carl_m1968 wrote:

DePartedPrinter wrote:

That printer definitely needs some TLC

If you order more resin tanks you might consider getting an aftermarket one:

https://www.zvatindustries.com/store/c1 … ducts.html

The vats straight from Formlabs are only $65 each. Those guys want $115 for one.

They are glass, apparently give higher quality prints, and the silicone in the tray can be recoated over and over at a lower cost than buying a new resin tank.

There are a host of DIY's telling you how to redo the coating on the stock vats as well using solar cell encapsulant which I had planned to do before selling my F1+. They even make small batch kits of the encapsulant now for small solar cell work that is perfect for only one or two vats.

I found I can print just fine with resin that is 6-9 months past its expiration date.  I just mix it really well before pouring it in, then  I cranked up the laser curing strength by selecting a resin type that has a longer curing time.  In my case, I'm using an expired Grey01, but I'm printing it with a Clear02 setting.  It works great.

Is there a resource that better explains the curing times between different resin types?

DePartedPrinter wrote:

That printer definitely needs some TLC

If you order more resin tanks you might consider getting an aftermarket one:

https://www.zvatindustries.com/store/c1 … ducts.html

The vats straight from Formlabs are only $65 each. Those guys want $115 for one.

They are glass, apparently give higher quality prints, and the silicone in the tray can be recoated over and over at a lower cost than buying a new resin tank.

1. The lasers.  Apparently there's a log which includes the "mileage" the printer has, including the hours the lasers have been on.  The log is on a SD card that is inside the printer.  You'd have to take the back cover off to gain access, then remove the card, and read it on a PC to extract the log.

2.  The galvanometers.  Those are the X/Y steppers of the printer, and usually last the lifetime, but sometimes they go bad.  If you can print, they're obviously working.

3.  Also part of laser subsystem are the mirrors.  There are 2, the large one which you cleaned, and a smaller one that is deep inside towards the back.  The small one might need cleaning but not very often

4.  The peel motor.  That obviously works too, but it can also go bad.

5.  The Z motor.  Apparently that never goes bad

6.  The resin tank/vat.  It's a consumable, so as it ages it will become less transparent, and print will start to fail in the spots that have become opaque.  A new one is good for about 2 bottles of resin.  Move the location of your prints so that you spread the wear over as much of the surface as possible, so you don't 'burn a hole" in one spot, so to speak.

7.  The resin itself.  It ha a shelf life of about a year.  FormLabs resin has either a batch date or an expiration date printed on the bottle.  If it's a batch date, add a year to it for the expiration.

I found I can print just fine with resin that is 6-9 months past its expiration date.  I just mix it really well before pouring it in, then  I cranked up the laser curing strength by selecting a resin type that has a longer curing time.  In my case, I'm using an expired Grey01, but I'm printing it with a Clear02 setting.  It works great.

Other than this, I can't think of anything else that would need fixing. 

There is an issue some FormLabs users had complained about, called "laser flare", and it apparently requires some sort of calibration, but I never had the need to do anything about.  If you need to know more about it, go to the FormLabs Forums and search "Laser flare".

To address the poor condition of everything, I am working with the seller currently. Im not sure if I want a partial refund or just to return this printer.

That printer definitely needs some TLC

If you order more resin tanks you might consider getting an aftermarket one:

https://www.zvatindustries.com/store/c1 … ducts.html

The vats straight from Formlabs are only $65 each. Those guys want $115 for one.

If you order more resin tanks you might consider getting an aftermarket one:

https://www.zvatindustries.com/store/c1 … ducts.html

The printer itself was in very nice condition.  The cleaning tray was a little dirty, but it cleaned up quickly with some IPA.

I hope you'll get some satisfaction from the seller considering the poor condition the printer was when you got it.

Personally, if I were to buy a used Form 1+ right now, I would check the FormLabs Forums "For Sale/Trade" thread, as there are many users there that are upgrading to the Form 2, and selling off their used Form 1's.  Prices there are in the $1000-1400 range for the printer with extras, and you'll probably get a decent printer.

in addition the extra resin tanks that came are covered everywhere with uncured resin too

Same thing with the cleaning station

So I'm going to have to do a lot of cleaning and I'm going to open a dispute on eBay, if i had know everything was so poorly taken care of I would have bought it from someone else. Oh well, I should be able to try to print today after I get the cleaning wipes I need to clean the mirror.