FYI on the Simple Green. We use that on submarines when cleaning because it has no atmosphere contaminants or other contaminants that can cause the crew any health issues in enclosed spaces (like a submarine under water) for months on end. We also use ISP for some specific equipment cleaning...but we only use metal containers because the alcohol can break down the plastic from a container and suspend it in the solution and you end up coating the material your trying to clean with a microscopic film of plastic...which can build up over time and end up ruining some very expensive items.
The only polymers that can by partly dissolved by alcohols are ABS, CAB and Acrylic. PE-HD, in which 99.9999% of alcohol is stored doesn't dissolve any polymer for many years.
Also with simple green is that it is crazy potent. You can dilute that stuff a lot before it stops being effective. And you can buy larger containers than that for about the same price.
Yup. Just ordered my printer, can't find ISO anywhere. I did find Simple Green - I got 344 oz (2 gal, 88 oz.) for $19.06 and free shipping. That should last a while. (I hope)
@@broderp if your prints are small you can fill a smaller beaker with your cleaner, then put water in your bath and stand the beaker in the water - the water is needed to help the vibrations transfer to the beaker :)
Does you know if it has to be that specific mr clean product? I can only find multipurpose mr clean but the antibacterial he is using is nowhere to be found.
Thanks so much for these videos - I'm just about to plug in my first 3D printer, have gotten lots of tips from veteran 3D print folk, and I'm already a little overwhelmed - it's SO helpful to see the process in action along with the possible choices and results! You've saved me a ton of time and I haven't even started yet - MUCH appreciated!!!
Hey its Michael Pavlovich! The zbrush mentor to us all lol. Funny place to tell ya, but as a professional 3D artist, I still go to your videos regularly for help. Thanks for all the help man! To all the folks reading this, if you wanna learn zbrush, this the man right here!
Thank you for testing! If you want to reuse your cleaners put them into your curing station. After a few minutes all the liquid resin in the cleaner will solidify and sinks to the bottom of the bottle. Tested it with IPA. Have an nice day!
Coffee filters are commonly 20 microns as well and they will remove a lot of the "powdered" material from the Ipa. Grab a few two liter bottles or 3D print some funnels and you can rather quickly assemble a 3 stage IPA filter/recycling system. @@UncleJessy
Ha! I should read more before I leave a comment. I just asked about that. That's how we do it at work too, but have fancy filters there which are hard to duplicate at home.
Robert Allen Payne did you guys buy them or make them yourself at work? At my job we have SLA and DLP printers and I made a really ghetto system that seems to work to an extent. I basically wait for the alcohol to settle and the resin to sit at the bottom. Then I filter the alcohol with some strainers with a paper mesh to cover the surface. I do this on top of a brida filter but we print so much that we clogged it right away
RZ masks do not filter vapors, just particulates and are providing you very limited protection from any resin or cleaning agent fumes. Something like a 3M respirator rated for organic vapors would be recommended.
When I bought my first resin printer, in the box I found a surgical mask. And the instructions said to make sure to wear the mask when working with the resin. Straight up! A surgical mask. When I go to the doctor they have a sign as you come into the waiting room. It says, “If you have a cold, the flu, or some other issue that causes you to cough or sneeze, then please take and wear a mask for the health of other patients and our staff.” They provide that same surgical mask that was shipped with my printer. I asked the doctor about it. And she told me that those types of masks ONLY stop germs from the people WEARING the mask. Anything floating in the air already will simply take the path of least resistance AROUND the mask and into your nose, mouth and lungs. So all these folks you see wearing these masks at airports are not protecting themselves. And if they aren’t able to protect themselves from germs, that mask SURE won’t protect them from VOCs and HAPs. If you are concerned about the fumes, then read the SDS and take appropriate action. The CDC states, “Respirators should only be used when engineering control systems are not feasible. Engineering control systems, such as adequate ventilation or scrubbing of contaminants, are the preferred control methods for reducing worker exposures.” So honestly, if you are worried about your health, don’t use resin printers unless you are willing to put in forced air ventilation. It’s what I did. It was easy. And pretty cheap. And now I’m fume free and don’t need to worry about respirators.
Partially correct. RZ Mask makes organic vapor filters for the their masks. You can either have masks that only filter particulates, or particulates and organic vapors/paints/solvents, etc. I own both types of mask RZ as well as dual cartridge respirators (3M style), and I find the RZ mask with the vapor filter to be the easiest to use, but if I'm going to do something prolonged and nasty I'll get out the dual cartridge respirator as I feel it is slightly more secure and filters better overall.
@@truantray IPA is known to almost immediately cloud clear resins with a bit of a frosted appearance. This is right after they're in the IPA, even before they're cured, so it is unrelated to being completely dried. This is why I use ResinAway but I'm here to see if there were cheaper options that worked just as well as ResinAway.
Hate to say it, but I wish you'd have done the tests on translucent resin. That way you could compare the fogging and discoloration effects of the cleaners :\
@@truantray true, but he says 'isopropanol alcohol' while the bottle is sitting there and clearly says 'Isopropyl alcohol' and it's driving me up the wall.
I’ve noticed a lot of YT hosts say it that way. Always wonder why when it clearly says different on the bottle. Maybe their science teachers in high school learned to say it that way in a different time?
I used to work for a cleaning company, we had a contract with a chain of clinics, and they loved it when we used that Mr Clean cleaner for their floors. It's been a long time since I've worked for them, and I still buy and use that cleaner for my floors. The smell is heavenly.
@@AquaticSCP dishwasher water is far too hot and will likely melt and warp your prints though. Not to mention that you would need to be using a water washable resin and also risk contaminating anything else you put in the machine with it.
I use ultrasonic cleaners a lot and I have found clothes' detergent in liquid form is superb for cleaning in those machines ( a liitle detergent goes a log way do not use it 100% strength) . Better than orange chizel, simple green and other de-greasers. Also, you do not have to fill the whole tub with the cleaner. Fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water and put the product in a plastic tub filled to the same depth as the water in the cleaner. There is no difference.
Interesting video. You don't know how happy I was to see you address the respiratory issues with resins as I think that is a far bigger issue than the resin itself. I am a polymer chemist so I may be a bit jaded, but methacrylates are noxious and it takes far less of a substance to affect you through smell(in most cases) than it does through skin contact. But on that note, make sure you are using a F1 or F3 filter as those are designed to handle chemical and organic vapors as well as dust and fine particulates. I would also wipe down any and everything you work with while wearing gloves with one of the alternative cleaning solutions you tested(or IPA) to avoid any chance for potential cross contamination. Excellent video and I will probably move to any of those non-IPA cleaners, especially if you are going to use an ultrasonic bath as they are mostly water with 'soap' so there should be no chance of any vapors igniting anything anywhere.
I know this is an older video but I have used Mean Green for the last 3+ years.. It was $5 for a gallon at walmart here but is now $6.12/gal.. I usually buy online and pick it up. It's not dangerous to your health and smells much better than alcohol. btw, long time follower, Jessy!
Thanks for the tips @uncle jessy. I have started using Simple Green for Water washable Resin in a 75% to 25% ratio (75% water, 25% Simple Green) in Anycubic 2in1 Wash and Cure and prints turn out amazingly clean. To clean my print plate and FEB, I am now using same 75% to 25% mixture in a spray bottle… Spray it and wipeout with paper towel, super simple and no mess.
