# 3D Printing



## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

Hi folks 

I realise that this topic has probably been raised before, but who here does 3D printing of buildings? And where would I find printable files.
I’m looking at getting one, so long as I don’t have to do too much, with so much on the go.

Thanks in advance 


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i do 3d printing of buildings .. using cura


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## Midnight Goat (Dec 19, 2017)

I do! Check out https://www.thingiverse.com/ for files to print.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I've been looking at printing figures (people, animals, etc) but there's not many models available in HO scale. Of course the great thing about this hobby is it's very easy to change the scale of an object before you print it.

A great source for models is in 28mm minis (used a lot for D&D type gaming, I think?). If anyone else goes down this path, just be aware that 70% is the magic scale number you're looking for. Take a 28mm figure and scale it down to 70%, and you'll be within a decimal point of the size needed for HO.

Actually *printing* those models is something else entirely. At HO scale a standing person is only about 15mm tall, so you need pretty fine detail. I'm going to be working with a 0.2mm nozzle and 0.04mm layer heights. Initial testing showed that even a slight bump in the belt can destroy a whole head. Next time I try it I'm going to slow the print speed way down. I'm hoping to get my prints good enough to see facial features.

As for printing buildings, I do have one link saved that might provide a search point for you: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2981217
This is just a flat print of a stone wall that you could cut out for models, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were other similar textures to be found.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Check out Shapeways.com ... lots to browse there ...

https://www.shapeways.com/marketplace/miniatures/scenery/?q=ho+scale

TJ


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## cale10 (Jun 15, 2013)

When I designed my N scale rolling stock i kept my printers limitations in mind and i now have a whole fleet of 3d printed flat cars and gondolas. Theyre not based on any particular drawings, but they look great and it shows how 3d printers can be used in the hobby. As seen in the pictures below, the switcher in the picture is a bachmann, and the brown flat car is one i designed and printed, then painted and added a wood bed to.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

Just getting my feet wet with printing, but I have obtained figures, buildings, and other things I am almost ready to try. Problem is now that I am getting pretty decent with it, wife keeps coming up with things for me to print for her. I told her, us time for a second printer...

But yes, thingiverse is a great source..


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

Thanks for the help guys. Didn’t realise the cost of the plans was so expensive, but will see what I can do 


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

dee.and.dude said:


> Didn’t realise the cost of the plans was so expensive,



most of the stuff on thingverse is free ?
shapeways can be pricey, but it's a different market ..


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

while trying to print HO scale figures probable exceeds my printers capability, I know painting them exceeds my capability!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Lemonhawk said:


> while trying to print HO scale figures probable exceeds my printers capability, I know painting them exceeds my capability!


You might be surprised at both. I have successfully printed HO scale figures with an Anycubic Photon SLA printer. The hard part is getting s satisfactory 3D model.

And painting? Well, practice makes perfect, as they say. Of course, I've had a lot of practice, having been painting miniatures since I was about 10 years old.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

The key was to use an SLA printer, not my cheap printer that extrudes a fine line of PLA!


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

If we could all afford SLA printers then this wouldn't be much of a problem. 

I tested out a Cura profile last night that was made for my printer with the goal of printing mini figures. Came out a lot better and gives me a better starting point to work from. The biggest problem I'm having now is that it's not honoring the minimum layer time settings, so when it gets to the head the neck is still soft and the head gets pushed around by the nozzle, resulting in a Picasso. I'll be playing with that tonight, but I don't think I will be able to get enough detail to see facial features (or at least a nose).


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

you -should- be able to get decent facial with a PLA printer .. i know that i do ..in HO scale, don't know about N though ?


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Shdwdrgn said:


> If we could all afford SLA printers then this wouldn't be much of a problem.
> 
> I tested out a Cura profile last night that was made for my printer with the goal of printing mini figures. Came out a lot better and gives me a better starting point to work from. The biggest problem I'm having now is that it's not honoring the minimum layer time settings, so when it gets to the head the neck is still soft and the head gets pushed around by the nozzle, resulting in a Picasso. I'll be playing with that tonight, but I don't think I will be able to get enough detail to see facial features (or at least a nose).


