Just ordered a 3D printer

[Vistisen]

For a few weeks I have been playing around with FUSION360 to produce Windows for a model of Hatch Court. I am lucky enough to have a son who is a professional 3D designer and up to now I have used his printer. But he lives about 200 miles away, which does make trial and error printing a very slow process. I can see that this is going to be something I will use more in the future. So, I have just taken the plunge and ordered an Elegoo Mars 3 pro printer and an Elegoo Mercury Wash and cure station. Up to now I have been using his Anycubic Eco Resin as the printing material. Does anyone have suggestions about using alternative resins for strength/rigidity? and what about painting? Do I need to prime models first, and what sorts of paint are best acrylics or enamels? Will they damage the plastic? 

[njee20]

Sunlu resins are very well priced, and markedly better than Anycubic IMO. Their ABS-like is good, add some Siraya Tenacious if you want more flexibility. 
 

I prime with Halfords primer, they’ll take acrylics or enamels, neither will do any damage.  

[monkeysarefun]

  I get  great results with Elegoo ABS like. Thats the  IPA-soluble  one,  though I have recently (accidently) bought the water-washable one which now that I have it I'll give it a go and if it compares to the PLA one I'll swap over, since its a bit cheaper and I'd  not need to muck around with IPA.

 

My main criteria for resin is flexibility. The resins that I was using back in 2017 such as Anycubic translucent green were very brittle in comparison, not sure if they have changed since then. The ABS-like one I use is probably on par with plastic kits as far as flexibility and ability to drill, file etc.

 

As far as painting goes, there are plenty of youtube videos and so on  put up by those who print miniatures and fantasy figures in resin - check them out for paint choices, priming etc.

Edited September 13, 2023 by monkeysarefun

[MarcD]

I use Anycubic water wash and I find it give a better finish that the elegoo version. Is a little less gloopy. A small tip you need to add a 7.5sec wait time to avoid the suction cup effect and I use a 2.7 second exposure time.

Marc

[Ray H]

Some of what I'm hoping to print is liable to find itself on the garden section of a colleagues O gauge layout.

 

Has anyone any experience of a similar usage/requirement with indications of a good resin, water based if possible?

 

Thanks.

[monkeysarefun]

52 minutes ago, Ray H said:

Some of what I'm hoping to print is liable to find itself on the garden section of a colleagues O gauge layout.

 

Has anyone any experience of a similar usage/requirement with indications of a good resin, water based if possible?

 

Thanks.

This is anecdotally on the internet so take it with a pinch of salt -  apply the Monkeysarefun Internet Rule:

 

The number of   differing opinions  is always proportional to the  number of posters.

 

 

[MarcD]

As long as you cover with paint you should be fine. I don't think a few hours in the sun once a year wil do anything.