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J3DTech Guide To Resin 3D Printing

J3D-Tech's Guide to Resin Printing provides comprehensive instructions for both beginners and advanced users, emphasizing the importance of leveling the bed and calibrating the printer settings for successful prints. It covers various methods for bed leveling, calibration techniques, and the significance of adjusting exposure times and layer thickness based on resin types. The guide also includes troubleshooting tips for common issues like failed prints and layer crushing.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
49 views86 pages

J3DTech Guide To Resin 3D Printing

J3D-Tech's Guide to Resin Printing provides comprehensive instructions for both beginners and advanced users, emphasizing the importance of leveling the bed and calibrating the printer settings for successful prints. It covers various methods for bed leveling, calibration techniques, and the significance of adjusting exposure times and layer thickness based on resin types. The guide also includes troubleshooting tips for common issues like failed prints and layer crushing.

Uploaded by

ztwnpz67wx
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 86

J3D-Tech’s Guide to Resin Printing,

Beginners - Advanced

See more of my prints

I recommend you start by watching this video


If you’re new to resin printing I strongly recommend you first read the Terminology guide. J3D
Tech's Terminology Guide to Resin Printing

I use Siraya Tech Navy Gray, with 15% Tenacious Obsidian Black for all my examples and prints.
This guide is based on Lychee Pro, you can Download the Free Version Here.

Failed Print (VAT CLEAN)


When you have a failed print the fastest
and safest way to remove the cured
resin is to do a VAT clean. Removing the
VAT to empty the resin is not
recommended.

Example Video here. In this example I


have no resin for educational reasons

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only. You do need resin in the VAT for
this to work.

If you don’t have old supports you can


use a 2nd glove. Just push and hold it
into the corner during the duration of the
exposure.

I recommend printing a plate of the Lychee Cleaners whenever you have some leftover resin.
They work great and can be reused or tossed with the sheet of cured resin and all your
shameful failures.

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Leveling The Bed
This is the most critical step you can take. It does not matter if everything is perfect. If your bed
is not level, it will not print.

Vat method
This is my preferred method.
Why: Pros/Cons:
Faster: Messy?:
1. No need to clean the build plate 1. Your gloves get messy.
2. No need to remove the VAT
3. No need to clean the LCD Some Skill Required:
Cleaner: 1. The FEP is resistant to
1. The paper method leaves resin oils, and pressure. If you don’t keep
paper Xbers on the LCD. New paper & a pressure while you tighten, you
very clean build plate only reduce this. may need to level again.
a. Even if your VAT has standoffs, 2. On Ball joint printers. It can be
the FEP can still touch the surface a little harder to make sure the
it’s placed on. Assuming you use plate is lined up with the LCD.
LOTS of paper towels in the area. However it does not need to be
The tiny paper Xbers will be perfect as there are large
attracted to the statistically positive tolerances on these printers.
FEP.
2. No layer compression typical with paper
leveling. This will lead to better print quality
and much better adhesion to the build
plate.

Apply medium pressure on the plate. Lightly tighten in an X pattern. This will change depending
on your printer but the theory is the same. Don’t make them tight on the Xrst pass.

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After about 4 passes. Reposition the wrench for the Xnal tight, but do not strip your bolts tight.

Reset Zero or Set=Zero.


Not all printers have this
option. If yours does, it
needs to be done right after
you level, while the build
plate is down against the
LCD.

Paper Method

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If you're not sure how to do this, see your printer's manual for the best instructions.
For printers with a ball joint like the Saturn series, my VAT Spacer is needed for VAT leveling.

If you're more comfortable with paper leveling, or your printer is 13" and larger:
● Use a sacriXcial FEP sheet as your leveling method.

○ This will better simulate your VAT.

○ Won't get paper Xbers all over your LCD.

○ Will protect your LCD from resin that may get through the paper from the build-
plate.

● If you don't have a spare FEP sheet, I recommend using 2 pieces of normal paper, or 1
if it’s very thick.

Build Plate Calibration


Used to calibrate Burn-in-Layers, download here.
Watch this video from 9:37 for instructions.
This can be an intimidating chapter, if you’re not ready for this, it’s 100% ok to skip it and move
on to Boxes of Calibration. You can always come back when you’re more comfortable.
This calibration part is
designed to do three
things in a 15 min or
less print.

1. Verify that
your build plate
is level
2. Calibrate your
Burn-in time.
3. Check and set
Z-Offset

Comes with a
unique version of
Boxes of
Calibration if you
wish to link them
together! For
funsies only.
Why do we care about the Z-offset?
Layer Crushing is when your print is shorter than it should be. This is often because the printer
is starting at a height below the set layer thickness.

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Layer crushing will mostly work itself out during the entire print. But overall your print will be a
tiny bit short. The worst side effects of layer crushing are:
1. More damage to the FEP. This is because each layer will be pushed into the FEP
over thousands of layers.
J3DTech
2. Guide
Pushing into to Resin
the FEP 3…
can displace all the resin. This will cause thin or
partial layers. This may result in split-rafts. Supports and smaller details to
simply just stop printing.
How to use:
Arrange the 5 flat plates on the build plate in a dice pattern.
Each part has a symbol on it that helps identify where it was on the build plate. Notice the red
box in the picture above. Top Left, Top Right, Center, Bottom Left, Bottom Right

Verify that your build plate is level


Do you have digital calipers?
● Yes! measure the raft on the thinnest part. For now, it does not matter how
thick they measure, all that matters is that all 5 rafts measure within 0.15mm.
○ If all 5 are about the same thickness, you’re level!!! If not, level again
and do better.
● No! you can lock the 4 outer rafts using the notches, then use your finger nail
to feel for a large height difference. It may sound funny but doing this will get you
“close enough”.
○ If all 5 are about the same thickness, you’re level!!! If not, level again
and do better.

Calibrate your Burn-in time.


See #2 under the chapter “Burn-in-Layers”
Dokümanlar uygulamasıyla
Check anddüzenleyin
set the Z-Offset
For this you will need Digital Calipers - I’ve tested a few methods to not need them, but
İnce ayarlar
precision yapın, yorum yazın ve aynı
is required.
Measure the 5 Plates,
anda düzenlemek make
için notes or write it on the back, remember they are supposed
başkalarıyla
to measure
paylaşın. 1mm on the thinnest section.
If they measure UNDER 1mm
● Find the average of the 5 plates
HAYIR, TEŞEKKÜRLER ● Refer to your user manual and use the front LCD on your printer on
how to set your z-offset.
● Add the average difference to Z-offset

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UYGULAMAYI EDİNİN● Print and test again. They should be good!
If they measure OVER 1mm
● If they are over by 0.1 - 0.2mm you’re honestly fine, move on with your
life.)
● If they measure greater than 0.4mm
○ Refer to your user manual and use the front LCD on your
printer
○ ONLY remove the difference + 0.1mm or you risk going too low
and causing layer compression.
Example. If they measure 1.4mm then only subtract 0.3mm from
your Z-Offset.
○ Print and test again. They should be good!

