) :-) :-)

[@NewbombedTurk]

Creative Electronics I just got a Mars on Monday, and was trying to explain how it worked to my daughter easily, and could have used this illustrated version.

[@Wander4P]

Great video as always. Small, pedantic correction: technically it's not a DLP printer since it uses a LCD and not a micromirror (digital light processing) projector. Cheers!

[@kithaw1686]

I'm just watching this and it already looks awesome! I can't wait to watch it properly, I enjoyed the intro. Maybe you could experiment with resin and FDM printing together? Not quite sure how or if it would work bit it would be fun to see you try :)

[@andrewadams9686]

Hey Devin, great to see you're trying out DLP! Would love to see experiments using pigments to dye resins and how well they perform. There's no videos out there on this, you could be the first!

[@Hoptronics]

Not a dlp printer.

[@BenMillen]

I'd turn the model upsidedown and have the supports on the head, nice smooth surface to sand after

[@ottersdangerden]

Rip... out of stock lol. Interesting look. We were talking about miniatures today and the mmf edition came up when looking for them.

[@AmusementLabs]

What if I don't _feel_ especially beautiful today?

[@umbratherios5614]

Holy hell a resin printer is a lot of hassle... nevermind that, but the constant supply of spare LCD screens you need if you print a lot because of how the UV light destroys the LCD over time... yeah, no thanks, even if the quality is amazing.

[@stephan.scharf]

very tricky PS animation, thumbs up ;-)

[@magicpants8204]

There is also a tank clean in the settings on the printer so that you don’t need to drain it

[@jeremiahembs5343]

You have to drain it mostly even with the tank clean option. The clean tank option only hardens the bottom layer for anything that is left over after draining. But what it is really for is to help you remove stuck prints because you can harden the lower layer making it easier to lift a small stuck on part. But the correct way to remove a stuck on part is to drain the tank carefully and then push from the other side of the FEP film from the underside to reveal an edge and use the plastic spatula to pull up the part and remove it. Don't use the metal scraper of course. Just the plastic one.

[@AndyDoesJapan]

I almost clicked away from this video, thinking that it seemed amatuerish / not containing much useful info. But I kept watching it and ended up learning so much! Thanks bro!

[@andymoses628]

I just printed out a Mozz of my very own. Had a small fail at first but rearranged the supports and got a successful Mozz. Mine is black with red eyes and white ears, and clear blue legs.

[@kevinmulholland4550]

Would love a tutorial on how you made the creature in Fusion 360! Beautiful design and final print.

[@stvcolwill]

sorry, I don't have all the time to read all the comments so i might be repeating here.... but at anytime you can pause the print and the print will raise up considerably so that you can see it. No need to waist a couple of hours only to find out your print didn't stick. just pause after about 10 minutes, then resume. : )

[@gswmurderate]

I'm so glad I got one of these. The print size is pretty small, but it makes such nice prints for like 200$.

[@Beezwhammer]

You can pause the print see if it is working. I'd recommend curing the part while it is under water in a jar. It cures much faster. Lastly, support removal can be made easier by using a tub of hot water, soaking the print for maybe 10 seconds in the hot water and the supports should come off very easily and pretty cleanly as well.

[@YvesVanMoerbeke]

I was looking for this comment! And I was silently hoping I could be the first one mention it... I've got my mars printer only yesterday so much to learn... ;-)

[@IlSharmouta]

I've never heard of curing underwater. This sounds very promising thanks so much

[@markrichards5630]

@@IlSharmouta It seems oxygen prevents curing so if you can limit the parts "air" exposure they will cure better. Also if you get a semi cure from ambient light (there's a fair amount of UV coming off florescent bulbs for instance) before or while you are cleaning the part, the final cure can leave the part a little tacky. Its almost as if some of the solvent (water, soap IsoP gets trapped between layers of cured resin.

[@defrozendonut8715]

Thanks for the video now I know to never get one of these headache machines

[@3dPrintCreator]

Oh man, I feel you. You don't have a clue how many prints I tried to make with this printer, just to find out that it was not printing. The reason I have no video of resin printing on my channel is that I really started to hate the printer. Out of maybe 20 attempts, I have 3 prints, 1 that is perfect, 2 that look okay. I have spilled resin in my cabinet, I have ripped gloves without knowing it, then touching the resin with my bare hands. I have dropped a print in Alcohol, then the splash spilled alcohol all over the place. Then I gave up. My resin printer is waiting for the summer when I will maybe try it again, or it will be thrown away because I don't want another to risk his/her health with something I give away. Let alone, the fact that resin printing is very bad for the environment and the leftover resin is a chemical waste. I see in the comments that a lot of people are attracted to resin printing, and are buying this printer because of your video. Maybe that is the main reason I will not make a video about mine. Love your channel, keep it up. Brian.

[@haruhidaso]

That creature reminds me of Punpun if it had a beak. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

[@johnbickford9221]

The lcd does not project uv light. It only masks it out from a uv source underneath. FYI

[@Edanurus]

10:15 watching this while doing my first print and I couldn't hear the popping sound, paused the print and realised that it lifts the plate when you do so you can see the print. It had affixed at that point, will wait until its finished to see if it completely works.

[@JailerGamer]

I unironically wanna buy the cute model

[@vroberts1976]

You should remove supports before curing, they come off way easier and leave less blemishes on the model.

[@nerys71]

Suggestion. get a pizza doe tray. very handy. you can put the entire printer and all supplies INSIDE the doe tray and no more problems with escaping ooey gooeys :-)