I tested the new BlueCast X-One castable wax resin. I wanted to share what I’ve learned so the next person can build on this.
It promises zero shrinkage and a 100% ash-free burnout. Won’t be able to evaluate that until I get a good print. It delivers on its promise to be waxy; it feels and handles like wax after curing.
It’s in the cabinet with the other resin. Raw it’s dark green; “cured” it’s whitish.
First test print: 100% failure. However … it looks promising. I suspect my supports were insufficient despite having beefed them up. The resin has water-like viscosity which has its own inherent challenges.
SUMMARY:
- Handles differently than other resins. Read the instructions (links below).
- Adhered to the build plate: All four had successful rafts, with additional prep and many/lengthy bottom layers
- Separated from supports during printing: Three completely separated; one partially separated
- Much of the detail is missing but that could be due to floating supports. The detail that printed looks extremely crisp.
- Probably not suitable for thin flat parts.
- Minimal shrinkage.
1. Test parts and results
This is the file I printed. I have printed the STL several times using the other casting resin. I modified the supports per the (vague) instructions. Layer height .050mm.
When I removed the “good part” from the plate, it basically fell off of the rafts and there were very few supports attached. I suspect it was a fluke that it didn’t fail.
Oddly, none of the detail on the top face printed. I wonder if the part was floating in space at this point due to partial support failure. I don’t suspect the model as a problem because I have printed it before in other resin.
2. Minimal shrinkage
The nearly good part exhibited <1% shrinkage on X and Y axes, but >20% growth on Z! Clearly this requires another print to confirm. The printed part was about .150 thick and showed minimal curling at that thickness.
On the top of the part you can see where the wax tore away when I tried to “snap” off supports. Knife would have been better …
3. Slicer settings
Download the Chitubox resin profile.
- Printer prep: Download and read the instructions! It is not like the other resins.
4. Printer prep details
(a) Bubbles. Shake for at least one minute, pour into the vat and let the vat settle before printing.
- The instructions say 5 minutes. I let mine settle for 20 minutes and it was still bubbling slightly.
- The instructions say you can vacuum the open bottle. DO NOT DO THIS. It will foam all over the vacuum machine!
(b) Build plate. Instructions warn of poor adhesion with Elegoo Mars family and recommend sanding the build plate prior to printing. I did sand; it worked. My parts did stick to the build plate.
- Curing
Again - read the instructions. It cures mostly through the alcohol wash. When it is cured it turns whitish. Whiter is better.
5. Curing Results and photos with analysis and comments
The photos show the rafts, the failed portions that were stuck to the FEP film, and the one nearly good part.
The first two photos show the parts after the recommended washing time. In theory these should have been “cured”. These are not big parts but they didn’t look white after the recommended time.
With additional five minute UV cure: Significant “potato-chipping” occurred on the rafts and the FEP film parts. I believe this resin will not be suitable for thin, flat parts; partly due to the curling and partly because the resin has very low viscosity and I suspect those parts will fail unless they are against the build plate. Still didn’t look very white to me.
6. Post-printing - wax-like behavior.
After curing, the part behaves mostly like wax (i.e., it is equally fragile).
- If the supports do not fall off, DO NOT SNAP THEM OFF. The wax doesn’t snap like the resin parts. Cut them off with a knife or they will tear the remaining part.
- Sprue was easy to attach. I tugged on the sprue and it was firmly attached.
7. Supports - probably my failure mode
Somewhere buried in the instructions is a note about supports. It says contact point should be no less than 0.4mm but no other instructions are given except for a note to use (robust) supports . I used medium supports covering most of the part bottom. This was not adequate. Next test I will use all heavy supports.
I am not aware of a computer at DMS running Chitubox 1.8 (i.e., compatible with the Jewelry Mars 2 Pro) so I will have to reslice at home and print the next time I am at DMS.