It need to be pointed out these DO NOT work without a ultrasonic cleaner. I had the simple pickle dunking stations that worked fine for IPA but I got the one you suggested, mean green, and it did not work in my dunking station. Not only did it not get my print clean but it would foam really bad. I got an ultra sonic cleaner and now it works great! I can't remember if you said this or not in the video. I watched it but might have missed it, just throwing it out there. . .
For those here for the IPA shortage, look into Purple Power as well. I use it. Doesn't have the weird minty/licorice smell that Simple Green does. I also use it to clean the build plate and the resin tank after prints. Scrape out the resin, spray the plate and reservoir and wipe. I also use a foaming ammonia free glass cleaner to clean off the build plate and FEP. I'm trying to get away from IPA because of the harsh smell and scarcity.
I’m curious if the effectiveness of the clean would change if you had used a more contemporary cleaning machine like the Creality wash and cure station or any of the equivalents that instead of being ultrasonic actually just have a magnetically driven fan to stir the cleaning solution
If this ever gets revised or revisited, Remember to mention that cleaners will Eat away at the spinner in the Wash and cure stations! was wondering why there was black bits floating around and i discovered that it completely dissolved the Rubber and the Blue protective coating on the spinner in the bottom of the container!
Thank you for doing this! I am a noobie with resin 3d printing, and its great to know we dont have to HUNT for alcohol! We can use one of these others that are SO much easier to find!
Great job! Also, the Mean Green can be picked up at your local Dollar Tree for you guessed it! A BUCK! Also.. nice to see you guys using my pickle container idea! ;)
I know this is an old video but that makes my question perfect. So after almost 2 years is Mean Green still your go to cleaner? Or are you using something else by now. I am waiting on delivery of my first resin printer. The Anycubic Photon Mono. Thanks
Probably not with the resin he used. He didn’t use a water washable resin so parts would be damaged. If you are gonna go out of your way to get water washable resin, then just clean with water. No chems involved.
For Ultrasonic cleaners it is very important that that are filled for them to work correctly. Even 1/2 inch makes a difference on the waves power. Besides that it will burn out the transducers fast if not full. I’m sure the manual will agree
Just an FYI out there for everyone. I used to use Simple Green to clean the rinse tanks of photo printers and developed a sensitivity to it. If anyone starts getting a scratchy throat, runny nose or eyes watering. Get to fresh air asap. If it comes back when you go back in the room find a new cleaner. I got so I can't even give the stuff one spray trigger w/o having a coughing fit. Hope it doesn't happen to anyone, cause it sucks. It was my favorite cleaner for many years. Happy printing ppl!😁
I'm going for the most environmental combo - Simple Green with Anycubic's soy-based resin. I live in the mountains of Central Oregon and during the winter, my options for ventilating my heated garage are minimal. I will post a video after I have done some testing with this combo.
Thanks for this comparison. I'm just getting into 3D printing and picked up the Mars 2 p. I picked up a jug of the simple green because I'm trying to avoid harsh smells in my house. Plus I'll be using the plant based resin from Anycubic, again to keep the odours down. I'm anxious to see how things turn out once I cut my teeth on a few test prints. Still waiting on my Ultra Sonic Cleaner and Curing Booth before I get started. 👍
Thank you so much! I’m just getting into resin printing and I’ve seen all these vids about how you’re gonna have to spend 200 on gallons of IPA. I’ll be sure to get some mean green and try it out
Mean Green is indeed the best. I have been using it for years and recommending it for as long. Simple reason is its the only cleaner I could find that contains an ethoxylated or propoxylated alcohol which are the ingredients common to stuff like Resin Away from Monocure, and Yellow Magic 7 (yep, resin away is essentially mean green with a crazy jacked up price) that can be bought at a general store. You can confirm this by obtaining the MSDS from Monocure and Yellow Magic if you would like. It can be bought in gallons for about $8 at hardware stores depending where you live. It will also last forever minus evaporation due to the fact you can cure the resin out of it. However it WILL discolor your print if left in too long. As far as alcohols go, you should be using denatured alcohol (ethanol, which is methylated to prevent drinking), also known as methylated spirits across the pond. I really dont know why isopropanol became a thing for rinsing prints. Ethanol, which is in fact the alcohol recommended by most resin manufacturers, works far better, does not cloud prints nearly as bad, and is MUCH cheaper at around $11/gal. I am going to assume when people read alcohol they assumed it meant isopropanol, and it just became the norm, which was in fact mis-information. Some do just state alcohol without specifying ethanol, but most do state ethanol. Isopropanol does work, but is not as effective, and clouds the prints due to having a water content that is absorbed into the surface on top of the amount of etching that takes place. Also, do not use alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner. Flammable vapors can be produced potentially causing a really bad day.
I’m even using Simple Green with my water washable resin. I’ve diluted it about half with water. Seems to clean better than just plain water. After the SG bath I put the prints in plain water as a final rinse.
Another great video. Thanks for taking the time to do the test and sharing the results! I like your honest approach used in all your reviews and the information you share is valuable, saves time and money, all while entertaining. Sorry you had a spillage and it was the winning product! Great video I'll be looking out for your next episode!
We used to use mean green to clean the scummy green slimy algae out of our pool whenever we would let it sit for a season. I'm excited to try it for this
This is fantastic, I too have used IPA and hate the smell and the mess and seeing this not only can I get away from that I can also save a ton of cash! So thanks for doing this experiment, you just saved me a lot of money!!!
This is super interesting! Thanks for posting this test! User safety/toxicity of the cleaners in large quantities is probably the biggest trade-off I see with regards to using these as an IPA alternative, but the fact that the degreaser resulted in the cleanest prints is very interesting! I wonder how ethanol would work... maybe you could try scotch, vodka, and rum next! :P
You can get a gallon of Mean Green concentrate at Walmart for $4.97. That's probably your biggest bang for the buck. I'm grabbing a couple of gallons today as I'm doing more LCD resin printing than ever before and ISO is not cheap. Great vid with a lot of excellent information!
50% Isopropyl Alcohol also works IF used it in an ultrasonic cleaner for a few more minutes. I put my prints and the cleaning solutions in a sealed plastic container with a locking lid and put that in my ultrasonic cleaner with water filling the rest of the vat. This way It never gets dirty, I only change the water once in a while and can keep multiple cleaning solutions in different containers. Like water to rinse the cleaning solution. Also, remember different resins don't all clean the same.
Great video, Jessy, but product lifetime is another variable to consider. I realize it would make for a much more complicated test, but how many cleaning cycles can you get out of each product and, more importantly, what do you do with the dirty cleaner when it's used up? My hunch is all of them except IPA have to be taken to the recycling center (maybe they can be decanted a few times first, but that takes a lot of time and more cleaner to use while the dirty stuff sits). IPA, on the other hand, can easily be distilled (with a $125 electric water distiller from Amazon) and reused indefinitely (until you run out of it through evaporation), simplifying the cleaning cycle and, possibly, reducing cost.
