Leaving resin in the resin tank
Hi guys,
I was wondering if you guys leave your resin in the tank when you have a successfull print ( so nothing sticky on the FEP film). It is easier and waste less resin since you can reuse left over. I leave my FormLab tank full all the time and it does not cure under the lid, can it do the same in the prusa? . If so, can vapor accumulate under the lid and ignite when the printer start the next print?
Regards
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
Cannot say about leaving the resin in the tank - it may depend on the resin and if it needs stirring and is too sensitive to air and light.
I think it is safe to leave the resin in the tank - remember to stir it before the next print.
I am sure that the fumes will not ignite, when turning on the printer again.
Have a look at my models on Printables.com 😉
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
This isn't recommended, but YMMV. If you decide to do it you will definitely want to take every precaution available to try to avoid light hitting the resin. Remember that it's photosensitive so it will harden if exposed to UV light. Depending on how long it sits you may want to filter it out, especially if you notice printing issues when you resume. You might want something like https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3857080 to help keep light out of the tank.
Prusa MK3S/MMU2S
Prusa SL1/CW1
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
You might want something like https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3857080 to help keep light out of the tank.
Oh, lol, I just realized that print was yours, @area51!
Prusa MK3S/MMU2S
Prusa SL1/CW1
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
Oh wow that's great, and nice print area51 haha. ( weird coincidence). But I was thinking that since the lid is already blocking the UV at 405nm coming out of the printer.. it will block the same coming in.. so I don't think it will ever harden with simple light.. Also, regular glass panel block UV light from coming in.. You can't tan from inside a building.. So yes there will be light, but will it react with the resin passing through the glass window AND the lid? I wonder if anyone let it sit long enough to know that.
I was thinking like a week or so in my case... Cause emptying it and cleaning it everytime is messy and creates a LOT of waste.
Thanks for the answer guys!
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
@chrisbloom7
I made the lid to keep dust and other things from falling into the resin - but well, it works for blocking the light too... 😉
That is why it is printed in black.
I agree with @kdude, that the light is blocked by the orange cover too.
Have a look at my models on Printables.com 😉
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
I work this way for months with no problem. The resin is in the tank all the time, covered by protective cover when in standby. It's important to stir the resin well before starting printing. I use soft spatula provided by Prusa to avoid making scratches on FEP film.
It even saved me from bad damage of the printer, I was very clumsy once when putting the printing platform back into the printer and it fell down right into the tank. If there was no protective cover, it would spatter the resin over all area, not mentioning possible damage of FEP film and/or the display.
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
@david-t2
That was my worries too, dropping the platform and spoiling the FEP and display...
Have a look at my models on Printables.com 😉
RE: Leaving resin in the resin tank
I leave the resin in the tank unless I am changing to another color/ resin. I haven't had any issues so far. It will separate out with time, so I just use the included spatula to remix it. I have left it for up to a month at a time in between prints and just added more resin as needed with a thorough mixing using the plastic spatula.