Normal Layer Calibration Settings


Boxes of Calibration
Used to calibrate Normal Layers, download here.

A few things to remember before you get started calibrating your printer.

1. Most resins require 20c or even up to 30c. At the bottom of this guide I have some
heater options. If you’re trying to print and calibrate below 20c, get a heater, it will
improve everything.

2. You will need to develop your own calibration proXle for each resin type, and layer
thickness. For example, a clear or fexible resin will need very different settings then a
hard opaque resin.

○ Don't ever use a proXle you found online, they are not calibrated to your printer.

3. There are two main methods of Calibration.

○ Dimensionally Accurate - To successfully print exactly what you think you're


printing.

○ Resin Tensile Strength - The maximum stress that a certain material can hold
before it breaks.

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4. After calibration, failures are most often support or speed related issues.

Next you need to adjust your printer settings.


I’ll go over each setting, explain what it does and some direction of how to set it in preparation
for the calibration print. Once you’re done with this section you will have a higher understanding
then most users who have been printing for 1-2 years. You will also have developed your Xrst
perfect resin proXle.

1. Global Parameters Very Important!


In Lychee, for some printers you will see (Global Parameters) If you don’t, move on to
#2.
If available, pick TSMC. Having both on will trigger a Chitubox related bug that will
cause neither to work correctly. The recommendation is to set TSMC to on, Light off
Delay to off.

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Turning on Two Stage Motion Control (TSMC) enables its use. However, using it will be
discussed later in this guide; it's not necessary for calibration.

2. Light off Delay / Wait Before Print - A short pause after the printer has fully
retracted and before the UV light turns on to cure the resin.
a. Gives time for the printer to come to full rest. Lesser known fact: When the
motor stops, the printer is still moving. Until the printer's fex is fully at rest.
b. Gives time for bubbles to escape
c. I've seen little beneXt above 3.0s. Unless you have a very large printer or use a
very thick resin. There is also a great article that goes into detail here.

Your printer will have one or more of the following settings.


d. Light off Delay (set to 2 - 3s)
e. Wait After Retract (set to 2 - 3s) This is the same as Light-off Delay
f. Wait Before Print (set to 2 - 3s) This is the same as Light-off Delay
g. Wait After print (set to 0s)
h. Wait After lift (set to 0s)

3. Layer Thickness
This is how thick each print layer will be. The lower the number the thinner the layer.
Gaining more detail at the cost of longer print times.
1. Objects with lots of curves or steep edges can benefit from more layers as it
will reduce stepping. This is represented in the image below. The sharper the
angle (the top) the more apparent stepping becomes.
2. Once you have decided what layer thickness you want to calibrate your printer
at, we can move to the next setting. (Default and most common is 50um)
3. I print at 30um for show pieces, however larger objects like terrain and props
for a D&D set, I recommend 50um or higher. However you will need to develop a
new proXle.

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Printed: 10um - NO AA - 100% Navy Gray & Mecha White - Anycubic M3 Premium*

*Many resins recommend not printing lower than 30um or 0.03mm. It’s possible to
print at 20 or 10um. However you will want a slow retract speed (60mm/m) and light off
delay of 4s or higher.

4. Exposure time
Use your resin's recommended UV settings. This is the setting we are printing the
calibration tool to adjust.
a. How long will each layer be exposed to the UV light?
b. Your slicer will have two settings for this. Burn-in / Bottom layers and Normal
Layers.

5. Lift Distance
Set this to 6mm. This setting will depend on the size of your printer and how stiff your
FEP sheet is at any given time. The larger the printer, the more your FEP will flex. If
you’re using a flexible resin you will also want to increase this setting.
c. Pro Tip: To calibrate, watch a print during the burn in layers. You will see/hear
it pop from the FEP. See how much further it travels. You want at most 2mm of

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travel after the pop. Some printers allow you to adjust this using the LCD while a
print is going. Doing this will help you discover a default for all future prints
using that resin. Flexible resins will require more distance.

6. Lift speed
Set to this 40mm/m - 50mm/m. This is how fast the build plate will rip the model off of
the FEP after each layer.
d. The faster the lift speed the higher chance of layer separation, support failure
and build plate separation.
e. The faster the lift speed, the faster your print will Xnish.

7. Retract Speed
Set this to 60mm/m. This is how fast the build plate will lower.
f. With larger printers, it's VERY important to slow down the retract speed. Lowering
the plate with a large print will put a lot of pressure on the FEP and, more
importantly, the screen. Some plates (like the Mega 8K one) have holes. The purpose
is to limit the pressure to avoiding killing your expensive 8K screen.

8. Anti-aliasing
Leave this off for all calibration tests. Will be discussed further in the guide.

Once finished it should look something like this:


1. The Layer Thickness is up to you.
2. Exposure time is based on your resin’s default recommendation. Probably between 1.5 and
2.5s.

Anycubic Printer Chitubox Printer

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Burn-in-Layers / Bottom Layers Calibration Settings
These are the Xrst layers printed and need to be exposed to UV light for much longer than
normal layers. This is so the resin will adhere to the build plate during the remainder of the
print.

None Chitubox Motherboards (Anycubic) Chitubox Motherboard P

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1. These settings ONLY affect the Xrst layers printed in this example, only the Xrst 4
layers.

2. For Exposure time, use your resin manufacturer recommended settings. This can
always be calibrated later.
a. On Burn In Layers, this will directly impact how well the print sticks to
the build plate.
b. Every resin is different, calibrate this for each resin, printer and layer
height.
i. Go up or down by 4s till it comes off easily but still holds Xrm.
c. Develop a different burn in Exposure Time for each size of print.
i. Small = calibration print or small parts
ii. Medium = Minis or parts of a larger print
iii. Large = Terrain or a very large statue
d. Using Navy Gray a “Fast Resin” I've found my numbers are around:
i. 15-24s for small
ii. 27-34s for medium
iii. 35-40s for large

3. Transition Layers will transition away from the burn in layer settings to the normal
layer settings.

4. Your printer may not have a dedicated Light-off Delay for Burn in Layers. If it does
not, keep it at 1s.

5. Lift Distance Set this to 25% higher for Burn in Layers over Normal Layers. This is
because these layers will be the most dipcult for your printer to remove from the FEP.
The result of larger cross sections and longer burn in time.

