RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 12, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 12, 2020 Having been making good use of my Creality Ender 3 filament printer for over a year, i have just bought an Elegoo Mars resin printer. After a few issues with getting the first print to work, now seems to be printing. I have set up in the garage as don't want to run in the house. Although relatively quiet, certainly much quieter than the Ender, the thought of having resin in the house is off putting. Hopefully the test print, file supplied, works out, then will print some of my own drawings. Quite a learning curve, but should be a very useful tool. I have a few ideas for items to print, when I have completed the 3D CAD models. Also considering scanning a few items to try as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted September 12, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 12, 2020 I've had a Mars for about 6 months, and I really like it. Just been printing off some more N gauge JIAs today: Buy a spare LCD, they're only £25 and they don't last forever. Likewise keep some spare FEP sheets in, no need to pay for the 'proper' Elegoo ones - you can get a pack of 5 on Amazon for £13 which are perfectly good. 2 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 13, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 13, 2020 17 hours ago, njee20 said: I've had a Mars for about 6 months, and I really like it. Just been printing off some more N gauge JIAs today: Buy a spare LCD, they're only £25 and they don't last forever. Likewise keep some spare FEP sheets in, no need to pay for the 'proper' Elegoo ones - you can get a pack of 5 on Amazon for £13 which are perfectly good. Very nice work on the wagon! I had a look at a couple of YouTube videos, where mention is made of the FEP sheets - I will order some of these. Just had a nail varnish UV lamp delivered today, so have made use of this today on a couple of small parts that I have printed. Just printing some more bits now, so hopefully will be ok. Had an issue with one of the small parts to attaching to the build plates, so needed to clean out the trough. Working out the best way to orientate and support the models is a learning curve, but beginning to get there now. A bit of trial and error I think is necessary. So far pleased with how things are progressing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted September 13, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 13, 2020 Model not sticking to build plate is usually base exposure time is too short. I usually do about 80 seconds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 13, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 13, 2020 4 hours ago, njee20 said: Model not sticking to build plate is usually base exposure time is too short. I usually do about 80 seconds. The first issue was that I had not levelled the build plate properly, once that was sorted, the test print supplied worked well. The issue with the small part not working as that I had not arranged the orientation / supports correctly. It's all a learning process at the moment and will be printing some more bits tomorrow. I am using 60s base exposure as per the test piece, but will see how this goes for the moment. Can always try a longer exposure. I have had some distortion on some parts, so not sure what that can be at the moment - only at the 'bottom', i.e. by the supports. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted September 13, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 13, 2020 Yeah keep trying, you’ll get used to what works and what doesn’t, I found when I could understand and trouble shoot failures myself it was transformative. I slowed the lift/retract speeds, as I found them a bit fierce by default - can rip a model apart if the suction is too high, ie there’s a big layer size. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 19, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 19, 2020 Starting small - 7mm and 4mm external alarm / telephone bells. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted September 19, 2020 Share Posted September 19, 2020 Nice work on the wagon My Saturn arrived yesterday what resin are you using? Are yo putting any flex into your resin or is it just straight from the bottle? Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 20, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2020 16 hours ago, Furness Wagon said: Nice work on the wagon My Saturn arrived yesterday what resin are you using? Are yo putting any flex into your resin or is it just straight from the bottle? Marc I'm using Elegoo grey resin, can't remember which specific one, but parts need washing in IPA (min 95%). Just give the bottle a gentle shake before pouring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted September 20, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted September 20, 2020 I've painted the bells. Very pleased. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted September 21, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 21, 2020 If you want a bit more flexibility then Siraya Tech Tenacious is superb. I've been mixing 1 part to 3 parts 'normal' resin (usually either Anycubic or Elegoo), for bits where I want a lot of give, like NEM pockets or bogies, but I suspect even 10% mix for larger prints would be beneficial. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted October 3, 2020 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted October 3, 2020 Another little project has been a 7mm fuel equipment based upon those at Buxton which i have 3D the majority of the parts, only cutting a base from plasticard and making the hose. I have printed a few in 4mm as well. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tstageman92 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 I am very sorely tempted to get a resin printer. I currently have a Robox 3D filament printer, which I do enjoy using, and have got some great prints off of it, but I do find it isn't capable of printing that detail sometimes that I really want in N Gauge. I had seen someone on a FB group using an Anycubic Photon machine, which I was first tempted with, but now I have seen your prints, they look very neat indeed! Any major bits of advice you could give before I take the plunge and purchase one? I've seen a lot about washing and curing resin prints, whats this like? Do you have a specific machine to do this with? Thanks Tom 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2020 (edited) Personally I have an Anycubic Wash and Cure, which is far from essential, but does reduce faff and do a good job. The cleaning and curing is a faff frankly, but not the end of the world. I used to use an ultrasonic cleaner, which wasn’t worth it. Lots