SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T22:11:11Z

Ok ok, I didn't put much thought into it. I guess I was visualizing a chamber similar to a paint booth, where it would be a contained system. The op was talking about a commercialized product. My thought was for a sealed chamber, put you part in, it gets an instant vapor bath, the chamber is then vented through a condenser and recycles the unused acetone. In reality we regularly atomize flammable liquids, albeit not necessarily acetone, and have designed systems that do it safely. I wouldn't suggest filling your kids humidifier with acetone and smoothing parts in your garage or basement, but it would be more effective than heating the acetone. I imagined the process to be similar to powder coating in that you could refrigerate the part give it a vapor bath and allow what condenses to react with the part, if it needs round two then repeat.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T21:44:02Z

heating it into a vapor inside closed container is not half as bad as spraying atomized fumes into the air like a fuel injected dragster only not contained LOL BIG BOOM! fire burns etc

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T19:58:21Z

Yeah, I don't see why you think it would be any different than heating the acetone?

What I've done is used a pressurized spray canister for mechanics use, filled it 1/3 with acetone, and the rest pumped to 80-100PSI. Worked OK as a fine film spray of acetone.

In my case there actually is a slightly elevated risk, because I'm pressurizing the oxygen in the air, but it's still most just nitrogen.

But the sonic humidifier is something many people have mentioned, in good thought. I haven't found a cheap humidifer element though that is protected from damage from acetone. I hear a lot of people have their units fail when they try it with acetone.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T18:44:22Z

erlingiii wrote:

What if you could eliminate any heating of the acetone? My idea would be to use an ultrasonic humidifier, the ones that say "cool vapor". These things produce clouds of vapor the second you turn them on, and don't use any heat. That may solve some problems if it works. I probably should have made one, proved it, and started my own business, but I'm already working on a start up which is the reason I have a printer in the first place, and it isn't the spirit of open source

that would be atomizing a combustible liquid and make explosion very easy upon ignition source

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T18:42:16Z

I havnt done this trick yet just following topics on it still. one guy said he used a big glass jar with lid sitting on heated printer bed at a temp just enough to turn like a tablespoon full into vapor then left items in like 20secs if I remember right. that sounded like best idea so far to me like he tested several dif ways. its kinda like Photo developing process lab done at home hehe. your headed the right direction looks like

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T18:12:21Z

You can use cold vapor to smooth ABS. The heat works much faster and I can imagine requires less acetone.

I've vapor smoothed cold in a 20f warehouse without heating and got fair results.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T17:54:16Z

What if you could eliminate any heating of the acetone? My idea would be to use an ultrasonic humidifier, the ones that say "cool vapor". These things produce clouds of vapor the second you turn them on, and don't use any heat. That may solve some problems if it works. I probably should have made one, proved it, and started my own business, but I'm already working on a start up which is the reason I have a printer in the first place, and it isn't the spirit of open source

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T15:18:31Z

Try putting the print in the freezer first. It's possible that it is spending so much time in the heated pot that it is warm enough that not much acetone is condensing on it.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-26T15:11:19Z

n2ri wrote:

kinda shrunken head lol cool how it glazes though. saw posts elswhere about it some times short as 15-20 secs one guy over shot like an hr and had a gooey mess

I don't know if you play any video games but its the sentinel from Lego marvel superheroes

this was in and out all day for 30 minute clips. now when you set the heat, do you want it to boil to evaporate quicker or am i setting the heat just below boiling to do it slower. the problem im having is the pot is outside and it cools way to quick so the acetone doesn't do anything. i had it in for an hour at first and no smoothing at all.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-25T22:18:06Z

kinda shrunken head lol cool how it glazes though. saw posts elswhere about it some times short as 15-20 secs one guy over shot like an hr and had a gooey mess

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-25T22:07:09Z

I usually pull it as soon as I see the vapor condense on the lid, or earlier. If you watch the sides of the basket closely, you can see the level of the vapor as it rises. The smoothing effect will continue for a little while after you pull the print out, so don't try to judge the time by how it looks in the pot. Its better to do a few exposures at 30 seconds or so with maybe 15 min between them to avoid runaway smoothing.

Depending on the piece, I might hit it with some 80 or 100 grit sandpaper first to knock down the lines. Using acetone vapor isn't necessarily a replacement for sanding, but it spares you from sanding again and again with increasingly finer grades of paper after the initial aggressive removal of material. Sanding also fills the valleys with plastic dust which helps the lines blend in when melted.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-25T21:09:10Z

Anyone got any pointers on how to do this? I think I got carried away ... lol like time frames and stuff like that?

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-25T18:13:05Z

Lol i actually just found that video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBgVFn7DZCs

So I didnt want to wait for shipping, I went a bought it at the worst store on the planet .... walmart ....lol

so 158 mm with no feet on the basket.

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-24T21:30:27Z

a guy on youtube used this model last year. I ... My wife owns one its got room for anything off an SD2 plus. cant use my wifes as she may cook with it lol

Re: Thinking about making a vapor bath chamber for stores

2014-10-24T19:17:56Z

mmmmmm Prime

When you get it in, let me know the max size you can put in there please.