6. Lift Speed should be slow for burn in layers. No greater than 40mm/m. This is
because as stated before, these layers are very dipcult to remove from the FEP.

7. Retract Speed needs to be set very slow for Burn in Layers. This is because the build
plate is trying to push the resin against the LCD under incredible pressure. So much
pressure that the frame and arm of your printer will fex and bend.

g. If your model is hard to remove from the build plate remove 4s from Exposure
Time till they are Xrm but easy to remove.
h. If your models keep falling off the build plate and your exposure is already
above the resin manufacturer recommended. Try the following Instead of
burning out your LCD light by adding more Exposure time.
i. increasing surface area on the build plate by using a larger raft.
ii. Slowing down your retract speed to 40mm/m or lower.
iii. If your printer does not have a separate retract speed for burn in
layers. Try lowering it down to about 60mm/m.

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LOOK HERE!

If this is your ]rst time calibrating, follow

these instructions. However later on in

the guide we will cover TSMC and these

values will change.

If you’re familiar with TSMC and you wish,

you can read that section to adjust your

settings before you slice and export the

test ]le.

Slice and Export Test Files


To save time, slice and save multiple Xles at
once. Do this by increasing Exposure Time
by + 0.1s.

Export to your Computer's SSD


Do not export directly to a USB as this has a
high risk of causing data corruption and
failed prints.

Copy to a USB
Use a high quality USB. The provided USB
can cause data corruption and failed prints.

Do this for all your printers and print. Not


just calibration prints.

For more advanced users install and run


UVTools to check the slice before you copy
it to the USB drive to conXrm it's free of
slicing errors. (Video TBA)

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Prep your 3D printer
Prepare your printer for the next print by using the Clean or Squeegee methods. Do this after or
before every print, always! Failure to do this will lead to permanent damage to your 3D printer.

Continue reading for how to Squeegee your FEP as the preferred method. If you don't have a
silicone spatula see “Cleaning your FEP” for instructions.

Mix your resin & Squeegee your FEP

Before every single print mix the resin. Use a soft silicone spatula to squeegee the FEP before
adding new resin. This is also to check for any solid objects stuck to the FEP. When adding
resin, shake the bottle for at least 30s, pour and let sit for 5-10 min allowing the bubbles to
dissipate. Amazon Link for the spatula shown.

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Don't use the hard plastic scraper that
comes with your printer, it will scratch the
FEP.
If you damaged your FEP I recommend the
Siraya-Tech nFEP

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Now you’re ready to print your first calibration!
So go do that now. While you’re waiting, grab a coffee and read the rest of the guide.

Reading Boxes of Calibration


Download Boxes of Calibration here

Now that you have printed your first test print, let's go over how to read it to tune your resin to
your printer. This is where the magic happens.

Transition Layer - Elephant's foot


If the number of Burn In layers is set to high or over exposed (High Exposure Time) they can
bleed into your supports and cause supports to break off at the raft for all future prints.

You can visually see if this is the case on your Xrst test print. Look for the transition layer
between the burn in and normal layers. You want this Transition Layer to take place within the
Base/Raft like the picture below.

Boxes of Calibration
If you don't have digital calipers
That's ok, all you need to do is snap off the 4mm and 6mm Boxes. Once they Xt inside of each
other where you can still pull them apart you’re good to go.
Boxes not Xtting is mostly an issue of blooming, blooming is caused by a few major factors.
1. Over exposure
2. Curing resin in motion
3. Dirty/damaged LDC, FEP or screen protector. The printer is in poor working condition.
4. Layer elongation or layer crushing.
How to address each issue
1. Easy to understand and resolve. But if it's the only way you calibrate your printer. You
will have a very bad calibration.

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a. The boxes are too tight, remove 1s of UV exposure time on your normal layers.
b. The boxes are loose, add 1s of UV exposure time on your normal layers.
2. To resolve, start with 2s of light off delay. This will allow your printer, and resin to
come to rest before the UV light turns on. Light off delay is also known as: Wait before
print OR Wait after retract.
3. Make sure your LCD, Screen protector, FEP are clean and free form major issues.
Make sure your printer is well maintained. ACF Xlm won't be as accurate as nFEP and
will damage the smaller pillars making them harder to print.
4. This can be more dipcult to resolve, but also has the lowest impact. Setting your Z-
offset and using slower settings will greatly mitigate this issue.
To prevent damage to your FEP: Rotate them 90d and move them by a few mm’s each print.
This is true for any Xle you print more than one time.

If you have a pair of Digital calipers


Snap off the 4mm and 6mm Boxes, to allow measuring all the boxes easier.

To measure the The inside of each box:


6mm box’s inside should measure 4mm x 4mm x 4mm.
8mm box’s inside should measure 6mm x 6mm x 6mm.

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The Pillars
Do not not overlook this feature, it can be very powerful as it makes this
calibration file two in one, the first of its kind!

Function 1:
Feedback at Dimensional Accuracy
Once you have reached dimensional accuracy you can now pay attention to the pillars.

● They will tell you the tensile strength of your resin at dimensional accuracy calibration.
● The more pillars the higher the tensile strength.
● This data is very necessary as it will help you understand what sizes will likely fail
when doing your own supports, or printing pre-supported items.

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● Some high quality resins will print all pillars and retain Dimensional Accuracy. If this is
the case you have already achieved Function 2.
After you’re finished with Function 1 Save that profile as Boxes or
(Dimensional Accuracy). This profile must be used when printing anything, over
supported. This is because a Strength calibration will make supports even harder to remove
and cause more damage. It should also be used when doing your own supports for the best
end result.
Function 2:
Increased Success for Pre-Supported Models.
Stress test your resin - Calibrate for more Strength!

Note this is NOT Tensile Strength calibration.


Testing or Calibrating to “Tensile Strength” assumes the size of the object being tested is
consistent AKA Dimensional Accuracy. As soon as you add exposure you have added
thickness.Now it’s just a stress test. This is true for any test where you add exposure time to
get something to print.

● Simply keep increasing Normal UV exposure till all the pillars print.
● If at Xrst, all the pillars print, drop exposure till the smallest pillar fails to print.
○ Whatever exposure time was just enough to get the smallest pillar to print is
your calibration.
● The boxes will most likely no longer Xt. However they will provide feedback of how
much accuracy you’re trading for higher success rates.
● Save this calibration as a New Resin ProXle, I suggest:
○ “Boxes” Dimensional Accuracy
○ “Pillars” for Strength

In this example for the 85% Navy Gray + 15% Siraya Tenacious Obsidian Black we can use
maybe 0.12mm but it would be safer to use the 2 steps up one up .18mm as our smallest

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support tip.

