3D Printing vs. Silicone Molds: The Ultimate Showdown
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- In this battle of 3D printing technology and old school silicone mold making and resin casting, you'll choose a side - 3D printing vs. silicone molds! You'll decide which process is better for your needs - 3D printing or silicone molds?
Here are links to the tools and materials used in this video:
MY SILICONE MOLD-CAST RESIN SET UP:
RESIN:
Smooth-Cast 300, Casting Resin (pint kit): amzn.to/2ITXHME
Smooth-Cast 300, Casting Resin (gallon kit): amzn.to/2RECY2c
PRESSURE CASTING SET UP: Pressure pots are made for spray painting and have to be modified for this process. I have the 5 Gallon but also linked the 2.5 if you’re doing smaller work. I actually wish I had a larger unit:
5 Gallon Pressure Pot: amzn.to/31DLWQP
2.5 Gallon Pressure Pot: amzn.to/31zQFmC
DEWALT Air Compressor: amzn.to/3lUqib9
RESPIRATOR: I use a North respirator with a gas and vapor cartridge. Make sure the mask fits your head size: Small/Med/Lrg.
Respirator: amzn.to/2yFvWkQ
Cartridge: amzn.to/2YJcyhr
Smooth-On Universal Mold Release: amzn.to/2Xaxihk
6” Stir Sticks (box): amzn.to/2Hh553F
Cool Plastic Stir Stick Upgrade: amzn.to/2Z2u68G
On top of an assortment of rubber bands- a bunch of these large ones always come in handy: amzn.to/2KwhKkU
The silicone I used for the mold is:
Mold Star 15 Silicone (pint kit): amzn.to/2NhaahA
Mold Star 15 Silicone (gallon kit): amzn.to/3zpwScH
The CyberPower 1500 backup battery:
amzn.to/3U06Juk
Nitrile Gloves (price of these always fluctuating): amzn.to/3TZIqNk
RotoMetals Lead Shot #5 (can get this in different diameters): amzn.to/3K5SLm8
*as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases :)
You can check out Part 1 of this series where I make the silicone mold here:
• Silicone Mold Making: ...
There are many pros and cons to both 3D printing and silicone molds and casting resin, so it's important to choose the process that's best for your project. In this tutorial, we'll compare and contrast 3D printing vs. silicone molds and cast resin, and help you choose which process is the best for you!
I explain the different processes of 3d printing with my Formlabs 3L SLA 3D printer, and go over the costs and time it takes to get you up and running in the 3d printing game. I use it mostly for designer toys and character design, but both processes are extremely versatile for all sorts of DIY arts and crafts projects. You can 3d scan and 3d print almost anything.
Thanks for checking out my work!
You can always see what I’m up to here:
steveferrera.com/
/ steveferrera
Please tell me the cat was compensated for her appearance. lol Seriously though- fascinating video.
Thanks! Yes, her amazon shopping is way fuller than mine
I hope you do more followups to this!!!
Love how informational this video is!!🍏
Thanks!
Bro that puppet is crazy also what’s up with the Vanilla Ice references? Also: “expecially” 😂
for some reason he's always my default animation character... not sure why... shud prob ask my therapist
Love your videos! I’m a big fan of sculpting with apoxie sculpt as well. I’ve been watching a lot of your videos to plan my first mold, I’m scared but I know I got this xD I sent you a message on Instagram with pictures of my project. Id really appreciate any advice on how to set up my mold!
thanks! I'll ck it :)
Excellent explanation! I have some questions I'd like to ask you. Can I get an email? Thanks.
sure. stevecferrera@gmail.com. you can ask here too- might answer other peoples questions...
You’d _reallly have to_ try rotocasting that “1.35gal/576ml” cast _before_ that comparison is relevant…
lol- yeah - a roto-caster would tear that figure up. I'm just not sure where it would fit in my studio...
@@SteveFerrera I only do rotocasting by hand, honestly; I’ve done it successfully using Smooth-Cast 325 _and_ Onyx Fast! I find it easier to work with that way. You’d have _no problems_ using that Smooth-Cast 300 *without* a rotocaster… both the 300 & 325’s demold time is 7 - 10 minutes… pressure pots are nice & all but not necessary in the rotocasting process. If you’re concerned about air bubbles, you can just mix up & apply your resin in multiple small batches.. 320/325 almost feels like rotating an oily liquid around inside the silicone molds until it kicks, but when it does, it kicks quick! May take a couple try’s but it’s really quite meditative ha
@@stanleythrewbrick cool! always wondered if that would work with. I always imagined there would be a bunch of half printed pieces all over my studio.
