Printing a detailed design from a paper drawing, casting the result in clear cast to make a night light, need some advice
Encapsulating printed objects in resin
I want to make a lamp or night light and have a clear vision of what I want to do but no clue on how. My goal is to get practical suggestions on how to proceed rather than canned solutions (although I will certainly take a complete solution!!).
The finished product has a thin (1/8” or so) print with several isolated parts which together make up the design. The print is then covered with a casting resin to make a ¼” thick flat panel. The panel is then displayed using a back-lighted frame. The result should be a soft glow outlining the encapsulated object.
I have several production issues to solve in order to get to the finished product. The two most pressing issues are:
The design is pen and ink on actual paper. I need to convert this into a printable 3D construct. The design has several tiny, disconnected parts. These need to be kept in the proper physical relationship and cannot shift during the casting process.
Creating the Print:
I’m currently using Autocad Fusion to generate mechanical objects. I am competent in the parts of the program I use but don’t use many of the features and none relating to images. I am willing to use other software if it better fits the problem. I also use the Corel suite of products for image processing.
I have the design in image (jpeg) or vector (svg) formats and can likely get to anything else.
I’m looking for recommendations on both process and software.
Printing:
My initial thought is to print a thin white mat or bib under all the parts then print the actual parts in silver or black. This will keep the small parts aligned and prevent them from shifting during the casting process. A variation would be to print a sparse lattice of thin lines to accomplish the same thing.
The finished panel is roughly playing card size and ¼” thick. If this works as well as I hope there will be panels up to 8 or 10” on a side in the future.
The printed assembly is then placed into a mold and clear or near transparent resin is cast.
There are then several choices:
If the mat is translucent it can be incorporated into the finished product. It provides for even diffusion of the light and softens the impact of the LED lighting. For casting, the mat will be suspended about 1/8” above the bottom of the mold so that the resin totally encapsulates the print. The casting will be done under pressure so that no air bubbles are visible. If the mat is not translucent or is “blotchy” then adhere the print to the bottom of the mold so that no resin gets under. The mat then forms the back of the cast panel. Break the mat away leaving only the parts in the casting. The mat can be coated to prevent the resin from adhering. This will make the cleaning process easier. Should (2) be impractical, then print the parts onto a transparent carrier of some kind with no mat. This is a variation of choice (1) above. The parts and carrier would then be cast as a unit. If all else fails, print the parts individually and attach them to a transparent carrier manually. This will work but gets labor intensive and precludes intricate designs.
Thanks for spending some time helping out.
Consider using soluble filament as a support mat, casting half way, dissolving the backing and then completing the cast. This will require careful washing to ensure no residue left on the surface.
Or print onto fabric like cosplayers use to make wearable scales.
Or print an intermediate mould making a two stage procedure.
If these are 2D shapes do you need 3D printing? Consider inkjet/laser printing on transparent film - or onto transfer paper as used for home T-shirt printing...
Cheerio,
RE: Printing a detailed design from a paper drawing, casting the result in clear cast to make a night light, need some advice
Thank you for the suggestions.
I had not considered soluble filament as a potential solution and that would work well. I had considered sanding or cutting the mat off of the casting but either leaves tool marks that need to be polished out. Soluble filament is a better approach.
I don't think printing onto fabric solves the problem that, unless it's transparent, I will have a potentially blotchy background when light shines through it. Fabric does provide an interesting backdrop for a front lit piece.
I am not sure what you mean by an intermediate mold. Could you expand the explanation?
Why 3D print? I try to learn a new thing every year. I work primarily in wood and sometimes metal. Last year I invested in some laser equipment and used that to embellish wooden art and create some new (to me) items in leather. This year I got a Prusa Core 1 to replace an original Snapmaker unit. The Snapmaker's space is very small, the printer is slow, and the produced items were fairly crude. Much of this is operator error and some is due to the hardware.
I got a Core 1 to have better hardware with a larger work space. I have been very happy with the test output.
While the immediate project could be done with 2D printing to create the silhouettes these are more a way to get some experience with the hardware and software on the way to creating more interesting work. 2D works for back lit drawings but 3D allows lighting from the edges. If the printed lines are either 1/2 circle or have faceted surfaces they will reflect the light in different (and hopefully interesting) ways.
Currently I work mostly with wood or wood/epoxy on a lathe. I can see creating some curved epoxy panels with inlayed designs that are incorporated into a larger whole.
I also make turned pens. 3D printing provides a way to create custom barrels with personalized art that is then cast and turned.
I have a huge number of things to learn on the way to making a good and creative piece. I'm hoping to learn most of the painful lessons while working on small and simple things where the problems are fairly straight forward and the solutions are relatively easy to discover.
Thanks again for taking the time to respond.
I am not sure what you mean by an intermediate mold. Could you expand the explanation?
Print the negative shape in which you cast (possibly translucent for more interest) resin, then pour half the clear resin over the top and once set with the parts in place remove the mould and complete the other half of the cast as before. You will need to incorporate some draft for mould release or print the mould in TPE.
Cheerio,