The smallest Pillar is 0.1mm. Each pillar is 0.02mm thicker than the previous going left to right.

Baseline!!
Once your Boxes are dimensionally accurate you have a Baseline, we will reference this for all
future prints. Save the resin proXle in your slicer as Boxes of Calibration.

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Example of saved pro]les in Lychee

Two Stage Motion Control, (TSMC)

Not all printers support this, if yours does, these numbers are ONLY EXAMPLES! Please develop

your own as my examples may not work for you.

Primary Objective: Speed up your print time while


keeping the same accuracy and success rate.
Objective 2. Have the model Pop from the FEP 98%
of the time during the slower Lift Speed.
Objective 3. Have enough safety margin in the faster Lift Speed to NEVER have a failed FEP
release.
Objective 4. Not having excessive heights as to add unnecessary print time or, worse, lifting the
print edge of the model out of the resin as this can cause air to get mixed into the resin.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Now that you know what Lift/Retract distance and lift speed are, let's apply that knowledge. The
colored circles show you what settings are linked together.

See this video explaining TSCM.

Burn-in / Bottom layers


In this example, I’m lifting the plate a total of 8mm. 40mm/m for the ]rst 4mm PLUS 80mm/m
for the ]nal 4mm. That's right, as I stated before these numbers are added together.
For Retract speed you will notice that the lower number is in the right Xeld.

Example of an Anycubic Printer Example of a Chitubox based Printer

Normal Layers
In this example, I’m lifting the plate a total of 6mm. 45mm/m for the ]rst 3mm and 200mm/m
for the ]nal 3mm. For Retract speed you will notice that the lower number is in the right Xeld.

Example of an Anycubic Printer Example of a Chitubox based Printer

The two difference between Chitubox printers and Anycubic are:


1. 1 The ability to also adjust the retract distance. Don’t get confused by this, simply put
a 2 in the left box. (The right box can’t be edited as it’s based on the lift height.)
2. Wait before print instead of Light-off Delay, they do the same thing.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Anti-aliasing (Remember Not used for calibration)
What is shown below is the best setting for AA. Many other AA settings offered little to no
difference, however this setting is magic.

Do your own test to validate, print with AA on and OFF then reach out to me on the Lychee
Discord to share the results! DL the Xle here

Lychee Slicer version 5.0 and on Chitubox


Anti-aliasing - Smooth Surfaces Anti-aliasing Level 2
Radius 2px Gray Level 1
Grey Offset 0% Image Blur 2
High DeXnition Anti Aliasing ON
Anti-aliasing on Supports Off

In my tests I was able to remove layer lines and voxels from this axe without affecting details.

Left side AA, Right side No AA - See full size image here

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07
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Rafts
Minimum .7 mm thickness
There are many types of rafts to choose
from. What one you choose is up to you
as long as you pick one. However I do
recommend the “Sled” or “Line Triangle
in Lychee”.

I'll use the Triangle raft for large bases


or anything with a massive surface area
on the build plate.

The Sled raft is best for everything else.


The lip makes it easy for the scraper to
get under and pop the print off of the
build plate.

Model Sizes
Now that your bed is level and you have your baseline it’s time to apply it to the different sizes
of models.

Small Models
Print at your baseline.
Small prints are very forgiving. You can also get away with a lower burn in layer time. Often
around 15 seconds.

Example of small Models

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Medium Models
Medium model settings will be used the most. They can be used for small to medium large
prints. Add 4-8 seconds to your burn in layers.

Example of Medium Models

Large Models
Larger objects come with new issues: gravity and large cross sections increasing suction force.
Suction force is the pulling force your printer has to use to pull the model off of the FEP.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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● Add ~10 seconds to your burn in layers and slow down your lift speed to 40 mm/m.
● For thick models with a large cross section you have to have light off delay of 3
seconds for normal layers.
● If your printer allows independent “burn in” layer “light off delay”, do 5 seconds.
● Always hollow large models if you can, more on hollowing to follow.

Example of Large Models

The truth about 90% of Failures


If you followed this guide to this point, you’re in a minority. A minority that took the time to
calibrate your printer and obtain some knowledge.

However, far too often I see failures where nothing is printed but the supports. More often
missing an arm, leg or another feature. The #1 advice I see given is.. can you guess? “Increase
the exposure time!”

If you can print the supports or half of the object, why can't you print the rest of the model?
If you’re under-exposed would you not just have a blob on the FEP?

While “Increasing the exposure time” will eventually work. At the cost of Xner details and resin.
There is another option, simply increase the support!

And it “can” be simple, you can do this in a few ways.


1. Add supports
2. Make the (structural) support tips a little larger. Normally 10% is more than enough.
3. A bit of both.
If you're using Lychee Slicer, and you have the .lys or .slt Xle watch this video for a FAST and
easy way on how to do this.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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For everyone else, keep reading and I’ll go over how I support models to get success even when
using the most dipcult resins on the planet.

Model Orientation
Skyscraper Orientation Method
Pros Cons

● Amazing precision and detail. ● Longer print times.

● Less supports overall. ● Lots of supports on the surfaces


towards the build plate.

● Reduced Layer lines on hard surface


modeling ● Can sometimes not be possible
unless you know how to alter a 3D Xle.

Objective #1. Orientate the model so that it supports itself. The object is your best support; use
it.
Objective #2. Orientate so the surface you care about the most is at the top or sides of the
print. Never put visible details you want to preserve facing the plate.
Objective #3. When dealing with a large fat surface, like a base. Add tilt to help build that fat
surface over several passes. As long as it does not overly interfere with objective 1 and 2.
Traditional Orientation Method
Pros Cons

● Shorter print times ● 45 degree rue is subjective and often


incorrect

● Can focus on reduced cross sections


over all other objectives. ● Supports end up on visible surfaces

● Lots of supports all over the model

● Tall supports that often are almost


the height of the print requiring a lot of
bracing.

Traditional supporting vs Skyscraper Methods.

On the example below, supports will be on the exterior and Xnal details of the model. As you
can see there are supports on; back of the foot, blades and hand shield. The kilt and mask will
have support damage facing up towards the viewer when assembled.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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This is an example of what not to do.

