I left a tray full of grey resin sit for a month, and noticed that the bottom was completely clouded over:
The resin had noticeably separated (there was a layer of clear on top of opaque grey).
After scraping the bottom with the included putty knife, it eventually cleared up.
Is this normal? Could this have caused harm to the tray?
Should I avoid storing resin in the tray for this length of time?
Totally normal. It is the pigment falling out of suspension. You’ll want to make sure it is VERY well stirred up and that the bottom is squeaky clean by a good 2-3 minutes of scraping/stirring.
I agree. I have been printing with clear for the past month and recently switched back to grey. My tank looked exactly the same as yours. I used a common paint filter, the type you can pick up at any hardware store for $10 for 50, and filtered the resin to make sure there weren’t any little bits of cured resin that had been sitting in there for a while. This also helped mix up the resin. Once the tank was empty of resin I was better able to asses it’s health.
Hope this helps and happy printing!!
Excellent. Thanks @Declan_Halpin and @Hubbard_White!
I figured I was ok, but better safe than sorry.
One trick that works for the (non-true) “clouding” resulting from pigment settling is - scraping the PDMS layer away from you instead of towards you.
It sounds like it might damage the PDMS, so i’m hesitant to recommend it. It takes practice and you need to be careful, but when you nail it, it’s extremely fast - you do a few “pull” moves with the spatula, then one “push”, then a few more “pulls” and the tank bottom is totally clear + all the pigment is mixed back in. To be extra sure, you can then drain the tank into a container and shake/mix it well.
PS: If you decide to try it, experiment with the spatula angle and NEVER force it. It should be almost as effortless as pulling the spatula over the PDMS. If it isn’t, the angle is off and/or you’ll damage the layer. Takes a bit of practice.
I don’t use the metal spatula that came with the Form 1+ to stir the resin tank. I only use that to remove prints from the Build Base. I bought a 2.5" plastic putty knife and use that to work the resin in the tank. Much less chance of scraping or gouging the silicone surface. It works great and I haven’t had a failed print yet.
I agree with Walter but would recommend that even the plastic putty knife can be improved. Run you fingernail along the edge and you will notice a significant roughness. Sandpaper or a fine file will make the edge perfectly smooth, round the corners a bit too.
The metal spatula can be improved for use on the platform too. First smooth it in the same fashion and then put a knifelike taper on one side, the sharper the better. The factory edge is fairly thick and acts like a blunt tool, pushing the part to break the bond to the platform. If the sharp edge gets between the platform surface and the print just some reasonable, constant pressure will gradually peel the part up. If large support base, work around the perimeter and be patient.
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