Questions tagged [post-processing]
Use this tag for questions about post processing, i.e. additional methods and processes after a print has been completed.
89
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What materials can I use to fill gaps in PLA?
Relatively new to 3D printing but have learnt a lot, I just need some help on the finishing process. I currently have some print-in-place PLA figures I need to sand down and some have holes I need to ...
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Automatic support removal and depowdering
We are working with 3D-printed metals.
The printed models have to be manually post-processed. The supports need to be removed and depowdering (grinding the metal so it's smooth) has to be done.
This ...
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Metal insert of 3D print with solder cup
These are metal inserts for 3D prints:
What I want to do is use them as a connector. A metal pin will insert them (the male connector) and it will have contact with the metal inserts.
I just want to ...
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What brand of Black PETG filament is *glossy*?
Polymaker Tough PETG Black, although not labelled as "Matte Black", is not as glossy or shiny as PLA Black and I consider it Very Dark Grey/Matte/Satin.
What brand of PETG Black is glossy or ...
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Metal coating 3D printed parts (electroless plating)
I know that 3D printed parts can be coated in metal by painting them with conductive paint (graphite or copper seems to be usual) and then electroplating them in a commercial copper or nickel bath. ...
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Does VHB tape stick better on 3D prints if the surface is completely flat or roughed up?
I made a hook recently that I put up with VHB tape. It fell off around 2 weeks later (the hook come loose from the tape). It's just a hook for an empty backpack, so let's say it is under medium load.
...
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418
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Why do most manufacturers recommend curing resin models before removing supports?
Why do manufacturers such as Elegoo always recommend that you cure your resin 3D prints before removing the supports, while hobbyist such as Uncle Joey usually recommend that you soak your models in ...
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Post processing - How should I remove stringing for the smoothest surface?
On a PLA print where stringing has occurred, what is the best way to remove it during post processing?
Should I simply cut it with a hobby knife and sand the surface or are the better techniques to ...
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I painted an uncured UV resin print, now it feels sticky through the paint
I know that you are not supposed to cure resin prints in the window, but mostly it has been working OK for me. I mostly print minis and props for D&D.
Last week I printed some walls and was a bit ...
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Considerations for spray booth filtration
I am getting to the point where I want to start post-processing my 3D prints more heavily, i.e. sanding, polishing, painting. I am currently using PLA but will be working with resin and possibly other ...
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Which filament type is easiest to sand smooth?
For print applications where sanding is to be used to reduce the appearance of layer lines on medium to large objects with sweeping curves, but little to no surface detail (A vase or cosplay helmet, ...
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Should I cure my 3D printed resin model before or after sanding down imperfections?
When printing a 3D model on a resin printer should I sand down imperfections and marks left by supports before or after curing?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of doing it either way?
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How do metal infused filaments work?
I am considering making modifications to my Ender 3 so I can print metal-infused PLA, but I'm somewhat unclear on how it works and how the PLA is supposed to be separated from the metal content in ...
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What temperature should I bake PLA prints at to increase strength?
I recall seeing that it's possible to "bake" or "anneal" or even "remelt" PLA prints to strengthen them. As I understand it, the main effect is improving layer adhesion, ...
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657
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Perimeters/shells not properly fusing - delamination
I come to you all in my time of need, as I have nowhere else to turn. I’ve been a 3D printer for about two years now. I have an Ender 5 Plus.
Up to this point, all of my prints were fine straight out ...
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417
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What is the best way to collect sanding dust?
I am pretty sure that sanding makes a lot of microplastics, so it would be nice to collect the dust, and melt it to got a blob of plastic again instead of millions of tiny particles. What is the best ...
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How much time should take for UV lamp to cure resin?
I've bought recently this UV lamp to cure my SLA prints:
But I seem not to be able to get the job done. I got some leftover supports and wanted to throw them in the trash, so I put the lamp onto them, ...
- 239
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How do you remove rough edges from completed prints?
All of my completed prints come out with rough edges. What are some methods for removing rough edges from 3D prints? Also, are there any ways to reduce rough edges on prints? For reference, I use a ...
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924
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3D print retouch with soldering iron
Does anyone have any information about using a soldering iron to fix and retouch 3D prints?
On the market, for example, we can find Modifi3D pen. Why has nobody created a simple soldering tip for this ...
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Apply / find / create a stainless steel coating to apply to a PETG or PLA part to make it react to a magnet
Apply / find / create a stainless steel coating to apply to a PETG or PLA part to make it react to a magnet.
My goal is to make a small tubular and conical shapes that can be painted with a stainless ...
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832
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Gluing paper to PLA objects
I have 3D printed in PLA a curved viaduct for a model railway (N gauge) and affixed inkjet paper using UHU glue. The layout lives in my garage and as soon as the viaduct goes into the garage the paper ...
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320
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Accidentally over curing a 3D print
I'm relatively new to SLA 3D printing and 3D printing in general. I got a budget SLA resin printer that I've been messing with for a few months now.
So I had a few soft prints laying around that have ...
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How to get superglue off PLA filament?
So I'm making my friend a Monado sword replica and I've printed the handle in 2 pieces as to fill it with electronics and then superglue the 2 halves together.
I seem to have put too much on and it's ...
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Clear coating resin 3D prints
I'm looking to put a UV-blocking clear coating on some of my resin 3D prints.
I've tried krylon UV-Resistant Clear Coating but it seemed to react with my print making it softer and easy to break. I'm ...
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431
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What's the best way to connect pieces of a large print after printing?
I have a number of fairly large printed pieces. The parts, when assembled, form a very large sword. (The model is this: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4178060, and is not mine.) It is about 7' ...
