CTC SLA Printer (FormLabs clone)

nothing at all on this??

I used to keep an eye on the Peachy printer, but frankly I lost all faith in their ability to deliver anything.  This is a project that's being going on for over 2 years, and I don't think that anyone has actually gotten a single thing from the developer.  It's been one problem discovery after another, and redesigns to fix the problems, yet to this date they haven't sent out a single kit (as far as I can tell).

I just checked their web site and they claim the first printers "should" go out in the middle of this summer, and they'll go out based on the amount pledged  First out will be the backers that pledges the largest amount, and they'll work their way down from there.

Let us know if you actually get anything.

Regarding the CTC, there are a couple of You Tube reviews, and in one of them you can clearly see models made with different types of resin, including some orange, some clear, and white.  One of the reviewers talks about the resin that came with the printer and said it stunk up the place, so he just used a different brand.  So the assumption is that it should work with other resins.

So what's going on with Peachy??  Yet another problem, and more delays.

Does anyone still think they'll get a real [functioning] printer in their hands any time soon??

Jeez... At the rate they're going, by the time they finally release this, you'll be able to buy a real SLA printer for a couple of hundred bucks.

I really was looking at the CTC myself, but from everything I read, the eBay ones going for $880 are actually either refurbs, returns, or otherwise previously used.  Some people have complained about some of the parts not working or missing and the company basically is not very forthcoming with support.

The second reason I balked, is because the current version no longer comes with the FormLabs firmware, so it can't use the PreForm software.  Instead, you use a modified version of Cura, which is fine, but believe me, the PreForm software was designed for SLA from the onset, it's not just a regular slicer with a few options for SLA printing.  So I chose to spend a few more bucks and buy a used Form 1+ instead.

I suggest you download the PreForm software and play with it.  It's the full version and eerything works, except you can't send the model to any printer other than a FormLabs.

Regarding UV curing.  There are a lot of factors, like how old you resin is, the type of resin you're using, how "printable" you model is, and how it was positioned for printing, that will determine the level of curing your model will endure during print.  Sometimes it would be helpful to have a curing oven, or a UV laser (for faster curing).  But the Sun will be your best curing oven.  Take the piece and put it in the sun for an hour or so, and it will be cured faster than any oven can do.  I bought one of those $70 sterilizer ovens, and it does cure, but it takes about 3-4 hours depending on the model. 

Also no amount of external curing is going to cure the trapped resin inside you model unless you're printing in some kind of clear resin.  That's because the wall thickness of your model (about 2-3mm) will prevent the UV light from getting there.  For this reason, your supposed to put drain holes in your model before you  start printing. 

One of the things I found when you print a cavity without any drain holes (especially if the cavity is large), is that if you let it sit there for a while (lets say you let it print overnight), the cavity can burst, or get a blister (usually in one of the thinner walls).  I don't know if it has something to do with trapped gasses or some like it, but I had one burst on me, and it looked like it got show with hollow-point bullet.

Ever since then, I always put a hole in every cavity.  I used to put rather large holes (2-2.5mm diameter), but found that 1.5mm is more than adequate.

Last but not least, I ordered a 1/2 litter bottle of MakerJuice SF in gray to try.  On the FormLabs forum, the opinions on MakerJuice are all over the place, but the one constant is that it's more resilient and slightly more flexible than the FormLabs resin, which can be extremely brittle.  I dropped a piece on cement and it shattered like glass.

As soon as I get a chance to test the MakerJuice, I'll post some impressions.  The cost for a liter is $65.00, and $39 for 1/2 liter.  The problem is the shipping costs, they're pretty high.  I later found that you can buy the MakerJuice stuff from MatterHackers, which while the charge you $3 more, they will ship the stuff for free, so you come out cheaper in the end.

That's about it.

Oh, one last thing, I got one of those UV LED strips (15ft, 600 LED), and did a DIY oven, and it didn't work for SH*T.  After leaving the part in overnight, it was still tacky and relatively soft.  The oven I bought uses a Fluorescent UV lamp.

Just a few months ago, they were $1480 on the CTC web site, so I guess they lowered the price.  In any case, most of the people that bought one of the printers on eBay, have complained about the printers being previously used,or having defective parts, scratched cases or missing screws.

Now that you can get them direct, I would assume they're brand new units.