Speaking of potential electrical explosion - I've heard that ISO you shouldn't put into sonic cleaners directly - and should bag it in a ziplock back with the part inside - and use water in the sonic cleaner to prevent explosion because of the chemical. Out of the rest of the cleaners you suggested, what are the dangers of using directly into a sonic cleaner (if by chance there was an electrical discharge or malfunction)
Usually more dangerous on larger scales but yeah IPA In a ultrasonic could be dangerous like any chemical that gives off flammable vapors. Keep open flames away from the flammable chemicals and don't leave it running long.
Some people say Mean Green leaves a tacky feeling on the print and needs a second wash to eliminate the tackiness, would you say that's true? It's only been a few people, but I'm curious.
I have a Prusa SL1 and CW1. I have been using IPA 91%, but figured I'd try something different with the shortage going on. Baseline process, I have my CW1 was with IPA for 5 min, no water rinse, followed by 10 min heat dry @ 30C (no preheat), then 10 min cure. In case anyone is not familiar with it, the CW1 is a stirrer, so not ultrasonic. Attempts listed below, mean green as is without dilution: 1) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis from built plate and dunk rinse in tub 2 of water. Dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis came out shiny, creases showing what appears to be mix of resin and mean green residue cured. Definitely not what I was looking for. 2) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis, and scrub with toothbrush followed by dunk rinse in tub 2 of water. Preheat to 30C, dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis better on large flat areas (like shields), but majority of minis still shiny, with residue in creases. A little better, but still not what I want. 3) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis, and scrub with toothbrush followed by scrub and rinse in tub 2 of water. Followed by rinse under tap. Preheat to 30C, dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis on larger surface areas came out much better, but top surface of base (assuming I didn't scrub enough) and deep creases still shiny/showing residue. I'm happy I'm seeing progress, but still not satisfied, especially with all the extra effort I'm having to do compared to before. My thoughts on this compared to Uncle Jessy's results is that agitation may be key with the alternative solutions working or not. Stirring type machines could not be doing enough with using mean green as a means to clean resin off models. I haven't tried the other solutions yet with the CW1. Uncle Jessy, it may be worth revisiting this, especially with the IPA shortage going on, and see if various washing solutions work without ultrasonic machines.
My worry with the cleaning products is that they may not fully evaporate off like an IPA would, so a follow up of painting and seeing if the paint still adheres in the same way might be useful.
3 things.. 1) Can we test with clear prints? (gets cloudy?) 2) Could time have affected for the alcohol? Not sure if this sat under "sun/light" exposure longer than others, so maybe they partially cured ahead of time leaving those marks? maybe have them in a dark closed container before.. although if the third was the best/then these might not applicable.. but still thinking of a more controlled environment. 3) should add alcohol in a bag if it's flamable or something? I was not aware until reading the comments..
As @@erikcramer said, the only reason these worked is because they all contain some sort of surfactant(soap) to pull the organic resins into water. Now what would be interesting to see is if 5% solutions of PVA(elmer's glue) of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol would work. It may require more than 5%, but it would make for an interesting experiment but in the end, it is likely to be more expensive than the off-the-shelf cleaners.
Hey hey, I use IPA to clean almost all of my prints, or IPA in a spray bottle for really large prints. This method still works but doesn’t clean as good as IPA
So now Rust-oleum not just selling the best filler/primer for fdm prints, but the best resin cleaner too. They can begin to think about a 3Dprinting sub-brand! :D
If the chemical bottle is not clearly marked then you use the hand wave smell method. None of the chemical cleaners used in this video are dangerous and in fact, simple green is non toxic.
Great videos as always Jessy. If I can please make a request: please please please demonstrate the use of a proper respirator that filters fumes. What you’re using doesn’t have cartridge filters which is essential for safety. As someone who was hospitalized for breathing in bad stuff, I learned my lesson the hard way. Use a Niosh approved respirator with 6001 cartridge filters. These are regulated and proven to filter out harmful chemicals. As a fellow maker, I’m seeing lots of tutorial videos on TH-cam where safety isn’t always promoted. Lots of kids are watching, let’s do our part to keep them safe! Thanks for all your hard work and videos, they are amazing! Keep on making!!
Panda Props & Costumes This is great advice 👍 The dust particle mask could even make fume inhalation worse as you end up breathing harder through the mask. Organic vapour filters will prevent the hallucinations 🤪
How does this stack up 2 years later with non-ultrasonic washing stations? Tempted to switch to mean green or even the mr clean for Mercury X. Easy to get at local small town Canadian Tire store and as you mentioned in the video less toxic fumes.
Uncle Jessy, how do you dispose of the Mean Green solution when it gets dirty. And how often do you recommend changing it out? With the IPA, I would just pour it into a clear container and let it solidify in the sun. Then when thoroughly cured into a blob of "cheese", I'd let it dry out take to my waste disposal center. Same thing with the Mean Green?
Glad I found this video, I was wondering if there were alternatives to IPA. I am just starting with 3D resin printing (I already have an Ender-3) and am collecting supplies while waiting for my Anycubic Photon to arrive. Also, if you spill a cleaning product are you really making a mess?
Thanks for the experiment. Now I can switch to something more cost-effective. May also explain why some of my prints still seemed to not be clean after I cleaned them.
Thanks for your channel and time posting your test results. I have used Monocure's ResinAway with success, but these results present FAR less expensive and easily accessible options. Happy printing, Uncle Jessy!
This is fantastic (not to be confused with Fantastic - sorry bad pun). But cleaning the prints is only half the task. What do you do when the cleaners are thoroughly loaded with resin and must be disposed of? How are you going to safely dispose of them? It would be irresponsible to pour them down the drain due to the resin. Is there a filtration method you could recommend? I envision blasting the cleaning solution with UV light for 24 hours, then putting them through a 5 micron water filter. That should remove all the particulates and you could throw the filter away after it dries. But that still leaves the cleaners themselves. It would be interesting to know if they are "infinitely" reusable. Of course, I know that's going to take a long time to figure out. I'm going to grab some of the Mean Green. Maybe in a year I'll remember to come back and comment. Thanks so much for this! Great episode!!
Great demo. You can fill the pickle jar with cleaner and then put in the tank with water below the cleaner line. All of the cleaners have a alcohol component.
Is that mask rated for organic vapor filtering? If it isn't, then it's not actually doing anything for you to filter resin vapors and fumes. If it makes you feel healthier than fine, but that's just a placebo effect
You've a money saver. With this virus you can't find alcohol anywhere. Thank you for this. Saved me from wasting over 100$ to people taking advantage of the lack of product to take as much money as they can from people.
Different resins respond to Simple/Mean green differently. Siraya Tech seems to work best; which is what Uncle Jessy uses most of the time. Others don't always works so well.
This is nice to see, IPA in Sweden is ~25 USD per liter and has been that way for years. Even if you purchase it by the can it costs over 75$ for 5 liters.
Thank you very much for this review we are just starting the resin printing from using the old style and we are very happy to not use that much alcohol
I was reading that post while in Walmart the other day. Walked right over to the cleaning supplies Isle and picked up a bottle of mean green. My Mars should be at my doorstep this afternoon.