If you can afford a filament printer, you can afford the Photon. They cost about $500.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Er... prices have come down a lot. My printer cost $250, and that was the upgraded version. The regular model is selling for $179. There are several manufacturers selling for under $300 now.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> If you can afford a filament printer, you can afford the Photon. They cost about $500.





well, up here the Photon is still 500 us.. plus the hassle with cleaning ...
whereas i bought a PLA for 160 [canadian even] ...big difference in price .. the Photon is FOUR times the money ..


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Point is that $500 is a far cry from several thousand dollars that they used to cost. That can be within the reach of most people in the hobby.

Cleaning isn't nearly the hassle that it's made out to be. Keep a container of rubbing alcohol handy, swish your finished print in that for 30 seconds, then into a water bath for 30 seconds. Then nip off all your supports and clean the model more thoroughly in the alcohol bath using an old toothbrush, and rinse again. Then cure it under a UV lamp (or put it outside in the sun). It takes maybe 5 extra minutes. Any resin that ends up where you don't want it is easily cleaned up with alcohol.

For me, it's worth it not to have to deal with the layer lines left by FDM printers.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

CTValleyRR said:


> Point is that $500 is a far cry from several thousand dollars that they used to cost.



yes, that is true ...
they both have come down quite a bit in the last few years ...


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

Haven't looked into 3d printing news for quite a bit, sure glad that plausible SLA models are now in 3 digit range. 

I think I'm going to go for that photon...


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

tankist said:


> Haven't looked into 3d printing news for quite a bit, sure glad that plausible SLA models are now in 3 digit range.
> 
> I think I'm going to go for that photon...


There is something of a learning curve in getting it set up just right, and the resin isn't cheap (although probably not much more than the FDM filament on a volume basis). We probably had a dozen failed prints until we got leveling /zeroing and proper placement of supports on the models figured out, but I think you will like it. We love ours. The level of detailmpossible is only really limited by what you can build into a 3D model.

One thing, though: there is a distinct burned plastic odor when printing. You definitely need a well-ventilated area.


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

Finally printed my first building. It’s twice the size I need but it’s an ok start 


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

What printer model did you get, and what size is that outhouse (I'm guessing around 50mm square)? That is looking really rough. My first thought is that either your nozzle is too close to the bed or you are over-extruding. I might be able to help you trouble-shoot and get your printer dialed in better, but even the appearance of the X on the door tells me that you should be able to do MUCH better than this.


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

I’ve got a Shining Einstart printer.

I just tried this as my first job. It turned out twice as big as I wanted. I just ran it as is. The next one will be to the correct scale and try for quality over speed 


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

I think just being an outhouse, and yes I’ve used many, rough and rustic is good. Yes the X is rough, and I haven’t cleaned it up much, but that was why I left it that way 


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

I think 3-D printing is amazing but certainly above my capabilities.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

dee.and.dude said:


> I’ve got a Shining Einstart printer.
> 
> I just tried this as my first job. It turned out twice as big as I wanted. I just ran it as is. The next one will be to the correct scale and try for quality over speed


I had to do some digging to find any information about this printer. For something that claims to be an open-source platform it appears you are stuck using their proprietary software rather than something decent like Cura or Slic3r? That's gonna cause a real headache when you get into more complex prints, I'm sorry to say.

What I DID dig up, though, was that there is a section in the software for calibrating the Z axis and then calibrating your 'platform leveling'. You may be ok with the way the current print came out, but you'll be far happier with future prints if you take the time to perform these calibrations.

You should also note, when the company said this printer was ready to go right out of the box... yeah they lied to you. Calibration steps absolutely need to be taken with any 3D printer because things tend to shift during shipping. My own printer actually required partial assembly when I got it, so *everything* had to be calibrated. The advantage was I learned a ton about how the printers work and how to troubleshoot a lot of printing problems. It's a steep learning curve, but completely worthwhile if you want to print really tiny objects. I'm afraid for your model of printer and software, that may be about as much help as I can offer.


