I guess I'm officially an Addict.... Photon Mono X on the way

[SkipGear]

Unfortunately, it is still in the box. Need to make a new space for it and haven't had time to do that yet. It is about twice the footprint of the S and about 6 inches taller. I can't place it where my S is. Need to rearrange the room to make space.

[reinhardtjh]

Unfortunately, I can totally understand that.  2 years into the new house and the "train room" is still packed with boxes that need something done with them.  Not even with "COVID Time" have I been able to make much of a dent.

[SkipGear]

It has found a temporary home.

Seems like my dream of WI-fi printing to it is going to take a little more time. Their link to the app is a loop back to the same page.

Going to dive right in and try a print of the B&O caboose so I have an A B comparison.

[reinhardtjh]

How does the quality and sturdiness seem compared to your first Photon?

[SkipGear]

Build quality seem more industrial, less elegant than my Photon S. Everything is beefier, heavier, but not as polished. I'm not thrilled with the lift off cover, it's fine for large long prints but I do a lot of things that might take 30 minutes or less to print and it is cumbersome to take on and off. There is a setting to defeat the safety switch that puts the printer in pause when you lift off the cover. I may use that for small prints and leave the cover off.

[Chris333]

Is there anything better about the FEP tension?  I doubt it since all these machines mostly work the same.

My biggest problems are wobbles down the side of a model where the surface tension of the FEP make a drastic change. Like going from a car floor to just thin side walls.

[SkipGear]

I have a few prints under my belt now. Overall, very impressed. I am still feeling my way around on the settings but with not too much effort I have printed a paint ready model, no sanding other than removing supports needed. This was my goal and I am happy.

Before paint, no layer lines visible. Slight vertical lines on the edge of the roof due to printing at 8 deg off axis.



This is after one light coat of Tamiya Fine White Primer.

[SkipGear]

I am beyond impressed with this printer. Maybe some of it is due to me learning the printing process but I could not get this kind of crisp result with the Photon S.



My only complaints are: removing the cover to get prints out, and not being able to rotate and remount the build plate 90 deg after a print to let if drain excess resin.

I've done a dozen or more prints without a single failure. A few parts that I pushed the limit on broke during curing but everything that I have asked it to do has worked.

[Mark5]

Pretty cool Tony, nice work.

I may be tempted to try this route after I buy my next house.

[Chris333]

Now with both printers can you show a side-by-side of the same print from each machine?

[SkipGear]

I've been thinking of that, also to compare print time.

I need to put a new FEP sheet in the Photon S. I'm selling it to a friend in our Ntrak club eventually so I wanted to set it up fresh and clean for him so he has the best chance to learning correctly. The only thing I'm not sure arout on the S, how much to adjust the time for thinner layers.

Currently the X prints the cabooses in roughly 2/3 the time of the S while at the same time doubling the amount of layers and detail.

[Chris333]

I might possibly get a Phrozen Sonic mini 4K and it looks pretty much the same. But that cover I just don't know. My Photon is sitting right next to a window with sun shining through. All of the Plexi windows on the machine are covered up and when I open the door it is away from the window and any light. I keep it full of resin for months at a time. With this cover it would hard to black out. I'd have to paint it and then have no way to open it. I might cut a door into it. Wonder why all the newer printers have this sort of cover?

[SkipGear]

That is my main complaint. My Photon S sets under the layout and is just fine. This although only a little bit taller, needs another 12-14" above it to be able to lift off the cover. I will say it is much easier to clean and service with the complete cover off.

I made a slip cover for my S out of a black plastic banquet table cover and will eventually do the same for this one for long term storage. I haven't done it yet because I have been printing something every other day or so so far.

I do have the advantage of being in a windowless room so they are exposed to nothing but fluorescent light.

[peteski]

I do have the advantage of being in a windowless room so they are exposed to nothing but fluorescent light.

I believe that fluorescent lamps emit UV light. That is the light the gas inside the tube emits. That in turn excites the phosphor coating to emit visible light, but some UV still gets through.
Standard incandescent bulbs (not halogen), and LED bulbs emit very little UV ligth.

[SkipGear]

If there is UV it's not at the right wavelength to effect the resin. I early on, I poured a little into a measuring cup to use it as a UV glue. Left the rest in a cup for days with no reaction to the light. Wanted to be sure it was safe to leave resin in the reservoir between uses.