3D Fab - Elagoo Mars Pro

[themitch22]

It’s here! Mostly.

We have regular and water washable resin coming (or was already delivered). Leveling the build platform is super simple, I’m trying to install the slicer software, Chitubox on the 3D fab computers.

I should develop training resources as soon as I do the first test prints and samples.

I am keeping seran wrap or painters tape to prevent resin from staining the cover and body of the machine and will find a drip tray. There was a ton of resin spilled on the table from the form 2, I’d like to keep this printer running for longer than 6 months.

I’ll be using this thread to document the progress and gather interest.

[richmeyer]

@themitch22

and will find a drip tray.

Suggest you use a teflon coated cookie baking sheet as a drip tray, pretty cheap, looks nice, and can easily be replaced.

[Josh_Melnick]

@richmeyer

teflon coated cookie baking sheet

good idea sir.

[sinless]

I know things aren’t settled yet but will it likely be smart for people to buy their own tray and resin for use?

[Lampy]

I actually left the cover’s shrink-wrap on for a week of so. Kept it cleaner just was hard to see through. A careful wrap of saran wrap may be worthwhile to do.

Can’t wait to see the members reaction to it. Love mine. Gone through three 500ml bottles of resin so far. The extra trays with covers have been worth the extra money.

[themitch22]

Yes please do. Its the Elagoo Mars Pro (not the Mars Pro 2 which is different) also to preserve the LCD screens I am going require everyone drain the vat and clean it after each use to be sure theres no cured junk on the FEP which can crack the LCD.

[themitch22]

Update day 2:
First print the rook file on the USB drive. Loaded the water washable resin

About 3 hours later saw it came off the build platform and was just curing two pucks. Drained the vat into the bottle with a filter, wiped the tank, and popped the cured failures off the FEP. I forgot to shake the resin bottle so I tried to make a smaller file with defaults in Chitubox (now installed on 3Dfab-03 thanks Infrastructure!) Again an hour and it failed.

I saw on the bottle they have recommended longer cure times than defaults had on the profile. I guess next test should be with the regular resin. Also its really late and I have work tomorrow. Kicking my butt with this thing so far.

[Josh_Melnick]

I think @Lampy said he had a similiar problem the first time he tried.

[Lampy]

Mine sheared off the build platform at roughly the same layer. I also sanded my build plate as part of the figuring it out. Seemed to help but there were about 3 variables I was trying together.

[themitch22]

The wire snips for scale.

My friend on Twitter @nltmw_com had some recommended profile parameters for the resin:

“Roughly my starting point these days is …
.05 layers
5 bottom layers
8 or 9 sec exposure time
60 second bottom exposure
5 sec light-off delay
15 sec bottom light-off delay”

I washed the resin in a cup full of water from the fountain until it didn’t feel slimy. Cured in the formlabs curing station 30min at 35C and it is dry to the touch. It doesn’t take a lot of post processing at all. To pry the parts off the platform I had to use the metal paint scraper which did scratch the platform, so I’d highly recommend using a raft in the chitubox slicer for all parts.

[themitch22]

Thanks to @hon1nbo we made a beautiful tray for the resin printer with links to the wiki and talk issues and requests and basic rules.

[hon1nbo]

ugh, right side still faded? @michaelb this was on the Zing.

[Lampy]

Thanks you both for getting the Mars setup and running. Looks great.

Couple of notes:

1. Plastic scrapper is for the FEP film only.
2. Metal scrapper is for the build plate.
3. Keep the area/tools super clean. If you get resin on the LCD itself, you are doomed if you do not catch it before it cures! Clean, clean, clean!

With a little care these should serve DMS very well.

[John_Marlow]

Have you found a black resin that you like? The darker the better …

[Photomancer]

@Lampy

f you get resin on the LCD itself, you are doomed

Maybe buy some of those screen protector films for smart phones, cut to size, and apply, occasionally reapply.

[themitch22]

So far more failures than successful prints. I used heavy supports and used a new aluminum vat but still had a print partially come off with 60s first layers and 9s layer cure.

I found the original vat already had scratches and dents in it so I replaced the FEP film on the vat. Its really easy to replace them which is good news.

Still not certain on viability of users, its definitely not as easy as the Form 2 yet. I think it needs more slicer tuning and will require more user maintenance.

[Mars42]

Advice on using the Mars based on what I have learned with mine at home:

• Up the exposure time on the bottom layers by 10 sec.
• Up the layer exposure time by on sec.
• If you are having print failures re-orient the part and use thinner but denser support.
• Resins have different shrink rates but the water washable resin tends to shrink the least.
• Due to shrinkage, large flat surfaces tend to peel off the bed and are better oriented at angles.

Using these guidelines I have only had to re-level my bed twice in the past 3 months, with only a few failures due to bad slicing.

[Lampy]

I went from complete utter failures every print for the first week to only one failure since on 30+ prints. I agree on dense light supports.

[JBluJkt]

6 base
60 exposure
5 off

[jmeinel]

So do we have an estimate on when training will be available? I know we just got this, but was curious when I should start looking for training. I’m also curious as to how much prints will cost. Can’t wait to use it!