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## Panther (Oct 5, 2015)

Shdwdrgn said:


> I had to do some digging to find any information about this printer. For something that claims to be an open-source platform it appears you are stuck using their proprietary software rather than something decent like Cura or Slic3r? That's gonna cause a real headache when you get into more complex prints, I'm sorry to say.
> 
> What I DID dig up, though, was that there is a section in the software for calibrating the Z axis and then calibrating your 'platform leveling'. You may be ok with the way the current print came out, but you'll be far happier with future prints if you take the time to perform these calibrations.
> 
> You should also note, when the company said this printer was ready to go right out of the box... yeah they lied to you. Calibration steps absolutely need to be taken with any 3D printer because things tend to shift during shipping. My own printer actually required partial assembly when I got it, so *everything* had to be calibrated. The advantage was I learned a ton about how the printers work and how to troubleshoot a lot of printing problems. It's a steep learning curve, but completely worthwhile if you want to print really tiny objects. I'm afraid for your model of printer and software, that may be about as much help as I can offer.


What would be consensus on the best buy for a 3D printer that has Cura or Slic3r capabilities for under $500.00.
Or is that even a reasonable request ?
Dan


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Panther said:


> What would be consensus on the best buy for a 3D printer that has Cura or Slic3r capabilities for under $500.00.
> Or is that even a reasonable request ?
> Dan


Dan,

Both of those software packages are slicing tools, which are used to, basically, dissect a 3D model into layers so that it can be printed.

The Anycubic Photon I've described elsewhere in this thread can be found for just over $500, and comes with it's own slicing software, which is capable of slicing any 3D model & file format into a printer-ready file in just a few minutes. No need for either Slic3r or Cura. Use Sketchup, TinkerCAD, Solidworks (if you have access to a free educational license, otherwise this is $1000 software) or the very useful MakeHuman (allows you to assemble human figures from prefabricated parts) to create a 3D model, run it through the slicer, and print.

Is there any particular reason you're tied to those software tools?


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

dee.and.dude said:


> Finally printed my first building. It’s twice the size I need but it’s an ok start
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


If you printed that sideways and put in some grooves for individual boards the print lines would complement the texture.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

Panther said:


> What would be consensus on the best buy for a 3D printer that has Cura or Slic3r capabilities for under $500.00.
> Or is that even a reasonable request ?
> Dan


Honestly that question is as loaded as trying to ask what is the best scale to model in. It depends completely on your particular needs and desires, what YOU want to get out of it.

For my own purposes, I wanted to be able to handle a variety of different types of prints, but aiming towards something that could print items for HO trains. I also was fine with doing some assembly myself, and I actually enjoyed the process of learning all the calibration steps and troubleshooting. Finally, I wanted something that had lots of possibilities for custom modifications, and a good community available to help me learn the printer and answer questions I may (surely) have along the way (and I consider a helpful online community to be one of the most important things when starting out with new technology). I honestly spent a couple of hard months getting familiar with my printer, but now I'm confident enough to understand the settings I need for most prints.

Keep in mind that while the filament-based printers are the most popular and easiest to use, resin-based printers have also come down significantly in price and can give you high-detail prints of people in most scales starting at a $300 price tag.

So instead of asking what the 'best' printer is, you need to start with asking questions to see what fits within your skill set, allow people to suggest other pertinent questions you should ask, and take a little time to understand the factors that go in to 3D printing and how they might affect your enjoyment of the process. Of course that is probably true of most any hobby where you will be investing a lot of time and money.


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## Lemonhawk (Sep 24, 2013)

Filament printers are cheap and fun to assemble. SLA printers can produce very fine prints, but like printing ABS filament, SLA resin, means you need an enclosed printer with plenty of ventilation. So you need to keep that in mind. Printing PLA or PETG filament does not require any of that complication.


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

SLA printers also require some significant post-print processing. Every SLA printer I've seen comes with s vented enclosure.

But I find that the processing and the fumes to be a small price to pay for the amazing levels of detail you can make. To each his own.


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

As this is my first foray into this, I only wanted a cheap introductory printer that I could afford.
At this stage, satisfied with the job with the limitations of the printer in relation to my budget 


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

Finally managed to print my first ho building. Still some issues with trying to print a full building due to sagging at the top of the windows, so I’ve turned it into an old unkempt cottage. Now just waiting on leds to finish it off.










