You hear stories of this kind of thing happening to "someone else" - but it finally happened to me. The vat leaked! And not just a little. My FEP was getting pretty tired so I finally caved and replaced it last weekend, a chore I loathe on these printers. All week after that I had been getting various failures on my prints - one of which required scraping off the failed print stuck to the FEP. So I lift the vat out of the printer and there was a gooey mess all over the printer, under the vat, on the screen. I had a screen protector applied to my printer just "in case" this happened. I guess it helped a little, but capillary action sucked that resin underneath the screen protector where a thin layer hardened to my screen. A lot of people have to throw their screen away at this point and just replace it. However, I had a special tool in my arsenal. Plastic razor blades. Look them up - they're great for FDM and resin printers where the print is difficult to pry off the build plate. And in this case, they're also great at scraping a delicate screen clean of hardened resin. After mopping up the liquid resin, I took the plastic razor to the screen and effortlessly it slid under the hardened resin (I couldn't believe it, actually) and allowed me to just peel it right off. To a point. There were still some areas that were difficult to scrape off and required several repeat applications of isopropyl alcohol followed by scraping. In the end I think I finally got it all, no scratches on the screen either. Whew. This is my favorite printer and I'm not sure if I could get a replacement screen for it (Photon SE) Now I need to inspect my vat to find out what happened. Was there a hole? Did I not tighten the screws down tight enough? Replacing the FEP on these things is one advancement I'd like to see sooner rather than later as there are way too many tiny screws to deal with, over twenty, and you need to tension the FEP properly otherwise your prints will fail. Anyway - this story is for all you resin printers for if/when this happens. Those little plastic razor blades saved the day, they're cheap and can be used for non-emergencies, too. Sorry no pics of this, I thought about it but there was resin spillage involved and I didn't want any getting on my phone. Cheers -Mike
Yeow, hairy experience... I've got one of those screen protectors installed; makes me wonder if there's a market for one that is like 1.5x the size of the screen to provide margin against such wicking. Wouldn't be pretty, but what works... I've replaced my FEP about six times now, the only ambiguity I've encountered is about the spacer you use to lay the FEP upon to make the "tent" that gives the right tension. Recently heard a bottle cap works, so I saved the one from my subsequent Negra Modelo...
I hit the 'like' but of course that was for the what to do if this happens and not that I liked what happened. I still haven't used my resin printer but plan on that changing in the next couple days. I've amassed 3 different resins over the last couple years but haven't used any. Mainly because a lot of what I print (servo mounts, turnout controls, switch boxes, clamps, etc.) cant be brittle. Then the other day on here ( I think ) I read about Siraya Tech Build (grey) resin which is suppose to not be so brittle. Found another post where someone was printing their servo brackets with it and reported good luck. I see it has been delivered to my mailbox so will be going to get it in a bit and will force myself to try it.....after I put the screen protector on that I have but haven't installed. Thanks for the up date on a worst case scenario and how to handle it. That helps Sumner
Great tips! I have seen plastic razor blades at a local Napa auto parts store. You can probably find them in big box stores such as Lowes or Home Depot, too.
I got ( THESE ) a year ago after someone recommended them. Finally used one this morning on my first successful resin print. Worked great. I'll bring one in a and try it on my next filament print. Sumner
I like those plastic razors, it's what I use to remove prints from the plate, easier than the metal scrapers or fat plastic ones Glad you fixed it! Never got a leak yet, and hoping it stays like that!
Well crud - looks like I spoke too soon. Next pro-tip (ha) - when you get a leak, probably best to do a complete tear-down of the machine, assess, clean and rebuild. Today I noticed a couple drips of resin under my printer so the resin got inside. Doing a test pattern on the screen showed that it was wacked now. Had I cracked open the machine when doing the initial cleanup I probably could have saved it. Not sure when I'll have the time to take the machine apart so it's out of commission for a while. If I'm lucky, cleaning all the connectors and other contact areas may fix the display problems. Probably won't be that lucky so I may be looking at finding a new workhorse. Bummer!
Ouch. (forum needs an Ouch button... ) I keep my resin in the vat, but I remove the vat after each printing session, put it in a tray for it to leak into. Kinda like those berms around oil tanks... I put a screen protector on my LCD, but I've already heard a horror story about how resin gets under those. I don't try to squeeze use out of FEPs, I've replaced it for various reasons about six times in the year or so I've been printing. And I ask, is all that enough?
I agree, I hit the like button but it is suppose to mean 'I hear you and sorry about what happened', Sumner
I couldn't wait so I ripped open the printer last night to see what I'm dealing with. Surprisingly it wasn't as messy inside as I was expecting. The LCD however had a lot of goo and hardened resin in all the wrong areas, right where the ribbon cable connects to it. I cleaned it all up, printer insides and screen to "like new" condition but it was just not meant to be. The screen still wasn't working right. I debated on whether to attempt to fix it or buy a new printer and ultimately opted to drop 40 bucks on a gamble that a replacement screen will fix it. I'll know in about a week. 40 bucks versus 200 bucks, the math made sense at the time. Mike
Sorry this happened, I've heard of this happening to a few users. This is why I bought complete compatible replacement trays instead of FEP sheets. Didn't trust myself to do a FEP replacement right.
