Clearest Resin Prints TECHNIQUES COMPARED Enamel Varnish Polyurethane Acetone Brushing Resin Acrylic
18FOR THE POLYURETHANE VARNISH I MENTION ITS BY RUST-OLEUM
ITS NOT, ITS BY PLASTI-KOTE
00:00 Overview
01:29 Introduction
02:45 Brushing Resin On Top & Curing It With Contaminated IPA (We Will Repeat This Later)
03:16 Bad Results With Contaminated IPA
03:55 Which Resin I Used
03:59 Clear Coats Make Sense
04:13 Different Clear Coats
04:46 FDA Plastic Print VS RAW Resin Print
04:59 Brushing Resin On Top & Curing It
06:21 What I Have Learned So Far
07:12 Spraying Technique
07:35 Print Handling
07:48 Print Processing Support Removal Cleaning
10:09 Air Blow Drying
10:40 WHAT NOT TO DO; Spray In The Cold / Bonus Plastics Re Finishing
12:19 Preheating The Cans
13:12 Super Gluing For Handling
14:05 Spraying Technique In Action ON BLACK
16:48 Spraying Technique In Action ON CLEAR
18:03 Black Results
18:19 Clear Results After 1 Coat
18:34 Spraying Coat 2
19:49 Spraying Coat 3
20:26 Spraying Coat 4
20:56 Final Coat
22:09 Current Results
22:54 Post UV Curing
23:03 In Depth Tests;
23:12 In Depth Tests; Test 1 and 2 (Preheating cans / Post UV Curing / Slow Printing)
23:58 In Depth Tests; Reading Test
25:24 In Depth Tests; Test 3 and 4 (Spraying Techniques / Fast Printing)
26:57 In Depth Tests; Test 3 and 4 (2.25 vs 2.5 Seconds Of Exposure)
27:33 In Depth Tests; Reading Test Results for Test 3
29:43 In Depth Tests; Test 1 to 3 Summary and Concluded Results
30:33 In Depth Tests; Reading Test Results for Test 4
32:38 Crystal Clear / Polyurethane Varnish
34:21 Outro
PRINT PREPERATIONGS AND SETTINGS
Definitive summary with my current method for best and transparent results
Although for my final results in test 4 were printed with the fast settings
I wont print it fast and will go with the slow settings instead, because zero bubbles is a higher priority to me
Looking back previously at the results we had with the slow prints, the print themselves looked cleaner
So for my default future settings I will use my slow settings:
Exposure 2.5 seconds
Lift distance 10mm
Bottom lift speed 40.000
Lifting speed 40.000
Bottom retract speed 150.000
Retract speed 150.000
For printing, have the ambient temperature around 20c, anything below 15c may give issues
Don't over expose each layer, stick to the faster exposures
2.5 seconds in my case, refer to cones of calibration
If possible print one piece at a time, so that light off delay does not get enabled
If it gets enabled (so that the UV lights would get to cool down) it will spend more time waiting between each layer
Have the resin filled to the top (the max your vat is labelled at)
This should prevent the print bed from raising above the resin level which should prevent air getting pushed back inside
If you notice that the print bed and object is lifting over the resin, you could try reducing lift distance to say 7.5mm, or 5mm
But this may also introduce problems with the layer from the detaching from the FEP sheet
I don't think the print settings effected the outcome as much as the spraying technique and the clear coat itself
CLEANING SUPPORT REMOVAL DRYING PREPARING FOR CLEAR COAT
Once print finishes, remove the print and supports from the plate the same day, don't leave it for days on the plate
Remove print using thick rubber gloves, a scraper
Put the plate back on the printer so its out of the way
Have a bin next to you for the supports
Dispose of the supports and clean your work area
VERY IMPORTANT POINT; USE FRESH NEW IPA TO CLEAN THE PRINT
If its a container with fresh uncontaminated IPA its ok
And use your thick rubber gloves as a brush to clean any resin off
If you're cleaning with your gloves, spray IPA on your gloves like hand wash almost, as you will most likely have resin on the gloves
DO NOT POST CURE JUST YET
Leave the print to air dry, or blow dry it
Perhaps superglue the model to a chopstick for handling, use clamps, or a hook
CLEAR COATING
Wear gloves and a mask, and choose which clear coat you will use (watch the video to decide)
Rust-oleum Crystal Clear Protective Coat (If you want true colors)
Plasti-Kote Polyurethane Varnish PKT591 (If you want less diffusion and true transparency)
Pre heat the cans in hot water for 10 minutes
IMPORTANT NOTE; for first 4 coats we will do thin coats
Spray in a warm environment, if its winter like 15c or lower outside, the print may fog as it cures, fogging at the beginning is fine, but not once it cures
SO SPRAY AT AN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AROUND 20c TO AVOID THIS
Hold the object around 10cm away from the can
Hold the can upright, if you angle is directly upwards or downwards, the nozzle may start spitting unevenly
Quick short full bursts are the best, then rattle the can every few bursts
Once you do your first coat, wait 30 minutes, put the clear coat back into hot water, repeat
THE THICKNESS OF THE SPRAYING IS VERY IMPORTANT
Keep the first 4 coats very light and thin
For the final 5th coat, spray a heavy coat so that the clear flows through evenly
BUT ALSO DONT OVER SPRAY TO A POINT OF IT DRIPPING