Some FAQ I didn't cover in the video: - I think I glossed over the fact that the LCD screen is *under* the vat of resin facing up. The vat has a clear bottom (called the FEP sheet), and the LCD shines up through it to cure resin layers. - The resin in liquid form is fairly toxic. Prolonged exposure can lead to skin or breathing problems, though fairly safe if you take the precautions mentioned. After the resin is fully cured, it's basically just plastic and safe to handle. This site has a pretty good explanation of it: 3dprint.com/277848/how-safe-are-3d-printing-resins/ - Why goats? My daughter's birthday was at a goat farm. Though, it is true I print a lot of animals with my resin printer... - My printer is one of the cheaper (consumer) tech that uses an ultraviolet LCD screen. It costs about $400 for the printer and $200 for the wash&cure machine. Resins tend to be $30-$60 per liter. Some exotic resins cost more. - If you want the Cadillac of resin printers, go with Formlabs printers, which uses a laser instead of LCD -- it can produce stronger/engineering parts, and the entire process in this video is drastically more streamlined and cleaner. The downside is that it prints slower, and you're paying at least $5k to get started (and their proprietary resins are expensive). Most people say it's worth it, but it's outside of most hobbyist budgets. - I buy my alcohol online from Walmart. It's usually ~$65 for *four* 1-gallon jugs of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. In 6 months of printing (at least a few times a week), I've gone through about 5 gallons - Resin Disposal: NEVER pour it down the drain or in the trash. Put it in containers (either pure resin, or alcohol with dissolved resin), and take it to a local waste collection center. It helps them out if you label it like "405 nm photopolymer resin for 3d printing". Alternatively, if you leave everything out in the sun for a few days, the alcohol will evaporate and resin will cure and is no longer toxic, then you can just throw it in the trash. OVERALL: My resin printer didn't replace my FDM printer. It has a smaller build volume, it's more work to use it, and I find that the resins are more brittle and weaker than the filaments I use in my FDM printer (primarily PETG). It's a great tool for things that need precision and won't be under high stress, but if a print is suitable for either printer, I'm always picking FDM.
I recommend blue shop towels instead of the white towels when you are cleaning things like the build plate, they don't have strands that come off in the same way and those strands can theoretically block things or get between things you don't want but they'll be very difficult to see when they absorb a tiny bit of resin. Also, you have a magnetic flexible build plate, you should be able to just flex it and never need to get in with the scraper. Probably not a problem when all you're touching is support material but if you print something flat on the plate or if you have an actual model surface touching the build plate you can damage or warp it slightly with the scraper.
Re Flex Plate: Yes most things I print come off with a simple flex. However with these goats, there were no broad, flat surfaces against the build plate, just dozens of isolated pillars (supports and feet). Flexing the plate just caused the supports to wiggle but didn't release anything. The flex plate concept has been a game-changer for me for both FDM and resin printing, but this was one of those infrequent times it didn't help. I do know that paper towels can shed a bit I just haven't seen any impact from it (in my experience). But I really hate how many paper towels I end up using for each cycle. I would love to switch to something reusable, but it just seems like a monumental hassle to safely store and wash used towels to be reused.
@@ObsessiveEngineering You could try some kind of synthetic cloth towel, the nice thing about both isopropyl and liquid resin is that direct sunlight will evaporate one and cure the other. I have a big vat that I use to collect liquids that have come into contact with the resin or cleaner and when it gets a bit more full im just going to leave it out in the sun with a little spacer between the top and the cap and something to block squirrels or something from getting at it but it is glass so the sunlight will go through it and make it all nice and clean and safe after a few days. Maybe you could do something similar with the synthetic cloth towel where you dry it out in the sun for a while, maybe wrapped in some plastic wrap or fenced off in a way that would avoid animal or people related exposure accidents. I go through more gloves than towels personally and there could be a similar solve there.
