Objects fresh out of the printer, or the alcohol rinse, always look super-shiny, which is great for some parts. When they dry off, though, the finish generally becomes more matte and slightly more opaque. That’s perfect for some parts, but I think it’s cool to use the Formlabs Clear resin to make parts that end up looking like they were carved out of crystal.
Luckily, this is pretty easy to do with some spray acrylic sealer. Nothing fancy–just make sure you get the high gloss version for the best shine. Once the part is dry, give it a spray with the acrylic sealer and let that dry. As you’ll see in the attached photo, the end result looks like it did when it was still wet!
I noticed the models becoming slightly “resiny” (yellowish translucency). That may be because I sometimes smoke near the models. Does your sealing off prevent this to happen?
I have not had experience with the Form1 yet, but I work a lot with the Objet Eden and their materials. When left in sunlight photopolymers continue to cure and in the case of at least two of the Objet materials, turn yellow. Longer exposure leads to more yellowing. To combat this, I like to use UV archival spray which comes in glossy, satin and matte.
I’ve noticed significant yellowing on some Shapeways SLA prints over time-- even when stored inside a box and out of all light. It’ll be interesting to see how stable the Form1 clear resin is by comparison.
Hmmm. Actually, I have quite a few different UV sources (from working with Chromadepth 3D glasses and paints)… Once my printer arrives I’ll rig up some long-term UV exposure tests on some identical prints and see what happens.
i’ve also seen yellowing on objects stored without protection from light. can you recommend a UV archival spray? i don’t have any experience with these and would appreciate some information on what you’ve found to work, having seen some negative reviews online. thanks!
I used to use Krylon UV Glossbut they came out with an archival version that can be removed so I opt for that now. Even after I spray my pieces I tend to keep them protected from light unless they are being showed. The only test I have that I sprayed is an Objet Vero Clear piece that is two years old now and it sits in direct sunlight all day and it still clear.
The first link is the lower cost UV spray and the second is the archival. Regular has options for gloss and matte while archival has options for gloss, semi-gloss, satin, and matte.
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