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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

I really love the job you did with the moss to make it look old! Maybe you can hang a flying ghost inside. 

Looks like you still have a lot of calibration work to do on your printer though. From what I can see here my suggestion would be to check your E-steps because it looks like you are over-extruding by quite a lot. In case you're not familiar, E-steps control exactly how much filament is pushed out of the nozzle. So if the slicing software calls for 100mm of filament, you want to make sure that is exactly how much gets pushed out. In your case, it is pushing out way too much which causes all the bulging in the walls and gutter pipes.

For comparison, here's a test print I did with my $300 printer. There are a couple of drooping strands, but this cube is 2" wide and was printed exactly as you see, without any supports. Even cheap printers can produce some really nice quality.


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## dee.and.dude (Oct 9, 2016)

Thanks for the advice Shdwdgn, I’ll look at it once I get the feed issue sorted.
The spool that came with it sits inside the casing, and was transparent. Trying to reload the spool is a nightmare and full sized reels are too big. So I am making a gantry cradle so the spool hangs directly above the printer and the filament feeds straight down into the injector


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

It's definitely a learning process to figure out how these machines work and how all the various settings affect your print quality. Worth the time though, as you can get some really nice pieces once you have it figured out. Maybe some day they will be as simple and reliable as a paper printer, but I think we're still a long ways off from that.


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## Robert_Ogle (Dec 12, 2019)

I have an ender 3 pro for bigger models, I REALLY want a resin printer for the smaller items such as people/animals.

Resin prints in such an excellent resolution, but good ventilation around the printer is a must.


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## Shdwdrgn (Dec 23, 2014)

That's the same printer that I have. And yeah, a resin printer will probably be the next step for me as well. I've experimented with the 0.2mm nozzle on my current printer but haven't had much luck printing people. There are quite a number of free models available to download, though, especially if you look through the D&D stuff. 28mm prints can be scaled down to 70% for HO scale.


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## Robert_Ogle (Dec 12, 2019)

Shdwdrgn said:


> That's the same printer that I have. And yeah, a resin printer will probably be the next step for me as well. I've experimented with the 0.2mm nozzle on my current printer but haven't had much luck printing people. There are quite a number of free models available to download, though, especially if you look through the D&D stuff. 28mm prints can be scaled down to 70% for HO scale.


Yeah I've found a bunch of killer looking models on thingiverse. I also want a resin because I feel like it would be a much better setup for N scale which I am currently starting into as my first venture in model trains.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

Picked up this puppy yesterday. Im waiting for my resin to arrive. The setup from is insanely simpler than my FDM. I look forward and am excited to print with it..









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## QueenoftheGN (Dec 10, 2019)

Nice!


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Looks similar to my Anycubic Photon. Hard to judge scale, though. What's the maximum print size?

My photon was a little tricky to get it zeroed properly (a misinterpretation of the instructions caused us to set it about teo microns too low, so that at position zero, there was no room for resin under the bed).

Also, adding supports takes a little trial and error because you're printing upside down.

Good luck, though. An excellent investment!


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

119x65x120. And yes, they're all similar as far as the smaller LCD printers. I thought strongly about the photon, but this one supposedly has a carbon filter on it. I will have to see if it actually works well. I ordered low odor resin to compliment it(hopefully). My plan is to use auto supports initially, until my comfort level hopefully increases. 

And yes, I'm hoping it's a good investment. I've grown tired of the FDM printer, and want to print more detail oriented objects. Don't get me wrong, the ender is a solid printer, but I'm ready to move on. It was either the resin or a larger core xy system. And, honestly I'm not ready as far as the space is concerned for that. 

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## Severn (May 13, 2016)

You'll know things have come of age when the printer is printed.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

First print "seems" to be going ok. Longer than I expected, but the slicer is different, in that it doesn't give an estimated time. I must have gotten the leveling pretty good, add the pictures are what I awoke to at 3 am. 

The resin I received still has am odor that, at least I can detect. Thus, I opened the window, closed the door, and setup a small fan to blow out the window. There wife said she couldn't smell anything. But better to be on the safe side.



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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Your zeroing is fine. Your print would have fallen off the bed if it wasn't.

