Amazing Transparency results using Colorfabb HT

[luisito 12]

Colorfab HT apparently allows to achieve amazing transparency, according to the following blog. The recommended temperature is 260C and beyond, which unfortunately is on the UM2 limit. Anyone wants to give it a try?.

http://colorfabb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=50aa31891422417e765e9e586&id=fc9cb7402c&e=0ecf60c9dd

[Labern 774]

That would be awsome if it can print as shown. I would like to try some of the HT material so I may get some clear.

[fergazz 60]

looks like an ice aspect, so great!

[TheRealJoost 5]

How does thr colorfabb stuff stack up against Taulman t-glase clear?

[AreDigg 8]

I have lots of HT so I think I will try to replicate this.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

I have lots of HT so I think I will try to replicate this.

 

curious to see your result.

[AreDigg 8]

curious to see your result.

 

My first attempt:

270C, 150% flow, 0,8mm nozzle, 0,1mm layer height, no fan.

What I realized here is that the 100% infill in Simplify3D don't work, the pattern makes dots and not entirely clear. The flow work great on the lower part, but it ruins the upper side completely. But it is really clear through the object, except where there is infill. Another interesting observation is because of the increase in flow of material and very good bonding, it becomes incredible strong!

This was another attempt with lesser flow and with no infill, because of the need to overhang the top it became "snowy", the walls are however somewhat clear, but you can't see it from the picture.

Here what you see as not so clear is actually the bottom. The "coin" is 5 mm thick. As I printed these on buildtak they did not become fully transparent. The red markings are also on the bottom, it is just written the amount of flow as it was different for each "coin" (from 125 to 145%). To solve the problem with the infill I adjusted the Top/Bottom solid layers so they span the entire object.

This is printed on a glass plate, which must be the recommended surface, but I think because I printed it alone and with a high flow of 150 you get too much material, and causes blobs, and as well the nozzle makes a deeper groove on the top layer.

It seem to be working as colorfabb claims, the idea is basically to squeeze enough material into the previous layer so that they bond completely. However the flow setting is sensitive. I think it can be tricky to use this method for complex objects. Also the pictures don't do entirely justice, it is cool to actually fdm print transparent objects where there is no refraction from the individual layers! I am trying a bigger object now, and really curious to see how it will lay out.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

can you show the 0.8 nozzle you used? I noticed there are huge differences on the "shoulder"  size of especially the 0.8 nozzles. Just my gut feeling but I think a larger shoulder (thickness of the edge around the hole of the nozzle) can make a difference.

Edited May 22, 2016 by Guest

[DidierKlein 729]

I'm still waiting for my HT Clear to be shipped but i have some NGen Clear that i played a bit with last week.

I have not found the way to be as transparent as the pics they showed for the HT but i'm not that far.

I printed with the 1mm nozzle, also increased the flow, and used Cura 2.1 to slice, one interesting setting is the rotate layers direction that will print each layer in four differently.

Here are the pics from what i did:

This is a spiralized vase with 0.7mm layers

A nice gear with 100% infill

A display with leds with 0% infill

I pretty sure it's possible to have more transparent results by playing with speed and flow, with NGEN it can become white if the flow isn't fast enough i think. When i have a non printing movement (retraction) then after that i can hear some kind of bubbles exploding in the nozzle and the filament looks white.

Print temp was around 230 - 240°c

[AreDigg 8]

can you show the 0.8 nozzle you used?

 

I use e3d nozzle, just like the one on the right in your picture.

[luisito 12]

Pretty impressive!

I have one spool of XT Clear lying around. I am going t give it a try.

[LesHall 95]

I'm in too.  I'm printing parabolic lenses.  Here is how one looks in the LED test fixture that I made for this purpose (prior to polishing):  

BTW this stuff does not want to sand.  I have grits from 100 down to 3000 in lots of steps and the 100 just will not cut into the defective layers (0.2mm layers).  

I am now attempting to print a differently proportioned but identically mathematical lens (thicker at bottom inside) at 0.1mm on a 7 hour print in the hope that it will be easier to sand (finer defects).  

It is quite "clear" to me (ugh the pun) that these clear lenses are frosted on the outside prior to polishing.  I am wondering iff all that effort (it's very tiring after 3 days of doing it) could be spared with a surface treatment.  If not a solvent then how about something additive?

Les

Edited November 26, 2016 by Guest

[AreDigg 8]

If not a solvent then how about something additive?

 

I have not tried this (neither with HT or taulman t-glase/bluprint), but it may be working:

http://taulman3d.com/t-glase-optics.html