Heygears resin reminders

Updated: April 2025

I will be trying out resins for different uses and to, hopefully, find the most appropriate for each type of object that I create.

To help with this, I want to remind myself of the results. I am new to resin printing and these are my experiences and opinions.

PARP10

Described by Heygears as "rapid prototyping".

My Experience:

Surface: Smooth and crisp.

Detail: Very good. Sharp corners.

Toughness: I can drop the models on the floor and for the most part there is no sign of damage, however, thin detail parts are easy to break off.

Flex: Negligible. It'll break if bent.

Ease of use: Very easy. No additional thought needed just position and use auto-supports.

Minimum cure time: 5 minutes.

Heat processing: None

Processing: Miniatures typically need about 10 mins curing and no heat.

I would use this for: Miniatures, non-stressed components and decorative pieces.

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PAU10

Described by Heygears as "ABS-like".

My Experience:

Surface: Soft.

Detail: Moderate. Slight curves on corners.

Toughness: I can drop the parts on the floor with no sign of damage.

Flex: Some. Tricky to break. Bends a bit first.

Ease of use: I've had a few misshaped results. At the moment I'm putting this down to stretch caused by suction as the print pulls away from the release film. The larger the surface area or the more leverage on long thin objects, the more pronounced the issue. I've had to reposition parts to have less leverage and hollow them out more.
For most of my projects, until I know how to use it better, this resin is more trouble than it's worth.

Minimum cure time: 10 minutes but most parts need longer.

Heat processing: For improved performance, up to an hour at 46C.

Processing: For larger thicker models up to 30 mins cure time and optionally an hour of heat. I also find that parts often need to be turned upside down and the curing run again for about 15 mins.

I would use this for: Component cases and small functional parts.

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PAF10

Described by Heygears as "flexible production (PVC-like)".

My Experience:

Surface: Slightly soft.

Detail: Good, sharp corners but a tendency to scuff at the corners.

Toughness: I can drop the parts on the floor with no sign of damage, however, thin parts feel like they will easily break off with careless handling.

Flex: Lots. Perhaps too much for some uses. Very thin parts sometimes curl.

Ease of use: So far it's been easy. Support marks are more visible than harder resins.

Minimum cure time: 20 minutes.

Heat processing: None.

Processing: I have not done enough to know if any objects will need additional processing.

I would use this for: Undecided. Miniatures have come out well, but I'm not sure that I want that much flex in something I'm going to paint. Time will tell.

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Subjective

The above statements are a bit vague and very subjective. I will adjust them over time as I gain more experience, but they should be viewed only as a rough guide.

Drop Test

My very simple test is to drop the model from about a metre above ground onto a concrete or similar floor. Repeated a couple of times. For most of what I print, I want them to survive careless handling, but I don't need industrial strength.

Curing Times

I use the Heygears cure unit. I find that sending the model to the cure unit is an unnecessary step, especially as I rarely remember to turn on the cure unit in advance. I've sent a couple of test models, to gauge the times, then for most of my prints I manually set a cure time from the dial on the front of the machine.

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