Basics: How to post-process your 3D prints!

A few simple steps can turn your 3D prints into something useful and special!

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[DogmaFaucet]

The "cut away from yourself" thing always makes me want to talk about the more general case: plan your accidents. if your working with something that can hurt you, always be thinking about what can go wrong, and plan accordingly.

Great video, Tom! Might I add some tips? From people from the plastic industry, Igot this one, particularly for ABS: if you quickly pass over the flame of a lighter over the part, it sort of works like a primer, it changes the polarity of the surface molecules and makes it more prone to get electrons from the paint and fix it there. Also, since you pointed out so well that scalpels and cutting tools are so dangerous, there is one that takes the danger away, the deburring tool, it works like a scalpel for corners and is quite cheap. Some acetone pens exist on the market which allow you to fix details on the surface of prints. I have a video about that but the last time I tried to paste the video URL my comment was classified as spam.

[RoberthProductions]

This was the best 3D print post-process video I've seen. Because it was complete, all possible steps from build platform to finished part. Haven't seen this in a video before. Great work Thomas!

[viniciusnoyoutube]

Nice information about epoxy, I didn't know that.

[ivanstroganov]

theres also 1-part body filler that usually comes in tubes. it dries really fast and sands as good as any body filler. its great for fixing defects and print lines that would otherwise take ages to sand.

[DGPHolyHandgrenade]

I would love to see some tips on finishing PETG. It seems like it's an excellent material, but it's also different than both PLA and ABS. Any tips on sanding techniques, glues/welds? Some of this stuff I'm sure can be trial and error experimentation such as flame/heat smoothing. Just would love to see something for more than just PLA or ABS since the materials are different and require different techniques.

[drewpickard]

Yet another great video!!! One thing I'll add for people without full sets of taps. Just as you warned(very rightly so) to be careful of too much heat with Pla, It works the other way also. I have taken a lighter to a bolt then screwed it in slowly, most of the time needing to repeat a few times. Or a soldering iron too, Ive plugged it into a print then quickly threaded a bolt in. Heat guns also work wonders for clearing up strings

[JMWConceptsTheOfficial]

Yet another highly informative and helpful video. Thanks Tom!

[theheadone]

Can you do more tips for doing functional mechanical prints? (I'm a mechanical engineer and use my personal 3D printer much of the time to problem solve and come up with custom parts/tools. usually I even use my little Robo3D over our shop's Stratasys Fortus :p)

Also, is there anything on the horizon for embeded electrical parts into 3d printed pieces? I heard about this a while ago and then nothing after.

[jasoneyes]

Thanks Thomas. Always excited to see a new video posted on your channel.

[christopherellis]

Thanks Tom, its never a waste of time to watch your videos

[ArcanePath]

I use a combination of wood filler for really deep imperfections, and a paint on acrylic primer, so I can load up fairly thick and it sands away quite easily to go flush with the layer lines. You need more than a day for curing between each method before adding a top coat though, otherwise it will peel. Best to give a few days between to make certain.

[juandavidruizserna]

What an amazing video, been searching for this simple explanations for about 3 momths, sad i did not find this in january 2021 first week, as it could have saved me a good deal of experiments (also learned from them). Would love to see simple videos like this explaining printer/slicer settings. Will look into your video lobrary for videos like this

[rickp]

Great video. I'm building a ship model that I printed out. Following what you have presented in this video, the hull came out pretty nice.

[DPrintingNerd]

Whoa, shout out to Punished Props! My neighborhood!

[jedijeremy]

Thanks Tom! I've successfully used PVC cement (the blue stuff) to join PETG parts and it seems to work well, as It contains a small amount of MEK (methyl ethyl ketone) which appears to be a good solvent, not too toxic, and available from most hardware stores. I think there are clear cements (if the blue looks bad) but I haven't tried them. PETG might even solvent weld with the thinner 'PVC cleaner' solution, but I haven't tried that yet either.

[PossumMedic]

A negative rake angle (blade pointed away from the direction you are smoothing) can really help when using a box cutter on sharp edges.
Thanks for the vid! :)

[xoverzero]

I think a deburring tool is the best way of cleaning those sharp base edges!

[hamzahwareh]

Lol as an engineer, I definitely relate to Tom over here. I can't stand not mentioning the fact that I'm an engineer to other people. Keep it up Thomas. Love your videos!!

[ElectraFlarefire]

The method I really do need to try out more.. Sandblasting!
I've seen this done with very good results and a finish closer to Powder-and-binder style prints.