1 Topic by Quintox303 (edited by Quintox303 2015-04-04 12:48:04)

  • Quintox303
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2014-12-07
  • Posts: 57

Topic: Acetone Finishing Ideas

Hi everyone,

Firstly, sorry if I posted this thread in the wrong section, I couldn't really find one that suited this topic.

I've been experimenting a bit with acetone finishing on the prints and I haven't really been that happy with the results. Most of the time I'm happy to leave the layer lines visible but there are some prints where you want to get it looking really good.

I've tried painting acetone straight on to the print but this leads to problems with leaving marks from the paintbrush. I've tried putting it in a jar with acetone-soaked paper towels for a few hours and that worked ok but sill left me wanting something more. I also tried heating up the print while it is suspended in a jar of acetone but it is hard to control how much smoothing you get on your print this way. After trying all of these, I switched to paint which is giving mixed results.

This made me think about other possible ways of finishing my prints using acetone and then I had an idea: put the acetone in a spray bottle and spray the mist onto the print. The mist will evaporate quickly hopefully leaving a shiny print underneath and there will be no marks as nothing is touching the plastic. I'll have to see whether the acetone will be ok in those spray bottle assemblies or if it will melt it away but I just thought it could be a good idea if anyone else wants to try it. I'll post some pictures tomorrow and see how it goes. And in the meantime, Happy Easter! big_smile

-Matt

2 Reply by IanJohnson

  • IanJohnson
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 2,815

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

With a spray bottle, the acetone evaporates before it has a chance to do anything.  The best results are with a steamer with a tablespoon of acetone at the bottom.  Since it only needs about 30 seconds, it is easier to control the exposure.  The smoother you can get it to begin with, the better the results.  Acetone doesn't do a very good job of eliminating layer lines at .3mm, so if you really want something smooth, print it at .2 or .1  You can also sand it with something rough like 80 or 100 grit.  Acetone smoothing doesn't necessarily save you from sanding, but it saves the work of re-sanding with finer and finer grits.  Just give it a rough pass to knock down the layers and fill the gaps with ABS dust, then smooth it.

3 Reply by dubbsd (edited by dubbsd 2015-04-04 17:21:55)

  • dubbsd
  • dubbsd
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Northwest florida
  • Registered: 2012-09-30
  • Posts: 748

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

I have been using a frydaddy to vapor bathe for over a year now.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Quality … h-Acetone/

I do it outside and only put about 1/4" in the bottom.

Ultimaker S3.

4 Reply by Quintox303

  • Quintox303
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2014-12-07
  • Posts: 57

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

Ok then thanks for your help.  I'll look into getting one of those food steamers. Would it be ok to do a vapour bath of technical prints like the lawsy carriages? I'm in the middle of printing them right now but I'm worried that a vapour bath might ruin the details.

5 Reply by dubbsd

  • dubbsd
  • dubbsd
  • Member
  • Offline
  • From: Northwest florida
  • Registered: 2012-09-30
  • Posts: 748

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

here is a good write up on vapor bathing ABS here.
http://www.soliforum.com/topic/448/diy- … tation-ii/

Ultimaker S3.

6 Reply by Quintox303 (edited by Quintox303 2015-04-05 13:35:09)

  • Quintox303
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2014-12-07
  • Posts: 57

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

http://soliforum.com/i/?vF5ved4.jpg
Would something like this be ok if I only used one of the tiers?

http://www.kmart.com.au/product/homemak … mer/119056

7 Reply by IanJohnson

  • IanJohnson
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2012-08-07
  • Posts: 2,815

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

Only if the plastic upper section isn't affected by acetone.

8 Reply by DePartedPrinter

  • DePartedPrinter
  • Moderator
  • Offline
  • From: Colorado
  • Registered: 2012-08-14
  • Posts: 1,478

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

I utilize a freeze vapor dip method and can eliminate .3mm layer lines on the second or third dip. Total acetone vapor exposure time for the part is approximately 10 seconds.

SD2 with E3D, SD Press, Form 1+
Filastruder
NYLON (taulman): http://www.soliforum.com/topic/466/nylon/

9 Reply by Goshdarnit (edited by Goshdarnit 2015-04-09 17:00:58)

  • Goshdarnit
  • Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2015-03-05
  • Posts: 162

Re: Acetone Finishing Ideas

I just use an acetone slurry (mix bits of filament with acetone until you get a paint-like consistency). It can be applied with a paintbrush, and generally gives a decent smooth finish. I know there are many more technical solutions, but it depends on just how good you need that finish to be. I generally find this works OK for me, and is pretty hassle free without messing with heaters etc.