Basics: How to post-process your 3D prints!
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2017
- A few simple steps can turn your 3D prints into something useful and special!
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The "cut away from yourself" thing always makes me want to talk about the more general case: plan your accidents. if your working with something that can hurt you, always be thinking about what can go wrong, and plan accordingly.
Indeed. It does not matter how good you are, if you do something long enough eventually you'll roll a critical fail. That's what fire extinguishers and first aid kits are for.
MY LIFE
Too true. 3 months ago I impaled my finger on a pair of side cutters I had laying around and now I don't have any feeling on the right side of my finger. It was a simple mistake but I never even considered it happening.
I remember the "Murphy Law"...
Prevention is better than a cure I'd say... ask yourself why you'd like working with someone who's highly likely to hurt you? Because I certainly wouldn't be working with them.
This was the best 3D print post-process video I've seen. Because it was complete, all possible steps from build platform to finished part. Haven't seen this in a video before. Great work Thomas!
Great video, Tom! Might I add some tips? From people from the plastic industry, Igot this one, particularly for ABS: if you quickly pass over the flame of a lighter over the part, it sort of works like a primer, it changes the polarity of the surface molecules and makes it more prone to get electrons from the paint and fix it there. Also, since you pointed out so well that scalpels and cutting tools are so dangerous, there is one that takes the danger away, the deburring tool, it works like a scalpel for corners and is quite cheap. Some acetone pens exist on the market which allow you to fix details on the surface of prints. I have a video about that but the last time I tried to paste the video URL my comment was classified as spam.
Thanks Thomas. Always excited to see a new video posted on your channel.
Yet another highly informative and helpful video. Thanks Tom!
Thanks Tom, its never a waste of time to watch your videos
As usual, the best 3d printing channel on the internet.
Yet another great video!!! One thing I'll add for people without full sets of taps. Just as you warned(very rightly so) to be careful of too much heat with Pla, It works the other way also. I have taken a lighter to a bolt then screwed it in slowly, most of the time needing to repeat a few times. Or a soldering iron too, Ive plugged it into a print then quickly threaded a bolt in. Heat guns also work wonders for clearing up strings
As always Tom, great video!
Best 3D printing tips ever!!!
Thanks Tom! I've successfully used PVC cement (the blue stuff) to join PETG parts and it seems to work well, as It contains a small amount of MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) which appears to be a good solvent, not too toxic, and available from most hardware stores. I think there are clear cements (if the blue looks bad) but I haven't tried them. PETG might even solvent weld with the thinner 'PVC cleaner' solution, but I haven't tried that yet either.
What an amazing video, been searching for this simple explanations for about 3 momths, sad i did not find this in january 2021 first week, as it could have saved me a good deal of experiments (also learned from them). Would love to see simple videos like this explaining printer/slicer settings. Will look into your video lobrary for videos like this
The method I really do need to try out more.. Sandblasting!
I've seen this done with very good results and a finish closer to Powder-and-binder style prints.
Lots of great tips. Love learning new 3D printing stuff. I want to try those brass inserts in a future project. Thanks for sharing. - jeff
Nice information about epoxy, I didn't know that.
I didn't know that either, however, I touch epoxy all the time and have never had an issue/reaction.
I wanted to say the same , i thought, yup just basic disclaimer tips but im glad he did. Im already pretty easily sensitized.
theres also 1-part body filler that usually comes in tubes. it dries really fast and sands as good as any body filler. its great for fixing defects and print lines that would otherwise take ages to sand.
really starting to like this channel.. always great reviews and tips
Awesome tips! You got yourself a new subscriber 😊
good one for the health waring for potential risk of allergies - it is actually true and I did not know that. Thanks !
I love your videos! So helpful
I have a set of those tiny files, priceless for finishing prints
Lol as an engineer, I definitely relate to Tom over here. I can't stand not mentioning the fact that I'm an engineer to other people. Keep it up Thomas. Love your videos!!
A negative rake angle (blade pointed away from the direction you are smoothing) can really help when using a box cutter on sharp edges.
Thanks for the vid! :)
Whoa, shout out to Punished Props! My neighborhood!
lol
What is this, a crossover episode?
That epoxy warning is very interesting. Thank you. Otherwise it is brilliant stuff.
I would love to see some tips on finishing PETG. It seems like it's an excellent material, but it's also different than both PLA and ABS. Any tips on sanding techniques, glues/welds? Some of this stuff I'm sure can be trial and error experimentation such as flame/heat smoothing. Just would love to see something for more than just PLA or ABS since the materials are different and require different techniques.
Awesome video thanks for the help
I use a combination of wood filler for really deep imperfections, and a paint on acrylic primer, so I can load up fairly thick and it sands away quite easily to go flush with the layer lines. You need more than a day for curing between each method before adding a top coat though, otherwise it will peel. Best to give a few days between to make certain.