Fascinating to watch and really interesting to see the process step by step. I think the video would benefit from a better title. I was expecting it to be 20 minutes of closeup ASMR splashing but it has lots of useful info and is actually educational, and definitely not ASMR ;) I have only clicked after watching a few other videos of yours and deciding that it must be as good as others (it is).
I have been doing resin printing for 4 years, now. I have a FormLabs Form 2 printer. What a pain in the but is that printer! In any case, I had never heard about dirty alcohol being placed in a glass bottle and exposed to the sun. You quickly mentioned it but I was thoroughly impressed with this great Idea! I just worry a bit about pressure buildup inside the bottle while exposed to the sun. I am assuming that you should only keep the bottles half full or half empty (Depending on your point of view 😊)
Surprisingly there isn't really any pressure build-up in the bottles. I tend to fill them up 90% and never had a problem. I guess the curing process doesn't release any gases, and the alcohol itself has pretty low vapor pressure, even if it gets a little warm. My understanding of the Formlabs printers is that this process is considerably more streamlined. Are you saying it actually is just as annoying? Or are you just surprised watching this video how annoying it is for sub-$5,000 resin printers? 😃
@@ObsessiveEngineering, I bought the Form 2 for work and paid $3,000.00, back then. I do 3D models for a Jewellery store. I am sure that the FormLabs investors are putting loads of pressure on their CEO to remain profitable and, as a result, they are using slimy tactics such as: * Force you to use their resin which is 3 times as expensive as anyone else's. * They prevent you from using your resin if they dim it to be "too old". * You will only be allowed to use your "old" resin or a third party resin in "Open Mode". On "Open Mode" they will disable a wiper that wipes the resin tank after every layer and will also disable the resin heating system. So, I was forced to print on my Form 2 with an official resin from FormLabs without the wiper and without heating. It printed OK but this kind of tactics tick me off. * They will keep your resin tank heated even if the printer is off. I didn't know that so my tank, that I kept empty inside of the printer, cracked. I now have to pull the cord on the back of my printer when I am not using it. The printer has a bunch of sensors that malfunction all the time. * There is a sensor on the Resin cartridge that detects if you have enough resin left. I tend to pour the used resin back into the Cartridge but the printer doesn't like it. * The resin tank has a sensor that determines what resin that I used it with on my last print. If I wash the tank and try to print it with a different resin, the printer will make me jump through hoops to get it to start. This sensor is also always failing to make connection and the printing job will not start until I have cleaned it several times. * There is a sensor that tells that the printer has too little resin in the tank and will never start. I have to empty the tank, start it over again and hope that the problem will not be triggered again. * There is a sensor that tells that the resin tank is too full and stops the printing in the middle. It will wait until you remove some resin from the tank before It can restart. Let me tell you about their slicer software: * Every time I install an update on their proprietary "PreForm" slicer software, it forgets what printer I have and forces me to find, select it, and configure it again. * The "PreForm" software can find the printer on the network but it doesn't recognise what printer I have. * When I go to select the printer that I have, "Form 2" is not one of the options. I eventually discovered that the "PreForm" software calls my printer as "HugeBee". Go figure! * The printer came with a defect from factory. It would not automatically open the resin cartridge and pour resin. I had to fill the tank manually until one day when I opened up the printer and fixed it. One would think that a $3,000.00 printer would have better quality control. Now a days, I can buy a printer with equivalent print quality for $200.00! I could go on and on about the problems I had with this printer. I think that you got the idea. Your resin printing experience is paradise compared to mine.
@@MakerMindset Thanks for the details. I'm very surprised to hear that based on the other experiences I've heard with the Formlabs printers. I guess it's not all rainbows and unicorns...
@@ObsessiveEngineering When you are an early adopter and spent that much money, it is hard to admit that you have been had. No one will willingly admit that they spent that much money and that it was not worth it.