I just taped a filter over the exhaust fan. There is still a slight odor, but not bothersome.

FWIW, the Photon's time estimates are lousy. We just add 50% to what it estimates; that's usually pretty close. Although as long as it's not exposed to UV light, there's nothing wrong with letting a print sit there and "drip dry" for a few hours, either.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

CTValleyRR said:


> Your zeroing is fine. Your print would have fallen off the bed if it wasn't.
> 
> I just taped a filter over the exhaust fan. There is still a slight odor, but not bothersome.
> 
> FWIW, the Photon's time estimates are lousy. We just add 50% to what it estimates; that's usually pretty close. Although as long as it's not exposed to UV light, there's nothing wrong with letting a print sit there and "drip dry" for a few hours, either.


Oh yes,I saw the bed is pretty good. Even getting the print off the bed wasn't too bad(x-acto re-purposed). And honestly, if it was only me, I wouldn't worry about the little smell. But with the "family", have to be careful. 

As far as the timing, I watched tutorials all day on chitubox(while this print did it's thing). The slicers times are pretty good(much like the ones used in FDM). The second print was much better and accurate. 

Now.. the only thing I got on this print, was that, after I sprayed it with the ipa, and sat it under my led plant light(only UV I have at the moment besides a flashlight for curing my phones screen protector), it still felt "slick" to the touch. Im not sure if I didn't get all the resin off, or it isn't quite, fully cured.. I may soak it in some ipa for a while longer. But the model rinsed clean of any color.. Hmmmnnn, learning curves..

My plan is to buy a curing machine, and that problem will be all but eliminated. That, and it'll be a little neater..

But I will say, that the quality and detail compared to the string slinger is out of this world! 

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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

I have a small plastic scraper to remove prints from the bed. Honestly, I don't want to use anything metal because I'm afraid scratches on the bed will affect the ability of prints to stick to it.

For post processing, here is what I do. Rinse in a container of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Rinse in fresh water. Snip off all supports (using sprue nippers). Return to the alcohol bath and gently scrub with an old toothbrush (you won't damage the print; everything important is already partially cured). Rinse again with fresh water. Cure under UV light until no longer sticky.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

I actually used the scraper yesterday. It still doesn't give the feel I need to remove the prints. Im much better with the x acto. 

I actually have watched more videos, and I believe it's between two things, the cleaning station and an ultrasonic cleaner. One thing for sure is I am going to try a different cleaning solution. I watched quite a few videos, and there is a cheaper and more effective way to go. I plan on picking up a gallon today.. 

The vat also needed cleaning, after I did 4 prints on it, just to test. It wad the first cleaning, and wasn't nearly add bad as I thought it might be. I also poured the remaining resin back into the bottle for the first time, which was easy also. 

Im giving the machine a rest for 24 hours and then back at it..

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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

So what is this cheaper and more effective solution?

And FWIW, we rarely empty the tank. Just filter the resin about every half dozen prints (and after every failed one).


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

CTValleyRR said:


> So what is this cheaper and more effective solution?
> 
> And FWIW, we rarely empty the tank. Just filter the resin about every half dozen prints (and after every failed one).


The cheaper and indeed more effective solution is "mean green" cleaner. I grabbed a bottle of it yesterday, and it showed work much better than ipa. Not to mention 5.00 per gallon..

And hmmmnnn, interesting.. That's very good to know. 

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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Huh. I have a bottle of Mean Green in the garage. I'll give it a shot.


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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

Not railroad models, but gives a good idea of the detail. Im having a problem with "too much" adhesion to the bed. Very, very difficult to remove the last 4 prints. I sanded the bed with 1200 grit sandpaper, which made it a little easier to remove a calibration cube I printed, but it was still pretty difficult. 

I did, now that I think of it, print a ballasting tool. It turned out extremely well also with the new resin I am using... Additionally, Icompletely mitigated the smell. So now, I have the printer in my office without issue..

am









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## MatroxD (Jan 19, 2018)

My first train related resin print. I found the smallest HO item I could, and it took 45 minutes to print. I didn't think that was too bad. 

The picnic table is a little larger than the tip of my thumb. 

It turned out great with no supports..









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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Nice!


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