Printing clear plastic 240131

3D Fabrication
#1

Hello Dallas MS 3D Fab forum,

Have been working with the PolyPrint
machines for years with good result.

Today work is on a light object lit
by RGB LEDs. Short video of the object
shows the object at about a third of
the intended height.

The construction of the light object
shown in the video uses .25 inch
clear acrylic tube and IPS Weld-On 16 Acrylic
Plastic Cement
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R5NYM7M?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
as adhesive. (Super glue won’t
work because it glazes the clear tube.)
This process is very time intensive
because the IPS Weld-on wants to work
with two flat pieces clamped together.
To get a bond between two tubes laid
in random pattern requires that the
objects, after a drop of IPS is applied
be left unmoved for about 4 or 5 hours.
This process must be repeated for
each tube. (Better way?)

A 3D model of the object was done.

3D_image_240131
3D_image_240131637×873 86.8 KB

Several attempts to print the object
have been made with the PolyPrinter
with not even limited success.

Perhaps the object could be printed
with the resin printer.

Three questions please:

  1. Does it seem possible that the
    light object could be printed
    with the resin printer?

  2. Is there a resin which prints as
    transparent (not translucent) as
    the clear acrylic tubes? Or even
    close?

  3. For other PolyPrintable models
    prints were made successfully
    with what is advertised as clear
    or transparent ABS filament.

  • Gizmo Dorks 1.75mm ABS Filament 1kg / 2.2lb for 3D Printers, Transparent
  • BUMAT ABS 3D Printer Filament, 1.75mm (Clear), 1kg Spool (2.2lbs), Guaranteed Fresh,
    Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.02mm, Tangle-Free, Fits Most FDM Printers

The models made with the filaments are translucent, but not transparent.
Photo of model printed with Gizmo Dorks 1.75mm ABS:
Lens_photo_240131

Is there a filament that can be used in the PolyPrinter,
or other MakerSpace 3d Fab lab machine, that is clear or transparent,
or even more transparent than the model printed with
the Gizmo Dorks?

Thanks.

Allen Pitts

1 Like
#2

Anycubic High Clear resin gets good reviews but I haven’t tested it. It requires post-treating with a specific clear “varnish”. They claim it’s more resilient than other resins but bear in mind that’s a relative term. In general, resin prints are far more brittle than FDM prints.

You are also going to get layer lines. You can print in very thin layers but the lines are still going to be there - nothing like the clarity you get with the acrylic rods.

#3

Hello @John_Marlow and Dallas MS 3D Fab forum,

The excellent reply from Mr. Marlowe is appreciated.

Have found the Anycubic High Clear resin at Amazon
Amazon.com: ANYCUBIC High Clear 3D Printer Resin, Resist Yellowing and Highly Transparent, Tough and Resilient, Low Odor 3D Printing Resin, Widely Compatible for All LCD/DLP Resin 3D Printers (High Clear, 1kg) : Industrial & Scientific

In researching the varnish an article was found
Tips for Making Transparent Resin 3D Prints
Tips for Making Transparent Resin 3D Prints - 3D Insider.

The varnish recommended in the article is
The Army Painter Warpaints Air Airbrush Gloss Varnish 18ml Acrylic Paint for Airbrush, Wargaming and Modelling

Another varnish found recommended
DecoArt DS19-9 American DuraClear Varnishes, 8-Ounce, DuraClear Gloss Varnish
https://www.amazon.com/DecoArt-DS19-9-Party_Supplies-As-Shown/dp/B002VPKTQC?linkCode=ll1&tag=insider04-20&linkId=4af1ea8087e2b8b5a111fe613cd2ad36&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&th=1

If there is any opinion on which of the two varnishes will provide
the most permanently transparent finish please accept a humble
request for that knowledge.

Finally, the 3D Fab Lab primer was taken three years ago and at that time
an intro to PolyPrinters and the resin machines was provided. And I
even printed some resin models then.
But it was so long ago it is pretty certain that I would not know where
to start now.

If Mr. Marlowe, Mr. Jayson Woods or any one familiar with the resin machines
would be at MakerSpace in the next few days, say, Thursday Feb 1 thru Wednesday
Feb 7, and could spare five minutes to show me how to operate and clean the resin
printer, I would buy them a coke and a candy bar.

Thanks.

Allen Pitts
469 713 4147

#4

I have had good luck with clear ABS on FDM, but it requires some settings changes.

To make it work you need to print at 101-105% flow, 100% infill, and you need to change the slicer config to align all of your infill layers to be parallel vs +45° and -45°, with 0 top and bottom layers. Speed should be reduced to 15-20 mm/s

Do some test cubes at varying temps and flow rates to dial it in for you filament and you should be able to get a pretty good result. Note these will require post processing to sand and polish up. 400 followed by some flitz or similar plastic polish should work. Don’t to acetone smoothing, it will cloud the plastic.