After a long wait and a small initial problem
(fortunately everything quickly resolved by the great Formlabs support),
I show you a few tests done with my Form 2:
Large dragon head: size 40mm print layer: 0.05 mm gray resin printing time: 4 hours 30’
Small dragon head: size 20mm print layer: 0.025 mm gray resin printing time: 4 hours 50’
Post cures in UV oven: 30 ’
I must say that I am satisfied with the result, for a machine from less than than 4000 €
Some considerations:
hard resin and with very delicate details (small dragon head horns) is easy to damage the model when removing the supports.
if the resin was more matte, it would be possible to better highlight the details.
Maybe you could avoid the supports in delicate parts such as the horns by orienting the model differently.
Perhaps you could rotate the model forward so the supports will generate on the lower part of the head!
If you want more detailed prints, the Black resin works a bit better, it’s also a more matte finish. Though it ends up being more brittle due to the increased pigment.
Hey Mauro,
I have to say: beautiful prints! I’m glad you like the machine as much as we do.
If you’d like to avoid damaging small models or fine details, try the following:
orient your model and generate supports as usual
click on the model with fine details
go to supports
edit selected
click on the blue spheres to remove supports
reduce the touch point size to the minimum (0.40 mm)
add some supports again (get rid of all the red markings on the model)
Please only reduce the touch point size on the supports that touch fine details and leave the rest on standard settings. The smaller the touch point size, the easier it is for your model to break off, but that could also happen during print, so don’t overuse this technique as it can make your beautiful model fail
For these two tests, I tried to create the supports using the Pre Form default settings.
After I changed some settings: I changed the size, reduced the number of supports
and also the size of the contact points (0,40mm). The result is what you have seen.
I’m not complaining, rather they are very happy with the result achieved with a machine like the Form 2
(for work, I use professional 3d printers from about € 100,000).
Usually, I modify, create and optimize supports for my works.
While having reduced the contact points, with very delicate details and small parts
(wires, branches, spikes, horns, etc.) is easy to break the parts during the detachment of the supports
using the flush cutter, probably because the resin is rigid.
To prevent breaking the small parts of the model when you remove the supports the solution is:
Yes, that would definitely work very well for support removal, though very expensive for that purpose. What I do for fragile parts is either slowly use the sprue cutters and kind of turn it a bit to saw through, or use an xacto knife to cut it away.
You can use a cheap rotary tool - like a Dremel - to cut of supports at delicate points.
I have bought the Parkside tool with rechargeable battery for around 20-30 Euro from the german food discounter Lidl. Make sure you wear a mask to cover nose and mouth because the tool will create resin dust while cutting.
I use a semi-profession mask that I wear against the fumes of Isopropanol alcohol.
This has helped me a lot with my models under plasticlabs.wordpress.com
Ciao Mauro,
I use recently form2. The best experience I’ve done this:
right after Alcahol bad I remove the support since the piece still is elastic. After it comes under UV and subsequently finisage. Vice versa the piece becomes hard and brittle.
Bye Gianni Rodenhaeuser
PS.: ho una domanda anz due un po indiscrete: cosa stampi con la stampade da 100,000 Eu? e che materiale usi?
Grazie Ciao
