Just some very rough filing and minimal sanding so far. If I zoom in close you would be able to see some layers. After priming and painting I am hoping to mostly eliminate them. I printed everything at 0.2mm layer height with a 0.4mm nozzle.

This is what scares me about resin printers. I know you "just have to be careful", but the thought of uncured resin accidentally getting inside my body scares the crap out of me. You're also supposed to wash your hands after soldering, and I'm usually good about doing that but sometimes I forget.

I suppose if someone creates a system where I unhook a sealed box connected to the printer and go directly to a UV curing box, and the uncured resin can pour back out into a container without me touching it I might consider a system.

I need to do more research on how the severity of the residue exposure. So I've gotten into the habit of not using gloves because I have a wash station for 91% IPA. So once the resin drains from the plate (still mounted in the printer), I'll quickly take it out and dunk it in the wash for a few minutes removing any uncured stuff. Gotten pretty efficient not getting any on me for months. But again, still should prob take a bit extra care.

Do they make a resin that is less toxic?

Just curious...how many estimated hours of printing do you get before have to replace your nozzle? I am reading on some sites if you are printing 24/7 that brass lasts about a month. Is that your experienced?

Completely depends on how coarse the filament is you are using. Actual print time on my Prusa MK3s is nearly 544 days (over 19,000 meters of filament) and I'm still using the same brass nozzle it came with. I print about 90% PLA, 8% PETG, and 2% ABS. I'm sure if I were to throw some wood filament or carbon in the mix the brass would surely take some abuse and have to be replaced on a regular interval (I did have an issue with a previous printer where wood filament was used - ripped the brass nozzle a new one before even making it through the entire spool).

Also, be careful if you decide to purchase a ruby tipped nozzle if you are going to print with more abrasive filaments. While the marketing is good and seems to make sense, I've read plenty of firsthand accounts of issues with it which has discouraged me from buying one. Of course, do your own research and make your own decision.

A company called Fulament sells a similar textured sheet. https://fulament.com/collections/fula-flex/products/fula-flex-2-0

I just load up an older (but new) Fulament PEI build sheet on my Ender 3. Pretty impressed with a couple of small practice prints (PLA+).

I have been printing quite a bit with translucent PLA. I know PLA in general is pretty smooth, but I don't know if the translucent part makes it more abrasive. I know that the glow in the dark stuff wears down the nozzle pretty fast. Right now my brass nozzle is completely clogged and I cannot figure out how to unclog it. I have tried heating it up, I tried poking something thing through it. Looking for advice on other ways to unclog it.

Thanks!

No, all resins are UV cured.. IE it needs sunlight or UV light to turn solid. If you get it inside your body (and not necessarily through your mouth, it CAN get through your skin), you will have floating resin in your body effectively forever. Just imagine your anti-bodies trying to get rid of toxic liquid plastic, enough of it and it'll make you sick (and possibly have side effects).

Translucent should not inherently mean abrasive. Abrasive filaments would be glow in the dark like you mentioned, wood, marble, "galaxy" type or anything with color specs in it and maybe some others I haven't listed.

I have gone through 3-4 nozzles in the past year. I probably didn't need to replace them that often, but when I get clogging issues and can't easily resolve it with a poke, I just replace the nozzle. They are so cheap it really doesn't pay to troubleshoot them.

I just wanted to make sure there wasn't an easy fix to unclog that I was missing. . I agree nozzles are cheap... I just wish I had a few spare instead of waiting for delivery. That's why I have a ton of spare fuses. Lol

I don't think you're missing anything. You can get a 25 pack of nozzles for about $10. You can also get a variety pack that includes different sizes than the standard 0.4mm or other materials as well like hardened steel in case you ever go to abrasive filaments. Print a nice little case to store them in They make an altoids case insert for everything: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4812545

My Snapmaker A350 has a similar spring steel sheet, and I think the coating has worn off, since prints don't stick as well as they did when it was new. Something to keep in mind I suppose is that those could be considered wear parts. I bought a couple of spares last time I had a coupon to their store, but shipping was expensive. Anyone else found that different print sheets are better/last longer, or are most printing on glass?

sorry for the off topic question.
Been trying to define what my 1st printer should be and been watching lots of videos and talking to people, been reading here some and was wondering, what is your preferred 3d printer for pinball related stuff.
I want a good machine, that is supported by the manufacturer and can do it all, from pinball parts to mods/toys/etc.

I am currently leaning towards a resin printer, but... again... my knowledge on this topic isn't really speaking from a practical view.

That's crazy how 3D printers are so affordable now and are good quality. Feels like not that long ago they were absurdly expensive for something that could do half the resolution of the modern ones.

Where can I get a 25 pack for $10?