Follow👏up👏video!🫶
Very interesting. Time is a big difference between the methods, casting is much faster to make copies. p.s The cat will always win.
yep! I can knock out 10 casts a day when I'm rollin. but it's nice that I can hit print before I go to bed- then come home from work the day after and I got one :)
@@SteveFerrera That's true, there's a lot to be said for having a machine work while you are doing something else in the meantime.
I actually use 3d printing to make molds, but I also need to cast in silicone for making stop motion puppets.
I need to learn how print molds... so many possibilities- but my 3d modeling skills are pretty blah
I'm so happy your video are back you answered so many question I had about 3d printing!! More Midge time please
Midge will get top billing in all my upcoming videos :)
EXCELLENT Video. And of course Midge would win! Lol ! 😄
Thanks for such an in depth video. Looking forward to part 2.
Not surprised you like the Crafsman ! He's awesome !
Thanks! Crafsman was the inspiration for my wizard puppet- not half as cool though.
how maney cast can u pull out from platinum silicone or tin silicone mold?
i use that silicone and only can cast max 25 cast after 25 the cast stick to silicone , i use release agent and still same result
about 30 if I take good care of molds. Really depends on how much fine detail- the amount of thin little flaps of silicone. Those things start to break off after awhile from the heat of the resin curing. At some point the amount of clean up time warrants a new mold.
i don't think size should be a concern with pressure casting resin. i know guys who welded up their own pressure tanks, and some of them are enormous. the tanks don't even have to be cylinders. they can be simple metal boxes. and if you make a door that 'falls' inward, you don't even have to mess with securing the door with bolts because the pressure will seal the door shut. just fyi
hmmmm... skillz I don't got :(
It's crazy to me that Formlabs resin printers are so expensive. I have been 3d printing for over 10 years now, (resin around 6)
And there are many printers you can buy under 1k that will print better quality than the Formlabs at a way cheaper price. With benefits like:
No proprietary resins.
Way cheaper resins
custom settings for your slicer and not relying on an update from Formlabs to push better resolutions. with some going as low as 10um
I understand you might save time and not have to dial things in as much on a Formlabs but its surprising to me that they charge so much.
I'm just getting into 3d sculpting myself and can't wait to begin printing my own models instead of other peoples all the time. Either way, Love the content Steve
Thanks for watching! Please forward me info if you find SLA printers with nice print quality and good print size capacity. It's still a giant experiment for me. Good luck with the sculpts !
@@SteveFerrera Sorry about the delay in reply. I wanted to make sure i had the time to write up something clear and concise.
I also did more research into the Formlabs before I replied too. So to which i would say the main difference in printers is SLA vs SLS (in short, one uses a precise laser to draw layer by layer the other uses a screen that blocks out layer by layer)
The downside of SLA (The screen version) which is cheaper. is the screens are classed as consumables and will need replacing after a set period of time.
The upside is a drastic reduction in production cost. I guess doing your own research on if the downtime/ work included is worth it for you.
How ever I would like to say that I have ran "cheap" SLA printers for my Esty store where they'd be printing constantly for a year without much rest and havn't had to replace a screen yet.
You will have to "level" the bed sometimes but this process is as easy and becomes second nature once you get hang of it.
You'll also have to find the resin cure time of the resin you use, Which will take some time and some test prints but once you've got it set, Then that won't change for said resin. However will need to be calibrated for each different resin you use. (if you do decide to change)
It seems you already know how to support your models for printing and personally thats the biggest learning curve about using resin printers. If you had the time and space and wanted to reduce production cost and increase output, I would suggest looking into a few printers.
Here a few:
Anycubic Photon m3 max =298 x 164 x 300 mm
Phrozen Sonic Mega 8K = 330 x 185 x 400 mm (a lot more money but huge build volume)
Peopoly Phenom Prime (again more pricey than 1k)
There is a plethora of SLA resin printers to suit all kinds of needs and purposes and would have no problem talking more about it to you if you had any more questions.
