Comment on RepRap Pioneer Returns With a DIY 3D Printer That Hits Micro-Level Precision
AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 3 days agoWater-based resin isn’t any less toxic or safer to dispose of, it’s just more soluble. You can’t put water that’s washed uncured resin down the sink until you’ve exposed it to UV for long enough for the resin to cure and precipitate out, and you still need to ventilate the fumes.
beemikeoak@lemmynsfw.com 3 days ago
Thats the “put the residues outside in the sun”. The part that helps a lot is the part where you don’t need alcohol to wash your parts. Simply neutralize and toss the support out in the regular trash. The neutralized waster is pretty simple, just leave it out in the sun and wait for the water to evaporate and the acrylate to cure.
AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 3 days ago
That’s not unique to water-based resin, though. You can leave the dirty alcohol out in the sun, and if you’re waiting for it to evaporate, that takes less time with alcohol than with water.
beemikeoak@lemmynsfw.com 3 days ago
Alcohol costs money and the vapors are toxic. You can get cirrhosis from inhaling that.
AnyOldName3@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Isopropyl alcohol is significantly less toxic than the vapours from the resin itself, even if it’s water-washable. It’s somewhat more poisonous than regular alcohol, so it’s not a good idea to actively drink it, but it’s safe to inhale in reasonable quantities and get on your skin (as long as you’ve not mixed it with printer resin), hence being the main ingredient in hand sanitiser and pre-injection swaps.
As for the cost, it’s inexpensive enough to balance with the cost saving from non-water-washable resin of comparable quality generally being a little cheaper. It’s not like you use a whole five-litre jug per print.