Example of my Skyscraper method: (Objects are facing up like a skyscraper to build on top of
itself. Hollowing is used to reduce cross sections.)
Supports are under folds that will point down in the completed mode and/or inside joints (the
best place) that will be glued.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Example of Skyscraper Orientation method - More examples found in the "Supporting" chapter

0.01mm tolerances
For some objects the only way to get accuracy you need is to print them straight up, Like a
skyscraper. Below are some examples of objects with .01mm tolerances.

Example of many extremely low tolerance parts on a single build plate.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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)

This moving track has over 90 links and was printed as a single part. Only possible using this
Method and a very good resin. I used 100% Siraya-Tech Navy Gray.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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To visualize the track above I printed it as multiple parts. The size of the pin hole is 0.376mm
and the pin is 0.354 mm. Thats .022mm total but I need a gap around the entire pin, that’s 0.011
tolerance! I also printed gear with a cap that has 0.008mm of tolerance.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Notice the ridges compared to the ridges on a US Quarter.

For miniatures this means more detail. This also works for tall thin objects like these swords.
Mulan’s sword is so thin you can still see through it. Till it was cured it would fold over like a wet
noodle.Yet the Xnal product still has amazing detail and it kept its shape.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Supporting
New to Support? see this video!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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There are four types of supports; structural, shape, detail, and bracing.
1. Structural - Supports to hold the model to the build plate.
○ These are often the largest tips and found at the bottom of any major island.
2. Shape - These are the supports that maintain the shape of your object.
○ You may find that your model will print with very few structural supports but
your print will be warped. Adding “Shape” supports between structural supports
will resolve this issue.
3. Detail - These are your smallest tip sizes, used to support small islands that lead to
fine details of a model.
○ Don't place a support on every island. If the island is under 4 or less layers or
smaller than your support tip, you will often cause more damage adding a
support then leaving it alone.
4. Bracing - Used to keep anything from shifting side to side during the print.
○ Just as bracings are used between support shafts to keep them from shifting.
Bracing supports also need to be used to keep your entire model from shifting
during the print.

Author's Note:
“It’s important to understand, once you have your printer dialed in for Burn-in and Normal layer
exposure. Over 95% of print failures are a result of bad supports, NOT bad printer settings.

When supporting, follow the same logic mentioned previously regarding model sizes. Small,
Medium, and Large Models.

These support proXles were developed to get the best shape, detail and print success using my
Boxes Calibration tool.”

J3D’s Support Settings


Light: Medium: Heavy:
Tip Diameter 0.3mm Tip Diameter 0.4mm Tip Diameter 0.6mm
Tip Length 2.5mm Tip Length 2.5mm Tip Length 2.5mm
Diameter 1.1mm Diameter 1.3mm Diameter 1.5mm

With Lychee Pro you can have an additional 3 Presets


Ultralight Medium-light: Interior Pillar
Tip Diameter 0.24mm Tip Diameter .35mm Tip Diameter 1.5mm
Tip Length 2.5mm Tip Length 2.5mm Tip Length 2.0mm
Diameter 1.0mm Diameter 1.20mm Diameter 1.50mm

If you have Lychee Pro you can DL and import my support settings here

Supporting Bases

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Helpful Tips: Mastering Lychee Supports: Watch my video here

Watch my video on how I supported this base


here

Supporting Small Models


With Small models you can get away with:
● Entire works of art in a single print
● No heavy supports used at all.
● Almost no light supports needed to retain small details.
● No hollowing

Just because you’re printing a small model does not mean you can now use light supports.
Medium supports are for keeping shape and holding your print to the build plate. Light supports
are ONLY for keeping detail.
Mulan Sword Example, Modeled by https://www.patreon.com/sephon/posts
The blade is not curved at the end, it just looks that way because of how the light passes
through it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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In this very small sword and sheath we have some extremely tiny details and a sword that’s
under 1mm thick. Using these settings such prints are very possible.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Only light supports are visible, only to preserve details.

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Only medium supports are visible, used to anchor the models.

All Supports visible. Scroll back up to get another look at the Xnished print.

Supporting Medium Models


With Medium models you can get away with:
● Entire works of art in a single print
● One heavy support per model or major outcrop.
● No hollowing on thinner objects

Warrior Example
In this example of two medium models. You can see the use of the Skyscraper method in play.
Pay close attention to the average direction of the crystals, shield and cloak.

Also notices how MANY medium supports are used to preserve the shape of the base. Think of
a reverse bed of nails. The more nails the less pressure. There are no heavy supports used.
Mini supports used to keep the details of the cloak.

Also pay close attention to the tip of the shield. Always support downward facing tips on
multiple sides.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Surface Structure
If you’re trying to preserve the shape of an edge or surface. Place the supports right up to, but
not over the edge.

In this example of the base for the TMNT statue I have a complex surface that will be joined to
another just as complex. I added a large amount of medium supports with light supports on

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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smaller details like little outcrops in the rocks.

Result before any sanding. I’m holding it with 2 Xngers to show I’m not applying pressure to the
model, see how there is no stress on the glove.

Mulan Pants Example


The Skyscraper method at work, with the belt and legs.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Only Medium supports are visible, these are anchoring the model to the plate.

Only the Light supports are visible in this, these are ONLY to preserve small details and islands.

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This is what it looks like with both light and medium visible.

Supporting Large Models


With large models you can get away with:
● Nothing, these suck.
● Hollow always, unless you have a technical reason not to.
● For models with a massive cross section increase your light off delay by 3 seconds.
○ Hollowing may remove the need to add additional light off delay.
Mulan Dragon Example

Only Heavy Supports are shown. Used to anchor the model and used at “Tree Trunks” for
medium supports.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Only Medium supports are shown. They are also used as the tree branches at the top of the
model.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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All supports shown. You can see the Trunk and Branches. This is used to cut back on resin
used. I typically only do this for taller models where it will make a noticeable cost difference.

Taken at 4x zoom, from the naked eye the seam is very hard to see. After primer and paint it
completely disappeared.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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F22 Example

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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This is a large and tall hard surface object that I could not print on the build plate.

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Hollowing
For this section I created a video here. I highly recommend watching it.
If you can hollow, you should hollow. Just don’t forget to add drain holes in locations you won’t
see in the Xnished model.
Pros:
1. Saves you money, the larger the model the more you save.
2. Reduces suction, better quality prints and less failures.
3. Reduces cross sections, better quality prints and less failures.
4. Reduces the weight of the model, removing stress on your supports.
5. Depending on your model can increase its stability on the shelf.
Cons:
1. Not placing drain holes at the lowest sections will lead to suction cups. Suction cups
will likely cause print failures.
2. Badly placed drain holes can make post processing dipcult.
3. Time to allow the model to correctly drain before removal of the build plate. (If you
care to save money)
4. If you don’t clean properly resin can and will push itself out of the drain holes during
the curing process damaging your cure surface and the model.
5. Depending on your model can reduce its stability on the shelf.
6. If you forget to add drain holes, the gasses will cause your model to explode.
Sometimes with enough force to throw uncured resin 20+ feet.
7. Internal supports may be required.

