XTC-3D looks cool, but has anyone tried this stuff (e.g. for PLA prints)? Is it worth it?
People have mentioned this before, but nobody here has said they’ve tried it. We used to have some, but it seems it’s gone off to a better place…
If you’ve tried it, let me know!
Yes, I am using the product. It works well for smoothing the face of a print. But since it is epoxy, it also strengthens the print.
Im teaching a class on the ways to finish 3D prints on August 1st and I will be covering my experience with XTC-3D but the short version is it seems like it works well if you work with it carefully, but it has a tendency to run down the print and adhere it to whatever it is sitting on, and creates a lip at the bottom of the print, which is hard to remove and looks bad. This can be avoided with multiple thin applications though
Great advice! Is your class on the calendar yet? I’d love to attend.
@Dawsmart looks like there is still room in it … https://calendar.dallasmakerspace.org/events/view/3165
I’m in! Thanks!
Also we found the stuff so I got to try it. This is looking promising.
It looks good as a clear coat, but I’m gonna put primer on after they’re fully cured, so should be able to tell what the surface looks like a bit better. Pictures to follow.
You can thin the stuff with some 99% alcohol (isopropyl), which makes it MUCH easier to put on thin coats, which help with appearance quit a bit. I suggest roughing up with 220 (0r even 330) grit sand paper prior to putting on the primer coat. That helps a lot with adhesiion. Let the gloss come from the paint if that is the look your going for.
This is all great advice. I think the one-thick-coat I did works for the smooth surfaces on the dog, but not the detail on the predator. Stand by for pics…
Maybe I’ll get more scientific photos later, but this helps with the general idea.
I put a minimal amount of work in to these with hopes I’d see the worst case.
PLA prints. Left has one coat XTC-3D + 2 coats matte primer. Right has pimer only. No surface prep.
This one has one coat XTC-3D + 2 coats matte primer. Looks like there’s a bit of detail loss in some places, and to up can still see layer lines in others. Probably partially because I’m a first time user. I think here is where I’d take @wandrson’s advice and do several thinned coats.
The stuff is not magic, but I’m happy enough with the potential that I just ordered some. Thanks for the insight, guys!
They also offer colorants that can be included in the coating to avoid the need to paint it as well.
UPDATE: A couple of coats of this stuff plus bronze metal powder, and rubbed down with some steel wool
Still learning!
Nice - The acetone looks so great and smooth! Yeah, I’d totally do that if I was printing in ABS. But here’s what I’m getting from the XTC stuff:
My hidden goal here is to learn to make one-off props from faux bronze. Making a mold and cold casting it seems like a waste for one prop. I wanted to see if XTC + metal powder was a good alternative. The bronze dog above feels too light and still sounds like plastic when you set it down, but I’m headed in the right direction.
I’m printing mostly in PLA, not ABS, so I don’t have the acetone option. 
Screw a small brass/bronze plate on the bottom and it’ll sound right when setting down.
Very true about PLA. Casting it is relatively easy even for one off props, never know someone else might want one.
And then you can add the bronze metallic powder to the resin for the cast metal look.
Reynolds is just down the street and you can get a batch of no vacuum 14 silicone for like $35, should be enough silicone to make a few molds of that size.
It you ever want help casting prints let me know that’s what I’m doing with the nukes in the earlier picture
@Raymond I like your thinkin.
@PearceDunlap Thanks! I might actually take you up on this.
Also what I did took 3 coats, so that’s 3x brushes, 3x popsicle sticks, 3x masses of leftover waste epoxy that goes in the trash. So it’s still pretty wasteful…
You can adjust the amount you mix to minimize waste and you can reuse the popsicle sticks 
I saw online someone using vaporized acetone I think to really smooth the prints nicely. I can’t remember the details, but he heated acetone in a closed container with the part hanging inside.
Obviously, some explosion risk if you’re not well ventilated, but maybe in the hood (biotech hood) you could do it.
It’s cheap and his results were great.
