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How do!

Nearly ready to go, just awaiting the delivery of the printer itself and the resin, both of which are coming today.

So it’s Question Time!

My first “well, duh” question? If an STL lists as for filament, will the slicing software be able to convert the instructions in the file to a resin printer?

An STL is a solid geometry file that is used of a range of different computer modelling purposes, rather than being specific to any particular type of printing.

A modeller may have optimised and pre-supported a model for FDM or resin printers, as the specific mechanisms for the two types of printing lead to somewhat different ways of dealing with overhangs and interfaces between different bits.

However, slicing software of either type will be able to convert it into printing instructions for your machine.

I strongly recommend you have a bit of a play with how resin supports work, and go hunt down some reliable support settings.

Current generation slicing software does a great job in automatically applying supports, but its good to understand how they work, as the automated systems are not perfect, and a bit of time spent before tryong to print can make the difference between a successful print and a failure that could be hard to diagnose if you don't know what to look for.

similarly, I strongly reommend you find some test print files to help you dial in rpint settings for your printer and the specific resin you have bought. Ther are slight differences between different resins, and even different batches of resins, that could also lead to unexpected print failures.

Having a general knowledge about the different variables can help troubleshooting in future.




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For example, a 2s difference in rest time between the print bed stops moving, and the light goes on to set the layer can be the difference between mediocre results and crystal sharp results.

I’ve watched some YouTube videos on proper supports, and it seems fairly straight forward.

First, let the software do most of the heavy lifting, after you’ve played around with orientation.

Then go through it slice by slice, playing “spot the island”

One of the first things I want to have a stab at is a Green Man Jar. Essentially a hollow cylinder with external noodly detailing.

I think raise it off the bed by 5mm as suggested, and print it (albeit upside down) top first, so the solid base bit is the last thing printed.

Even before resin gets poured in, you want to level your plate/bed first with the paper test. Ensuring that every corner is down.
Even if the factory says pre-levelled. You want to know your machine.

There's a bunch of calibration tools for locking down resin settings, as ambient temperature messes with viscosity and curing.
Print these directly on the plate without supports.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2810666
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6815908
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6023738

And even before that there's the safety list of all the PPE.
Make sure you have the goggles, respirator/filters, enough nitrile gloves, alcohol, spare containers, paper towels/tissue/microfibers for cleanup (you think you have enough but you're probably wrong).
Good scraper for prying stuff off the plate. first aid for when you cut your hand with the scraper

Where are you plan on printing?
For purposes of venting nasty vapors outside, keeping ambient temperature (heating the vat if need be), keeping away accidental sun exposure on your unwashed prints.
Are you keeping the resin in the vat when not printing, or pouring into a bottle; if latter have some disposable paint filter to catch globs or debris.
Consider put some kind of matt or tray down for spills that inevitable happen, especially just starting off.

The concepts are fairly straightforward, but its still good to do some deliberate focus on them. Watching training videos will certainly help

If you print it the "right way around", then you can put a lot of large supports under the base where the inevitable surface damage can be easily sanded away, or ignored if its still pretty stable. Makes it less likely to come away from the supports.

You can also substantially change the number of supports you need by changing the angle of the model on the print bed.

I use the Lychee slicer and it is pretty good at automatically spotting such islands. When you are placing manual supports, it also shows a horizontal line around the model at that layer so you can easily see where the lowest point of the detail is to drop the support to.

OK doke. So, all setup and software installed. Doing my first test print, a stag that came pre-installed on the USB stick that shipped with the printer.

Slight user error, as hadn't told the printer to use its nifty auto-feed for the resin.

Hopefully, all will go well from here.


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Exactly 50% of the way through.

Still no fires, explosions or unexplained Goblin presence.

Also got 200 Nitrile Gloves arriving tomorrow, and 10 1l bottle of IPA.

Will stay up and get this test print cured tonight (Wash/Cure station setup and installed too), and then give it a wash tomorrow.

Might also chuck in some of the resin Necromunda models whilst I'm at it. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander.


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Ahem...erm.....