I'm a 3d print newbie and have very little experience with 3d printing. I was given a Quidi Tech X-One printer from a friend and he basically handed it to me and said have fun. I was able to get it running relatively quickly. My first print was a GTB switch cover for an EM machine and it came out nice. I would recommend this brand to anyone, if nothing else than their tech support. The effort that they put into me getting a used machine working properly was amazing. I was getting emails with suggest changes to slicer settings, info, updates and whatever other stupid questions I've had 7 days a week, usually within 12 hours. As for print quality, I'm impressed and it makes me happy, but I have nothing else to compare to.

Standard answer is either a Creality Ender 3 (“meh” customer support, but huge community of owners online to help) or a Prusa printer (MP3’s+ or mini+). Both are Filament printers. Generally, the advice is to avoid resin printers to start, toxic resin and difficulty getting started being the primary reasons. I the extra resolution isn’t generally needed for pinball applications, and resin printers are more costly to operate. For applications where people need/insist on resin quality, then the Elegoo Saturn is a popular choice.

I’m running: Prusa mk2 (upgraded several times), Creality CR10s5, AnyCubic Kossel, AnyCubic Mono X, and a Bean nano. I’ve had others, but these are the ones that hung around.

To fix stubborn clogs (which I've had to do a couple of times) heat the nozzle to the hottest temp and see if you can feed filament or not. If not then remove the nozzle (while it is hot) and see if the clog is in it instead of somewhere else in the line. Once removed you can heat inside using a heat gun which will soften any hard material which can then be removed with a small wire, brush, etc. Wear gloves and use tools to hold the part as it will definitely burn you if not careful. Once you've cleaned the nozzle inside and out, assuming the hole has not been enlarged then you should be good to reinstall (again, while the hot end is heated).

Read through earlier posts in this thread and you will find recommendations from those here who frequent the topic. A few considerations: what types of things are you wanting to print and for what application? What sizes? What is your budget (both up front and ongoing)? Where will you be doing the printing?

Answers to these questions will drive the technology you choose as well as which printer to purchase supporting that platform.

The clog is definitely in my nozzle. I am going to try the heat gun (decided I needed one in my tool box last night).

Removing the nozzle while it's hot is a little scary for me. I am hoping the heat gun will resolve the issue before my new nozzles come.

Thanks!

1 - ALWAYS remove the nozzle while it is warm/hot. This is what the manufactures recommend and you can damage the hotend if you do it while cold due to how much it contracts around the threads of the brass nozzle. In the case of Prusa, I believe the hot end block is made from aluminum (or some alloy) that expands/contracts more than the brass. The idea is when things are heated the nozzle threads are still tight, but when cooled they become extremely tight to the point where you could break/strip them.

2 - NEVER use a heat gun on the nozzle while installed. You could easily/most likely damage nearby parts then you have even a bigger/more expensive issue.

The idea with the heat gun is to hit the nozzle from the wide end where all of the buildup is. Once you are able to directly heat all of that build up it will soften enough to remove it using safe tools (e.g. toothpicks, wire nozzle wires/brushes, tweezers, etc.)

BTW, I just use a small hobby heat gun for this type of work (albeit a standard gut will work too, just harder to focus the heat): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YCLJK46/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

I didn't know your point one, but now I do.

I was going to use the heat gun with the nozzle removed on the wide end.

Thanks for the link.

One thing you can do is just get a new hotend, they are usually rather cheap.

Install the new one, then cleanup the old one on the bench - you'll have a spare then.

I already purchased a new hot end. Just waiting for it to arrive and in the mean time trying to figure out if it's possible to salvage the old one. Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/Nozzles-Printer-Extruder-Makerbot-Creality/dp/B082PZG1RZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3

I thought you said $10, those are nearly $11 before tax - just say'n.

Seriously, make sure you get ones that support your printer as various printers may use different thread diameters (I know Prusa does).

Also, has anyone tried the hardened steel nozzles for courser materials?

I said "about $10" and I stand behind that

Well, if you define "about" with nearly a 10% deviance then I'll give you that one - hah!

I switched to these to handle the more abrasive filaments;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BDL4N4S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

I went with resin as my first printer and regretted it. The prints aren't durable and it is SO MESSY (and toxic!). PLA can take a decent beating inside a pinball machine. For resin, you have to be so diligent about wearing gloves, eye goggles, (I would even recommend a respirator!) etc. It 100% belongs in a basement or garage and you should have good ventilation. Do not under any circumstances use a resin printer in your living space - I recommend the same for FDM printers. Even after carefully cleaning and curing my resin parts under UV, they were still sticky and I had to put them in the sun for the day.

I ultimately stopped using my resin printer and now only print on my Prusa Mini. Eventually I'd like to get a printer with a larger print volume.

Yes, I’ve been using E3D’s NozzleX for a couple of years. I’ve run about 3 spools of ABS-CF and PC-CF through it (plus dozens of rolls of PLA/PETG) and it’s still going strong.