Again, keep up the great work Steve and i look forward to seeing more of your creations
Jake
Such a great video, I've just started my 3D printing journey and you're right it can be super expensive but I started with a more entry level printer. I love Midge helping throughout the video. Always love your videos. Keep up the great work 👍👍👍👍
Thanks! good luck!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I 3d print my mold masters and cast them in epoxy. How do you find the durability of the print as a final product? I've found printer resin to be considerably more brittle and breakable than epoxy/urethane.
yeah. I definitely prefer the casting resin. I don't really like the brittleness. I've had to adapt. It's harder to paint for me too. not very good with washes. I'm hoping they come out with a new resin that's not so brittle.
@@SteveFerrera Have you tried any of the Sirayatech stuff? I've used Blu and it's actually pretty tough. I was able to machine it on a mill. I've seen others on YT blend it with Sirayatech tenacious which supposedly also makes it slightly flexible, but I haven't tried it myself. There's a lot of manufacturers out there now developing some cool resins. I've seen some reviews of actual flexible resins. I imagine the cost is high though.
@@RichardThompsonCA Id love to try the flexible resin someday - but yeah all the cool resins are super expensive. But they got me thinking of cool things I could do with them.
@@SteveFerrera Tough 1500 and Grey Pro are good options that I use for miniature printing, a bit higher of a pricepoint than the standard resins though.
In addition to this: You don't necessarily *have* to post-cure your prints. Once they're washed you can prime and paint them to keep them in more of a green state, which will make them take forever to fully cure. for most of the resins you can find they have a "green state" and a "post cured" state in the datasheets. White V4 is basically twice as flexible in its green state compared to fully cured
@@Chaosghoul interesting... i thought you had to always post cure. Are the tough 1500 and Grey pro less brittle than the standard. I really like the soft casting resin.
RAW AS FUCK!!! NICE JOB STEVEN!
thanks mate!
A+ on the finger bird creation . That’s is a crazy cool
thanks mate!
I loved every second of this incredible and informative video of yours!
what's up buddy!!!
RIght on.
best video EV3R!!!!
Steve will you be at DesignerCon again this year??
I don't think I'll have any inventory. But I'm going to make it a priority for 2024. How's it been the past couple years?
@@SteveFerrera Honestly I haven't been since 2019 - so I couldn't say with confidence. I'm hoping to go this year to check it out again. This video ROCKED btw! So much awesome info.
@@WkdWest Thanks! maybe I'll see u at the con!
This was such an interesting video, thanks for going super in depth with your comparisons! ps I think Midge would win.
Thanks for watching! Midge is up 5-0
Hey bud have you dabled with cosclay ?
like making cosplay stuff or wearing it? :)
@@SteveFerrera sculpture in cosclay than cast
@@keepitrealandtoasty a few random things here and there for friends but nothing hardcore. I made a cool wizard staff that lit up once :)
Nice one 👍
Thanks for watching!
Seriously helpful video! thank you so much.
Glad it was helpful!
It sure sounds great but I am too old to learn 3d modeling. I am so used to using my hands and fingers to sculpt my objects then mold and cast them, that I would be dead before I got the 'feel' I have now with wax (for the positives) compared to a digital sculpture. Plus I like the option of 'cold casting ' with bronze powder - I think it will be a while before SLA printers can do that, at least affordably for most of us.
I'm working with a foundry now that's working on some pretty hi-tech wax printing stuff- hopefully some vids on that in the future. but yeah I'm in the same boat. I'll always prefer hand sculpt to 3d modeling.
@@SteveFerrera Look forward to those vids
@@SteveFerrera There's also casting resins for a clean burnout you can get for the Formlabs printers
@@Chaosghoul I've been keeping my eye on that. right now it's only practical for small stuff- as soon it can print larger, i'm in.
@@SteveFerrera There's two resins: Castable Wax for small stuff and Castable Wax 40 for bigger things
Where do you source the blue foam?
I get mine in Sacramento. Their HQ is in Texas but they have distributors in every state. Can't remember name off top of my head- but goggle blue eps foam. On their site they list distributor locations. But they changed the formula - it's black now- same stuff- just more environmentally friendly- some carbon based formula.
Great video! Very informative. Oh yeah - Midge, every day of the week! Haha :)
the wizard tries his best- but always get the beat down 🐱