The basic equipment for a resin printer like the Elegoo Mars

While FDM printing can pass practically next to the desk, with UV resin-based printing you have to take safety precautions and also carry out a washing and curing process after printing.

On the following picture you can see the different tools and aids I use for this:

 

 

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From left to right:

• kitchen roll:
  For cleaning metal parts
• breathing mask:
  Since we work with different chemicals (isopropanol and the synthetic resin), you should wear a mouthguard. This breathing mask here is only a temporary protection. A half mask from Dräger will do the job. I think that this is a bit exaggerated, but I think it is better to take precautions than to get annoyed afterwards.
  
  
• Safety glasses:
  The worst thing that could happen would be to get the resin in your eyes when you are working with a spatula and release the pressure from the metal plate. That is why this eye protection is especially important
• Paint filter:
  To reuse any resin left over from a pressure, use paint sieves or filters and pour the resin back into the bottle. The filter will then remove any previously cured residue in the resin
• Cloths:
  Both the basin in which the resin is placed during printing and the LCD display below it should not be cleaned with paper. This can cause scratches, making printing either faulty or eventually impossible. A fabric-like cleaning cloth/antistatic wipes are therefore preferable. These are softer and do not scratch the surface
• Disposable nitrile gloves:
  Uncured resin is toxic and should not come into direct contact with the skin. Therefore, gloves should always be worn. Once the resin is cured there are no more problems and it can be touched normally
• isopropanol (preferably 99% or more)
  To neutralize the resin and to clean things that have come in contact with it you should use isopropanol (a type of alcohol). This dissolves the resin and makes it harmless and since it is an alcohol, it evaporates afterwards without leaving any residue.
  Unfortunately, this stuff smells bestialisch and is certainly not beneficial to health: Therefore, the breathing mask makes sense here too.
  
• 2 Tupperware bowls: one for a soapsuds bath and one for an isopropanol bath
  To clean the printed parts before curing, each part should undergo this cleaning process. A little tip: Get a tuppet bowl, which is the best place to fit your entire printing plate. It’s not like that with me, but it really makes things a lot easier
• Various spatulas:
  In order to detach the printed part from the printing plate, spatulas are often required. A metal spatula (for the more stubborn cases) and a rubber or plastic spatula are a good idea here
• Side cutter or clipper:
  In order to be able to replace supports later, for example, such small cutting tools are recommended
• Drip helper:
  This is a small piece of plastic that creates a 45 degree suspension for the printing plate, so that superfluous resin on the print can run off better
• Allen key:
  These allen keys are intended for aligning the pressure plate. ONLY a well aligned plate produces clean prints

In the next part of this series I will show off a few more prints, some problems and how to solve them.

Stay tuned :).