What are the fire hazards with 3D printer resins and washing solutions? Specifically, is it safe to work
under a kitchen style hood with an exhaust motor that likely produces sparks on the motor armature? I have the hood over my soldering table, with an AC Infinity exhaust fan inline as well and would consider working there.
In the topic, Using Boric Acid to strengthen investment for resin casting
AurumArcanum posted:
“Phrozen Sonic Mini 8k …/… The current workhorse is the phrozen. The 8k prints come out great!”
I got interested, saw a youtube comparing the new Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S to the older and more expensive Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K and the output looked quite a bit better. And it is selling for just $314 (with 10% discount). So I’d like to give it a try, but don’t want to breathe toxic fumes, and certainly don’t want to blow up my shop.
So how do you safely ventilate 3D resin and washing fumes?
Neil A
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Neil A,
I was hoping that someone would answer this question because I’m not sure? We just bought a Formlabs 3/D printer at my job. We got it last week, so it’s not set up yet.
We’re only going to use this printer with Formlabs castable wax media. Formlabs says that kind of printing media doesn’t require special ventilation. Their other kinds or resin 3/D printing media does require special ventilation.
Every kind of chemical-based product requires a SDS (safety data sheets). Safety info is there including flammability info. Maybe that will answer your question.
Sorry that I’m not more help!
Jeff
Reading an SDS just made me nervous. 
It is hard to know from an SDS. Legalese. What is the practical reality?
If it wasn’t for youtube videos I’d be totally lost (and may well be anyway…) From what I’ve seen, resins need washing in almost pure alcohol (ethyl or isopropyl) and the washing device used may be more important. One video knocked a particular brand’s washing station because the lid was just a gravity fit, no rubber or other seal. Anycubic’s washing container has a snap-closed lid.
I think (but do not know) that the washing step has the greatest flammability risk because it is almost pure alcohol. I might do that outdoors.
You will have results long before I get started, so please share what you find out. The learning curve is pretty steep for an old dog. CAD, slicing software, practical issues… I’m taking it very slowly.
Neil A
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One thing to consider if you haven’t is to put your cash into 3/D design software, not 3/D printing hardware and utilize a 3/D printing service to create your models. 3/D printers are just like computers. Within 3-5 years the model you have will be obsolete.
There are many companies out there with up to date, state of the art 3/D printers that will print your .stl file for not a lot of money.
It’s something to consider as well as it solves a lot of problems.
Jeff
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My question about the fire hazard of 3D printing resins got answered. I tried it, nothing went boom.
There wasn’t much in the way of fumes during the actual printing, which is contained by the printer, and which I had right under a hood. The resin doesn’t seem to have a high percentage of volatile solvent. The washing step was also not terrible since the solvent is fairly well contained by the Anycubic washing station during the washing cycle.
Fumes from the cleanup process - cleaning the printer’s resin reservoir and everything else - is another matter entirely. I certainly wouldn’t light my torch right away. But the fumes from cleaning up with the washing solvent are pretty bad health-wise. The cleanup really should be done outside.
One person on a Youtube said the safest washing solvent would be ethyl alcohol vs isopropyl, and I think fumes from the Phrozen brand solvent are worse due to other compounds in the solution.
Neil A
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