Does Smoothing 3D Prints Improve Performance and Can You Smooth PLA?

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I have seen the comment about a million times, someone always says, “You know, if you smoothed out your prints your 3D printed fans would perform better”. Now in actually this might be true as I have never tested this. Well today that changes, today we smooth some ABS fans to see if smoother prints perform better than rough ones. Also we try once and for all to smooth PLA using an acetone bath.

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[MajorHardware]

Make sure to use my Audible link, www.audible.com/hardware

[zadtheinhaler]

Hey, just wanted to say that your new studio setup is pretty dope, Keep it up, and have a great New Year!

[jankocoetzee]

I agree with your test however i would have done it with a fan that has more blades say 7 or so, my reasoning is that with 7 blades there is more surface area of the blades and thus could give a deference between the fans (smooth and not smooth)

[CatDaddy-lc]

You can use Ethyl Acetate to smooth PLA, similar to how ABS and acetone work!

[azthenos]

Seeing this channel grow from 20k+ subs to where it is now makes me proud. Keep it up!

[TheAdeybob]

sharper edges would benefit noise reduction and performance, I reckon.
And, a smooth surface is better than rough, but the surface needs to be uniform too for optimal efficiency

[juststayfly]

Solid testing, would be interesting to know if they spin at the same speed or if there is some variance in the airflow they move. Not that it change the conclusion, just for the sake of being thorough!

[Alewort]

Turn up the RPM on the smooth until the loudness matches, then check the thermals.

[jambosuss]

Might make more sense for a fan with more surface area, like the honeycomb

[MechaNexus]

I'd love to see this done(smoothing) to the more extreme fan designs, like the Tulip.

[DerekMacaroni]

I wonder if the rough one collects more dust faster, and whether that affects long-term performance.

[michaelvandervorste]

Appreciate your positive attitude. You are so inclusive for all designers. You make these fun to watch.

[LeoHL]

It is definitely worth smoothing them out.

I designed a 3D printed pumpjet for a RC model submarine, and tested several different propulsors, the first ones were just rough, the later ones I smoothed, and it increased the performance by about 20-30%.

[RAW_Reality]

I honestly can't believe that it took this level of testing to understand, but I'm thankful you cleared it up for those that have argued for it...

Mass matters for performance, form matters for acoustics, and sheen matters for visuals.

Maybe for the New Year I should stop procrastinating entering a fan...

[ErgoBytes]

Really enjoying how you respond to the audience, keep up the awesome work. It's been fun to watch your content get better and better over the last few months.

Don't get frustrated if the growth stops or slows down, I see a lot of small to mid-sized YouTubers get discouraged after going through a period of rapid growth that eventually slows down. Your content will definitely pass the test of time, and your obvious willingness to adapt and make changes is sure to make you successful on this platform and in life.

[jm_lamp]

Unlike the rest of the tech youtubers i feel like im actually learning from your videos thats why i watch them.
Always super engaging to me.

[EpicHardware]

im a simple FAN, i see fans, i like fans

[xaviergarza]

Man, I'm not even an engineer or any kind of stem major or anything, but just the passion you have for this stuff makes me watch your videos! I love seeing the fan showdown!!! And all of it is super interesting

[KyleDike]

I dont have the financials to 3D print nor will I ever. I've been watching your videos for about a year now and have no honest reason as to why... a good creator intrigues the minds of those out side the targeted base. Love the vids budd, you're doing great.

[jbtravelssolo]

yeah but the fans you made to test this were not that bad.. Some of the submitted fans looked really really rough when printed and those being all sorts of rough and banged up would probably benefit unlike these