After Having experimented in Making Perfectly Smooth Surfaces for about a Year now within the Print Process itself, Its time I Capitulate and start putting in some more Work and Sand it all smooth!
Just a bit of an Issue… Whenever I sand Coloured PETG, it looses its Colour and turns into that Broken Plastic White.
As someone who hasn’t had to Fix something like that before, I’m not sure where to even start Fixing this? Can it be Avoided in the Sanding Process, or can the Colour be Regained afterwards?
I have heard of People Treating it with Heat and Vasaline to get the Colour Back, what kind of Methods do you all use and how reliable are they?
Soooo I did actually try Vapor Smoothing with MEK Before! Infact I still got a Litre of that Stuff Around now, but even after leaving the print in there for Days at 50°C the Results where… honestly no big Changes at all…
I do suspect there is an Error in my Methodology… but turns out there isnt a lot of Info out there on Vapor Smoothing with MEK… Have you used MEK for Vapor Smoothing before?
I’ve not used MEK personally, all of my petg parts are structural. What I’m seeing online says 60-80c.
What I’d do is kick it up by 5c at a time.
swap in failed test prints and see how that changes things. Keep in mind if you stay in the cold range and give it more time, it might create a better finish.
Too hot and it’ll start melting.
Maybe also “priming” the chamber with a heat gun so the air is also warm. (Do this before placing the MEK!)
Also, a small hole someplace that’ll get covered and a toothpick to lift the part will help retain its shape.
The main thing I’m wondering right now, is the MEK supposed to Boil? I feel like it should be, but at that point im also working with e Pressurised Vessel with very much Dangerous chemicals… thought’s?
i;ve never used pressurized vapor baths, for anything. I’d certainly stay away from pressurized vapor baths using heated solvents that are also rather flammable (that’s… got some exciting possibilities that I would let my worst enemy do first.) I’d use picture glass (or cheap ikea mirrors.) to build up a box. set it up outside where the vapors aren’t a problem.
alternatively, a cheap-ass-fuck stock pot with a glass lid will also work fine, but don’t seal it… and certainly don’t use it for food when you’re done.
as for if it should boil, it’s boinling point is about 80 deg. C, so if you’re seeing boiling, you either have somewhat impure MEK (which is fine,) or your temp measurement is off. It should still put enough vapor into the box that you can see it working though… it’ll just work faster. its less advised to boil it off because, well. it works too fast usually.
please tell me you’re doing all of this outside or with a ginormous fume hood that goes outside. (seriously, MEK is not to be underestimated.)
For what it’s worth, if you have a pressure vessel and you want to make it go differently, reducing the pressure will have better effect (or so I’m told.)
I mean it wasn’t boiling which I thought was the issue. The setup I got rn is a Very Solid glass Jar that was fully Sealed and heated to around 50°C on my Printer bed. Left my Prints in there for between 30 Minutes to a Whole day, and while it was a lot shinier afterwards, no changes in the lines or or layers where to be seen.
Safety wise I got a Gas Mask, Fitting Clothes and some other Saftey stuff around
I habe never used mek, but acetone on abs. Works like a charm.