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Old 12-22-2021, 11:41 AM   #1
afschell
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Southeastern PA
Default Curing times?

How long should a miniature cure in a curing machine?

I just printed the KS sample (my first ever 3-D print) and while the detail is pretty good the separate arm broke when I was removing the supports. Obviously a guess at a 6-minute curing time is way off :)
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Old 12-22-2021, 04:48 PM   #2
Worldwalker
 
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Default Re: Curing times?

My ballpark for curing is as long as I wash it. So if it's in for a 5-minute wash, it goes for a 5-minute cure.

The octopi usually get 6 minutes, and sometimes I turn them around and give them another 2-3 minutes the other way, or put them in again after I remove the supports, because the tentacles and all the supports tend to leave shadows that don't get fully cured. (around the beak in particular)

If the tentacle unit broke where I think it did, right between two tentacles, that isn't a problem with your cure times -- it's going to be a brittle spot anyway. That's just an unavoidable weakness in that figure. You will, however, get a lot better at removing supports with practice, and that sort of thing will be less likely to happen.

What are you using, by the way? The nippers that came with your printer?
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Old 12-22-2021, 07:10 PM   #3
afschell
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Southeastern PA
Default Re: Curing times?

I'm using a jeweler/computer sized wire cutter. Not super fine but i can get to the detail.

What I did find was that I could cut the middle of a support and the whole support could be snapped off without further snipping.

How flexible should the prints be? Should I be expecting the flexibility of the injection mold figures that are purchased or something a lot more brittle?

Last edited by afschell; 12-22-2021 at 07:48 PM.
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Old 01-21-2022, 06:00 PM   #4
tomc
 
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Location: Carrboro, NC
Default Re: Curing times?

The longer you cure it, the less flexible it will be. I broke an octopus arm off the 3-arm piece, probably the same place as you. It wasn't that brittle; I just dropped it one time too many.

I've found 1 to 2 minutes curing time more than adequate for small, thin things like minis. Make sure to let them completely dry first, or you get a white, powdery sheen on the surface that's hard to remove.

I second the notion that primer is a must.

I'm going to try the water washable resin for my next prints this weekend. I'll report on how it works.
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Old 02-02-2022, 07:32 PM   #5
Steve Jackson
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Default Re: Curing times?

Tom - How did the water-washable resin work for you?
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Old 02-03-2022, 06:24 AM   #6
tomc
 
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Default Re: Curing times?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson View Post
Tom - How did the water-washable resin work for you?
It seemed exactly like the regular (wash-with-alcohol) resin. Same level of odor, same curing time, and the figures were indistinguishable to my newbie eye.

The alcohol dries faster after you wash the minis, but I expect a hair dryer would take care of the water washed ones.

The water ones were more work to clean by hand than the alcohol. did them by hand because the tub for the washer was full of alcohol. I have a second tub (for water) now, and will wash the weekend 's minis in that. I may have to leave then in a little longer, we'll see.

So overall, I was almost disappointed in how little difference there was. I'll probably go with water washable to save on having to buy and store vats of stinky and flammable alcohol.
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Old 02-04-2022, 04:09 PM   #7
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Default Re: Curing times?

The minis release easier when the bottom layer exposure time is set to 55 seconds, instead of the default 25. At least for the water washable resin.
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