Very thorough, thanks! A few questions though: 1) Is resin safe enough for a six year old? Is it okay for them to put finished parts in their mouths? 2) Does it have to be 99% IPA? That can be a PITA to source at a reasonable price. 91% would need a bit more time to evaporate the extra water, but otherwise, what's the difference? 3) Have you had problems with your prints disintegrating in the sun? IIRC, that was an early problem. And Happy (belated, I presume) Birthday to your daughter! :)
Good questions: 1) Obviously I have kids so I have worried about this too. My test is whether I can smell resin on the finished print. The fully-cured resin is safe and doesn't smell anything it started, so it's a good test. This is one reason I have become somewhat disillusioned with 3D printing as a general tool -- if I do bulkier parts that need to be printed hollow with drain holes, I find it nearly impossible to get the insides washed enough to not smell anymore. Imperfect cleaning inside may not be a huge problem in dry operation, but when it gets wet it could drip contaminated water. So now I only print on the resin printer stuff that I can print solid, and that doesn't have anything too complex that might complicate washing. That's not to say it can't be done, I just don't have the patience for it (and my FDM printers work for most things I do) 2) It does not have to be 99%, it's just preferred. I believe 90%+ is generally recommended 3) The sun produces a ton of UV which is the same light used to cure the resin. In fact, you can skip the cure machine stage and just put the prints out in the sun for a few hours to cure them. The downside is that continued UV exposure will cause them to effectively over-cure and start breaking down. However, you could paint the parts with a weatherproof paint to protect them (resin prints aren't the only plastic in the world that break down under long-term UV exposure).
@@ObsessiveEngineering Thanks! So it's better than what I thought, I've been put off by the mess, the smell/toxicity, and needing to paint the finished product (if left in a windowsill). I love the results, but I'll wait a bit longer and stick with my FDM printer.
Some FAQ I didn't cover in the video:
- I think I glossed over the fact that the LCD screen is *under* the vat of resin facing up. The vat has a clear bottom (called the FEP sheet), and the LCD shines up through it to cure resin layers.
- The resin in liquid form is fairly toxic. Prolonged exposure can lead to skin or breathing problems, though fairly safe if you take the precautions mentioned. After the resin is fully cured, it's basically just plastic and safe to handle. This site has a pretty good explanation of it: 3dprint.com/277848/how-safe-are-3d-printing-resins/
- Why goats? My daughter's birthday was at a goat farm. Though, it is true I print a lot of animals with my resin printer...
- My printer is one of the cheaper (consumer) tech that uses an ultraviolet LCD screen. It costs about $400 for the printer and $200 for the wash&cure machine. Resins tend to be $30-$60 per liter. Some exotic resins cost more.
- If you want the Cadillac of resin printers, go with Formlabs printers, which uses a laser instead of LCD -- it can produce stronger/engineering parts, and the entire process in this video is drastically more streamlined and cleaner. The downside is that it prints slower, and you're paying at least $5k to get started (and their proprietary resins are expensive). Most people say it's worth it, but it's outside of most hobbyist budgets.
- I buy my alcohol online from Walmart. It's usually ~$65 for *four* 1-gallon jugs of 99% Isopropyl Alcohol. In 6 months of printing (at least a few times a week), I've gone through about 5 gallons
- Resin Disposal: NEVER pour it down the drain or in the trash. Put it in containers (either pure resin, or alcohol with dissolved resin), and take it to a local waste collection center. It helps them out if you label it like "405 nm photopolymer resin for 3d printing". Alternatively, if you leave everything out in the sun for a few days, the alcohol will evaporate and resin will cure and is no longer toxic, then you can just throw it in the trash.
