RepRap: Blog

I kinda got some layers in a recognizable form. This attempt was a shakedown of the hardware and software pending the fitting of a finer probe. There were two print attempts of a 400μm "lollipop" sliced with PrusaSlicer and the dipify_gcode.py script with Top Coat nail resin. I changed the dipify script so that the reservoir is now at (0,-1000), and as long as I set (0,0) past the edge of the foil reservoir the probe should get dunked.

The first one was intended to be 35μm tall in 10μm layers, the second 50μm tall in 8μm layers. Neither worked to plan. I tilted the slide under the trinocular microscope so you can get some idea of it in 3D:

Sorry about the fuzzy, but the microscope has a limited depth of field.  The purple blob is a marker so I can find things, made from UV resin and a bit of Sharpie (actually a Bic Vivid). It set solid, and I might try integrating marker ink again. I can't honestly tell if the closest object is actually 30μm tall. I strongly suspect that the probe only contacted for the first layer. So I tried again with a thinner layer. The one at the back is definitely thicker and I'd believe 50μm. I could see contact for the layers so it was layering. but it blobbed out. Why? Well, let's look at the probe:

 

It's covered in gelled resin (which mostly washed off). This caused it to dump a lot more resin than intended on the second object. In the future I'll have to get the probe lower and further back to stop the reflected UV from gelling the resin.

Here's what it looks like from the top. Remember, the circles are 0.2mm across in this one:

The To Do list looks like:

• Label and store this attempt.
• Make a new slide.
• Make a new probe.
• Modify dipify script to lower probe before UV exposure.
• Try again.