ABStone ???? what's that ?

[Mcbride19]

ABStone … it’s just a nickname of a cocktail we are using for 3d printing.
It’s ABS melted in acetone.
But what can we do with it ?
Well first of all we know that acetone helps to stick ABS on the kapton.

Let’s go further...
Put together in a bottle 50% of ABS and 50 % acetone, the result will help to strongly stick PLA or ABS on heatbed but if you put more ABS (until the liquid will have the same density as cleansing milk)
you will have a liquid that help to glue ABS or PLA (even together), but also to repair holes(or broken parts) that you can have on your models.

Is that all ? …no, you can also use it to smooth your ABS or PLA models, use it to paint the models and it’s going to fill the spaces between layers, after you can finish to smooth by using acetone’s vapors (with a rice cooker for example). But the most incredible is that you can do that on a PLA models, the ABStone will stick on it and when it’s done you can also use acetone’s vapors on the PLA models it will smooth it too.

I’ve made several test and it works well.
It's an interresting thing to have in your toolbox when you are printing 3d models !!!

PS: acetone's vapors are dangerous for you health use it with caution !!!

[McNabb5]

Interesting. You say the vapors of acetone are dangerous, how about the printed item? Are there any dangers to have that item around kids that may put things in their mouths?

[JohnA136]

We have been using the ABS/Acetone slurry on Kapton tape to aid in sticking for quite a while. We use much less ABS in it than you suggest but it has worked well for us. Probably 2,000 hours of printing this way. We have also used the acetone vapor method of smoothing with good results.

[MolecularConcept]

i havent seen a need for ABS slurry while printing. with a nice high temp and glass/hairspray i never had any problems. if you are having problems with adheasion your bed might not be as level as you think it is , or your print nozzle might need to be moved a little closer to the bed... its a great glue though!

[Mcbride19]

I used hairspary and it worked well but the solidoodles bed doesn't have a good repartition of the heat(have a look with a thermal camera) so with large models it doesn't stick well, the "abstone"always stick, I can even put the heatbed at 80 ° and the model stick hard !!

@McNabb5

Well, at least, it's dangerous to let kids near a machine with hot parts !!! isn't it ?!!

[DrLuigi]

Interesting. You say the vapors of acetone are dangerous, how about the printed item? Are there any dangers to have that item around kids that may put things in their mouths?

PLA is food safe so i doubt it would be a problem,

ABS at the other hand wouldnt be safe to actualy do that :P

[JohnA136]

Lego Blocks are made out of ABS and I am sure kids put them in their mouth all the time? Just sayin'

[DrLuigi]

Lego Blocks are made out of ABS and I am sure kids put them in their mouth all the time? Just sayin'

Sure but that isnt with a printer, Its made with a mold, its one piece,
Its easyer with a print to get a small piece detached and being swallowed.

I aint sure about the matter if its bad if its in your mouth or not, I just say so far i know PLA is food safe so it should be ok, and ABS isnt and i wouldnt recommend trying :P

[JohnA136]

I agree, PLA seems safer, it is corn based and biodegradable (in like 17 years).