3DP Resin wash/curing solutions? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: pipe2null
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 14, 2022, 08:50:19 pm
content: I finally took the dive into resin printing and preordered a Phrozen Mighty 8k, which should be on its way to my doorstep in the next few weeks, so it's time to order all the accessories and a big box of gloves now that I'm adding resin to my 3DP lineup. Various methods of washing with IPA and initial drying seem pretty straight forward (Worth noting: "Thou shalt not put IPA in an ultrasonic cleaning machine"), but curing machines seem ridiculously expensive for what they actually do compared to a plain ol' 405nm UVA black light LED roll or fluorescent black light tubes...My new print volume is advertised as L21.8 x W12.3 x H23.5 cm. I'll rarely use that much in actual prints, but probably should keep max size in mind ordering new toys for wash/cure. And looking at big enough curing machines with big price tags for a glorified "light box" has prompted this post. Heh.Any favorites for wash/curing solutions? Anyone gone the DIY route who might share your experience? (like referenced inhttps://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/clean-and-cure-resin-3d-prints)

author: KaneTW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2022, 12:47:05 pm
content: I'm a Form user and I just use the wash/cure that they sell. Works well enough.I don't recommend ultrasonics for cleaning because it can damage the not fully cured resin. The explosion risk isn't an issue per se, just put it in a closed beaker or get an Ex rated ultrasonic cleaner.

author: KaneTW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2022, 06:15:37 pm
content: Are we talking about the same device? The Form Cure is pretty smooth and I've had just barely stable pieces not fall over.

author: pipe2null
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 10, 2022, 04:00:55 am
content: Yea, for the immediate short term I decided to proceed down the $25 DIY route: ultra-cheapie cardboard/foil/cheapo solar turn table/cheapo LED blacklight strip to start just so I have SOMEthing for the time being. The sun is just not consistent enough, and related "cure times" do not translate into useful indoor cure times.But I'm also designing a "real" curing machine for the long term, big enough for my max build volume plus a bit, pricing quartz glass (very high UV transmissivity, not cheap ~$200 at McMaster for 6"x6"x1/4", debating on minimum size still or looking for a less ideal transmissivity material to use) for the base plate and all that good stuff.What ballpark-estimate curing times are you using, and what's the UV-wattage of your curing machine? 365nm and/or 405nm?I've dug around for info on curing times for a given UV wattage and the best I've seen is "try a given curing time out, bounce your model off the table" kind of folksy "metrics" to gauge final cure times for a specific commercial curing machine model. Not terribly useful when you're building a curing machine from scratch. I'm trying to figure out what the optimum "normal" UV wattage is for a curing machine, then beef that number up a bit since I'm thinking of using indirect lighting for the cure to get better UV scatter.