Finishing 3D Prints 101: How to Sand 3D Printed Parts

hi my name is Sean with MakerBot learning if you're looking for a way is to smooth your prints after you remove them from the build plate or you're looking to paint or create a silicone mold around your park standing is a really great alternative so today in this video we're going to cover some of the best practices associated with sanding your 3d prints in order to use these sanding techniques to completely smooth your model you'll need the following supplies 80 120 and 240 grit sandpaper for sanding 400 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper for wet sanding handheld electric sander or sanding block exacto knife or putty knife needle nose pliers or flush cutters a bin to hold water a respiratory mount eye protection and gloves when printing you can select certain print settings to minimize work later on we printed our model with standard settings of 0.2 millimeter layer height 10 percent info and 2 shell once your part is free from the build place remove drafts and support material from the model be sure to wear eye protection [Music] remove large pieces of support first and then approach smaller pieces in fine details take care of round edges in theme [Music] cleaning the edges will ensure better alignment of model component if you plan to glue inter on if you plan to glue the model be careful not to remove too much material or you will increase the size of your seams and will need to use filler in order to hide them after gluing now that all support material has been removed you can begin the sanding process standing will produce small particles of filaments so wear a respiratory mask start with 80 grit sandpaper when sanding with coarse sandpaper you're creating the surface you will later refine this stage of sanding should remove the most material and create a fairly uniform surface [Music] clean and inspect your print under good lighting if you miss any spots sand and inspect again you can move to the next grit when you notice that your model surface is fairly even and has changed from glassy to map when you approach higher polishing grits the shine will return [Music] standing curved surfaces and small features can be a challenge use smaller strips of sandpaper or electric Sanders with different attachments to reduce spending time in tough areas sand both whiz and against the grain as well as in circular patterns once you have sanded through 80 120 and 240 grit sandpaper we suggest wet sanding with four hundred to a thousand grit sandpaper to achieve a completely blemish free surface if you have properly wet sanded your model it should feel almost like glass which is the perfect surface texture if you choose to paint your model here we have an example of the same model in various stages of sanding you can see noticeable changes in surface qualities at each grit level if you followed these steps you should be left with a model completely free of layer lines and blemishes that is ready to be painted molded you name it you just learn how to take your prints beyond the build plane you

Channel: Proto3000

Views: 220,068

Keywords: Sanding 3D Printed Parts, FInishing 3D Printed Parts, MakerBot learning, Makerbot post processing, 3D printing post processing, Sand 3D printed Parts, How to Sand

Id: NLoB52nPuao

Length: 4min 48sec (288 seconds)

Published: Mon Mar 27 2017