Can You Guys Help Me For My Science Fair

[GenZod]

I'll try my best to keep it short

So for my project, im using pla filament to make cars and spoilers, we need the car and spoilers to be smoothed out, we are doing a standard quality print, and im trying to find a way to dissolve the pla filament to give it a smooth and glossy look without painting it because we all suck at painted and we are going to unevenly layer it and we are going to get messed up results when we expirement. (for people that use abs i found this way of getting the smoothed/glossy look, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvCEnA0NEG4) unfortunatly my schools 3d printer doesnt support abs filament so I need help, I found this one guy who found some ways but he said it didnt work out: http://www.buildlog.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2048

Thanks in Advance!

[3dkarma]

Two options I'm aware of:

XTC3D - a coating you paint on http://www.reynoldsam.com/product/xt...campaign=XTC3D
Vapour smoothing with THF (similar process to smoothing ABS with acetone) http://www.protoparadigm.com/news-up...ydrofuran-thf/

[richardphat]

DMC- AKA Dichloromethane
This literally dissolve the PLA, you can use it to glue PLA parts. Also a strong solvent.

http://www.3ders.org/articles/201401...-antennas.html

Daniel Therriault was my teacher 2 years ago, and I get to visit his lab sometime so I know this product is possible with under lab environment.

[jacksonchrist]

I would prefer DMC- AKA Dichloromethane, it's very good to glue PLA parts. Good luck then

[GenZod]

Thanks 3dkarma for the link, im going to look more into the second option.

[Feign]

Ethyl-Acetate will also smooth PLA the same way THF will (though more slowly from what I understand), and it's quite a bit less dangerous.