Mixing clear and white resin to get a more translucent result?

Experimental
1

I’m wondering if there’s a way to get a more translucent white, as it is for a light diffusor.
I’m getting ok results with the white already, but feel I can do better. I’ve got the model as thin as I feel comfortable and it still blocks out too much light. I’ve tried sanding the clear, which worked great (a nice sandblasted effect) until I paint it with a clear UV paint, making it clear again.
Can I just mix clear into my white container on my Form2, something like… up to a 50% mix?
I would like to avoid using the ‘open’ mode.
Has anyone tried this? Any other advice out there?

2

I think you should take a look at this article from yesterday on the blog : https://formlabs.com/blog/introducing-color-kit/

3

Thanks, I did check it out already, looks neat. All the models shown look quite opaque. It’d come down to what the ‘base’ resin is like, but I’m guessing it will be like the white (maybe not…) . I’m looking to ‘thin’ the white. I guess we’ll see when it comes out.

4

Oh my bad, I was sure it was based on clear resin not some specific resin.

So I’ll let the formlabs team advise you or someone who has actually done it…

My gut feeling however is that since the color is pigment-based (in the white, grey and black that is, I don’t know what’s in the color kit), a reduction in density might let more light pass through the material and might very well create more of a diffuse light. If I were to try that i’d fill a tray with 10-15% white resin (again, gut feeling… I do have some experience with lighting appliances though) and the rest in clear for 230-250ml total, use the clear setting in preform, put an empty clear resin cartridge, override the warning about the cartridge being empty and go with that. That’s only possible if your test print is <100ml

5

The Color Base material is akin to White v1 (comparison between v1 and v2 here), but it’s still fairly opaque and might not work for your project. What sort of application are you working on? There might be surface treatments or other processes that work for this. Otherwise, experimenting with resin mixes in Open Mode is your safest bet, but dialing in the clarity you’re looking for with a blend might prove challenging.

6

Ok thanks… We’ll have to see what the new resin formula looks like when light is passed through it.

Can I mix the 2 (white and clear) resins in the cartridge? (gradually, 10-15% at a time seems like a good approach)

Although I’d be inclined to blend in the other direction: adding clear to the white. You’re suggesting start with clear and add white. It seems like a good idea to pre-mix in another container (or the cartridge), then add as needed.

I tried open mode when my tray’s chip wasn’t being read, and the print failed (virtually new tray). I think the heat and wiper help and this’ll need to be a suitable blend for a small production run of parts.

I am printing a small globe, which is a light diffusor, and placing an led cluster inside… for a lighting product. As for a surface treatment: I’ve painted the clear with a thin layer of white paint, but I just can’t get a perfect effect like the white resin so far.