I’m new to 3D printing so I was wondering after you wash a resin print do you need to rinse it before you cure it or can you go straight to curing? Does it help to rinse the print in anyway? Or do you generally just rinse the print if what you use to wash your prints leaves residue like denatured alcohol or something like it? If you do rinse a print what do you generally rinse with, the standard IPA or something else?
Any help at all is appreciated since I’m new to the 3D printing world
You really should let the print dry between washing and curing. Otherwise you will tend to get problems with the surface finish.
Not only the finish. Some resins can crack when cured while not completely dry.
Okay noted. How do you dry your prints usually? Do you just let them airdry or do you get some kind of fan? Also how long do you let them dry before you put them in your curing station? If you leave them out too long it will affect the curing process right?
I just leave them to air dry. People with air line tend to used them to blast the parts to dry them.
I tend to leave parts to dry for some time maybe 12 hours or overnight, because that’s its my work flow. A long drying period does not affect curing, and I tend not to cure the grey resin I use anyway.
Okay that’s great to know, I didn’t know that. I’ll make sure to let them dry before I put my prints into the curing station. I really appreciate this info.
Now is rinsing a print after you wash one necessary or does that only need to be done if you use certain chemicals to wash a print like denatured alcohol? I heard that that leaves some residue on the prints. if you rinse a print after a wash will it affect the finish of the print?
Also what’s air line btw? Is that similar to a can of compressed air like you would use to blow out a computer?
I use the wash container that came with the printer to rinse off the bulk of the resin (agitate for about 30 seconds) before dropping it into the Form Wash for a final rinse. Always use 90%+ IPA. Let it air dry thoroughly. Use compressed air if you have hollow parts, or cavities with lots of supports, since the IPA/Resin tends to pool up there. If not, it will leak out, creating problems with the finish, or leak into the Cure and harden there (eww!).
I’ve been wondering about that. I do cure my grey resin but I’m not sure if it’s really necessary. I paint the models thou, so it may be beneficial to give them the extra curing time.
The printer I got did not come with a container to wash off prints in. I got a ultrasonic cleaner that heats up and a curing station that can also function as a washer. I was gonna the ultra sonic cleaner for the bulk, then rinse it off using the wash function of the 2 in 1 curing station I got.
Thank you for the info on using compressed air to dry out parts that have hollow parts or cavities! A lot of the prints I was gonna do have cavities. You good sir have saved a lot of prints just now by telling me this info!