Forgot to take the protective film off the build plate.

Is OK, setting up for a second shot.


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What I did learn though? The Resin Puter Inner is also a Resin Taker Outer. So that's a nice feature.


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Yup, that worked. Cured it, but of course needs a wash. Which will happen tomorrow once the IPA arrives.

You really need to wash it before you cure it. When it comes out of the printer it will have a blobby film of extra resin over its surface. If you go straight to cure then all that extra goop just gets hardened on wrecking the detail.

Well I know that now

IPA arrives later today. Torn between being patient, awaiting its arrival and then doing a small print, and just getting a larger project underway.

When I print the jar, I think I do want Base First (so nearest the plate). That way, when washing it, nothing will be missed.


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But first I need the heating to warm up the house. Then shower, the fire up PC and decide on my project.

Again I strongly recommend that you do some calibration of your settings, so that your first big project comes out buttery smooth

However, I understand wanting to get cracking as well. I did some small pieces really quickly with generic settings, but they didn't use much resin and so it didn't matter that I basically had to throw them away

Just remembered that somewhere, I’ve a pair of goose neck UV lights. Might be useful for ensuring the interior of the Jar is properly cured.

I’m thinking print, wash, cure in the machine whilst will sort the exterior, then blast it from the top down with the goose neck one for a few minutes to take care of the interior.


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Also, on adjusting the time delay between layer and light? Is adjusting it down how you get it sharp, or adjusting it up?

The delay was more of an example, rather than needing to be taken as specific advice, but if you increase the delay time then the resin in the tank has time to settle and stop moving after the plate stops.

different resins and different machines will be affected by this issue to different extents. to be honest, even things like temperature can affect this as colder resins will be more viscous.

Printer itself warms the resin tray, so that’s something I don’t need to worry about as much. Still need to figure out if and how I pre-warm it though.

I could do with some pre-warming. Flipping freezing around here today :(

Indeed! Stupid sudden shifts in weather.


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Wash Basin all filled, and big project underway.

https://thangs.com/designer/OXI%20STUDIOS/3d-model/Green%20Man%20Grove%20Jar-1406842

I used Anycubic's own software to slice, and generate the supports. In about three hours, I'll either be all smug, or feeling a bit of a tit!

Things I have learnt from tinkering over the past few years (not an expert printer by any means!):

I got a second wash bucket, so that I can do a “dip” to get rid of the worse excess resin, before putting the print into the actual wash station. Reduces the amount of cleaning I have to do on the wash station.

As well as island spotting, watch out for random supports going to high detail areas where they would be difficult to remove without damaging detail. The auto support functions are 99% great and 1% infuriating!

Also, watch out for sealed volumes, particularly if you’re printing directly onto the bed. They’re not a problem per se, just messy when you detach the print.

Your printer manufacturer may well have recommended settings for different resins in your printer (Elegoo certainly do), so worth checking those out, rather than using defaults.

Ooh, another one from me linked to that sealed volumes thing. You need to make sure that there are no reservoirs of liquid resin left within the body of whatever you have printed. If you do, it will dissolve its way through the set resin and leak all over the flipping place.

Looking at the lid for the jar I’m printing, I think I will want to hollow that out. Reckon a well of 2mm or 3mm will be plenty.


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Though let’s say I don’t (and only say!) can you shake a chunkier piece to see if you can hear sloshing?

Probably. Its unlikely to be perfectly filled, as the reservoir is unlikely to be deep enough to keep the whole of the print submerged. So there should be air pockets, and if you are printing supports through internal voids, that will give plenty of edges for the liquid to slosh over/through

I tend to use 5mm diameter holed in hollowed pieces to let the liquid out, and I wired up a 4mm diameter UV LED to a battery so I can stick it in the hole and cure the inside.

My Cure has a Gooseneck spotlight thing for that. Though it seems I need to do regular cure, then Gooseneck.

Just check in on the print, and it seems to be going well? I say seems, as the hood for the printer is smoky black, so really hard to see inside.

Used my phone’s torch though, and think I saw just about enough to confirm.