I love simple green because it cleans so well. I paint, and it strips them off the prints if you let it sit in the solution. And the smell you are looking for I think is mild licorice
Please don't use flammable liquids in an ultrasonic cleaner unless you know what you are doing. If you want to use flammable liquids such as IPA in an ultrasonic cleaner you would want to do it in a blast proof cleaner. Additionally you would want to make sure you have a high quality ultrasonic cleaner, not a cheap one. I won't pretend to act like I'm the end all, be all of ultrasonic cleaners. However I do some work repairing computers and one of the cleaning methods many places use is a ultrasonic cleaner for logic boards. I have not purchased one, but from my research it is possible to get away with using flammable liquids inside of them, but the issue comes when it fails, because then you can expect something catastrophic. No I am not exaggerating, just look up some videos of when small amounts of IPA come in contact with fire. I don't know if any of the other solvents used in this video are non-flammable, but hopefully they are. I felt like I needed to say this as people could get seriously hurt, hopefully this would at least prompt some people to just do a little bit of research regarding this.
Uncle Messy, my understanding (I’m no genius) is that ultrasonic cleaner does not do as well with parts sitting on the bottom. The waves hit stronger up in the fluid. You need to get a steel basket that hangs above the bottom. Steel because ultrasonic waves do not like plastic (plastic tends to absorb too much energy) and aluminum disintegrates in ultrasonic waves. Some mild heat and longer cleaning might help, too. -signed your not so bright but insulting fan
thanks for this review, interesting results. You mentioned that you typically don't put the cleaner back in the bottle. How do you usually dispose of it? Thanks
Pretty good science for Not A Science Guy. I'm just getting into resin printing and this was a very useful video for me. Not mentioned - an open pan of IPA is a huge fire hazard and humans shouldn't inhale organic solvents... because we're organic.
So whats 2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethanol which is in «Mean green» and which products can replace it(«Mean green» not available in Norway) or is jus IPA/iso just the easiest, and does it have to be above 90% isopropyl? www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/mean-green/hard-surface-cleaner/super-strength-multi-purpose
I wonder how well these work in the Mercury Plus and similar cleaning stations. Sonic cleaners are a bit of a different animal. But hey, I've one of each that I can experiment with. I'll post my findings later.
i know it's many many years later, but it would have been interesting to also have tried cleaning it with water for comparison of how much cleaning action the ultra sonic itself had, versus the actual cleaners.
Just got Phrozen Sonic Mini (completely new to printing). Used Elegoo ABS-like Grey resin. Didn't have ultrasonic, just used pickle container with Mean Green, washed with water and the cured. Still tacky after curing so I placed back in Mean Green, then re-cured and it came out less tacky. Perhaps the ultrasonic makes a big difference with removing the "slime" layer as GhostRaptur eluded to in his comments. Also, my first 2 print attempts of the rings failed (mostly). I did upgrade to the angled build of the platform and not the one that comes with the unit because I didn't want all that resin on top of the platform after printing. Not sure if that caused a problem. With my first attempt, the rings were only made to the base of the bottom of the ring - basically the supports and the first part of rings. Resin was stuck to the FEP of the vat. Second try, one ring came out (3rd one from left). Others were partially made. Not sure what is up as LCD test was good. I redid the Z Calib but this time used 2 thicknesses of paper. Next, I tried a blank panther stl from Thingiverse and used the settings in Chitubox that were recommended in the Sonic Mini manual. It failed miserably where only the supports were formed and not the body. There was a thin layer of resin sticking to the FEP of the VAT again. I need help for sure.
3:02 "... if I don't have enough IPA to fill this tank up " Actually you don't need to fill the tank with IPA. Fill it with water. Put your parts to be clean and the IPA in a smaller plastic (or glass) container, and put that container inside the tank of the ultrasonic cleaner. You're not only saving on the amount of IPA (or whatever solvent you're using for the respective clean-job) but also keeping your ultrasonic cleaner clean from any chemicals (besides water ... technically water is still a chemical ... you know, the same way alcohol is a solution ;))
FYI on the Simple Green. We use that on submarines when cleaning because it has no atmosphere contaminants or other contaminants that can cause the crew any health issues in enclosed spaces (like a submarine under water) for months on end. We also use ISP for some specific equipment cleaning...but we only use metal containers because the alcohol can break down the plastic from a container and suspend it in the solution and you end up coating the material your trying to clean with a microscopic film of plastic...which can build up over time and end up ruining some very expensive items.
Simple Green and a Mop. Every Submariners worst friend.
The only polymers that can by partly dissolved by alcohols are ABS, CAB and Acrylic.
PE-HD, in which 99.9999% of alcohol is stored doesn't dissolve any polymer for many years.
@@Balassvar what mop did you get? All I got was a few chem wipes and a fox tail.
Also with simple green is that it is crazy potent. You can dilute that stuff a lot before it stops being effective. And you can buy larger containers than that for about the same price.
Awesome comment! Made up my mind for me
Don't sell yourself short. You put together a solid comparison test, eliminating as many variables as you could. Keep up the good work.
This video has never been more relative with the current iso shortage. Thank you!
Yep! That's why I'm here.
Yup. Just ordered my printer, can't find ISO anywhere. I did find Simple Green - I got 344 oz (2 gal, 88 oz.) for $19.06 and free shipping. That should last a while. (I hope)
@@broderp if your prints are small you can fill a smaller beaker with your cleaner, then put water in your bath and stand the beaker in the water - the water is needed to help the vibrations transfer to the beaker :)
Does you know if it has to be that specific mr clean product? I can only find multipurpose mr clean but the antibacterial he is using is nowhere to be found.
I just ordered my first printer and thought "oh crap, i won't be able to find alcohol." One google later here i am.
Thanks so much for these videos - I'm just about to plug in my first 3D printer, have gotten lots of tips from veteran 3D print folk, and I'm already a little overwhelmed - it's SO helpful to see the process in action along with the possible choices and results! You've saved me a ton of time and I haven't even started yet - MUCH appreciated!!!
Hey its Michael Pavlovich! The zbrush mentor to us all lol. Funny place to tell ya, but as a professional 3D artist, I still go to your videos regularly for help. Thanks for all the help man! To all the folks reading this, if you wanna learn zbrush, this the man right here!
Thank you for testing! If you want to reuse your cleaners put them into your curing station. After a few minutes all the liquid resin in the cleaner will solidify and sinks to the bottom of the bottle. Tested it with IPA. Have an nice day!
Oh dang. I will have to give that a go.
Coffee filters are commonly 20 microns as well and they will remove a lot of the "powdered" material from the Ipa. Grab a few two liter bottles or 3D print some funnels and you can rather quickly assemble a 3 stage IPA filter/recycling system. @@UncleJessy
Ha! I should read more before I leave a comment. I just asked about that. That's how we do it at work too, but have fancy filters there which are hard to duplicate at home.
Robert Allen Payne did you guys buy them or make them yourself at work? At my job we have SLA and DLP printers and I made a really ghetto system that seems to work to an extent. I basically wait for the alcohol to settle and the resin to sit at the bottom. Then I filter the alcohol with some strainers with a paper mesh to cover the surface. I do this on top of a brida filter but we print so much that we clogged it right away
Yep I do this too, works well
RZ masks do not filter vapors, just particulates and are providing you very limited protection from any resin or cleaning agent fumes. Something like a 3M respirator rated for organic vapors would be recommended.
