How to get the best finishes after 3d printing an object

[joealarson]

Hi,

Im a product design student who recently bought a cube 2nd gen. It works great. Only problem is that I dont know how to finish my 3d product in a professional manner.

I mean this in the sense of
1. best way to get rid of a raft
2. best way to get rid of supports
3. how to make the model smooth after a print
4. how i should prepare my model before spray painting

I have access to a workshop at uni and have sandpaper, sanding machines, dremols, spray booth, saws etc.

Could you please help me out and tell me what works best for you in terms of getting a clean result.

Much appreciated,

Thanks

1. Needle nosed pliers.
2. Needle nosed pliers.
3. Lots of ways. I use mostly ABS so I can use acetone vaporized in a steamer pot to smooth my prints. I hear for PLA (what you're using) there's a stuff called M.E.K. substitute that works the same way, though I haven't tried it myself. Besides that there's sanding and heat guns, there's some brush on epoxy, though I don't know what that does to small details or your tolerances.
4. With paints? I don't know. Abs likes spray paint just fine but I don't know about PLA.