FUD Support Wax Problem

[jimmo]

I'm not sure where this post belongs since it's not scale specific and didn't seem to fit any of the other categories.

Anyways, the last few items I have gotten from Shapeways in FUD have been challenging. It seems that the tried and true methods are not working for me. I usually drop the items in a glass jar of fresh Bestine and let them soak for (at least) a few hours. This usually takes care of any support wax remaining on the item, then I let them dry and brush them with a toothbrush which removes all the dusty remains and schmutz on the trailing side of the print. I have been finding support wax on the items that are not dissolving. After an overnight soak, it's still there. The only way I have been able to remove it is to scrape it off which is tricky because of small, delicate details. I even tried soaking the items in Goo Gone with very little success. Anyone having this issue?

Searching Shapeways for a solution I happened upon a discussion where they were saying that SW was going to be getting 16 micron capability. But there was no confirmation there from SW. Then someone mentioned a place they had used called ZoomRP ( https://www.zoomrp.com/default.aspx ) and showed some samples that looked really promising with little or no clean up required. I looked them up and then ordered a test print on their online system. It cost quite a bit more than FUD but (for me) making masters makes it more cost-effective. I should get my sample in a few days. They offer next day service but the cost was way beyond my tiny budget, plus the fact that I'm not under the gun helps keep the cost closer to affordable. They are located close enough to where I live so I could even pick the items up.

[bbussey]

How old is your Bestine?  Not age-wise, but how long have you been using the same solution in a specific soaking jar?  I've found that I have to refresh the solution after weeks of heavy usage as it won't remove the wax as quickly.

Also, on tough wax build-ups, I don't scrub any more. I just leave it soaking for as long as it takes and check on it every 24 or 48 hours.  At minimum, I soak 24 hours no matter how much or how little wax residue is on the model.

[jimmo]

At first I was using some Bestine that I had for a while, but after soaking a few hours I opened a new can and tried again. After checking it every few hours, then overnight (at least 24 hours), I tried using Goo Gone for another 24 hours. After washing that off with no noticeable results I put it back into the Bestine for another 24+ hours. This stuff will scrape off but it's pretty hard on the surface of the FUD. Out of desperation I even tried brushing on some Plastruct Bondene (which is trichlorethylene) and it still didn't take it all off.

I'm really looking forward to how my sample part turns out coming from ZoomRP but I will still need SW/FUD for preliminary work on models. Especially since I'm doing my own CAD designs now.

[peteski]

Could you take a closeup photo of what it looks like?

Not even knowing how that printer works I wonder if maybe the resin nozzle is leaking resin while the wax nozzle is supposed to be printing wax voxels.  So there might be a thin web of resin mixed with the wax areas. That would explain why it doesn't dissolve - it is simply resin, not wax. Just speculating...

[jimmo]

You might be right on your theory Pete. Looking at the areas where I have been scrubbing, the detail has eroded away. I wasn't able to get a close-up shot but what you said made sense.

The other thing that is annoying are places where there is raised detail, depending on where it is on the print, there is sort of a streak. It's as if the print head leaves a trail.