They're also pretty cheap!
as a chemical compounder, I second the organic vapor filter option. 👍
When I bought my first resin printer, in the box I found a surgical mask. And the instructions said to make sure to wear the mask when working with the resin. Straight up! A surgical mask. When I go to the doctor they have a sign as you come into the waiting room. It says, “If you have a cold, the flu, or some other issue that causes you to cough or sneeze, then please take and wear a mask for the health of other patients and our staff.” They provide that same surgical mask that was shipped with my printer. I asked the doctor about it. And she told me that those types of masks ONLY stop germs from the people WEARING the mask. Anything floating in the air already will simply take the path of least resistance AROUND the mask and into your nose, mouth and lungs. So all these folks you see wearing these masks at airports are not protecting themselves. And if they aren’t able to protect themselves from germs, that mask SURE won’t protect them from VOCs and HAPs. If you are concerned about the fumes, then read the SDS and take appropriate action. The CDC states, “Respirators should only be used when engineering control systems are not feasible. Engineering control systems, such as adequate ventilation or scrubbing of contaminants, are the preferred control methods for reducing worker exposures.” So honestly, if you are worried about your health, don’t use resin printers unless you are willing to put in forced air ventilation. It’s what I did. It was easy. And pretty cheap. And now I’m fume free and don’t need to worry about respirators.
Partially correct. RZ Mask makes organic vapor filters for the their masks. You can either have masks that only filter particulates, or particulates and organic vapors/paints/solvents, etc. I own both types of mask RZ as well as dual cartridge respirators (3M style), and I find the RZ mask with the vapor filter to be the easiest to use, but if I'm going to do something prolonged and nasty I'll get out the dual cartridge respirator as I feel it is slightly more secure and filters better overall.
It's okay, he doesn't use it anyways. He just says he does so people can't cry about his safety problems.
I feel all these tests are best done with transparent resin as that is where most people want an alternative for IPA to prevent clouding.
I totally agree, should do a followup video with transparent resin. Still loved the video though.
I would also like to see a test done with transparent resin.
Clouding is avoided by drying the print completely.
@@truantray IPA is known to almost immediately cloud clear resins with a bit of a frosted appearance. This is right after they're in the IPA, even before they're cured, so it is unrelated to being completely dried. This is why I use ResinAway but I'm here to see if there were cheaper options that worked just as well as ResinAway.
SoGchaos then you won’t be able (harder) to see the liquid resin still on the prints
Hate to say it, but I wish you'd have done the tests on translucent resin. That way you could compare the fogging and discoloration effects of the cleaners :\
Just a heads up. Isopropanol is a combination of the words Isopropyl and alcohol. There's no such thing as Isopropanol alcohol. 😃
There is literally no chemistry in this video.
@@truantray true, but he says 'isopropanol alcohol' while the bottle is sitting there and clearly says 'Isopropyl alcohol' and it's driving me up the wall.
I’ve noticed a lot of YT hosts say it that way. Always wonder why when it clearly says different on the bottle. Maybe their science teachers in high school learned to say it that way in a different time?
Geez a bunch of nerds... but you are correct....
just say 2-propanol ;)
I used to work for a cleaning company, we had a contract with a chain of clinics, and they loved it when we used that Mr Clean cleaner for their floors. It's been a long time since I've worked for them, and I still buy and use that cleaner for my floors. The smell is heavenly.
Pssht ultrasonic cleaner....... I just put them in a pickle container and then on top of the washing machine🤪
AK 907 just put them IN the dish washer
OMG This comment is GOLD!
@@AquaticSCP dishwasher water is far too hot and will likely melt and warp your prints though. Not to mention that you would need to be using a water washable resin and also risk contaminating anything else you put in the machine with it.
I use ultrasonic cleaners a lot and I have found clothes' detergent in liquid form is superb for cleaning in those machines ( a liitle detergent goes a log way do not use it 100% strength) . Better than orange chizel, simple green and other de-greasers. Also, you do not have to fill the whole tub with the cleaner. Fill the ultrasonic cleaner with water and put the product in a plastic tub filled to the same depth as the water in the cleaner. There is no difference.
Thanks!
What ratio of laundry detergent to water do you use ?
Interesting video. You don't know how happy I was to see you address the respiratory issues with resins as I think that is a far bigger issue than the resin itself. I am a polymer chemist so I may be a bit jaded, but methacrylates are noxious and it takes far less of a substance to affect you through smell(in most cases) than it does through skin contact. But on that note, make sure you are using a F1 or F3 filter as those are designed to handle chemical and organic vapors as well as dust and fine particulates.
I would also wipe down any and everything you work with while wearing gloves with one of the alternative cleaning solutions you tested(or IPA) to avoid any chance for potential cross contamination. Excellent video and I will probably move to any of those non-IPA cleaners, especially if you are going to use an ultrasonic bath as they are mostly water with 'soap' so there should be no chance of any vapors igniting anything anywhere.
I know this is an older video but I have used Mean Green for the last 3+ years.. It was $5 for a gallon at walmart here but is now $6.12/gal.. I usually buy online and pick it up. It's not dangerous to your health and smells much better than alcohol. btw, long time follower, Jessy!
Simple Green is usually concentrated - if you diluted it to the suggested ratio it might be more cost-effective.
Some concentrated surfactant cleaners work better when diluted. They're designed to enhance water's solvent capabilities.
Thanks for the tips @uncle jessy. I have started using Simple Green for Water washable Resin in a 75% to 25% ratio (75% water, 25% Simple Green) in Anycubic 2in1 Wash and Cure and prints turn out amazingly clean.
To clean my print plate and FEB, I am now using same 75% to 25% mixture in a spray bottle… Spray it and wipeout with paper towel, super simple and no mess.
I've got a gallon of it here, and today is my first print. After you get done with the Green, do you also put it through a UV cure?
@@PopeCodyIV Washing once and then curing once is enough.
It need to be pointed out these DO NOT work without a ultrasonic cleaner. I had the simple pickle dunking stations that worked fine for IPA but I got the one you suggested, mean green, and it did not work in my dunking station. Not only did it not get my print clean but it would foam really bad. I got an ultra sonic cleaner and now it works great! I can't remember if you said this or not in the video. I watched it but might have missed it, just throwing it out there. . .
For those here for the IPA shortage, look into Purple Power as well. I use it. Doesn't have the weird minty/licorice smell that Simple Green does. I also use it to clean the build plate and the resin tank after prints. Scrape out the resin, spray the plate and reservoir and wipe. I also use a foaming ammonia free glass cleaner to clean off the build plate and FEP. I'm trying to get away from IPA because of the harsh smell and scarcity.
I’m curious if the effectiveness of the clean would change if you had used a more contemporary cleaning machine like the Creality wash and cure station or any of the equivalents that instead of being ultrasonic actually just have a magnetically driven fan to stir the cleaning solution
If this ever gets revised or revisited, Remember to mention that cleaners will Eat away at the spinner in the Wash and cure stations! was wondering why there was black bits floating around and i discovered that it completely dissolved the Rubber and the Blue protective coating on the spinner in the bottom of the container!
Thank you for pointing this out!
Not a issue if you use a ultrasonic cleaner, as there is no spinner.
Thank you for doing this! I am a noobie with resin 3d printing, and its great to know we dont have to HUNT for alcohol! We can use one of these others that are SO much easier to find!