Hollowing Settings

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Thickness Quality
How thick the wall is How many polygons are going to make up
In this example the bust on the left is at the inner walls of your model. The more
2mm, the busts on the right are at polygons the higher the quality but this
1.8mm. comes at a cost.

In this example the back of the bust is at a


quality of 1(min). The front bust is at 4(max)

I’ve personally found 1.8mm thickness and 2.0 quality to be the best for most prints.

Suction Cups
Not to be confused with peel force or cross sections. Suction Cups are created when you have
a void.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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In this Example I used Lychee
Suction Cup Detector. Available in
the Pro version to highlight the in this
print in yellow.

If you don’t have Lycee Pro you can


use 3D Builder - Microsoft Apps.
Remember that every void is a
suction cup and will need to be
addressed if they are too large.

To prevent suction cups you need to place a drain hole in the lowest part possible. Adding
holes as the print moves up will encourage good resin flow.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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In these examples you can see I placed several drain holes. (The black and red cylinders).

Some holes will be RED this sometimes means that it’s against too much geometry and Lychee
can't Export it. If you try and save this file as a .stl the two red holes won't be added.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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On the top of many models will have Natural Suction Cups. Not all of these can be resolved.
However if you’re hollowing a simple hole into the main chamber should work.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Smaller suction cups, the ones you see in Yellow are ok. They won't affect the print enough to

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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cause any damage or lower success.

Blockers
Where a drain hole can’t be used, a blocker might be an option. Blockers only Block (prevent)
hollowing. This means if the suction cup is created due to the shape of the model a hole must
be used.

Blockers can also be very useful in removing resin traps. This is where you have a part of the
model that’s large enough to be hollowed, but is surrounded by areas that are not.

In this example you can see all the holes that are not connected. A total of 11 different zones

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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are created when hollowing this hair.

A few well placed Blockers, the 2 Blue boxes, and holes the Red and Black cylinders removed
almost all the suction cups. The suction cup in the back could not be resolved with a blocker
because it’s a void in the geometry. Only a hole can resolve this. However it’s too small to

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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cause any issues.

When holes are RED this means that Lychee can't export them as an .stl, however if sliced
from the .lys it will function correctly.
Drain Holes
Needed to allow the resin to escape from the hollows parts of your model. I typically use as
many as I can and I try to keep them over 2mm, but the model will dictate.

Always place them in an area that can't be noticed, or is dipcult to notice.


Always try and place 2 or more. At least one near the top of the model to allow draining during
printing.
Drain holes need to be deep enough and/or angled to penetrate the wall of the model, but don’t

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come out the other side.

Hollowing on the plate


Some models are best built right onto the build plate but you still want to hollow them. This is
dipcult because the bottom hold won’t drain till after it’s been removed from the build plate.
The trick is getting a minimum of 2 holes as close to the top of the print without causing any
damage.
In this example I’ve snuck 5 drain holes into a single print model. Models that are done in one
print are more dipcult because you have no seams to hide the holes. This is where I Xnd places
that will be covered in shadows.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Here is the end result. Pictures taken under bright light and 4x magnification.

Internal supports
For larger objects you will need to add
Internal supports.

WIth Lychee Pro you can have up to 6


support proXles. I highly suggest making one
of them an Interior Pillar.

IF you’re using another slicer or the Free


version of Lychee modify my heavy
support to have a 1.5mm shaft and 1.5mm
tip. This way the entire support is now a
pillar.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Next change the view so that you’re looking up under the model. There is a toggle on the layer
slider.
Now you will support the inside of the model much but with far less support but much larger.
The objective here is to add some support on any large islands but not to small islands.
Finally support the “ceiling”, think of Dwarven or Roman architecture.

Make sure no supports end up going through a hollowing hole!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mob lebas c 10.12.2023 22 07


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Printing on the Plate
I choose to build directly on the plate when I have an object that needs or can be perfectly fat
on the surface that is against the plate.

Pros:
1. No supports needed
2. low chance of failure
3. Perfectly fat surface
4. Great for printing smaller machine parts.
Cons:
1. Elephant's foot. (Some slicers like Lychee Pro have features to help reduce/remove
this)
2. Can be hard to remove from the plate.
3. May need to be fat sanded.
4. Hollowing can be dipcult. This is because drain holes can’t be placed on the bottom
layers.

In this example I have 4 parts that will have a fat surface in the Xnal product. Three parts to
make up the base and the main chest that will have 2 side caps. All parts NEED to Xt perfectly

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fat for the best result in the Xnal product.
Link to Robot model

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Build in Raft
If you can edit the 3D Xle, you can also add a raft with raised edges that move away from the
print.
This Raft will absorb the Burn-In layers and make it easier to remove.
The raised edges will act as a sansing guide to make sure you both sand the print evenly and
that you don’t over sand.

Post Processing
You can see my process in a video here, or a short run down here

Build Plate Removal


Hold the build plate 90 degrees off of your surface to reduce the chances to throw off your
level.
Use the scraper to get under the raft. The model will pop right off.
This is why I always use rafts because they make removal of the model from the build plate
extremely easy while also holding onto the build plate.

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First Clean
I start with spraying IPA over my models right after I remove them from the plate to remove
large collections of resin.

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2nd Clean
dunk into a very dirty IPA, followed by another quick spray. Then I’ll lightly shake and knock off
any extra fuid.

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3rd Clean
Main IPA tank where they will sit for 5-10 minutes. I no longer turn on the motor as I found it
damages the models by banging them around and suturing in old IPA particles.

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Instead I let them sit, then at the end I’ll swish them in the upper layers of the tank.

Support Removal
I highly recommend you heat up the supports, then quickly remove the supports while they are
hot. If you choose to do this using a heat source, you NEED to wear a mask.
Hot Water Method
Put the print in a bucket of hot water and let it sit for about 30 seconds, then remove the
supports. The result is pretty good, however, I don’t use or go into detail on this method as it
has some major drawbacks.
1. Some resins react with the water, especially if you leave them in there for too long.
2. Heating the water adds time and more equipment as you don’t want to mix this
process with your kitchen.

