In this video I walk you through setting up a Form3 SLA 3d printer and printing a part. Nothing flashy, just what it takes to get set up. Hope you enjoy!
Just a suggestion, remove your supports before you cure, it makes removing the supports much easier. I don't have a Form 3, but I do have a DLP printer and it's what I do. Hope it helps you, take care.
In my earlier tests when I did that, the supports just kind of bent and wouldn't break off clean. So that's why I started curing first..... I'll have to try that next time, thanks!
@@thoughtbombdesign You probably know already. But you can also make the support Touch point size smaller. this way it leaves less marks on the final print and you can cut/snap them off much easier. I did not have any issues during printing yet, i would normally mention beforehand if you go too small.
@@rovasa4990 Yeah, I actually got an email from FormLabs saying that they recommend a 0.35mm contact point so I have been using that. It works pretty well!
Just a quick question, when the Form 3 is done printing does the Resin in the resin tank go back up the cartridge or it stays there for you to clean it up??
It stays in the tank for the next use. The uv blocking orange housing keeps it good for a surprisingly long time. I don't know what formlabs says but I have had it in there for months before.
Ellowah, I'm curious since you've had the Form 3 for a month now what your toughts are. Since there are not a lot of practical reviews atm, beyond unboxing it -_- and you seem the right person to ask xD
I am really liking it! I need to put together an update video, but no complaints so far. no botched prints. I had an issue connecting with wifi one day but I can't say for sure that was the printer....
Interesting. I’ve been eyeballing this printer for some time. I have a anycubic resin printer and it creates decent prints but I’m sure not as good as the form 3
good quality print, do you have a idea regarding the lifespan of the printed parts? i read somewhere its about 3 months which is making me hesitant about going into sla printing
I would like to know after you finish printing what do you do with the tank that has still resin left, should i clean it or just pour the resin back in cartridge and what else is left in tank to leave it like that. @thoughtbombdesign
What you most likely do is keep each tank with one type of resin in it. So once you use a tank with clear resin you leave it in there and get a new tank for a new resin. It kind of sucks. But cleaning a tank well enough to switch resins sounds even worse... That's why unless I have a client absolutely need a different resin I will always print in clear because that's what I have. Does that help?
Do you need to purchase a resin tank for each different type of resin you are using? For example if I want to experiment with 5 different resins, will I need to purchase 5 resin tanks? Thanks!
I think formlabs says you can switch resins in a tank but practically speaking that's a cleaning nightmare and I have never tried it. Realistically, yes, one tank per resin. It's a real bummer because it makes it real expensive to try out new materials..... I think that's why they're so free with their sample parts in different materials.... And why I print pretty much everything in clear!
Thought Bomb Design Good to know! Thanks for the explanation! We’re planning on buying one soon with several resins! Thanks for the reply! Great video!
Hi I'm trying to find a real-time video showing 2-3 full layers to get an idea of layer time for cure and delamination/layer change, could you film a little one next time your using the form 3 please
On the formlabs printers that will depend on the area the laser has to cure (how many square inches the slice is). So can do it but know that it will not always be the same... Does that make sense?
This will be my first time buying a 3d printer and I could really use some guidance! Is it possible that I could just buy a uv light from amazon to cure or maybe just sit the project in the sun? Also, how do I gain access to the computer program? Is it complimentary with purchase?
HI Ashanti, You can definitely just get a UV light to post cure the prints. Try to stay close to the wavelength the formlabs curing station spec is. I made my own and keep meaning to do a video on it..... Setting them in the sun will also work. I have done it but i am not sure exactly how it compares. Yes, the 3d printer software is free when you buy the printer. You will still have to come up with your own files to print but the software that handles all the print settings is free. I hope you like it! 👍😁
Hi, I am a Ph.D. student in Japan, and 3D printer plays an important role in my research. But I am totally new at this and the 3D printer that we have in the lab is totally in Japanese. So it is already very difficult to understand the 3D printer for me. Currently,the ID chip on the resin tank got broken. I have to put the resin manually. That becomes really difficult as we cannot control the temperature. Is there any way to fix the ID chip in low cost? If possible please give me some advice. It will be very helpful.
Thanks for the video, I need to know if you have ever printed a part with text 1/2 mm deep ? I make jewelry and that is really important to me. Can you run a test for me ?
I ran a test print and I could see text quite a bit shallower than 1/2mm so you should be fine. I will be posting an update where I show that part when I get some time.
Got my Form 3 ordered in May, waiting but it now, it is my first 3D printer to own. (we do have a Form 2 at work so I can compare print) So in waiting for the Form 3 and the problems they just announced with the Form 3 not being able to print some resins...Grey Pro, Rigid and Elastic forum.formlabs.com/t/form-3-resin-availability-update/24800 I was offered by my Salesperson the option of taking a REFURBISHED Form 2 instead as an option because of these issues...? Does that seem odd? Should I just be taking a Form 2 Refurbished just to make sure I have a good machine? Will it be outdated once they get issues solved for the Form 3? Or since I am NOT in a hurry and these resins wont bother me, get the Form 3 and wait for updates and just use the Grey Resin I had initially ordered? For the most part I am wanting to print pieces that I can mold from, prototype for people toys, etc. Main uses that I had intended. Thanks for any feedback guys!