Yep! I still use this in my large ultrasonic cleaner
Great job! Also, the Mean Green can be picked up at your local Dollar Tree for you guessed it! A BUCK! Also.. nice to see you guys using my pickle container idea! ;)
I will check this today as I am going to a dollar tree anyway. And where would I find you pickle container idea details?
Great video! As a science teacher, I love this. May even show it in class!
Not to mention, I’m moving to one for the cleaners over ipa.
Thanks!
I know this is an old video but that makes my question perfect. So after almost 2 years is Mean Green still your go to cleaner? Or are you using something else by now. I am waiting on delivery of my first resin printer. The Anycubic Photon Mono. Thanks
X2
I wonder if you should have use plain water in the ultrasonic cleaner as sort of a baseline. Just to remove the Ultrasonic as a factor?
Probably not with the resin he used. He didn’t use a water washable resin so parts would be damaged. If you are gonna go out of your way to get water washable resin, then just clean with water. No chems involved.
Interesting initial findings, I would be interested in seeing how they holdup over time as well. As well as with transparent resin.
For Ultrasonic cleaners it is very important that that are filled for them to work correctly. Even 1/2 inch makes a difference on the waves power. Besides that it will burn out the transducers fast if not full. I’m sure the manual will agree
Just an FYI out there for everyone. I used to use Simple Green to clean the rinse tanks of photo printers and developed a sensitivity to it. If anyone starts getting a scratchy throat, runny nose or eyes watering. Get to fresh air asap. If it comes back when you go back in the room find a new cleaner. I got so I can't even give the stuff one spray trigger w/o having a coughing fit. Hope it doesn't happen to anyone, cause it sucks. It was my favorite cleaner for many years. Happy printing ppl!😁
That’s a great callout! Something for sure I will be closely monitoring as I continue to work with these cleaners
I'm going for the most environmental combo - Simple Green with Anycubic's soy-based resin. I live in the mountains of Central Oregon and during the winter, my options for ventilating my heated garage are minimal. I will post a video after I have done some testing with this combo.
Thanks for this comparison. I'm just getting into 3D printing and picked up the Mars 2 p. I picked up a jug of the simple green because I'm trying to avoid harsh smells in my house. Plus I'll be using the plant based resin from Anycubic, again to keep the odours down. I'm anxious to see how things turn out once I cut my teeth on a few test prints. Still waiting on my Ultra Sonic Cleaner and Curing Booth before I get started. 👍
Look at those shelves stocked with cleaning products. Ahhh, those were the days...
Thank you so much! I’m just getting into resin printing and I’ve seen all these vids about how you’re gonna have to spend 200 on gallons of IPA. I’ll be sure to get some mean green and try it out
Mean Green is indeed the best. I have been using it for years and recommending it for as long. Simple reason is its the only cleaner I could find that contains an ethoxylated or propoxylated alcohol which are the ingredients common to stuff like Resin Away from Monocure, and Yellow Magic 7 (yep, resin away is essentially mean green with a crazy jacked up price) that can be bought at a general store. You can confirm this by obtaining the MSDS from Monocure and Yellow Magic if you would like. It can be bought in gallons for about $8 at hardware stores depending where you live. It will also last forever minus evaporation due to the fact you can cure the resin out of it. However it WILL discolor your print if left in too long. As far as alcohols go, you should be using denatured alcohol (ethanol, which is methylated to prevent drinking), also known as methylated spirits across the pond. I really dont know why isopropanol became a thing for rinsing prints. Ethanol, which is in fact the alcohol recommended by most resin manufacturers, works far better, does not cloud prints nearly as bad, and is MUCH cheaper at around $11/gal. I am going to assume when people read alcohol they assumed it meant isopropanol, and it just became the norm, which was in fact mis-information. Some do just state alcohol without specifying ethanol, but most do state ethanol. Isopropanol does work, but is not as effective, and clouds the prints due to having a water content that is absorbed into the surface on top of the amount of etching that takes place. Also, do not use alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner. Flammable vapors can be produced potentially causing a really bad day.
So after washing in mean green, I can just put it under the same UV/sunlight to cure the left behind resin?
@@travismcgruder5169 Rinse with water after the mean green just to get rid of the mean green.
Looks like Oil Eater brand cleaner may have similar ingredients as well?
Sodium metasilicate - pentahydrate 6834-92-0 < 5%
2 Butoxyethanol 111-76-2 < 5 %
Linear Alcohol Ethoxylate 68439-46-3 < 5 %
I’m even using Simple Green with my water washable resin. I’ve diluted it about half with water. Seems to clean better than just plain water. After the SG bath I put the prints in plain water as a final rinse.
This blows my mind. IPA is really expensive here, and I never considered alternatives! Thanks man
Another great video. Thanks for taking the time to do the test and sharing the results! I like your honest approach used in all your reviews and the information you share is valuable, saves time and money, all while entertaining. Sorry you had a spillage and it was the winning product! Great video I'll be looking out for your next episode!
We used to use mean green to clean the scummy green slimy algae out of our pool whenever we would let it sit for a season. I'm excited to try it for this
Thanks a lot for the work you have done and for the time and effort to do this for the community, so we don't have to! Great job!
This is fantastic, I too have used IPA and hate the smell and the mess and seeing this not only can I get away from that I can also save a ton of cash! So thanks for doing this experiment, you just saved me a lot of money!!!
This is super interesting! Thanks for posting this test! User safety/toxicity of the cleaners in large quantities is probably the biggest trade-off I see with regards to using these as an IPA alternative, but the fact that the degreaser resulted in the cleanest prints is very interesting!
I wonder how ethanol would work... maybe you could try scotch, vodka, and rum next! :P
Whiskey cleaner coming up!
Effective and Cheaper alternatives was the goal I was looking for here.
I love how this guy is so in love with Mr. Clean hahaha
You can get a gallon of Mean Green concentrate at Walmart for $4.97. That's probably your biggest bang for the buck. I'm grabbing a couple of gallons today as I'm doing more LCD resin printing than ever before and ISO is not cheap. Great vid with a lot of excellent information!
50% Isopropyl Alcohol also works IF used it in an ultrasonic cleaner for a few more minutes. I put my prints and the cleaning solutions in a sealed plastic container with a locking lid and put that in my ultrasonic cleaner with water filling the rest of the vat. This way It never gets dirty, I only change the water once in a while and can keep multiple cleaning solutions in different containers. Like water to rinse the cleaning solution. Also, remember different resins don't all clean the same.
Great video, Jessy, but product lifetime is another variable to consider. I realize it would make for a much more complicated test, but how many cleaning cycles can you get out of each product and, more importantly, what do you do with the dirty cleaner when it's used up? My hunch is all of them except IPA have to be taken to the recycling center (maybe they can be decanted a few times first, but that takes a lot of time and more cleaner to use while the dirty stuff sits). IPA, on the other hand, can easily be distilled (with a $125 electric water distiller from Amazon) and reused indefinitely (until you run out of it through evaporation), simplifying the cleaning cycle and, possibly, reducing cost.
How and when do you dispose of the contaminated simple green?
