Are you a Gundam fan?
With the amount of Gundam videos released by God Finger in the past months, it's evident that they are huge fans of the franchise.
As they continuously produce incredible Unicorn Gundam models in their studio, these stunning models could not be complete without the character's main weapon: the Hyper Beam Javelin.
In this video, God Finger will show you how to create a perfectly transparent clear resin print for his UG Gundam Perfectibility Divine's javelin head.
How to Create a Clear Resin Print?
Before you start pouring your Aqua Clear Resin into the resin vat, you might want to make sure that all of your 3D printer parts have been thoroughly cleaned from any particles, especially if your previous print was done in colored resin.
As you might have known by now, it's important to shake your resin well before pouring it into the vat to avoid separation. To take it up a notch, God Finger used an ultrasonic cleaner to warm up his resin and shake it gently. However, this also means that the resin he poured ended up with tons of tiny air bubbles, and nobody wants obvious bubbles on their clear resin prints.
So, how did he get rid of that?
Just as if you are working with a typical epoxy resin, one of the easiest ways to remove bubbles on the resin is to pop them with heat—in this case, God Finger used a trusty hairdryer.
As a seasoned printer, he started by printing the XP Finder to find the perfect exposure for his environment, resin, and printer combination. From this test, he figured he would need to reduce his exposure time for the javelin model if he wanted them to slide down easily after printing instead of breaking apart like his XP Finder models.
Creating Hyper Beam Javelin From UG Gundam Unicorn.
God Finger mentioned that initially, he wanted to use the Sonic Mighty 8K to print the javelin head, but soon realized that it would be cut short due to the shorter z-axis. So, he used the Sonic Mega 8K instead. To his surprise, the Sonic Mega 8K could easily fit sixteen of his javelin heads if he ever needed to.
While the head of the javelin was printed with clear resin and Sonic Mega 8K, the handle will be printed on the Sonic Mighty 8K.
During assembly, God Finger also added a colorful LED system to the javelin, making it the perfect weapon for his 3D printed UG Gundam Perfectibility Divine model.
Clear Resin Post-Printing Cleaning
As clear resin residue might be harder to spot in comparison to your usual opaque resin like the Aqua 8K, God Finger has a list of regimens he religiously practices to extend his printer lifespan and make sure that he'll always get the best results from his printers.
- After completing your prints, return the leftover resin to its original bottle or an empty bottle for future use. Remember to filter out the resin to make sure it is clean from any residue or cured resin.
- Generously spray your vat with alcohol/IPA and wipe it clean with tissue paper. You can also check the release film condition by holding it up to the light. Make sure there aren't any dirty spots or punctures.
- Check the condition of your LCD whenever you are removing the vat. Clean the vat thoroughly with alcohol and wipe it clean with tissue paper.
- Do a detailed cleaning on the Sonic Mega 8K build plate to avoid clear resin stuck on its perforated holes. God Finger uses a long stick and a small rubber hammer to knock off anything cured inside the holes—check each hole individually to make sure nothing is stuck and risk puncturing your release film later on.
- Lastly, spray your building plate with a generous amount of alcohol/IPA and wipe everything clean.
You are now ready for your next print.
What do you think of this flashing UG Gundam Perfectibility Divine javelin? Would you like to make it yourself? Or will you feel intimidated by the clear resin? 3D printing with clear resin requires a high level of attention to detail and patience, but once you get it right... the result is mind-blowing. It's like you are 3D printing glass!
Want to see the whole process? Make sure to check out God Finger's video below:
