Ugly bottom half.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

This was a question posed by email and I would like to attempt to answer here for everybody to see:

 

" any tips on how i can get a nice quality look and maybe advice on acetone dipping on PLA+. "

 

@cloakfiend is the go to guy for Acetone dipping, and also for plating parts.

 

Now, a nice quality look is very different as it is subjective. At the layer height of 0.2mm will show layer lines. Going to 0.1 or even 0.06 would make a very good looking model, but your printing times go up very much. Some have no issue with minute layer lines and others want to have a smooth surface.

 

 

[GregValiant 1,246]

Thank you sir.  I hope all is well.

 

@Armatron That's it then.  If you want a nice print it will need high resolution on the printer settings and will take longer.  The model file you have is excellent so drop the layer height, slow down, and start the print at 6AM and then close the door.

 

A decent paraphrase would be this line from Jonathon Edwards song "Shanty"..."Fill it, light it, shut up and close the door."

[Armatron 2]

Thank you for this effort... so i did the 3dprint online thing. I had to laugh $638 to print this. Cura tells me $3 to print this... and it was only 10hr print.  Now i forgive me but i need to use some fuzzy math and maybe were talking 16hr real time. that was with a .2 layer. So i dropped it down to the fine setting and keep changes made and it was 11.25hrs. not a bad difference.  This is my little workshop at home.

[Armatron 2]

Thanks i think i will do that, but a little Rock from my Spotify it should be good.

[cloakfiend 995]

As for pla and acetone dipping to get better surface quality, dont bother under 0.1mm layer height, id reccommend 0.06 however the benefit of dipping PLA/PHA is a change of state. The pla/pha becomes easier to sand after dipping. Im printing a helmet soon and most likely will hit the bondo. I never print large so will most likely use .2mm layer height. Ill document my build as it has a moving part i cant acetone all of it due to fear of warping but defo in some areas to improve the sanding abilitly rather than quality.

[Armatron 2]

Yea, the warping is an issue I've come up too.  Not sure if watertight will make a difference or maybe less time in the dip... So on this large piece I've decided on .1 mm layer height for now.  Just for the time frame.. My little studio is next to the bedroom and the wife is not keen on extra noise at night... now it really is none with the door closed but i have to keep her happy, so no overnight printing atm. I was using ABS before and Vaping it. Had so good success with that but this dipping in acetone is a bit different and getting to a short time in the dip is something ill just learn over time.  Thanks again on your input.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

57 minutes ago, Armatron said:

... so i did the 3dprint online thing.

Hahahahha, yeah, I did the same thing just to try and see the difference in 'at home' and a 'service' printing and came up with the same results. And, I did not even get to choose the layer depth, so, yeah, at home, time is your valuable asset here. When I want things to look good, I always go 0.06 layer height and be damned the time. The machine can work while I sleep.....

[Armatron 2]

I tried to print the Pietà at 30% that took 2.5 hrs and i tried it at .06, with tree support everywhere.... Man, it came out uggllly. so much support that i could not get it broken off. and the print was a worse look then .2mm.  so im setting that aside for the moment and took all the great knowledge given here and I am doing my ice dragon at 35%.  Another big boy.

Ice_Dragon_v2.stl

[Armatron 2]

Just finished printing, and it actually meets the original time given on the slice.  i am amazed.  Maybe all that tweaking you guys did for me paid off.  here is the on bed version. ill let ya know what a denuded one looks like.

[Armatron 2]

Well it came out about what i thought...it is thin and a crack in the neck happened. Stringing as well.  ill try it at 40-50%

[Armatron 2]

So i did a 40% of the dragon and a quick sand and paint with clear coat topping and now you have ugly top have dragon.   LOL