USS Nautilus SSN-571 Print 3D print model

[taneal1]

The hand-held Cure Beam is one of my most-reached for tools while building hulls and other printed things.

Sounds vital to me - I'll certainly be printing hulls. Can you recommend a particular unit?

The Nautilus 571 and the Verne Nautilus are now available at a deep discount on CGTrader, so I'll be purchasing them right away. Now if I could just find an STL for Halibut...

I typically flow a resin bead on all hull joints

Newby question 1: how do you melt the Resin so you can fill the needle?

and cure them manually

Newby question 2: Do you cure them for a specific length of time, or does the appearance of the Resin change when it is cured?[/QUOTE]

high-quality metal scraper; silicon spatula; microfiber cloths

Will do.

You may experience heavier-than-normal losses of vat sheets in the beginning. Buy three spares. Note in your logs what caused the sheet punctures or deformations.

No luck when I googled "vat sheets" and I haven't run into this term yet...
So, Newby question 3: What is a "vat sheet"?

Once again, thanks for all the GREAT tips! I'm feeling more comfortable with each one. Of course, I realize I still have many many miles to go, and won't REALLY be learning until my first attempts at printing. I'm reading the messages on the Elegoo Forum, watching YouTube and reading any guides for the novice.

[X Bubblehead]

It's the clear film the UV light shines through to cure each layer of resin, located on the bottom of the vat. In most cases, it's secured by a lot of fasteners recessed in the bottom of the vat sides. You never want to get any resin in them. The vat sheet is stretched across the bottom of the vat and is tight as a drum head. Scratch it up and your prints will suffer.

Depending on the material of the film, it can wear faster and puncture easier. A lot of the high-speed specs being touted use a film whose life is shortened by high lift speeds, so know about different materials when ordering. I wipe mine down with polymer windshield anti-fogger which reduces the peel force during lift cycles. I also use TSMC, (Two Stage Motion Control) depending on the cross-sectional geometry of the model to decrease print times.

There are plenty of free, downloadable files on sites like ThingVerse to learn how to configure a slicer efficiently.

When an STL is sliced, you want the fastest print time while managing layer lines and support structure tip locations to reduce resin use and mind-numbing post-cleaning prep prior to painting.

[X Bubblehead]

Have you watched any videos that explain the 3D resin printing process?

I ask because of this question: "Newby question 1: how do you melt the Resin so you can fill the needle?"

You're curing liquid resin with UV light. Heat isn't involved. The only part of the model that's cured when removed from the printer are its external surfaces. All of the layers that make up the Z axis are cured during printing.

Post-print prep and curing cleans off the liquid resin that covers the entire model after thousands of dunks during layer build-up.

Resin surface texture changes more than color during post-print curing. Properly cured, it should feel like smooth plastic. If it feels waxy after post curing, it needs to be cleaned better if it isn't under-cured. Cure times vary with resins, and experience is the best teacher. Cure times are often determined by the thickness of the part. Some parts I cure for thirty minutes in a cure station. Other parts I cure for thirty seconds with a manual wand. Over-curing can lead to more brittle parts.

Start small, then work to bigger parts. You'll save time, resin, IPA, and printer film wear-and-tear if you learn the basics thoroughly before printing objects requiring close dimensional tolerances.

[taneal1]

Have you watched any videos that explain the 3D resin printing process?
I ask because of this question: "Newby question 1: how do you melt the Resin so you can fill the needle?"

Yes, I have watched multiple videos depicting the process, and I do understand that UV is not used to heat the resin. I was referring to your statement
"I still flow a bead [of resin] around the part with capillary action using a needle." Is the Resin direct from the container 'liquid enough' for capillary action to occur? My thought was that the Resin would be too thick to flow unless 'melted.'

[X Bubblehead]

Liquid resin is viscous by design. A 12k resin costs more than a 4k resin, which is why most people running 12k machines opt for 8k resin, since few can tell the difference it makes.

I flow resin in joints and cure it immediately with a wand, an inch at a time, so it doesn't go where it isn't wanted. Capillary action will draw it into small spaces and grooves. I keep a small container of resin in easy reach on top one of my workbenches at all times.

[taneal1]

Liquid resin is viscous by design. A 12k resin costs more than a 4k resin, which is why most people running 12k machines opt for 8k resin, since few can tell the difference it makes.

Good tip. I'll certainly start off with a less expensive Resin.

I flow resin in joints and cure it immediately with a wand

Can you recommend a specific UV light model? Do I need one with a small diameter to allow insertion into a hull, or will shining the beam from outside into the hull suffice?

[X Bubblehead]

Phrozen Cure Beam. Amazon.com: phrozen Cure Beam - Post Curing UV Light Pen : Industrial & Scientific

Light penetration depends on wall thickness. I'll place it on both sides if needed, but it's mostly used for external work. Wear gloves, or you can easily UV burn your skin with this.

[taneal1]

Phrozen Cure Beam. Amazon.com: phrozen Cure Beam - Post Curing UV Light Pen : Industrial & Scientific

Ordered from Amazon.

[taneal1]

What do you think of this?

Metal 3D Printer Removal Spatula Amazon.com: Metal 3D Printer Removal Spatula

[X Bubblehead]

I use a paint scraper with an indented guard around the handle I bought at Ace Hardware. The metal scraper that came with my printer had a smooth handle with a sharp blade leading up to it. I sliced my thumb open more than once using it, and found a scraper much more suited to 3D printing.

Ideally, you want a thin, flexible steel beveled edge to get under parts, rather than chip away at the raft. Once the blade goes under, rotate the blade and continue sliding under the raft. Thinner is better.

[taneal1]

I use a paint scraper with an indented guard around the handle I bought at Ace Hardware. The metal scraper that came with my printer had a smooth handle with a sharp blade leading up to it. I sliced my thumb open more than once using it, and found a scraper much more suited to 3D printing.

Ideally, you want a thin, flexible steel beveled edge to get under parts, rather than chip away at the raft. Once the blade goes under, rotate the blade and continue sliding under the raft. Thinner is better.

Okay - thanks for the advice. Still grinding away watching video after video...

[bob_eissler]

Print with supports and get the bottom layer settings right you will not need to destroy the build plate with a metal scraper. A plastic one is best.

[X Bubblehead]

??? Pretty hard to "destroy" a build plate with a metal scraper unless you don't know how to use it. I've got about 250 prints with no issues on this build plate.

The plastic scraper included with my printer would never be able to get under a print without the leading edge being destroyed. The manufacturer meant that for use with the vat, which is insane. They (Phrozen) also included a metal scraper for print removal, but as I mentioned, it had a lousy handle and was replaced with something safer.

Google "Removing a Resin Print from a Build Plate" and note which type of tool is overwhelmingly used.