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3. Disposable of the now contaminated water. IT CAN NOT be dumped in the drain.
Leave it in the sun and allow it to evaporate before dumping the build-up resin.
4. Models wet with water take 6x longer to dry than wet with IPA, even longer if they are
hollow.
Three examples of why I recommend this, best to watch these with sound.
https://imgur.com/7hZKJeF
https://imgur.com/MMQYA3j
https://imgur.com/eZZGobd

If the resin smokes you got it too hot. This will not ruin the model as by now you have removed
99% of all extra resin, but it will create toxic smoke. I use this model because it has a low heat
setting. Don’t use the high setting and melt a glove to your hand please.

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Warm supports almost just fall off leaving less damage.

Remove any leftover supports using precision tools, I use this set of dental tools.

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4th Clean
After the supports are removed, I run them for a Xnal clean. This is not always necessary but it
can make a noticeable impact.
You can use an ultrasonic Cleaner. This model costs $70. DO NOT USE THE The safer and cheaper meth
HEAT FUNCTION, MUST BE IN A VERY WELL VENTILATED ROOM WHEN IPA

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OR RISK SERIOUS BODILY HARM!

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Final Dry
Make sure your models are 1000000% dry before you cure. Let them sit for a very long time or
use a mechanical tool like a heat gun to dry them off. Wear a mask when using heat guns
around resin.

Final Cure
Do a quick 30 seconds then check for any dripping resin. Especially from hollowed models. Flip
the models and do 3min, repeat till your resin is fully cured.

Can you Over Cure resin 3D prints?


No, but also yes.

Fast ABS like “hard” resins, the UV reaction will continue till there are no more binders to
react to the UV light. At this point the resin is fully cured & more UV will have no effect.

Flexible, clear or Cast resins, you CAN over cure them. But in post curing, and when
printing. Be careful using a calibration part that could lead to overcuring. These need to be
cured in a way that preserves the color, flexibility or burn out. It’s best to follow the
manufactures post cure processes.

Wear a mask and UV glasses when using a UV light. When using a cure station, leave the room.
This will create toxic fumes.

If you don’t have a cure station I recommend the Beast UV Flashlight. Remember always wear
UV glasses, or you can go blind, your choice.

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Cleanup and Disposal
Trash
Make sure you cure all your supports, used paper, used gloves and any resin waste.

I throw them into the trash and use my UV fashlight to cure them all at the end of each print.
You may also choose to throw everything into a small clear container and cure it using a
fashlight or your cure station before you dispose.
Cleaning your FEP
See my video on how to properly clean you FEP here

Do this after every print unless you use the silicone spatula method to stir and check your FEP
before every print. Most 3D printers have a tank clean option, see your manual on where to Xnd
this function.

Keep a stash of tall supports that you can use as handles to easily remove the cured resin from
the tank clean process.

1. Place one of the saved supports near the edge or corner. Lightly press the Raft of the
support against your FEP.
2. Run your Tank Clean Option normally for 10 seconds. In some printers it's called
exposure.
3. Pull on the support towards the center of the VAT. This should peel the cured resin off
of the FEP along with any trash from previous prints.
4. Move the cured sheet of resin away from your printer and cure it the rest of the way
before disposable.

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Emptying and Removing The Vat
I highly recommend buying a large syringe to suck the resin out and run it through a paint Xlter
back into your resin bottle. Find the link at the bottom.

Once your VAT is mostly empty it’s much easier to pour the remainder into the filter by hand.

Every time you remove your VAT you expose your LCD to dust, hair, falling objects like build
plates and resin. This is just one of the reasons to level in the VAT.

1. First remove your build plate, you DON’T want it to drip resin down on your exposed
screen.
2. Remove the VAT
3. Remove the resin using IPA, even water washable.
4. Dry it using clean paper towels.
5. Buff streaks out using a lint free cloth.
6. Blue painters tape to remove any dust and hair.
7. Proceed to Step 8.

Clean your LCD


8. Clean it using IPA.
9. Dry it using clean paper towels .
10. Buff streaks out using a lint free cloth.
11. Blue painters tape to remove any dust and hair.
12. Reinstall the VAT as soon as you can to protect your LCD from getting
damaged/dirty.

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13. Make sure the VAT is secured down fully.
14. There is no need to re-level your 3D printer after this.

Troubleshooting Print Failures


er Lines

es can be very frustrating, potentially ruining a


int when in the wrong place. Here is a list of
causes.

Not enough supports to keep the object solid


n all three axis.
To fast lift speed
Low temps
Hollowing with no suction release.
No rest time (Light off Delay)
Temperature changes during the print
Pausing the print
Adding resin during a print.
Power delivery issues during the print.
0. A dirty printer causing the rails or screw to
atch.

2. Volcanoes

If you ever see these large bumps on your 3D print it


could mean a few things.

1. Not enough supports and/or your support


tips are oversized.
2. The weight of your model is creating too
much surface tension.
3. Massive peel force, caused by large cross-
sections.
4. Resin fow causing cross-curing

As volcanoes can be caused by multiple things there


can be different ways to resolve it

1. Add a LOT more supports with ~0.4mm tips


2. Reduce the weight by using hollowing

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3. Reduce the cross-section by hollowing or
different orientations on the plate. But not
forgetting the skyscraper method.
4. If you have the skill, slice the model into
smaller parts. This resolves issues 1-2. You
can even place the supports in sections that
will be internal, completely hiding support
damage in the Xnal product.
5. If the model is too fat, the resin won’t drain
between layers. The UV light will penetrate
several layers and cure trapped resin around
the supports.

3. Just the supports


When your build plate looks like this it means really one thing and one thing only.

Not enough support, but why would I say this is most likely the cause?

What do we know?
1. The rafts are not lifted in any of the corners but are secure to the build plate, this
means;
a. Burn in layers are correct.
b. The build plate is level.

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2. The supports are fully formed down to the tips, this means;
a. It’s not an issue with under exposure. Please STOP adding UV exposure time
to resolve an under supported model.
b. The USB drive is in good condition.
c. The models do not have bad geometry. This would cause some parts to fail
and others to print.
d. The pulling force (Bed raise speed) is probably not an issue.
3. The supports are different showing multiple models of different heights and size, this
means;
a. It’s not an issue with room temperature changing, as this would cause failures
at different places on different models.
b. It’s not a suction issued caused by a larger model
c. It’s not a weight issue caused by a large cross section.

