Comment on [Advice wanted!] Things to consider when printing parts for a self-watering planter?
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Ambitious early project. I’d probably go with petg.
There are plenty of good tutorials / suggestions for general water tightness with regards to slicer settings. Water tight joints will be tricky. Consider sanding and then torching them. I’ve had good results with clearcoat spray after sanding pla. May work with petg too.
Curious why you didn’t go with xl for this? Cost?
cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 5 weeks ago
Hehe yeah, I would have gone with something else as my first project had it not been for the fact that I want these planters soon. I had hoped to get the printer earlier, but after asking for advice on my printer purchase here end of last year, I got a compelling advice to at least wait for first reviews before deciding, and by that time Prusa had a backlog on orders.
Due it to being outdoors?
Nice, will check that out in more details! Are clearcoats typically non-toxic? Torching the joints sounds like a good idea - what would you typically use for that, a standard crème brûlée burner? I plan on making smaller prototypes to test out any concepts out before making a huge one.
Cost is one major reason, the Core One was at the top-end of my budget, but it is not the only one. The Core One otherwise fit my requirements very well, and the XL would also not be able to print this in one go. This is by far the largest pieces I have planned on printing, and all the other prints on my “todo”-list will fit in it just fine. I wanted one with an enclosure, and I didn’t like the look of the XL with an enclosure, as it will be quite visible where it will be placed, and I’m the kind of person who would care. And I also believe the footprint of the XL is larger? In that case, I am not so sure if it would even fit on the designated space for it.
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 5 weeks ago
Yes due to outdoors. Even in low light, UV can add up and also, it takes quite some time, but even racemic pla does start to break down with aqueous exposure.
Recommend buying a dedicated butane torch (<$40) for print cleanup. Something in between a zippo and a crem brulee torch. Works wonders on removing and stranding on your prints.
Polycrillic finish is pretty inert stuff. Can’t imagine a sealant layer of it would be too toxic to plants or get significantly incorporated into any edible plant materials. I use polycrillic coated pla for weighing out coffee beans.