I'm with you, gotta put the fun in functional 3d printing. Ordered some taulman nylon bridge, good to know there's pretty much nothing I can do to finish the parts..
thanks for share , its help to me !
Haywyre playing in background, good taste in music, subscribed
Hi Tom, Pls go into more for PETG as we are using it for end use parts and the adhesives used would be helpful. Aslo, use Krylon plastics paint right onto the petg surface. super bond & wont scratch off. Cheers.
I’ve used a heat gun to smooth TPU prints. It’s not energy efficient (thus costly), but the end result is shiny, like vapor smoothing
Would like to see more about sanding. I follow instructions but I must be doing something wrong because I always find blotches in my prints or I can't quite get the surface completely smooth -- usually a few PLA threads will find their way to poke out.
Thanks for making this!
I found a deburring tool really good basically a swivel curved blade to clean up the edges
I know this is kinda late, just getting started, but there are special deburrers that work really well, and there are different kinds for different materials (plastics, metal, ...)
I think a deburring tool is the best way of cleaning those sharp base edges!
Doesn't really work well with PLA in my experience, but works well with ABS and PETG. You can overdo it though if you are not careful.
Can you do more tips for doing functional mechanical prints? (I'm a mechanical engineer and use my personal 3D printer much of the time to problem solve and come up with custom parts/tools. usually I even use my little Robo3D over our shop's Stratasys Fortus :p)
Also, is there anything on the horizon for embeded electrical parts into 3d printed pieces? I heard about this a while ago and then nothing after.
To embed a part you need to design the 3d part in pieces so that it can fit around it , perhaps?
Or design it so that the printer pauses when it reaches the point where the embedded part is placed.
You embed the part and then resume and the printer prints around it.
The problem there is the resumed part isn't going to adhere too well to the previously printed part.
It sounds like a design issue more than anything.
You could design snap on clips on such a design so it all snaps together.
Very good videos
the song is by haywyre -why don't you, and its a house genre, glad to see that this guy has a good music taste.
I've found that Loctite 406 works absurdly well when bonding PLA - the glue bond turns out stronger than the parent model. Very expensive for super glue though.
AYY! My boy Haywyre in the background!
I think it would be cool to have a video on how to post-process a part in order to get rid of layering, like for models. I know there's some materials you can buy to fill in the gaps, and then sand, followed by repeating this until you get a shiny surface. I'm just not aware of what they are, and how to properly use them.
It would cool to get a priming guide for different materials. What materials need priming, and what ones don't? Is there a way to prime a material that also helps with the visible layers issue?
Thumbs up for accurate use of "literally".
I guess it's a lot about balance. My biggest issue is checking what layer height would be ideal to get the part more resolution. Unfortunately, PLA doesn't have the best possible layering. PLA+ does better, but it's a lot shinier so you have to use more primer to color it up.
+1 for props to Punished Props, its a great channel.
Can confirm. Everyone who owns a 3D printer should have a set of small files.
I'd check if they are bent if you can see them in a store, but mine probably bent from use and not just coming that way.
Flush cutters are useful for close brims/skirts or remnants of support material
I use an acryl paint for first layer on pla and edge non-toxic - no smell works better than rust primer or some nasty stuff
Have you ever used a deburing tool. It is very handy to go around parts that are circular
I always add a champfer of 0.2mm on the side of the model that faces the bed, that way I dont get any elephant foots while still being able to squish the nozzle against the bed a bit more.
How about a video on support material? I have a heck of a time getting clean undersides and removing supports on parts that have no natural orientation for 3D printing.
Please make more videos about engineering 3D tips
Way to go on the safety wisdom
Yes I have a paring knife I filed down and it is only knife I use for this. I did slice my finger, bad and due to unlevel bed.
I like your filament rack in the background. That's 'where I'll put my filament, on a rack on the wall above wherever the printer is sited, makes for easy spooling and colour/type changes. Time to visit IKEA and get creative methinks., Have you tried a NAIL FILE on any prints?
Please do more experiments on post production of PLA, there must be more options than sanding and filing. Is there anything like acetone that will work?
You can try carefully using a heatgun and there is specialized epoxy to smooth the surface structure and make it shiny. Also there have been tests using THF (Tetrahydrofuran) or DCM (Dichlormethan) which both can dissolve PLA but instead of only "melting" the first layer rather make the whole part rubbery and leave the outer layer. Also they are highly toxic and can cause cancer.
Dichloemethane works pretty well, but I would not recommend using it.
Jona Jona i tried THF .... epic fail ! The pla just went soft with 0 surface change.