OVERALL: My resin printer didn't replace my FDM printer. It has a smaller build volume, it's more work to use it, and I find that the resins are more brittle and weaker than the filaments I use in my FDM printer (primarily PETG). It's a great tool for things that need precision and won't be under high stress, but if a print is suitable for either printer, I'm always picking FDM.
cool! I made cell phone holders for my 12yr 6th grade birthday party a few months ago. They grow up really fast :)
I recommend blue shop towels instead of the white towels when you are cleaning things like the build plate, they don't have strands that come off in the same way and those strands can theoretically block things or get between things you don't want but they'll be very difficult to see when they absorb a tiny bit of resin. Also, you have a magnetic flexible build plate, you should be able to just flex it and never need to get in with the scraper. Probably not a problem when all you're touching is support material but if you print something flat on the plate or if you have an actual model surface touching the build plate you can damage or warp it slightly with the scraper.
Re Flex Plate: Yes most things I print come off with a simple flex. However with these goats, there were no broad, flat surfaces against the build plate, just dozens of isolated pillars (supports and feet). Flexing the plate just caused the supports to wiggle but didn't release anything. The flex plate concept has been a game-changer for me for both FDM and resin printing, but this was one of those infrequent times it didn't help.
I do know that paper towels can shed a bit I just haven't seen any impact from it (in my experience). But I really hate how many paper towels I end up using for each cycle. I would love to switch to something reusable, but it just seems like a monumental hassle to safely store and wash used towels to be reused.
@@ObsessiveEngineering You could try some kind of synthetic cloth towel, the nice thing about both isopropyl and liquid resin is that direct sunlight will evaporate one and cure the other. I have a big vat that I use to collect liquids that have come into contact with the resin or cleaner and when it gets a bit more full im just going to leave it out in the sun with a little spacer between the top and the cap and something to block squirrels or something from getting at it but it is glass so the sunlight will go through it and make it all nice and clean and safe after a few days. Maybe you could do something similar with the synthetic cloth towel where you dry it out in the sun for a while, maybe wrapped in some plastic wrap or fenced off in a way that would avoid animal or people related exposure accidents. I go through more gloves than towels personally and there could be a similar solve there.
Fascinating to watch and really interesting to see the process step by step.
I think the video would benefit from a better title. I was expecting it to be 20 minutes of closeup ASMR splashing but it has lots of useful info and is actually educational, and definitely not ASMR ;) I have only clicked after watching a few other videos of yours and deciding that it must be as good as others (it is).
Thanks for the video 👍 very informative
Glad to hear you liked it. Thanks!
Let me know if there's any other 3D printing topics you'd find interesting for me to cover.
Fascinating 👍😎👍
I have been doing resin printing for 4 years, now. I have a FormLabs Form 2 printer. What a pain in the but is that printer!
In any case, I had never heard about dirty alcohol being placed in a glass bottle and exposed to the sun. You quickly mentioned it but I was thoroughly impressed with this great Idea!
I just worry a bit about pressure buildup inside the bottle while exposed to the sun. I am assuming that you should only keep the bottles half full or half empty (Depending on your point of view 😊)
Surprisingly there isn't really any pressure build-up in the bottles. I tend to fill them up 90% and never had a problem. I guess the curing process doesn't release any gases, and the alcohol itself has pretty low vapor pressure, even if it gets a little warm.
My understanding of the Formlabs printers is that this process is considerably more streamlined. Are you saying it actually is just as annoying? Or are you just surprised watching this video how annoying it is for sub-$5,000 resin printers? 😃
@@ObsessiveEngineering, I bought the Form 2 for work and paid $3,000.00, back then. I do 3D models for a Jewellery store.
I am sure that the FormLabs investors are putting loads of pressure on their CEO to remain profitable and, as a result, they are using slimy tactics such as:
* Force you to use their resin which is 3 times as expensive as anyone else's.
* They prevent you from using your resin if they dim it to be "too old".
* You will only be allowed to use your "old" resin or a third party resin in "Open Mode". On "Open Mode" they will disable a wiper that wipes the resin tank after every layer and will also disable the resin heating system. So, I was forced to print on my Form 2 with an official resin from FormLabs without the wiper and without heating. It printed OK but this kind of tactics tick me off.