Speaking of potential electrical explosion - I've heard that ISO you shouldn't put into sonic cleaners directly - and should bag it in a ziplock back with the part inside - and use water in the sonic cleaner to prevent explosion because of the chemical. Out of the rest of the cleaners you suggested, what are the dangers of using directly into a sonic cleaner (if by chance there was an electrical discharge or malfunction)
Usually more dangerous on larger scales but yeah IPA In a ultrasonic could be dangerous like any chemical that gives off flammable vapors. Keep open flames away from the flammable chemicals and don't leave it running long.
We use Simple Green on submarines but never stick your nose over a chemical, wave your hand over the opening towards yourself.
Great video, thank you for that. I'm a hardcore fan on Mean Green, I could not live without that amazing cleaner, and I
Some people say Mean Green leaves a tacky feeling on the print and needs a second wash to eliminate the tackiness, would you say that's true? It's only been a few people, but I'm curious.
This will help me, as I am just starting out with a resin printer and all the iso is gone. lol
I have a Prusa SL1 and CW1. I have been using IPA 91%, but figured I'd try something different with the shortage going on. Baseline process, I have my CW1 was with IPA for 5 min, no water rinse, followed by 10 min heat dry @ 30C (no preheat), then 10 min cure. In case anyone is not familiar with it, the CW1 is a stirrer, so not ultrasonic. Attempts listed below, mean green as is without dilution:
1) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis from built plate and dunk rinse in tub 2 of water. Dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis came out shiny, creases showing what appears to be mix of resin and mean green residue cured. Definitely not what I was looking for.
2) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis, and scrub with toothbrush followed by dunk rinse in tub 2 of water. Preheat to 30C, dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis better on large flat areas (like shields), but majority of minis still shiny, with residue in creases. A little better, but still not what I want.
3) Mean green in tub 1, CW1 wash for 5 min. Take off minis, and scrub with toothbrush followed by scrub and rinse in tub 2 of water. Followed by rinse under tap. Preheat to 30C, dry 10 min, cure 10 min. Minis on larger surface areas came out much better, but top surface of base (assuming I didn't scrub enough) and deep creases still shiny/showing residue. I'm happy I'm seeing progress, but still not satisfied, especially with all the extra effort I'm having to do compared to before.
My thoughts on this compared to Uncle Jessy's results is that agitation may be key with the alternative solutions working or not. Stirring type machines could not be doing enough with using mean green as a means to clean resin off models. I haven't tried the other solutions yet with the CW1.
Uncle Jessy, it may be worth revisiting this, especially with the IPA shortage going on, and see if various washing solutions work without ultrasonic machines.
I wonder if this would be a good way to clean the vat after a failed print.
After how many prints would u recommend changing the solution?
please publish the ingredients of Mean Green and the other products, so we can find similar ones in other countries
I have tried these and I have found that warm water and Dawn Platinum works great.
Do you still use this solution? Hell I have Dawn Platinum so I'll give it a try.
My worry with the cleaning products is that they may not fully evaporate off like an IPA would, so a follow up of painting and seeing if the paint still adheres in the same way might be useful.
you could always use the cleaner to do the heavy lifting of cleaning the part then use IPA to clean the cleaner off
3 things..
1) Can we test with clear prints? (gets cloudy?)
2) Could time have affected for the alcohol? Not sure if this sat under "sun/light" exposure longer than others, so maybe they partially cured ahead of time leaving those marks? maybe have them in a dark closed container before.. although if the third was the best/then these might not applicable.. but still thinking of a more controlled environment.
3) should add alcohol in a bag if it's flamable or something? I was not aware until reading the comments..
Since you used the ultrasonic cleaner you should have tried and see if water works
I just suggested the same thing.
I was thinking the same...
It won't, it doesn't desolve the resin
@@erikcramer I know this now because I tried it today.
As @@erikcramer said, the only reason these worked is because they all contain some sort of surfactant(soap) to pull the organic resins into water. Now what would be interesting to see is if 5% solutions of PVA(elmer's glue) of low molecular weight polyethylene glycol would work. It may require more than 5%, but it would make for an interesting experiment but in the end, it is likely to be more expensive than the off-the-shelf cleaners.
How does this video hold up today? Still the same recommendation?
Hey hey, I use IPA to clean almost all of my prints, or IPA in a spray bottle for really large prints. This method still works but doesn’t clean as good as IPA
So now Rust-oleum not just selling the best filler/primer for fdm prints, but the best resin cleaner too.
They can begin to think about a 3Dprinting sub-brand! :D
Chopi Seeing a rustoleum branded 3d printer, even a rebadged ODM, would be fantastic haha
SAFETY TIP: Never smell the bottle. Waft the scent to your nose with your hand.
Haha very very true! Thought about that as I was editing 👍
If the chemical bottle is not clearly marked then you use the hand wave smell method. None of the chemical cleaners used in this video are dangerous and in fact, simple green is non toxic.
Great videos as always Jessy. If I can please make a request: please please please demonstrate the use of a proper respirator that filters fumes. What you’re using doesn’t have cartridge filters which is essential for safety. As someone who was hospitalized for breathing in bad stuff, I learned my lesson the hard way. Use a Niosh approved respirator with 6001 cartridge filters. These are regulated and proven to filter out harmful chemicals.
As a fellow maker, I’m seeing lots of tutorial videos on TH-cam where safety isn’t always promoted. Lots of kids are watching, let’s do our part to keep them safe! Thanks for all your hard work and videos, they are amazing! Keep on making!!
Panda Props & Costumes This is great advice 👍 The dust particle mask could even make fume inhalation worse as you end up breathing harder through the mask. Organic vapour filters will prevent the hallucinations 🤪
@@Botwire Not the point. Ppl watching might assume that's how you test ALL bottles. Always show good drill in a demo
How does this stack up 2 years later with non-ultrasonic washing stations? Tempted to switch to mean green or even the mr clean for Mercury X. Easy to get at local small town Canadian Tire store and as you mentioned in the video less toxic fumes.
Uncle Jessy, how do you dispose of the Mean Green solution when it gets dirty. And how often do you recommend changing it out? With the IPA, I would just pour it into a clear container and let it solidify in the sun. Then when thoroughly cured into a blob of "cheese", I'd let it dry out take to my waste disposal center. Same thing with the Mean Green?
Glad I found this video, I was wondering if there were alternatives to IPA. I am just starting with 3D resin printing (I already have an Ender-3) and am collecting supplies while waiting for my Anycubic Photon to arrive.
Also, if you spill a cleaning product are you really making a mess?
tacky feel after simple green? mine seem to be tacky for days even under a UV light
For Europe people recommended Fairy Power Clean, bought a bottle to test it out. Mr. Clean is also called Mr. Proper in some parts of Europe.
Thanks for the experiment. Now I can switch to something more cost-effective. May also explain why some of my prints still seemed to not be clean after I cleaned them.
Thanks for your channel and time posting your test results. I have used Monocure's ResinAway with success, but these results present FAR less expensive and easily accessible options. Happy printing, Uncle Jessy!
This is fantastic (not to be confused with Fantastic - sorry bad pun). But cleaning the prints is only half the task. What do you do when the cleaners are thoroughly loaded with resin and must be disposed of? How are you going to safely dispose of them? It would be irresponsible to pour them down the drain due to the resin. Is there a filtration method you could recommend? I envision blasting the cleaning solution with UV light for 24 hours, then putting them through a 5 micron water filter. That should remove all the particulates and you could throw the filter away after it dries. But that still leaves the cleaners themselves. It would be interesting to know if they are "infinitely" reusable. Of course, I know that's going to take a long time to figure out. I'm going to grab some of the Mean Green. Maybe in a year I'll remember to come back and comment. Thanks so much for this! Great episode!!
