1 Topic by BFresh

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Topic: Large scale acetone vapouring.

Has anyone got any ideas to scale up acetone vapour bathing printed parts so that you could do several large parts all at once?

I was thinking an electric oven perhaps? The temperature could be controlled accurately, and the racking and trays that are widely available would come in very handy too.

You would preheat the oven, then slide in your trays/shelves of printed parts, then lastly slide in a tray of acetone on the bottom. close the door for 2 mins, and you've got a number of glossy parts. Could cooling be plumbed into the top as well?

Is this a terrible idea? Obviously this could be very dangerous, but would it be any more dangerous than vapour bathing with a rice cooker?

Currently I use a rice cooker, but it has 2 settings; 1 is too hot and the other not hot enough so it's a bit of a juggling act. It's not really big enough either.

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2 Reply by solijohn

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

BFresh wrote:

Has anyone got any ideas to scale up acetone vapour bathing printed parts so that you could do several large parts all at once?

I was thinking an electric oven perhaps? The temperature could be controlled accurately, and the racking and trays that are widely available would come in very handy too.

You would preheat the oven, then slide in your trays/shelves of printed parts, then lastly slide in a tray of acetone on the bottom. close the door for 2 mins, and you've got a number of glossy parts. Could cooling be plumbed into the top as well?

Is this a terrible idea? Obviously this could be very dangerous, but would it be any more dangerous than vapour bathing with a rice cooker?

Currently I use a rice cooker, but it has 2 settings; 1 is too hot and the other not hot enough so it's a bit of a juggling act. It's not really big enough either.

Well be careful
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WNG9fGKykiw/ … bomb-o.gif

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3 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

^
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4 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

You wouldn't want to use something that opens from the side, since the vapor will spill out all over the kitchen.  And also it had better not be a gas stove.  Maybe you could use something like a Rubbermaid tub if it isn't affected by acetone, and heat it with a boiling water bath.

5 Reply by BFresh

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

IanJohnson wrote:

You wouldn't want to use something that opens from the side, since the vapor will spill out all over the kitchen.  And also it had better not be a gas stove.  Maybe you could use something like a Rubbermaid tub if it isn't affected by acetone, and heat it with a boiling water bath.

What if it had some form of extraction to remove the vapour before the door was opened, could you use something with a side door then? Also, I would be using it in my workshop, so again, would extraction solve the problem? I really like the idea of being able to slide in multiple trays of prints in and out.

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Fresh Design Works (UK)
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6 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

If you had a water chiller inside the chamber and you ran it for a few minutes before opening the door, you might be okay.

I would think that if you made something similar to a home brewers wart chiller or small radiators on the side walls and ran cold water through them you could recondense the acetone.

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7 Reply by BFresh

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

I think a domestic oven will do the job, providing it can control the temperature accurately. I'll cut a hole in it and fit an extraction system, and some form of refrigeration system to fit inside the oven at the top to help condense the vapour. I'll update as and when I have started the build

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8 Reply by 2n2r5

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

You don't need much to vaporize the acetone. even with the presto cooker, you only need to have it on the lowest setting to get the acetone boiling. An oven will certainly be overkill. As Ian suggested, you might want to use a big Tupperware tin if acetone won't hurt it.

SD3 w/ mods:
Glass bed with QU-BD heat pad upgrade, threadless ballscrew w/ 8mm smooth rod, spectra line belt replacement, lawsy MK5 extruder, Lawsy replacement carriage, E3D hotend, Ramps 1.4 w/ reprap discount controller, DRV8825 drivers, 12v 30A PS, Acrylic case, Overkill Y-idlers, Filament alarm, Extruder fan + more.

2n2r5's Website

9 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

You could use cookie racks with wire handles for larger batches that can lift in and out easily, rather than slide stuff sideways.   The oven might be difficult to control at low enough temps.  The minimum for mine is 170F and acetone boils at 135F.  Also access and visibility is poor with an oven.   Something open at the top will be a lot easier to work with, and if you put a chiller in it won't need to be closed. 

You could make a frame that the racks slide in to, and then lower the whole assembly in to the smoother.  With something taller like that you would want to heat the acetone first to create an even, dense vapor and then lower the rack into it so you don't get more smoothing at the bottom.  The chiller at the top edge would keep the vapor from washing out over the top when you do it.

10 Reply by BFresh

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

As mentioned, the rice cooker I own has 2 settings 'warm' and 'cook'. After much testing, I have found that 'warm' just doesn't seem to get the acetone hot enough, even if I leave it for hours. The cook setting works if I leave the part in for 2.5 to 3 minutes but it has to be completely cold to start. It also isn't big enough.

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11 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Large scale acetone vapouring.

Starting out it is a good idea to have a thermometer of some kind so you know what actual temps you are dealing with, and what results they give.  I find it works best if the acetone is simmering.   The first version I did was with a large stock pot sitting in a tub, and by pouring boiling water in the tub I could get the acetone bubbling, and hold the temp fairly steady at 125.  I could also see from faint condensation on the sides of the pot where the top of the vapor was.  If it seemed to be dropping I could add a little more heat to  get it back up again.  A closed oven makes it hard to judge what the vapor is doing, and also to keep an eye on the progress of the print.  Done right, it shouldn't need to stay in more than 40-60 seconds at a shot so it helps to be able to wash it.

For a larger container, a water bath might be the easiest way to deliver even heating to a bigger pot.