1 Topic by Morganism (edited by Morganism 2015-06-10 16:04:32)

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Topic: Waterproofing PLA

I spent last night printing a flower vase. Worked well. Vase looks great, but when I filled it this it oozed water. What is the best way to make the inside watertight?

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2 Reply by heartless

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Re: Waterproofing PLA

you do know that PLA will break down over time in moist conditions, right?

either ABS or PLA - If it is oozing then there is not good enough adhesion between the layers and/or perimeters....

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3 Reply by Morganism

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Re: Waterproofing PLA

I was running at a pretty low temperature. That is probably the problem. I may have to print it over in ABS.

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4 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Waterproofing PLA

Morganism wrote:

I spent last night printing a flower vase. Worked well. Vase looks great, but when I filled it this it oozed water. What is the best way to make the inside watertight?


As was said, PLA is Biodegradable and the two things that make it break down within a claimed two years is moisture and sunlight. So those are the two enemies of PLA and dictate the purpose of your printed items. If it needs to be used in outdoor or moist environments I would use ABS. Raise your temp for better adhesion and increase the thickness of your walls. You could also spray some kind of polyurethane sealer on the inside.

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