* They will keep your resin tank heated even if the printer is off. I didn't know that so my tank, that I kept empty inside of the printer, cracked. I now have to pull the cord on the back of my printer when I am not using it.
The printer has a bunch of sensors that malfunction all the time.
* There is a sensor on the Resin cartridge that detects if you have enough resin left. I tend to pour the used resin back into the Cartridge but the printer doesn't like it.
* The resin tank has a sensor that determines what resin that I used it with on my last print. If I wash the tank and try to print it with a different resin, the printer will make me jump through hoops to get it to start. This sensor is also always failing to make connection and the printing job will not start until I have cleaned it several times.
* There is a sensor that tells that the printer has too little resin in the tank and will never start. I have to empty the tank, start it over again and hope that the problem will not be triggered again.
* There is a sensor that tells that the resin tank is too full and stops the printing in the middle. It will wait until you remove some resin from the tank before It can restart.
Let me tell you about their slicer software:
* Every time I install an update on their proprietary "PreForm" slicer software, it forgets what printer I have and forces me to find, select it, and configure it again.
* The "PreForm" software can find the printer on the network but it doesn't recognise what printer I have.
* When I go to select the printer that I have, "Form 2" is not one of the options. I eventually discovered that the "PreForm" software calls my printer as "HugeBee". Go figure!
* The printer came with a defect from factory. It would not automatically open the resin cartridge and pour resin. I had to fill the tank manually until one day when I opened up the printer and fixed it. One would think that a $3,000.00 printer would have better quality control.
Now a days, I can buy a printer with equivalent print quality for $200.00!
I could go on and on about the problems I had with this printer. I think that you got the idea. Your resin printing experience is paradise compared to mine.
@@ObsessiveEngineering Thanks for answering my question regarding the alcohol bottles! You were very helpful! 🙂👍
@@MakerMindset Thanks for the details. I'm very surprised to hear that based on the other experiences I've heard with the Formlabs printers. I guess it's not all rainbows and unicorns...
@@ObsessiveEngineering When you are an early adopter and spent that much money, it is hard to admit that you have been had. No one will willingly admit that they spent that much money and that it was not worth it.
Very thorough, thanks! A few questions though:
1) Is resin safe enough for a six year old? Is it okay for them to put finished parts in their mouths?
2) Does it have to be 99% IPA? That can be a PITA to source at a reasonable price. 91% would need a bit more time to evaporate the extra water, but otherwise, what's the difference?
3) Have you had problems with your prints disintegrating in the sun? IIRC, that was an early problem.
And Happy (belated, I presume) Birthday to your daughter! :)
Good questions:
1) Obviously I have kids so I have worried about this too. My test is whether I can smell resin on the finished print. The fully-cured resin is safe and doesn't smell anything it started, so it's a good test. This is one reason I have become somewhat disillusioned with 3D printing as a general tool -- if I do bulkier parts that need to be printed hollow with drain holes, I find it nearly impossible to get the insides washed enough to not smell anymore. Imperfect cleaning inside may not be a huge problem in dry operation, but when it gets wet it could drip contaminated water. So now I only print on the resin printer stuff that I can print solid, and that doesn't have anything too complex that might complicate washing. That's not to say it can't be done, I just don't have the patience for it (and my FDM printers work for most things I do)
2) It does not have to be 99%, it's just preferred. I believe 90%+ is generally recommended
3) The sun produces a ton of UV which is the same light used to cure the resin. In fact, you can skip the cure machine stage and just put the prints out in the sun for a few hours to cure them. The downside is that continued UV exposure will cause them to effectively over-cure and start breaking down. However, you could paint the parts with a weatherproof paint to protect them (resin prints aren't the only plastic in the world that break down under long-term UV exposure).
@@ObsessiveEngineering Thanks! So it's better than what I thought, I've been put off by the mess, the smell/toxicity, and needing to paint the finished product (if left in a windowsill). I love the results, but I'll wait a bit longer and stick with my FDM printer.