Seeing a few printer problems on the board lately and I kind of feel like I started it with this thread... Time for an update! I actually did this repair job a few weeks ago but finally got around to testing my work tonight. Here's where I started. Top left image is me testing the screen to verify that it is indeed not working properly. That should be a clear pattern, but instead it's kind of a mushy streak. To the right shows how the screen (after removing the framing tape) just lifts right out of the chassis, cable snakes down on the left side where it plugs into the board which you access via a hatch on the side of the printer. After unplugging the cable, I saw that the ribbon actually plugs into an adapter piece, which is what plugs into the board. That connector worried me quite a bit. Like how was I ever going to get the new one plugged into that? My new screen arrived in a well packed and sturdy box. Installation is just the reverse of the above - drop the screen in, snake the cable to the side, plug it into the adapter with the nightmare connector. Actually it turns out it wasn't too bad. There are some registration parts that help guide it into place. I won't say it was easy, but it was easier than I was expecting. With everything plugged in I ran a screen test and here you can see a clear pattern in the display. For my first test print I didn't want to go with anything too heavy so I thought I'd try a tree armature using my "tuff" resin blend. Success! I used one of my other vats for this print - haven't touched the one that leaked and caused all the damage since the incident. I'll tackle that in the coming weeks. Overall the repair job was pretty easy and 40 bucks for the screen was a reasonable cost to get me back in business. I didn't really want to buy a whole new printer. Hopefully this one will continue giving me good use for a few more years. Cheers -Mike
It scared me a bit, but it turned out to be not so bad. Got a bit of practice; first one I did, I nicked the edge where the FEP meets the vat, looked okay but I didn't want to risk it, so out came the screwdrivers... I "welded" my boiler to the FEP yesterday, so I'm about to do it again. This time, with an electric screwdriver I got for Christmas and a Negra Modelo bottle cap as a spacer...
...yeah, that went well, not. Between trying to use the wrong screw holes and mounting the FEP/frame upside down in the vat, oh, and forgetting to remove the protective sheets from both sides of the FEP, I had to start over with a fresh sheet. Second time was the charm; right after, I sat down and wrote a procedure, covering the things I missed today. Now, if next time I can remember to use the procedure... Yesterday's failure was a variation of the separated smokestack I experienced a couple of months ago. The boiler structure started okay, but after about 15-20 layers the skimpy support contacts gave way and left the rest to print "flatland" style, each layer just re-exposing the previous layer right on the FEP. Got a reworked print file in the printer now; one of the disadvantages of my printer cabinet is that it's impossible to see the print progress until it's 2/3 printed, but I have high hopes...
I put stuff on my website as much for me as others. I move from project to project so fast and over time I can't remember how I did something. No problem just go on the website and see how I did it or get lazy and come up with a different way. Next print hopefully will work just fine for you and you can post it here . Sumner
Ha, not yet. Went to check the progress, and there was nothing on the build plate. Grrr... Stopped it, took the vat out and dredged it with the silicone spatula, yep, a boiler-sized lump down there. Long story short, I pressed a wrong button when I re-leveled the build plate and leveled it at zero, not with the space of the paper. First layer printed nothing, then the second layer was too far from the FEP to attach to it. I love the Mars 3, but they did a firmware update that changed all the button icons but didn't update the documentation. That's how the printer was delivered, and I recall having the same angst when I set it up. The manual is now 'redlined'... Third time's the charm, or we're breaking out the wine tonight...
Success! Finished and post-processed the print just in time for supper, will post a picture tomorrow. Didn't have a chance to inspect it closely, but all four handrail stanchions seem to have survived, the biggest uncertainty.
I knew this was going to be a "fit" check print, as I'd made major changes all over, but it turned out very well. Pardon the dust, I'm still cleaning stuff up after the workshop reorg. Posted below is a full-resolution image so you can zoom in to see the gory details. Of particular note, there are four handrail stanchions placed high on the boiler, and they're close to actual scale dimensions. Last time I tried this they didn't fare well, too small to survive washing. So, I added a thou to most dimensions for this print, and not only did all survive, but the handrail holes are all intact. Another recent add are 'placement dimples' for the separately printed compressor and generator, to aid with gluing them in the right position. I need the magnifier to see them, so I'll make them a little deeper. This static version is not going to be a "handle with abandon" operating model, more likely going to be displayed in an acrylic case, so such fragility will be tolerated.
Nice work Glen . Project is coming along. Do you have a wash/cure station or are you doing it by hand? Love mine and probably wouldn't have the patience of cleaning it by hand. Haven't done it that way so maybe not a good comparison but love it (Elegoo). I paid $130 I think but see you can get one in the $90 - $100 range with free shipping. Get the print off the build plate and 6-8 minutes later it is washed and cured and absolutely no mess on my part. Sumner
For wash I'm doing it by-hand using two pickle jars with 91% IPA to do the Part1/Part2 thing. The baskets in the jars help keep the process mostly fumble-free. The Part1/Part2 wash is rather counterintuitive, but you can use Part1 until it's quite dirty, and the Part2 finish wash stays really clean for a long time. For cure I'm using a nail curer my son loaned me, but the cheap turntable seems to have lost the will to rotate during the shop's storage interregnum. Right now, I'm enjoying doing prep and post print 'by hand', everything from support placement to wash/cure; really, learning about nuances of these processes as I go. Right now, starting to think about dust control, that may yet drive me to a wash/cure station. Not sure where it'd go in my small space, though.
