Submitted by RED on Mon, 11/09/2020 - 17:57
Forums:
I followed these instructions with the similar vat deign for my 3D printer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwi_J9tfKwM
The vat FEP Film looks ok, but slowly leaked onto my LCD screen after a small print, and there was no visible punctures. I tried it again with a second film using the bottle cap spacer to make the film less tight, but it still leaks and I only have 1 sheet left in the expensive replacement film pack :(
Can anyone help? or is the group still meeting virtually?.
How to replace the film correctly... ;-)
A photo of the surface will help better diagnose the issue, and while Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) film is fairly strong it is still easily punctured by the Allen/hex key.
While the Longer Orange10 is almost identical to Alfawise W10, that style of vat has an issue most youtube people never mention. If you look carefully around the vat tension lip you will almost certainly see it has defects like metal burrs created during manufacture. This means that no matter how good the film seal is within the frame, it will likely leak through the gaps when the film is under deformation during the layer peel off. Thus, the resin will find its way onto the plate since this style of vat does not have a gasket at the mating surfaces between the vat wall and the film holder.
Your film installation is probably fine, but you need to know the secret…
1. install your new film (you already did this I assume)
2. tension the seals as best as you can (the screws will strip their threads if too tight)
3. fill vat part way with resin while sitting in an aluminum drip tray
4. lightly deform the membrane from the bottom a few times
5. cover the tray from light, and let it sit there slowly leaking into the aluminum tray
6. after 5 hours or so, empty the vat of resin, and wipe vat clean with absorbent tissue paper (TP)
7. note the tension edge of the vat wall still retains some uncured resin, and this will form your new gasket when hardened
8. place each side of the vat facing the sun for a few hours, or use a UV chamber to kick off the gasket curing process (about 20 seconds or less under a UV curing chamber lamp)
9. you will likely discover the uncured resin that leaked forms a great seal as the capillary action fills in the gaps created by using a perfectly clean membrane
You may get lucky if your LCD can be cleaned by several 99% Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on tissue paper wipe-downs, and careful picking off of cured resin bits a few hours later. The alcohol will get under the resin to help release it from the LCD surface. If you cracked the LCD glass or gouged the optical surface, than it is probably easier to buy a new printer or replace the screen (if the manufacture sells the exact replacement... which is rare).
Cheers,
J