Toxic? Where to put printer?

#38

This is a great thread!

Personally I’m more irritated from the alcohol vapors than from any printing fumes - especially since getting the Form Wash (which is a great machine aside that the lid doesn’t seal). In exasperation one day I put a clear plastic garbage bag around my Form Wash. If I’m present when the wash cycle is done, I move the wet print to another room then twist the open end of the bag together to form a makeshift seal. I didn’t think it would help much but subjectively speaking it seems to be surprisingly effective. Enough that for now I’ve left it as a permanent (if ugly) fixture of my 3D printing workspace.

Stupidly simple solution to the form wash evaporation woes
#39

I keep the IPA wash and curebox in my studio proper- which is not temperature controlled… like a garage.

The curebox has its own internal heaters- so that works fine, and the ordinary cure station has gasketed lids that keep the IPA contained when I’m not washing parts. However- I really don’t like how much expsoure to IPA i get when washing parts- so I plan to build a partial enclosure- like a small paint spray booth- that will have an exhaust fan and give me a strong positive airflow INTO the hooded wash station and thereby keep the fumes moving away from me.

The only problem with the BAG trick mentioned above is that it SLOWS or even halts the ability of the IPA to evaporate off of cleaned parts. Once the air in the bag is saturated with fumes- the ipa still on the part can not really continue to evaporate.

#40

No, I take the parts out and put them in another room before I close up the bag. I do leave the bag open during the wash cycle itself so the platform can raise without obstruction.

It’s not perfect and I’d love to improve the facilities (e.g. separate ventilated room, containment box with filtered exhaust, etc.) but it took all of 10 seconds to set up and seems moderately helpful as a stopgap in the meantime.

#41

so- you’re saying that the formwash releases IPA fumes when NOT in use or not even open?

How long does it take for all the IPA to evaporate? Or enough that you need to top it off to wash more parts?

#42

There are no gaskets on the lid. They did tests and determined gaskets didn’t make much difference. I’m willing to bet that’s because the lid is so lightweight and there’s nothing really pushing against the gasket to create a seal.

Original Form 1 rinse buckets had great clip-on lids with silicone[?] gaskets that created a perfect seal. Unfortunately the gaskets would degrade over time after lots of exposure to alcohol. The latest Form 2 manual rinse buckets have lid gaskets which I think seal decently when using the clip-on lids but don’t do much when you use the convenient, flip-up lids integrated into the station. They help a bit, but are not as effective. The Form Wash abandoned gaskets altogether. Some users (including myself) do find it evaporates quicker than expected - you have to top it off regularly.

Hope that answers your question!

#43

i have the wash station with the flip up lids- the gaskets seal them well enough that I can’t smell any IPA at all when they are closed and I have seen zero evaporation.

but there is a LOT of fumes whenever I am using the thing, and while the parts are drying out.

#44

This guy hit the nail on the head! The real question I wanted to ask is “Would the wife be able to smell it?”

#45

@JLYL33 > I found a kitchen furniture (from Conforama in France)

Can you find a link to the cabinet?

#46

That’s the one I got :slight_smile:
Is that what you are looking for?

#47

As several have mentioned, the form 2 needs to be in a dust free environment. Do not let anything blow dusty room air on it or it will eventually stop working well.

And I agree with all who have said the IPA is the real problem. My Formwash IPA evaporates at an alarming rate. It is not sealed at all and can be smelled when you enter the room. IMO, if you do not print every week then the static IPA evaporation from the formwash will far exceed the IPA evaporation from actual part washing.

#48

formlabs-form2-full1-800x534-c
formlabs-form2-full1-800x534-c.jpg800x534 67.7 KB

My ordinary work place :+1:

#49

Hi James,

You may want to consider where your FDM printers are located in relation to the Form 2. As others have identified, the Form 2’s greatest enemy is dust!!

My own thoughts were originally that all the printers could live happily together, the reality is that after a period of use of the FDM printers then there was noticeable dust in the workshop. After reading the article in the link below we have now put each FDM printer into its own air filtered cabinet, that cut the dust down dramatically. Its also hopefully helped everyone live a little longer!!

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.5b04983

#50

It’s pretty shocking considering that young adults and kids have these 300 dollar FDM machines in their bedrooms and living room and how little warnings are given out about the dangers.

#51

I totally agree

#52

I’m wondering though if that counts fumes while it’s printing or just if you open the bottle and inhale… Certainly there’s a difference and the MSDS of the materials would be for fumes of the material without being printed.

#53

From my experience here in the office, the only time I can really smell it at all is when a bottle is open. I’m currently working in a space with probably 70 printers and I don’t smell any resin at all, nor have we had any issues with anyone getting dizzy or anything like that.

#54

that is because you destroy your receptors in nose with IPA :joy::joy::joy::joy::laughing::laughing:
No really I moved my printer to office and IPA is in other office room that is not using and its well ventilated. I red that IPA is bad for nose receptors, head hurt, dizziness and stuff like that, Is it really that bad because it is type of alcohol? I smell Jegermaister :smiley: Also red something abut resin but there is my link up there I posted year ago

#55

@Komy do you have a source showing IPA destroys smell receptors? I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m just interested (as always) in reading more literature on the topic.

#56

I think I red somewhere on forum, but here is couple links from wikipedia and some other link. When you read literature on this topic please inform us about conclusion you made :slight_smile:

#57

I don’t see anything in the Wikipedia article specific to smell receptor degradation. It mentions several other symptoms of poisoning of course (e.g. respiratory irritation, skin irritant, visual / hearing problems, headache, nausea, vomiting, coma), but not that one. I skimmed the other link - didn’t read through the whole thing but didn’t find any mention there, either.

I know someone who lost their sense of smell from chemicals, but I don’t think IPA was one of them.