# Flexible support contact

**URL:** <https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [June 14, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719 "2019-06-14T20:36:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Munty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Munty](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Munty)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/1 "2019-06-14T20:36:04Z")

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Hi folks. Does anyone have any tips for reducing the amount of post work required with the Flexible resin? At the moment I’m trying to print a small but essential part which has to be pretty clean as it’s a kind of bush between two moving parts. There is no flat surface on this part so I can’t cheat and put it on the platform as they do with the samples they send out. ;o)

No matter how I orient it I have a shed load of supports which I have to trim off, I don’t mind the work to trim, but it seems impossible to leave a smooth finish even with a very carefully controlled scalpel.

Any tips welcome.

Thanks.

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**Author:** ![fantasy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@fantasy2](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/fantasy2)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2019, 9:08pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/2 "2019-06-14T21:08:57Z")

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For these kind of jobs we 3D print a mold and cast it in silicone. This gives very clean parts. Properties are much better than the flexible resin as well.

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**Author:** ![Munty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Munty](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Munty)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 7:12pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/3 "2019-06-15T19:12:50Z")

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Ahh, interesting. Yes, that could work.

Do you recommend any software for creating the negative?

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**Author:** ![fantasy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e4f/32.png) [@fantasy2](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/fantasy2)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2019, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/4 "2019-06-15T20:11:05Z")

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I’m using Solidworks to make the negative/vents/gate.

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**Author:** ![MrCruz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@MrCruz](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/MrCruz)\
**Post date:** [June 16, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/5 "2019-06-16T18:35:00Z")

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I’ve also noticed the large difficulty when removing supports and orienting prints with flexible resin.

I’m slowly looking at shrinking the supports past the 1.6mm recommendation w/ increasing the point density, but I suspect I’ll hit a wall soon. It might not be in the cards with this material, and have started looking at casting things instead for prints where I want more than one or two things.

On the plus side, I’ve been very pleased with how my flexible resin prints have been coming out.

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**Author:** ![Munty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Munty](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Munty)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/flexible-support-contact/23719/6 "2019-06-27T13:48:04Z")

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Yes, the actual material is great, a lot more flexible than the samples parts I was sent, which did bend, but were, erm, sturdy!

What sizes and density have you got down to without issues?