I just tried the steel on the glow pla. I don't recommend because of all the temperature adjustments from brass. Brass heats up better. I may try with my brass nozel next and don't care if it gets ruined after many prints because they are cheap. People recommend hardened steel nozzels but no one will tell you how they work differently.

I run a PID tune on my hotends after any nozzle change. After the PID tune, I might my temps slightly (maybe 5-10c) to resolve any issues, but otherwise I really haven’t done anything differently.

For context, I’m using a E3D nozzleX on an upgraded Prusa i3 mk2 (3s upgrades). It’s still running a 12v hotend, but with a copper block. I’m running mostly stock Prusa profiles with customized filament settings as needed. I usually print .2mm layers, most often printing functional parts. The majority of my printing is still PLA, but I regularly print in PETG as well. Every couple months, I print carbon fiber reinforced parts. I haven’t found it necessary to switch back to brass for my day-to-day prints.

is it really the toxic? what about those enclosed units?
I was told by someone else that resin only smells when the resin is of poor quality. Is this the case?
I am not questioning your advice, but more curious as to what kind of precautions are most people taking when using these.

Semi-related question - I just got a Glowforge laser cutter (f-ing amazing!), and to add to the shop I'm wondering if anybody has a consumer CNC machine? I have some parts I want to make out of aluminum, and I haven't found a reliable machine that's not industrial quality.

Yeah, I was leaving in the sun as well at first. Key thing is doing a proper post processing. IPA wash for 5 minutes, warm water bath afterwards, then in a UV curing station for 5-10 minutes and they're perfect. Not sticky, almost ready to paint, etc.

And yes, mostly good for designs that wont get too much action. Not functioning parts or things that might take a super direct hit. They do make ABS-like resin and its pretty decent compared to PLA+. Alot of the durability comes from the post curing. Just coming out of the printer and leaving out in the sun for a bit will still give the print a semi weak structure. Needs proper cleaning and UV hardening aftewrads.

toxicity sucks. would love to have it in the garage, but resin is also sensitive to temperatures. Right now the goal is to get a super large grow tent with an exhaust. All other precaustions needed regardless. One thing I learned recently in reading was that its even worse getting IPA w/ resin in it on you. Good to know..... Always thought it broke it down enough to not be much of an issue.

My ME buddy from work (I retired tho) bought a new industrial CNC machine, fills up the entire 3rd bay of his garage. The CNC is about the size of a minivan! He's always chomping at the bit to have a reason to make more stuff to further learn and keep his skills up. I bet he would be more than happy to make something at a very reasonable price. He's shown me some pictures of housings he made for work - crazy cool stuff, very intricate. I could be wrong, but it might be a Haas? Maybe even a 3-axis?

Shoot me a PM if you're interested and I'll shoot him a text.

Thanks for the offer! I'll have to work out sizing and such - might take a few rounds to get right.

Found a picture of his CNC. I have photos of things he made (impressive), but probably shouldn't share.
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Crap that IS huge. let's see some photos!

I'll share a little chunk of a couple...

We've talked about making pinball parts, not sure what is needed tho that a CNC will churn out.

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Get these

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My precautions were:
Gloves, chemist eye goggles, ducting attached directly to the printer fan vent. That was attached to a large charcoal filter/fan combo.

The high resolution prints were not worth all the effort. The prints were very fragile and really only good for statues and miniatures that would not be handled often.

The resolution of FDM prints these days is quite good and with proper finishing you may not even see the layer lines. I’ve had a blast printing things like bag clips, plant pots, toys for my kids and accessories that I designed for my pinball machine including a Stern fan adapter to prevent the loud internal fan from making noise.

If you think you’ll mostly be printing decorative items and things like statues and miniatures then definitely consider a resin printer - as long as you take into account the drawbacks (messy process, toxic materials). But if you want durable, functional prints, then FDM is the way to go.

There's always the options of going to a .2mm nozzle on an FDM machine, but of course this greatly increases print time. Not a big deal if the part is fairly small.

Yes, it’s toxic. Quality resin has less odor, same toxicity, but less offensive smells to warn you of the danger. I would not use resin around small children, nor would I want to touch it with bare skin more than once or twice. Others have developed extreme sensitivity to resin, and can no longer handle the stuff at all.

I have a friend who has been fully steeped in FDM printing for 7+ years. A year or so ago he added a resin printer and did his best to fine tune the process. After a few months I asked him how it was going and this was his direct quote; "fuck resin printing, not enough time in my life for that horrible bullshit" I took that message to heart and haven't considered experimenting with one since.

FYI: Nozzle diameter does not impact layer height but infill, so you will still have the same vertical lines regardless of nozzle when printing at a defined layer height. However, you can get much more detailed within a given layer so better for intricate/small prints.