I came up with the idea of using a UV laser and some neat resin to fill the odd hole or patch of uncured resin I get my models every now and then. Turns out after a bit of research that some members had good results with this and posted here last year. Whereas basic cheap amazon/ebay ones do the trick, they do take longer due to the power and focal length that is available in the UK due to restrictions we have. Ive tracked down a UK company that provide a 100mw 405nm pointer with variable focus that is on sale to companies for non public use. Ive outlined its use in the hope of ordering one to test. I’ll let everyone know how I get on. http://www.megagreen.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=554
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That pointer works very well. It sets the resin instantaneously and with the variable focus I can hit a pin point area or a diameter of just under 1". Filling areas is a very quick process as you had resin then hit with the pointer and keep going until filled. Easy job to then clean up.
whoa this looks awesome! so you just filled the holes with resin (the form labs resin?) and hit it with the UV?
Thats pretty much it. The main reason for doing it is your filling with the same material so it sticks and has the same properties so will sand and finish evenly. Exceeded expectations actually making repairs very quick and pain free as Formlabs resin is so easy to clean up 
thats awesome! Just bought some new resin, but If i save up I want to get one 
thanks for sharing this~
Curious if anybody has found a nice, adjustable UV laser like this for sale in the U.S.
And while I’m at it … tips for getting good eyewear? I’ve got two pairs of protective glasses in the house that both say “99.9%” UV protection; but I’m not gonna lie, whether it’s psychosomatic or not, I swear my eyes kinda hurt when I am near the super-bright UV flashlight I have in the house. I tend to keep my eyes squinted or look away and work blind with my hands, out of fear. Is there such a thing as 99.999% UV protection glasses? 
Lol. I use a nice pair of Oakley’s with polarised lenses. Look cool while doing it as well
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Has anyone found a US supplier that is reputable for the 100 Mw 405nm LASER? I have been searching and all I can seem to find is either China based or the price is way too high to warrent it…
It’s tough to get any lasers over 5mW in the US. Basically complete lasers over 5mW that don’t have safety interlocks to make sure they can’t reach a persons eye are illegal. Part of the reason the Form1 won’t print with the cover open.
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Lol. Thats awesome. You guys can have .50 cals and AK’s, but no decent lasers… Oh, we can have silencers to
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This works great. I bought the laser unit sans battery. Got the battery at Batteries Plus which cost more than the laser did off of Ebay. I also purchased some red safety glasses that are rated for the laser.
No issue in patching holes. As I said, it works great. But what I also use it for is gluing parts together. I manufacture model detail pieces and many are a conglomeration of many pieces in metal, resin plastic and wood. I’ve found that using a drop of the resin and the laser to glue the parts together makes the bond permanent. I use these masters to create RTV molds and with regular glue the assemble pieces will many times pull apart. I haven’t tested yet but I double the new ones will pull apart.
The safety glasses are an issue. Seeing I need to wear reading glasses these don’t fit over them at all. I’ve tried rubber bands to hold them but they press back against my reading glasses and hurt quite a bit. I have now purchased a set of the sunglasses clip-on flip-up unit. The orange lenses are not strong enough as I can see the laser as a blue light not the orange that you should with the safety glasses. SO, out will come the Dremel tool and I’ll cut up one pair of the safety glasses and replace the lenses in the Flip-UP pair with them.
I poured a small amount of the FormLabs resin in an orange empty prescription bottle. Works great to just take a drop out to use for the repairs or gluing.
Why the Clip-On Flip-Up safety glasses? In assembling pieces together one is constantly putting on and taking off the safety glasses. With the Flip-Up glasses it will be real easy to do this work.
Thanks for all the posts and info on this laser unit as it really helps.
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Is the only way to cure raw resin like this, with a laser pointer?
I tried very thin coating to patch a bumpy area, and it has been in my UV light box for hours and hours… and it is still too tacky to give to customer.
Oxygen inhibits curing, so if you want it to fully cure then you can try putting it in water which will block the air.
I actually tried that last night, and it worked, already sent the part off. 
I now have the bottom half of a large water bottle to use inside my UV cure can.
Is this similar in nature? http://www.freemascot.com/100mw-405nm-focusable-violet-blue-laser-pointer-301-with-lock-match-lighting-black.html
i think ill put my modeling skills to some good use and build something similar to
I use resin to fill and repair models, however, I use a cheap 405nm torch. This needs form 5-10 seconds to fully cure resin, but doesnt have the issues of laser safety. If necessary, ill then pop the part into the uv oven for 15min to finish the curing.
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It doesn’t need to be a laser. A UV Flashlight works just as well.