Resin Magic or Resin Mess?! Advice and tips needed!
Added 2024-10-22 11:17:15 +0000 UTCOk, a lot of you inspired me with your sickeningly cool prints using resin 3d printers, so I gave in and added it to my ever-extending list of crafts I want to learn!!
This is the Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra, which by all reviews appears to be both an excellent printer, but more importantly, the most easy to use one!
I'm setting up a dedicated 'Resin Zone' in the new workshop, so this will allow me to vent any nasties very easily, but looking for any tips and advice on:
1) Safety/Mess
2) General advice/good videos to help learn
3) Cool things to print/test it with!!
Currently I'm thinking of making some custom board game pieces - ideas of games to test with appreciated!
Obviously I'm going to need to make some miniatures too - that's a must, so any cool ideas on this would be neat.
I was even thinking of 3d scanning myself and turning myself into a miniature!!
Thinking caps on!!!!
Comments
They do look quite like Aliens props now that you point it out!!! Makes resin twice as cool!
Hands on Katie
2024-10-24 12:59:21 +0000 UTCYeah. I learned that the hard way, as you say. UV curing most definitely does not go all the way through - especially if the resin is opaque. Clear stuff I print solid anyway, but I learned that you can't just hollow out with limited in-fill on resin!
Greg Staten
2024-10-24 00:16:04 +0000 UTCYes, when I'm procrastinating I also re-enact random scenes from "Alien" in my kitchen 😅
prodestrian
2024-10-23 23:49:15 +0000 UTCReally good advice - no way, I'd have never thought about drain holes!?! Does the UV curing not go 'through' the model then? I find it really interesting!!
Hands on Katie
2024-10-23 07:28:41 +0000 UTCOoh you're totally right, I'd never twigged that, but it's totally like that liquid terminator!! I'll need to find a file of him!
Hands on Katie
2024-10-23 07:27:26 +0000 UTCI think that'd be hilarious!! I like the idea of annual collectibles for Patreons!!
Hands on Katie
2024-10-23 07:26:13 +0000 UTCBut you also need to do a print of yourself and either sell it or auction it off or have it as a prize for some sort of Patron competition.
john gallagher
2024-10-23 04:50:25 +0000 UTCIt is my understanding that the inventor(s) of this type of printer was/were originally inspired by the "metal man" terminator from T2 (expertly portrayed by Robert Patrick who also did a stint on the X Files, but I digress) morphing into a solid humanoid form by rising out of a molten pool of metal. Therefore, in homage to this iconic and groundbreaking FX scene, I feel it is only right that your first print be a figure of the next-gen Terminator from T2, preferably the motorcycle cop iteration with the glistening pristine white helmet and the mirrored glasses. https://www.amazon.com/NECA-Ultimate-T-1000-Motorcycle-Terminator/dp/B01LW1S1M9
john gallagher
2024-10-23 04:46:37 +0000 UTCGood luck with the Mars 5 Ultra. I've had two different Elegoo resin printers over the years and ultimately I've found that while they can do some amazing things, they're also a royal pain in the neck. Sure, you can do things that you can't easily do with an FDM – such as the translucent chess set I made for my son last Christmas – but at the end of day, they just became more trouble than they're worth. It was especially disconcerting to find older resin prints I made for my daughter crack and leak uncured resin! (I didn't know back when I started Resin printing about three years ago that you had to model a drain hole!) in January I bought an X1C and I just haven't looked back. The Elegoo Mars is now sitting on a shelf in the garage.
Greg Staten
2024-10-22 23:46:04 +0000 UTCGood point....... I'll prepare for the mess then.... 😂
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 15:53:40 +0000 UTCGreat to know - what FDM are you on again? Certainly Bambu devices are very reliable on TPU in my experience, so you should be fine if so .... just don't tell me you've got an Ender 3..... 🤣
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 14:55:39 +0000 UTCSo far, there's no downside; I've switched to water and am not turning back. For FDM, I'm now trying TPU to print gaskets and flexible phone cases. Wish me luck.
Stephane Venne
2024-10-22 14:52:49 +0000 UTCI guess that depends if you stay off the g n t ;) 😂
Iain Hay
2024-10-22 14:17:10 +0000 UTCPerfect - so the obvious question is what are the downsides?! (ie why does anyone use anything else??) - is it weaker or is it more a historical thing (eg like FDM started with ABS and PLA / PETG took over)
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 13:11:40 +0000 UTCAh great tips - I'll hunt down UV torches, that'll be super handy (of course as backup as I'll NEVER make any mess.............. )
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 13:09:03 +0000 UTCExactly, just water. And the smell of the resin is much less toxic.
Stephane Venne
2024-10-22 13:08:54 +0000 UTCAh great tips Stephane - I've actually got one of each type of resin, so I was going to test which was better. So does waterbased just mean I use water instead of IPA essentially for washing?
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 13:07:50 +0000 UTCFor resin now, I mostly use water-based. It does a great job, and you don't have to deal with a ton of IPA and smell. Water still has to be treated as toxic, but once the jars are exposed to UV, it is easy to separate the resin from the water and dispose of the water normally or reuse it for cleaning.
Stephane Venne
2024-10-22 12:39:18 +0000 UTCOh and if you do this you want a torch around 395-405nm. Normally loads on Ali
Iain Hay
2024-10-22 11:49:02 +0000 UTCHardens eventually but I have a UV torch from AliExpress I got to quicker cure it! Make sure to have suitable eye protection and just aim at the resin though. Bin wise I’ve always through an infra red one would be a great idea to auto open👍 can’t wait to see your setup
Iain Hay
2024-10-22 11:46:05 +0000 UTCBrilliant tips Iain! Multiboard - already in design (naturally with David D shelves and gridfinitised drawers!). Big silicone mat with edges is a brilliant idea, definitely going to get one of those and great thought on the bin too - I could get one that auto opens and seals to avoid smells too. One question - what happens to the resin on its own? Eg if I spill some on the mat or get some on gloves, does it harden on its own eventually or does it remain a resin!?
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 11:43:30 +0000 UTCGet one of those large silicone mats with a lip and sit them on that. Any spilled resin can set and peel off easily. Also have a nice bit of multiboard on the wall behind with nitrile glove holder, scraper holder etc. Also have a waste bin that any messy gloves can go straight into. Think about the workflow and positions items accordingly! That said I use mine rarely now as Bambu pretty much does most things well! I really should get back into doing some more
Iain Hay
2024-10-22 11:34:04 +0000 UTCHey Bill! Well I'm not really in a great position of authority to criticise any device for being messy.... ;) But I agree this has put me off a bit in the past, but they've certainly leapt forward a fair bit and I hope a dedicated space will allow me to nail the 'mess' part! I'm sure I'll remain FDM heavy, but there are certain things that FDM just can't deal with, hence I've had an itch to try!! Either way you'll be able to laugh at the results regardless of my success or failure!!
Hands on Katie
2024-10-22 11:28:09 +0000 UTCI bought the Mars 2 about four years ago. I had mixed success, certainly less than a PLA printer and it now gathers dust while my others are used regularly. For figures, they are great but that's not what I print so explains things! One thing I do recall is that its messy...
Bill
2024-10-22 11:22:01 +0000 UTC
