Taking some advice from articles and YouTube videos I have now changed how I handle the process. I've almost completely eliminated the IPA smell and reduced the time I am handling the models before the resin is cured.
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| My 3D print area August 2026 |
I bought a wash station from Heygears. I liked the look of the double canister arrangement so that one box can easily drain the IPA into the other without any exposure to the IPA. What I hadn't expected was how much more efficient the agitating platform was at cleaning the models.
One 4 or 5 minute session in the Heygears Wash setup and the prints are completely clean.
Tip: An important bit of the process is that the prints have to be supports downwards in the IPA. This is so that any drips of resin end up on the supports, not the models.
My Process Summary
- Put on Nitrile gloves.
- Turn on the extractor and position it over the wash area.
- Fill a wash box to the max marker with IPA. This is only necessary when the IPA gets too contaminated and needs a refresh.
- Put the prints or the entire build plate with the models still attached into an empty wash box. The print supports should be facing towards the bottom of the tank.
- Seal the box and put the full wash box above with the drain connected to the input valve of the empty box.
- Open the upper valve and upper air vent and wait for the IPA to drain onto the print.
- Remember to CLOSE the valve (I keep forgetting!)
- Put the now full box on the wash platform and run for 4 or 5 minutes.
- Now for the reverse. Put the full wash box on top of an empty wash box and drain the IPA.
- Remember to CLOSE the valve.
- Open and remove the prints. If not already done, remove from the build plate.
- Leave to dry. I only wait just enough time for the surface to dry and for anything to have drained out of hollow models.
- Cure the prints with the supports still attached.
- While the prints are curing I usually do any cleaning, such as residue from the emptied wash box.
With the prints now cured, they can be handled and cleaned up without gloves.
All done with very little exposure to uncured resin or IPA and no lingering smell.
Removing cured supports
On small models, I find that removing the supports can be done as they are even when cured. For models with large areas of support it is helpful to soften them in warm water.
I use a plastic food storage box. The temperature of the water is not critical. I find even lukewarm is sufficient. I usually start with water that is about as hot as I would have for a bath. Not as hot as my wife has in her bath. Just about bearable to put my hand in.
With Heygears PAF10 (PVC-like) resin, the supports become very soft and easy to remove. Much easier than they would be before curing the print.
As the models are clean, not tacky and I am not wearing gloves, the support removal has been much easier for me than it used to be.
Reusing IPA
It's not a perfect process, I'm still left with a short exposure to open IPA containers when cleaning and swapping IPA. If I wash with the build plate still attached the IPA tends to get dirtier than if the models are removed first. The extra resin from the build plate requires that I have to swap out the IPA more often.
When the models don't come out as clean as they should or before that if I remember, I'll clean the IPA. I use a clear container that fits in the cure station. This is so I can cure the resin within the IPA. When cured the resin is easy to remove from the container. I sometimes use a silicone scraper to help. The now cleaner IPA can then be reused.
IPA cleaning process:
- Pour the dirty IPA into a clear container.
- Seal the container.
- Cure in the cure station for 20 mins.
- Drain the IPA via a filter funnel into a storage bottle or one of the wash boxes for reuse.
- Scrape the cured resin off of the clear container ready for the container to be reused.
Sometimes I repeat the process because it is the resin on the outer edges of the container that get cured likely leaving some uncured deeper inside.
Note: Curing resin in IPA, does not get rid of the dye. The IPA retains a cloudy grey look while the resin removed tends to be a white gel.
Cleaning up resin spills
There will always be times when some uncured resin gets where it's not wanted, or just the run off from the build plate while removing the prints.
This needs to be handled and disposed of thoughtfully. The simple solution I use is to cure the resin with a small handheld 395nm UV lamp.
I was surprised how short an exposure the resin needs to become rigid. Less than a minute is sufficient.
Build Plate Lift
I've made myself a frame to help lift the build plate out of the wash boxes.
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| Mk2 lift frame |
This is mark 2. The handles on my previous version were inadequate.
Download:
Change of plan:
Despite designing and testing the frame to lift the build plate, I have decided that removing the models from the build plate before washing them is the better option for me. The minimal time required to separate the prints from the plate adds very little extra exposure to uncured resin and no extra exposure to IPA. It means the IPA needs less frequent replacement.
I do like the nice clean build plate, but I'm still tending towards removing the prints before washing.
I can always deliberately include the build plate in the wash from time to time.
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