Please don't apologize for addressing mechanical prints. Real creativity needs mechanically-adaptive techniques to be limitless. Please do more videos on integration of mechanical approaches to printed parts... Another fantastic video.
never heard that about epoxy... Been getting lacquer thinner on my skin for 20+ yrs, still alive. Epoxy dust and goo, you bet. No problems. (I work in auto collision for proffesional for 21 yrs). PTEG could likely be joined with 3M SMC glue. (available from any local automotive paint jobber. as always, great videos, thanks for so much details. :)
I had no choice but to develop these techniques for mechanic parts on my own. I have always wanted to try the brass inserts, but McMaster Carr was the only place I could find them, but they would't sell to individuals outzide US.
I will try painting a partir using your tips to see what I get.
eshneto eBay
Have you tried using a heat gun to remove discoloration where support material is removed or where you have sanded. this is my favorite post process trick and how I get my prints looking amazing.
That is exactly the tip I need!
also with the heat gun for decorative things such as dragon wings you can model them in a way that they need little to no support and then heat them gradually with the heat gun and bend them pretty much however you want.
seems like I got a lots of stuff to learn in terms of 3d printing
Haywyre in Background
Could you add the paint used to paint the cat figure at the end? It looks amazing!
Excelent video with great tips, keep the good work!
And an great shoutout to @punichedprops
+1 for the callout to punished props, and filler primer. :)
There is odorless epoxy which is supposed to be safer to work with especially regarding allergic reactions.
Thanks for the tips! What type of filler primer did you use? Laquer or acrylic based?
Thanks for the good video. How did you connect the bearing on 3:37? I understand the insert part, yet not what comes on it for the bearing.
I would like to know more about vapour smoothing PLA
Try a deburring tool on the lip at the bottom of the print.
Who knows what the filament is one the top row second spool? I definitely want to buy that one!
hello Tom,
great video and explanation, I have a question please I've seen somewhere someone using epoxy resin to protect a PLA coaster from heat, what do you think about that ? is epoxy resin good to protect PLA from sun heat and other heat ?
On the topic of getting separately-printed pieces to adhere together...how would one go about doing that for very flexible filaments, like ninjaflex or TPU or similar? I would hazard a guess that regular glue would just form a rigid layer and not stick for long, if the parts get bent a lot.
3:47 very cool trick
if you mention links to another channel, please put them into the descriptoin too. not only that info-button-sidebar-annotation thing.
on the topic: i really like embedding normal hex-nuts into a print. it's not the easiest thing to model, you have to pause the print at the right moment to insert the nuts .. but it's worth it for knowing, the thread is the strongest part of the whole object, and have it turn smooth and easily.
12” Disc sander and spindle sander will solve 95% of your problems. 48” belt sander also very useful and could replace the disc sander. Disc sanders can be made quite easily.
What is the best way to apply acetone to a ABS print? Spray it on or a fine brush?
Holy shit - I rubbed Epoxy all over my hands to test if Swarfega would remove it. Thankfully it did.
what kind of soldering iron did you use for the brass insert? I noticed it has screws and it rotates.
If you could test/recommend primers/infills color. It would be nice. Especially for us european based makers :-)
Does anyone have any idea on how to sand those difficult areas on your prints where neither sandpapering by hand or Dremel can do a good job? Or is there some type of brush to the Dremel that is suitable for the job without ripping apart the print?
What would you say is affected the most by humidity between PLA and PETG?
would heating the surface of PLA work to smooth it a bit? if you get the temp and time just right? or would that fail miserably? also i found a toothbrush with a bit of powdered abrasive good for those small details and holes the sandpaper can't get into
Can you use nail polish? Nail polish remover? I just started printing nekos.
Ahah, i have now gotten the pun. When the prints come out of the printer, they're finished, but not "finished". :D
I need a tool for cleaning the brim of square models
,they are rect lines ..any idea?
Have you reviewed polymaker polysmooth?
Instead of brass inserts, can I use motherboard stands?
I want to know how to smooth out PLA pieces in general where supports have been etc or did I just completely miss this part? (I fully watched so not sure)
he said sand, prime spray (lightly), sand, then continue these steps until it is to your liking
Do you have that Lapras model available anywhere? I found one previously, but its bottom just doesn't turn out half as well and the fins aren't held on by much
what was that kit in the case you had, do they sell kits like that?
Can you please sent me a link of that fillieer you use?
Hi, can you tell me the tool you use for tapping the treads in the video, thanks.
It's literally called a tap. From a tap and die set found at specialty hardware stores. Not home depot.
does acetone work in smoothing petg??? thanks
how can i remove the stripes that are created from 3d print? rough surface, sanding or files
Hey Thomas... is there any alternative for acetone for PLA smoothing ?
Acetone is not easy to get in my country in Dubai we need a proper government approval to get it... I'll be glad if you could suggest an alternative chemical
Using smaller gloves improves dexterity and hand movements massively.
Great music. @Haywyre
Do you have any advice for small models? I print my own LEGO accessories and parts, and due to the detailing on some, it is hard to get a decently smooth surface.
Try using a 0.2mm nozzle if details matter that much👍
what is the 3d printer in the video