of people use pickle jars, which are a cheap alternative. The Photon is crazy value at the moment, that said I still prefer my Mars, which are currently £185. Or the new Photon Mono or Mars 2 Pro at ~£275 (when there’s stock). There isn’t really a wrong answer. I’ve had good customer service from Anycubic and Elegoo. I’m very tempted by a Mars 2 Pro, as I feel more invested in the Elegoo ecosystem now, but they’re basically the same machine packaged differently! Edited October 18, 2020 by njee20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tstageman92 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 (edited) Thanks for your reply. Yes I've seen some fairly good looking prices around at the moment, I'd love to get one! What makes you say your prefer the Mars over the Photon, just out of interest? Having just read a couple of Mars vs Photon reviews online, it looks like the Mars is just a couple of marks better than the Photon.... Cheers Edited October 18, 2020 by tstageman92 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2020 (edited) I get better results from it more consistently. It’s easier to take apart for things like screen replacement. Print area is very slightly larger too IIRC. that said the Photon is more solid, and I quite like the hinged lid versus the lift off cover. Edited October 18, 2020 by njee20 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tstageman92 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Yes I've seen a couple of comments about more consistent prints...that could be worth a few extra points in my opinion. Hmm, I will have to have a think, but I do feel I'm leaning more towards a Mars now. To be fair, I think either are going to be better for detail than my Robox, I can only just about print the basic body shell on there, any extra detail needs to be printed separately if its not too fine, or built from scratch! Thanks for your help! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2020 Yes, I’ve got the upgraded Z-axis in my photon and it’s still worse than my Mars. I should try and sort it sometime, it’s degraded markedly over time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tstageman92 Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Have you had to upgrade anything on your Mars? I hear on a lot of FB groups about people upgrading their printers but its not something I know much about. I only inherited the Robox from my friend that sadly left us earlier this year, I had just sent him files and he printed them so I knew very little about the actual printing process. It took a good number of weeks to be able to get a decent print off the Robox after trying literally every setting under the sun. It probably could still do better with some upgrades but I'm a bit loathed to start swapping bits in and out just yet. I still find it fascinating to watch it printing however it becomes more and more frustrating as my drawing skills are improving but the quality of print isn't, hence the now real consideration to buy a resin one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeysarefun Posted October 18, 2020 Share Posted October 18, 2020 Ive got an original Photon and a Mars (not the pro) Both do a good job, I got the Photon first then the Mars about 12 months later when they had the big sale on them last year some time. Although happy with both printers I found myself using the Mars more and more and the Photon less and less, it just felt nicer to use and I got less failures than the Photon. My Photon is broken now, and with a Saturn on the way I don't think I'll bother to fix it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 18, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 18, 2020 That’s almost exactly my experience! I also have a Saturn and I’m a bit underwhelmed. If you put any quantity of stuff on the build plate you have to have the lift speeds so slow it’s actually slower than a Mars. The 2 Pro should be much faster, if that’s an issue. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdb82 Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 16 hours ago, tstageman92 said: Any major bits of advice you could give before I take the plunge and purchase one? I've seen a lot about washing and curing resin prints, whats this like? Do you have a specific machine to do this with? Thanks Tom I've just started using my Mars Pro, and printed my first print with it yesterday (the standard 'rook' test piece that comes with it). Being a rookie at this too, I'm not in much of a position to give advice......however one thing that I read, and that makes a lot of sense, is the temperature in which you are trying to print. My printer is in the garage as I don't have space in the house, and therefore at this time of year, it's pretty cold. I have made a little temperature controlled heating unit which I bolted through the lid. How effective it is will be established over time, but on yesterdays evidence, it seemed to work pretty well. I can send you the links to all the bits I used if you want them. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Looks good. I was given the tip warm the resin before using it as will as keeping the room temp about 19degC. Marc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium njee20 Posted October 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 19, 2020 Definitely agree with warming the resin; I've noticed a marked degredation in the success of prints since the weather got colder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tstageman92 Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 (edited) On 19/10/2020 at 06:27, jdb82 said: I've just started using my Mars Pro, and printed my first print with it yesterday (the standard 'rook' test piece that comes with it). Being a rookie at this too, I'm not in much of a position to give advice......however one thing that I read, and that makes a lot of sense, is the temperature in which you are trying to print. My printer is in the garage as I don't have space in the house, and therefore at this time of year, it's pretty cold. I have made a little temperature controlled heating unit which I bolted through the lid. How effective it is will be established over time, but on yesterdays evidence, it seemed to work pretty well. I can send you the links to all the bits I used if you want them. Yeah, that'd be great, thank you! Yes, point taken chaps about the temperature of the resin, I can imagine that would make a difference. I would like to be able to run mine outdoors but I'm not sure for me thats going to be practical, I might have to have it indoors, which hopefully will save any issues with cool temperatures. Edited October 21, 2020 by tstageman92 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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