That is pretty odd and disappointing.. I hadn't heard about the resin limitation..... I'm glad I haven't had the need for those materials yet!!! That's a pretty big oversight on their part and I am sure they are scrambling to solve it. If you don't really care about those resins then I would say get the 3. They announced a while ago that they would end support for the 2 in just a couple years so it would suck to jump on the end of that train.... Tough decision for sure though.....
@@thoughtbombdesign I ordered a Form 3L back in April, but I don't make vids. The Formlabs people told me that it prints about 30% faster than the standard Form 3 due to having 2 LPUs and the "overlap zone". Btw, is your cure box temp controlled? I really like it. Can you make a video explaining how you made it? I need one like that but on a larger scale. Or maybe point me in the right direction? I'd appreciate it. Keep doing what you do!
@@madshader I can't wait to start seeing videos on that machine.... Yeah, the twmp/UV chamber has a temperature controlled fan on top. So when it gets over the set temp it sucks hot air out. The UV lights themselves generate the heat. I have been thinking about doing a video on that. Maybe I will now. Thanks for watching!
I was looking into getting one of these but was told they would have problems with denigration of the laser, calibration, resin tray usage within a few months... that’s why you need to buy protection....plus very slow. so. So I was talking to nextdent 5100 and they say because they have a comercial printer you would notice a difference in printer ....they call formlab printers toys. With nextdent thee is no maintenance agreement say the projector is good for 10 years....I wish i knew...they were saying that most that buy there’s have had formlab and were disappointed.....now that may have been with formlab 2 ....but not so sure with the formlab 3 . Have you had formlab printer before this one that you could tell me about?
I had a form 2 for a couple of years and I did have to end up sending it in for calibration (not cheap). Until then it was trouble free and awesome though. Having to have a tray for each material kind of sucks but any resin printer will be like that. The trays don't last forever but more than a couple months unless it is printing non-stop. From what I have heard DLP projector printers are faster but the projector dies or gets less accurate sooner than lasers but who knows. Having to wade through marketing BS is so annoying. I wish someone could just have all the brands and compare them!!!
Well we have form 2s in the lab and they are workhorses, form 3s arriving any day now, and print for almost every case we do (drill/screw guides). The parts are perfect, and after post-processing straight into the autoclave. Not sure why the laser would “denigrate” like they said. Yes, some parts do wear out, it’s a mechanical object or course it will. And as for service, I wouldn’t use any 3D printer clinically that I didn’t have service on. It’s something you depend on for your work, you need to protect that. My Honda came with a warranty, not because it’s unreliable but because that’s how expensive mechanical things work. We have service contracts on almost every piece of equipment that isn’t self fixable (and if it is self fixable, we have our clinical engineering guys go get trained so we have priority for parts)
Thought Bomb Design I agree that would be nice if companies that sold all the brands would test them all and just tell us with one is the best for the buck. ONE of the reasons I was looking at nextdent they say you won’t have to worry about the bulb for 10 years....
I'm a form2 and form3 user。Unfortunately I found Form 3 do bad results than the old form2.Form 3 seems has layer shift on every single print。And it lose a lot sharp details。Then I check the formlabs fourm。Hundreds of users do have the same problem。So disappointing！
You should wear gloves when handling the uncured model fresh out of the printer bro, get that stuff on your hands too often and you could get a nasty allergic reaction for life.Nice video I am planning on ordering mine today.
It depends on the resin. I mostly use clear and it isn't bad at all. The tough one does smell pretty bad but I don't know about most of the others. The parts are fine, just the resin it's self smells.
You can remove the cap and pour whatever you want in there. Whether it works, who knows, but it will keep thinking it is whatever resin originally came in that cartridge. The printer keeps track of how much resin each cartridge has so eventually it will give you a low resin warning but you can just click 'ok' and print anyway.
@@thoughtbombdesign Understood. Have you tried pouring other brands and using them? Or have you stayed with their brand because it gives you solid results?
@ 10:32 you said "...AFTER 10 and a 1/2 HOURS LATER" A R E Y O U F-word S E R I O U S ?????? I would recommend such a resin 3D printer to my worst enemy!!! Are you serious, are YOU serious?! 300$ resin 3D printer is able to do it in less than half that time.
@@thoughtbombdesign Some SLA (laser bottom-up) printers do have a variable laser spot feature. This way you (printer actually) can/could tweak the resolution but I'm not sure about Formlabs' prnters. Otherwise a good feature if made well. This way youcan use finer resolution near the borders and bigger spot/higher resolution in the middle of the part. The ideal solution is anti-aliasing (AA) between layers. The Masking-LCD resin printers do use AA on a single layer but the true smoothness come if you use AA between layers!! (search youtube for AA in resin 3D printing for more) . So, yeah laser scanning with galvanometer is very very very slow!! Ad to this scanning a thinner layer for getting "bigger resolution" and you end up in prints lasting a day! Personally I would not recommend a SLA for small printers. For the big ones in the range of 600x600x600mm, or so, ... the good ones use multiple lasers anyways! SLA is obsolete. Therefore Formlabs tries to make their "Ford T model" look like "Tesla S".