Also checked the Wash thing is working, having filled the tub with IPA. Dipped the separating palette knife thing to clean off last night’s residue, and all seems hunky-dorey.


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Archive footage of me, about an hour ago, having successfully printed the big jar thing.



It’s been washed, and is now being cured.

I may need to break out the other UV lamps tomorrow, as the inside is being quite resistant. Gooseneck is currently right down inside it and that will hopefully sort it out. But if not? I’ve that nuclear option.

Lid is underway, but the software (Anycubic) did not want to hollow it. Spoke with my 3d printing friend and bunged him a copy of the file. He reckons it should print fine in resin, as it shouldn’t be chunky enough to be Sloshy.

Once all cured it needs a proper wash in soapy water to remove the other residue. Will also nip round the range, buy some fun felt to line it.

Evidence.

But then? Buggizzle. Lid did not print right. Will try again tomorrow, flipping it 180 degrees. That way, if the print does go wonky? It’s the underside, and once cleaned and cured I can cover up any embarrassments with a felt lining.




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Actually, might rescue it from the discard pile. Reckon I might be able to turn it into something gnarly for Necromunda.

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Actually, might rescue it from the discard pile. Reckon I might be able to turn it into something gnarly for Necromunda.

Is what my friend uses, I had the readies, and I really, really don’t like the lines I associate with filament print.

I’m also not a fan of how a filament print feels in hand. It always feels super brittle.


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Pondering the failed print again? This was printed level with the base. I now wondering if a jauntier angle might’ve worked better.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Is what my friend uses, I had the readies, and I really, really don’t like the lines I associate with filament print.

I’m also not a fan of how a filament print feels in hand. It always feels super brittle.


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Pondering the failed print again? This was printed level with the base. I now wondering if a jauntier angle might’ve worked better.

Yes, you want your layers to be as thin as possible... parallel with the base is kind of the worst possible orientation for... anything, really ^^.

Take into account that each layer needs to peel off from the FEP film, so the bigger each layer is, the stronger the pull. There's also suction cups and the like to take into account, and having layers being bigger on one side of the plate that might actually cause problems, but that one there? Angle it.

Will try it at 45 degrees. Angle degrees, not temp degrees.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I’m also not a fan of how a filament print feels in hand. It always feels super brittle.

Use ABS-Like resins. Far less brittle.

If you are using an AnyCubic printer, the USB drive it came with should include a PDF explaining the settings for ABS-Like resins.

I have an Anycubic Halot Mage 8k. The resin I like best for miniatures is Elegoo ABS-Like 3.0.

It's rigid but offers some bend - things like swords / spears / guns / whatever can handle a lot more abuse than with other resins I've tried.

I've also noticed it doesn't stick to the screen the way the original did. Practically eliminated a problem I was having with layer lines.

Good luck.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Is what my friend uses, I had the readies, and I really, really don’t like the lines I associate with filament print.

I’m also not a fan of how a filament print feels in hand. It always feels super brittle.


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Pondering the failed print again? This was printed level with the base. I now wondering if a jauntier angle might’ve worked better.

Fair play, you can't beat an IRL mate with some expertise you can turn to when the gak hits the fan

Think I’m starting to get my head round it, learning as we do from failures.

Whilst I’m yet to reprint the Lid, I can now properly visualise the benefit of finding the right angle to print.

The Lid is fairly wide, but not terribly thick. So when printed at an angle? I’m splitting the difference. It’ll take more layers to print, but each is a much smaller area. That in turn will help avoid any suction areas.

A 35 degree angle is a bit of a rule of thumb I’ve seen Around, and generally apply as a starting point. However the angle shouldn’t trump the orientation that best allows supports to be placed.

Nephloof has now been collected, so I’m free for some hobby time.

Will give the lid another crack, going for the 35 degree angle. I’ve been thinking on it, and I don’t think the other orientations need anything jaunty, as I don’t see it making a difference.

Well.

Again didn’t go to plan.

But check out my giant mutant fungus for Necromunda, and it’s pal!

I’m thinking Spook?