The silicone 40A resin is great! After a few prints, I was wondering if there is there any way to improve surface finish? I noticed the support material greatly impacts the surface quality and leaves residual support that is difficult to remove resulting in unwanted textures. What is the best way to get a nice finish on these parts?
Glad to hear you’re enjoying the Silicone 40A Resin! Improving surface finish on parts printed with this material can be tricky, but here are a few things that I’ve found helps:
Orienting your part at a slight angle, rather than horizontally, can reduce the number of support marks and improve the surface quality. Horizontal orientations tend to leave more noticeable support marks.
For cleaning up supports, using a brand new straight razor or high-speed rotary tool (like a Dremel) with a scotch-brite pad can help achieve cleaner results. Ultrasonic cutters are another option, but they may not be as effective with flexible materials like Silicone 40A, and results can vary depending on the brand of the ultrasonic cutter you’re using.
If you’re seeing surface imperfections like small bubbles, it could be related to the washing process. Make sure you’re using an 80/20 IPA and n-butyl acetate mix or using IPA in a sonicator, and curing in water as recommended, as washing with just IPA in a Form Wash can sometimes cause issues like bubble formation. A two-stage wash can also improve results.
Let me know if these help!