What was the outcome?
Great demo. You can fill the pickle jar with cleaner and then put in the tank with water below the cleaner line. All of the cleaners have a alcohol component.
Is that mask rated for organic vapor filtering? If it isn't, then it's not actually doing anything for you to filter resin vapors and fumes. If it makes you feel healthier than fine, but that's just a placebo effect
This guy is able to test smell nose in the hole product he doesn't know anything about. I think it's kind of a superhero
Simple Green has its own very distinct smell. Very cool to see alternatives to IPA
Just like SoGchaos said, I wouldn’t mind seeing a follow up test with a white & transparent resin too.
Is it safe or recommended to leave the cleaning solution in the ultrasonic between prints and reuse and then replace when needed?
You've a money saver. With this virus you can't find alcohol anywhere. Thank you for this. Saved me from wasting over 100$ to people taking advantage of the lack of product to take as much money as they can from people.
Different resins respond to Simple/Mean green differently. Siraya Tech seems to work best; which is what Uncle Jessy uses most of the time. Others don't always works so well.
This is nice to see, IPA in Sweden is ~25 USD per liter and has been that way for years. Even if you purchase it by the can it costs over 75$ for 5 liters.
Thank you very much for this review we are just starting the resin printing from using the old style and we are very happy to not use that much alcohol
If you still read these - are you still using something else than IPA? Also have you tried how these affect the strength of the parts.
So glad you did this. I have a huge bottle of simple green i use to clean mold release
I was reading that post while in Walmart the other day. Walked right over to the cleaning supplies Isle and picked up a bottle of mean green. My Mars should be at my doorstep this afternoon.
I love simple green because it cleans so well. I paint, and it strips them off the prints if you let it sit in the solution. And the smell you are looking for I think is mild licorice
Very interesting-been using IPA, will have to check out alternatives. THANKS!
I'm switching to Mean Green! One of my favorites anyways!
Please don't use flammable liquids in an ultrasonic cleaner unless you know what you are doing. If you want to use flammable liquids such as IPA in an ultrasonic cleaner you would want to do it in a blast proof cleaner. Additionally you would want to make sure you have a high quality ultrasonic cleaner, not a cheap one.
I won't pretend to act like I'm the end all, be all of ultrasonic cleaners. However I do some work repairing computers and one of the cleaning methods many places use is a ultrasonic cleaner for logic boards. I have not purchased one, but from my research it is possible to get away with using flammable liquids inside of them, but the issue comes when it fails, because then you can expect something catastrophic. No I am not exaggerating, just look up some videos of when small amounts of IPA come in contact with fire.
I don't know if any of the other solvents used in this video are non-flammable, but hopefully they are.
I felt like I needed to say this as people could get seriously hurt, hopefully this would at least prompt some people to just do a little bit of research regarding this.
As always perfect job. My ultrasonic cleaner arrived today and I was looking for cleaner liquid alternatives, your video arrived at just right time.
How was it?
Would you use Mean Green to clean and maintain your printer and vat as well?
Uncle Messy, my understanding (I’m no genius) is that ultrasonic cleaner does not do as well with parts sitting on the bottom. The waves hit stronger up in the fluid. You need to get a steel basket that hangs above the bottom. Steel because ultrasonic waves do not like plastic (plastic tends to absorb too much energy) and aluminum disintegrates in ultrasonic waves. Some mild heat and longer cleaning might help, too. -signed your not so bright but insulting fan
Just an FYI, Purple Power doesn't hurt the resin, but it rips the paint right off the build plate and probably isn't a good idea to use.
thanks for this review, interesting results. You mentioned that you typically don't put the cleaner back in the bottle. How do you usually dispose of it? Thanks
Pretty good science for Not A Science Guy. I'm just getting into resin printing and this was a very useful video for me. Not mentioned - an open pan of IPA is a huge fire hazard and humans shouldn't inhale organic solvents... because we're organic.
Hardest part for me is that none of these cleaners exists in my country, and I'm having a hard time finding a good alternative
I think the point is, your general purpose cleaner would probably work
Likewise, I would be interested in an ingredients list as not all cleaners are the same
So whats 2-(2-Butoxyethoxy)ethanol which is in «Mean green» and which products can replace it(«Mean green» not available in Norway) or is jus IPA/iso just the easiest, and does it have to be above 90% isopropyl?
www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/mean-green/hard-surface-cleaner/super-strength-multi-purpose
I wonder how well these work in the Mercury Plus and similar cleaning stations. Sonic cleaners are a bit of a different animal. But hey, I've one of each that I can experiment with. I'll post my findings later.
i know it's many many years later, but it would have been interesting to also have tried cleaning it with water for comparison of how much cleaning action the ultra sonic itself had, versus the actual cleaners.
Buddy I'm pretty sure the simple green and mr clean are concentrates.. X )
I was going to say the same thing. The Simple Green is supposed to be diluted according to the bottle for "heavy duty" cleaning 1:1 with water.
This was very useful for a beginner.
Awesome video! My Mars just got here today, and I'm printing already! Definitely going to pick up some Mean Green and an Ultrasonic Cleaner!
Put your cleaning solution in mason jars or beakers and set them in water in the sonicator. You can put a water rinse jar in there too.
Just got Phrozen Sonic Mini (completely new to printing). Used Elegoo ABS-like Grey resin. Didn't have ultrasonic, just used pickle container with Mean Green, washed with water and the cured. Still tacky after curing so I placed back in Mean Green, then re-cured and it came out less tacky. Perhaps the ultrasonic makes a big difference with removing the "slime" layer as GhostRaptur eluded to in his comments.
Also, my first 2 print attempts of the rings failed (mostly). I did upgrade to the angled build of the platform and not the one that comes with the unit because I didn't want all that resin on top of the platform after printing. Not sure if that caused a problem. With my first attempt, the rings were only made to the base of the bottom of the ring - basically the supports and the first part of rings. Resin was stuck to the FEP of the vat. Second try, one ring came out (3rd one from left). Others were partially made. Not sure what is up as LCD test was good. I redid the Z Calib but this time used 2 thicknesses of paper. Next, I tried a blank panther stl from Thingiverse and used the settings in Chitubox that were recommended in the Sonic Mini manual. It failed miserably where only the supports were formed and not the body. There was a thin layer of resin sticking to the FEP of the VAT again. I need help for sure.
You can also use the simple green for disinfecting clothes, and stripping paint of metal and plastic models.
3:02 "... if I don't have enough IPA to fill this tank up "
Actually you don't need to fill the tank with IPA.
Fill it with water.
Put your parts to be clean and the IPA in a smaller plastic (or glass) container, and put that container inside the tank of the ultrasonic cleaner.
You're not only saving on the amount of IPA (or whatever solvent you're using for the respective clean-job) but also keeping your ultrasonic cleaner clean from any chemicals (besides water ... technically water is still a chemical ... you know, the same way alcohol is a solution ;))