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436
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Can 3D printer work with enamel paints (or paints generally)? Are such printers available?
There are lot of advices on the web how to paint the 3D printed objects, but generally they are advices for manual painting and this required special skills, especially if the object is small. My ...
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159
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Post-processing and filaments for weather-proof electronic enclosure
I'm building a weather-proof enclosure for some electronics. It's expected to stay exposed outside all the time so I'm worried about its resistance:
What would recommend me for 3D filament? I was ...
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5k
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Water does not flow through 4 mm hole when there is a small amount, how to let water flow through small hole even when there is low pressure?
I have a 3D print where there are 5 holes with a diameter of 4 mm in a cup, and I would like liquid to flow through all 5 holes at once while slowly draining the cup (by slowly I mean: just take a few ...
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Good lubricants for moving parts?
What materials work well for lubricating moving PLA, ABS, or PETG parts? I'm talking items like the
the Gear Bearings or Print in Place Engine.
I've played with a few lubricants on my own, including ...
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349
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Can parts that have warped (after being printed) be un-warped?
I have an on-going project to build a large lampshade in the shape of a geodesic dome. It's made of 3D printed frames that will be covered with rice paper. I printed the parts in PLA over a month or ...
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343
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SLA printers: safety with resin contaminated disposals
I've purchased an Elegoo Mars Pro recently, and I've been watching hundreds of video of all kind of processes, and everyone tells the same: resin is toxic, so you should cure it before throwing it to ...
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SLA resin post-processing: gluing parts together
I've recently purchased an Elegoo Mars Pro 3d printer, and I was wondering when printing large pieces that need to be printed in different steps: is there some kind of post-processing to make it more ...
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2k
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Curated resin size shrink (and methods to reduce it)
I've recently purchased an Elegoo Mars Pro 3D printer.
I've read about that percentage of resin shapes going smaller and I understand that. But are slicers (or software which help with the joints) ...
- 239
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answer
125
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Metal sintering layer-by-layer with DLP
As of current technological advancements, there exists Metal 3D printers that make use of Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector to 3D print metal objects. These printers use a mixture of metal ...
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Making a 3D printed surface easily cleanable
I want to FDM 3D-print an object, and be able to effectively clean the surface with standard kitchen cleaning solutions. While the 3D-printed object would not come in direct contact with food, it ...
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Why is a mold required in isostatic pressing after performing Sintering
After an a object is formed through direct laser sintering, as a post-processing procedure the object is sent for hot-isostatic pressing, In hot isostatic pressing the sintered object is placed in a ...
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How to smooth PLA Prints without using sandpaper, solvents or paint
I need to smooth some prints with silk PLA filament.
The silk PLA has a nice translucent effect but unfortunately if sanded results in an horrible matte finish regardless the sandpaper grade (I have ...
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Methylated spirits or turpentine to clean resin printer?
I'm new to 3D printing and have bought a resin printer.
Cleaning with Isopropol Alcohol seems to be the rage, however I think this is unaware of cost savings. It appears methylated spirits is ok and ...
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What glues to use for PETG?
In analogy to: What glues for bonding printed PLA to injection-molded plastic?, what are the best glues to use for PETG?
I mostly print in PETG and have occasional failed prints which I usually ...
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Will Mod Podge work with PLA prints?
Looking for something to smooth out a PLA print. Would Mod Podge be a good solution? Will it stick?
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How do I remove a 3D print stuck to the glass build plate
I printed a model and now I can't remove it.
I have been chiselling away with a putty knife and made little or no progress. I even heated the bed up to 70 °C. That really didn't seem to ...
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overlaying epoxy resin on PLA
I've been experimenting with FDM 3D printers and PLA for about a year now.
I'm at the point where I'd like to produce something considerably stronger than PLA, and was wondering if there is a faux-pas ...
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Painting Text on Model
For a model that has raised text on it, how do go about painting the very top layer of text, to make it stand out from the background? Lets say I printed the whole model the same color, what type of ...
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1
answer
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Would PC be considered food-safe in this setup?
I have one 3D printer with Makerbot mk10 extruder and I would like to print my custom cup for tea or coffee from PC.
Other than that, I came across idea that FDM printer will always leave small holes ...
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1k
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Sealant to increase Water-Resistance of SLS print
We are attempting to print some single-use prototypes using an SLS printer. The parts must be somewhat water-resistant for short-term usage, but do not have to been waterproof entirely.
According to ...
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Nail polish remover that won't dissolve ABS?
In Finishing sunken text in 3D prints, I found that nail polish works great for filling sunken lettering in 3D-printed parts, but the procedure for using it requires removing the excess from the non-...
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Finishing sunken text in 3D prints
On several occasions I've wanted lettering/numbering printed as part of a design, but with the ability to make it stand out more effectively in the printed object without having to do detailed manual ...
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answer
281
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What kind of paint and varnish can be used with ABS?
I know that acrylic paint, the same kind that is used to paint miniature figurines, works best for PLA. Does it works on ABS pieces as well? Can I also use the same kind of varnish that is used for ...
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281
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What alternatives are there to sanding resin parts with fine details?
I have some transparent resin parts printed with a polyjet printer. Where the support contacted the part it has a matte finish. The recommended finishing technique for these parts is to sand them with ...
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Anyone tried Varathane water-based Wood Stain on Hatchbox Wood PLA?
I printed parts for a Harry Potter wand with HatchBox Wood PLA, now I want to apply stain. I intended to try MinWax PolyShades wood stain, then noticed Varathane water-based wood stain is available at ...
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