After eliminating a lot of things, what’s left? Well, not enough support.
The ]x: Increase support contact with the model.
1. If you have Lychee Pro, see this video. If you don’t have Lychee Pro, keep reading.
2. Add 4x times the supports, and yes I do mean 4x at minimum.
3. Make sure you're using the correct support sizes.
a. Medium support tip of 0.40 mm is the correct size to anchor any models of
any size if you have enough.
b. Light supports, like the ones you see in this example are ONLY used to keep
small details.
c. Do not attempt to use lightsupports in any quantity to keep a model to the
plate.

4. Split-Rafts
1. The quantity of burn in layers including transition layers are too many. Causing them
to bleed into the support shafts. Or your raft is too thin. You want a 1.0mm raft min.

a. This can also cause an


issue of hard cured resin next
to soft cured resin causing
raft separation.

2. Your burn-in layer UV exposure is Xne but your supports shafts are undersized.
3. Your lift speed is too fast.
4. You have bad resin. Bad resin could mean, not mixed well, a bad batch or ECO resin.
5. Energy supply inconsistent
This kind of error could also be caused by an inconsistent energy supply from your
network. Try moving your machine to another outlet which you know is not within the
same electrical line.

5. Flat rafts and/or Supports stop printing.


Problem: Z-Offset is off causing layer compression.

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Fix: See Build Plate Calibration in this guide for the instruction to set your Z-Offset and
check your level.

6. Nothing on the Build Plate


1. Make sure that your resin is mixed well, including squeegee the FEP to pull in the
layer that separates from the resin.
2. Print above 20c, preferred 25-30c.
3. Be sure your Build Plate is properly leveled, see #5.
4. A FEP free from excessive damage.
5. A clean LCD free from any fibers or streaks.
6. 4-6 burn in layers, 3-6 transition layers.
7. Increase burn in time by + or - 4.0s till the model sticks but is still easy to remove.
8. What works for one size of object, may not work for another. Use the Small, Medium
and Large method I talk about in this guide to calibrate for each.
9. You need more Light off delay (Waite Before Print).
10. Your Retract Speeds are too fast. Try to keep them under 100mm/m. If your printer
supports TSMC, slow down to under 60mm/m for the Xnal 1-2mm.

7. Half of the prints stuck to the Build Plate.

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Problem: Your build plate is
not level
Prints on one side of the
build plate are successful.
However, prints on, the
opposing side are hanging
off or failed completely.

Fix: See Build Plate


Calibration

Safety:
THESE ARE NOT OPTIONAL.
Respirator An N95 mask is not sufficient.
Organic vapor cartridge.
UV + Safety Glasses Keep resin and UV light from taking away the reason you do this in the Xrst
place.
Gloves - Wear appropriate chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene) . I've discovered that
gloves under 5mil DO NOT offer enough protection.

My recommended items for 3D printing


My Favorite Resin
Siraya Tech Navy Gray, for better results mix in 15% Tenacious Obsidian Black.
If you’re in the USA I highly recommend buying it by Navy Gray 5KG Jug for the best price.

If you need a very strong resin, hit it with a hammer resin. Or a resin that can have prolonged
skin contact use Blu. For best results make sure the resin is above 30c during the entire print, I
prefer 34c.

Disclaimer: I do get 5% from the Siraya Tech links in this guide. I recommended them before this, and
would recommend them if I no longer did. None of the other links are apliates, my youtube channel is not
monetized.

Greatly Improve Print Quality and Success Rate


Temp Sticker for your VAT. KNow the temperature of your resin, this is very important.
Heater Option 1 - Easy to install, more power usage heats up the entire printer.

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Heater Option 2 - Less power usage but longer heat up time. Makes vat cleaning a bit more
dipcult.

Resin Printer Cleaning


1000% better scraper - This is amazing! YOu won't ever use your other scraper again. I very
highly recommend this!
Silicone Mat - Keep your area clean, these animal mats are cheap and large. They work VERY
well!
Larger paint strainers - Used for cleaning IPA and Resin. The larger ones help prevent spills.
Soft Silicone Spatula - Large for mixing, very soft and fexible to not damage your FEP. I very
highly recommend this!
Syringe - For no hassle and mess of emptying your VAT.
Funnel - You only want the red one, the other ones you can use for whatever else.
Filter - Paint Xlters are fantastic as you can cure and throw away the mess.
KimTech Wipes - When you NEED to clean the FEP mostly when switching resins. Use these to
not scratch the FEP.

Resin Printer Maintenance


LCDTape - If you ever have to replace your LCD, screen protector or it’s just time to replace it.
Super Lube 21010 - Make sure you keep your rails & screw clean and lubed, you don’t need
much.

Printed Model Post Processing


Dental Tools - for removing hard to reach supports. I very highly recommend these! The fat one
can be used to scrape away resin for better Xts. The smallest one to remove hard to reach
supports.
Heat Gun - Drying and removing supports, don't use the hottest setting. I very highly
recommend this!
Glass Jars - Wide mouth for Stage 1 and 4 cleaning.
UV Flashlight - Cure all your resin waste. I very highly recommend this!
Trash Can with sealed lid to reduce odor, more expensive but better version.

Consumables
IPA Use 95% - 99%. If you use my Cleaning method this will last a very long time.
Resin- 5KG - This is one I use but there are many resins for different applications.
Super Glue - Complete control with no mess, even on very small parts. If you heat the part a
little, it will cure on contact so be careful. Will not break before the resin does.
nFEP - Better than a normal FEP. Make sure it’s large enough for your printer.
Cheaper option of nFEP (PFA ). Has lasted a long time and works great.

My version of a Wash Station - The total price is $116.43 or $58 per unit.
2x Cyclone Dirt Trap - This is used to keep
the heavy dissolved resin in the bottom of
the bucket.
4.25 Gal Bucket - 2 -pack, this is great as you
want 2 of these.
Leak-Proof Seal Lids - 2 pack - This will keep
the IPA from evaporating and getting out into
your area.
2x Metal internal strainer 20qt - This will not
leave marks on your parts. Lifting this in and
out of the IPA will clean them very well even
hollowed prints.
Finally the handle on the bucket is a bit too

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big, it’s easy to remove and can be replaced
with a wire, or a metal coat hanger.
Don't add more than 3 gallons of liquid per
bucket.

Power - If you live in an area with insinconstant power or in an older house, this can be very
important.
Battery - Cheaper UPS with USB for Xlters
Larger Battery - Larger for multiple printers or longer outages

Focus
Coffee Press
Coffee
Buy me a coffee to help support this guide

Manufacture Resin ProXles


Siraya-Tech

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I hope you enjoyed this guide. If you have any
suggestions, questions or snide remarks, please add
them as comments in this document.

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