First Prints from CTC SLA Printer (form1 clone)

[dunginhawk]

So I went ahead and bought a form1 clone on ebay for 880$. While I think it may be used (cant be sure, but there are some scratches etc) and the CD didnt work (had to contact them to get a DL link) once that was up and running without any calibration at all i started printing.
Now I assume I need to calibrate something, or level something. It cant just be this easy...
So here are some pics of my first print. LITERALLY the first print i tested on this printer. No fails before this, nothing.

The quality and detail is pretty staggering. There are some spots where I see some layer stuff, and there was some VERY thin (layer like thinness) chunks attached here and there that came off in the alchohol. What would be causing that?

Any suggestions on how to make this better would be great... of course I need to find more resins to work... any suggestions there? As you would have guessed, support on this will be lacking haha.

POPCORN for reference scale haha

[curious aardvark]

good looking print - how long did it take ?

[dunginhawk]

IM taking the printer apart because I noticed each time the vat rises and falls (to peel the layer) it runs against the side.. noticed the Spacers installed on the front correctly and not the back, causing there to be a 2-3mm less gap, so its rubbing..
Also i need to level it and stuff to see if i can improve the quality.
That print said it would take 8 hours 30 minutes according to cura but it took 1 hour 30 mins. which i dont find bad.
the more you print on SLA the better the time savings, from what i can tell, and this was a small print.

[curious aardvark]

yeah while there are always a shedload of layers - it doesn't take long per layer.

What's the build volume ?



found it :-)

Molding technology: SLA
Operating system: Repetier-Host
Slicing software: Cura
Firmware: CTC Riverside 1.0
Printing supplies: liquid light-sensitive resin
Print size: 125 x 125 x 165mm
Print layer thickness: 100micrometers (minimum)
Document format: STL
Printer overall dimensions: 28 x 30 x 45cm
Gross Weight: 14 kg

[dunginhawk]

I made a few modifications this morning.. Just took it apart and inserted some spacers to allow the vat to move freely down and up. Before it was rubbing against the black grill looking piece in the picture. Got that squared away. I leveled the bed per the terrible english translation email i got from someone across the pacific but i think i have it figured out.
IF i can continue to get good prints out of this (ill test bigger thing later) it will be worth it.

However, the biggest issue now is no software. Cura configured for it is working, but supports are built for FDM. I need preform or something like that, where the supports are good and made for resin.
thanks

[dunginhawk]

here is probably the best pic.. just took it... i rinsed it more in 91% alchohol (last night all i had was 50%) and dried it well.
this looks better.

[dunginhawk]

Just finished this small butterfly... Pretty happy with these results as well.
This one had support built in, which was easy to cut off, but leaves remnants on the underside.

[dunginhawk]

i figured, What the hell.
Finished tower is about 4 inches tall.
amazing detail for only 4 inches. (thats what she said)

i realize there was what appear to be some rough edges , but remember this is barely the length of a finger.. this picture is VERY zoomed . I cant actually see layer lines at all

[Brumbaer]

Those edges seem out of place. There shouldn't be any rough edges. Can you please post the link of the model you printed ?

[dunginhawk]

here is the model.
you gotta remember this print is overall very tiny... to the human eye they are almost imperceivable.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:22051