I have had the printer for about a month now, While I started off with the gray and worked from total failure to so good parts, I switched to castable for the past 2 weeks and got 95% really great stuff.
I am making this caboose. In the past when I did larger items I got this rough texture like shown here. I get a somewhat separated and dual layer raft. Should have taken a photo of that too. Both the body and roof failed somewhat. The roof was better. After I printed the body I fished through the tank and popped off stuck pieces, strained the goop and did my first light blow off of the mirror. I figure the less I have to do with the laser and mirror the better off I am.
This is the middle resolution setting BTW.
So smaller parts usually turn out well in gray. Bigger parts are not as good, usually have a rough texture, and have partial or total failure. I have moved printing around the build table as well. WHY the rough texture?
I sort of planned for this to happen. I can sand them smooth and probably use them but it sort of defeats why I got this printer. The support removal is enough work. I don’t want to sand too. These are first test prints anyway.
This is a bad “separated” raft but the part mostly built well. There is usually a thin skin stuck to the build table in some areas then the rest of the raft builds.
The underside of the base reminds me to when I didn’t clean my buildplatform until another print.
Did you have failed prints before and leftovers which means cured little pieces of resin in your tank that could block the laser?
Marcus
My build table is always cleaned between prints. I did strain the goop today.
Bill
Bill — for a part like that, I would certainly print at the 100 micron setting, unless there are small details in the piece I’m not seeing. You shouldn’t see any difference in quality (and it’ll print in half the time). As for the general surface defects, I would give some other orientations a shot. It’s hard to tell at that specific scale. Certainly clean resin and tank are a must. Our support team can take a close a look at things and make sure that everything is square. You might also want to take a look at your mirrors, but I’d hold off on doing anything with them until you’ve chatted with support (if you haven’t already).
Sam
I thought tech help haunts here and gives the advice. I will address it wiht them if needed after the print I just started. I ran the STL through NetFabb and set it to the fastest speed as per your suggestion.
Bill
OK… I am in the 10 minute soak now. Much better this time. I am not sure if it was running the STL through NetFabb or switching to the fastest speed, but I will take it. There are still some snots on the sides though.
I have to get rid of them somehow,
Photos probably tomorrow night.
Bill