How to clean up/ smooth out 3D printed kit surfaces/ get rid of layer lines on 3D printed kits you have bought?

[dutik]

Hello!

 

How to smooth out the surface of 3D printed kit parts? I. e. to remove of all that fine steps and lines that cover 3D printed kits all around?

 

Well, sanding down a well detailed surface just to get of these lines is not an option to mee. Just think of a canvas covered wing surface with ribs and stitching all around. You don't want to sand these off and rebuild them again... Same with all other kind of aircraft surfaces.

 

Any advice?

 

Regards

- dutik

Edited June 29, 2022 by dutik

[Juggernut]

I found this:  How to clean up layer lines   I've also heard (but have no experience) that brushing with solvent can at least minimize the lines but lacking that....  Get a resin 3D printer.... 

Edited June 29, 2022 by Juggernut

[thierry laurent]

A coat of primer will already help.

[rafju]

surfacer 500 then sanding?

[dutik]

Clarification: These are not my layer lines. It#s not about refining the printing process.

 

I did not print the parts. I just bought the kit from a manufacturer with the layer lines right out of the box.

 

Regards

- dutik

 

p.s. That's the difference to resin kits. They had bubbles here and there, but no layer lines all around. There really was something better in my youth

Edited June 29, 2022 by dutik

[LSP_Kevin]

What's the kit, dutik? Is it FDM-printed? If so, what's the material? If it's ABS, a good deal of smoothing can be achieved by exposing the pieces to acetone fumes (plenty on YouTube about it). This trick doesn't work with PLA, however. Whatever the material, generally speaking, a couple of heavy primer coats are they way to go. The problem you really face, though, is that any method that reduces or eliminates the layer lines, will potentially have the same effect on the surface detail.

 

Kev

[Bob MDC]

I have been working with 3D prints for over 12 years now and had to "refine" all sorts, from very delicate to bloody rough. The most important part is not to lose detail.

My standard method.

Ensure the part is clean and dry and properly cured, a spray of car body primer then before it dries a coat of Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500 both from a spray cans allow the primers to fully harden then finish I tend to use a large glass fibre brush https://www.shestotrade.com/Modelcraft-Glass-Fibre-Brush-7mm- then Scotbright pads https://www.cromwell.co.uk/search?query=3m+scotch+brite+hand+pads Shop arround for these as you can get some good deals, my normal pick is green (course), red (medium) and fine (grey) but all shapes and sizes can be found.

Always check your detail as it can be easy to over sand when you are happy with the surface a light spray with Mr FS 1500 to ensure an even surface finish.

 

The glass fibre pens are great, they can take cement finger prints from plastic and restore old 3D prints( a customer re-released an old item but found the print had a coating of "mould" but a brush over then a coat of Mr SF solved the problem)

 

Hope that helps

 

Bob

[Model_Monkey]

Not all 3D printing technologies are the same and only a few are suitable for producing scale models with smooth surfaces.  Some tech produce very smooth surfaces.  Others not so much.

 

The good: 3D printers using UV light-based technologies such as SLA, MSLA or DLP typically produce very smooth surfaces with no or very subtle visible print lines.  Those technologies use UV light to harden liquid resin in a tank.  These technologies are generally very desirable for scale models.  The model battleship turret below is produced in a Formlabs "Form 2" SLA printer.  There are no visible print lines.

 

 

The bad: 3D printers that make models using a process called SLS, such as those that extrude molten nylon through a nozzle, are known for creating very prominent layer lines.  Layers are deep and often spoil fine detail.  Being nylon, it is very difficult to smooth those surfaces.  Therefore, SLS is generally not considered suitable for scale, static-display models where surface smoothness and fine detail are important.

 

The fixable: 

• 3D printers using a tech called FDM produce models with rough surfaces but surface smoothness may be fixable.  FDM is similar to SLS but can produce models made of strong ABS plastic and other attractive materials rather than nylon.  FDM printing is also generally faster than SLA-type printers.  Rough FDM-produced surfaces can be smoothed using various techniques including applying layers of primer, then smoothing the primer. See Bob MDC's post above.
• 3D printers making models using a process called material jetting can produce pretty rough surfaces but surface roughness can be smoothed using tools like an air eraser while protecting most detail.  Shapeways "Fine Detail Plastic" is made using this process.  Air erasers look and work like an airbrush, but cost a lot less, and emit common household baking soda as a non-toxic grit to smooth surfaces.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited June 29, 2022 by Model_Monkey

[Jeff T]

Tell you what, you'd need more than a coat of primer for that 1/32 P-3 Orion I saw posted here a while back!

[panzerrob]

Hi Dutik,

 

I used a product called XTC-3D and I am quite happy with it.

This is the front side of an 1/16 Sd.Kfz 250/8 Stummel, I tried to sand down the printer lines a bit.

 

 

Then I mixed up a bit of the XTC-3D product and applied it to the model.

It is like a thick varnish and it spreads out evenly.

I diluted it with aceton for the first time, so awaiting the result now.

You can see the package, it is good for multiple 1/16 vehicles.

 

This was my first 3D model I used it on, this is the result.

 

Herzlichen Gruss aus Holland,

Rob

 

P.S. These are commercial available models, definitive NOT printed by me! 

[dutik]

Thank you for advice!

 

Photos of the kit parts:

 

 

Watch for the layer lines on the elevator. These are not only lines, but fine steps all around the surface.

 

Same with the main wings, but not visible in the photo. Just shown to give you an idea of the ribbed surface here.

 

 

Well, the fuselage has layer lines too (along the sidewalls), bumps from the print supports, a large sinkhole and some misalignment due to the sinkhole. But this is manageable with good ol' putty and sanding, because here are no details that could get damaged.

 

Regards

- dutik

[dutik]

8 hours ago, Jeff T said:

Tell you what, you'd need more than a coat of primer for that 1/32 P-3 Orion I saw posted here a while back!

 

You are a wise man, indeed

 

Regards

- dutik

[John Stambaugh]

On 6/29/2022 at 7:05 PM, Model_Monkey said:

Not all 3D printing technologies are the same and only a few are suitable for producing scale models with smooth surfaces.  Some tech produce very smooth surfaces.  Others not so much.

 

The good: 3D printers using UV light-based technologies such as SLA, MSLA or DLP typically produce very smooth surfaces with no or very subtle visible print lines.  Those technologies use UV light to harden liquid resin in a tank.  These technologies are generally very desirable for scale models.  The model battleship turret below is produced in a Formlabs "Form 2" SLA printer.  There are no visible print lines.

 

 

The bad: 3D printers that make models using a process called SLS, such as those that extrude molten nylon through a nozzle, are known for creating very prominent layer lines.  Layers are deep and often spoil fine detail.  Being nylon, it is very difficult to smooth those surfaces.  Therefore, SLS is generally not considered suitable for scale, static-display models where surface smoothness and fine detail are important.

 

The fixable: 

• 3D printers using a tech called FDM produce models with rough surfaces but surface smoothness may be fixable.  FDM is similar to SLS but can produce models made of strong ABS plastic and other attractive materials rather than nylon.  FDM printing is also generally faster than SLA-type printers.  Rough FDM-produced surfaces can be smoothed using various techniques including applying layers of primer, then smoothing the primer. See Bob MDC's post above.
• 3D printers making models using a process called material jetting can produce pretty rough surfaces but surface roughness can be smoothed using tools like an air eraser while protecting most detail.  Shapeways "Fine Detail Plastic" is made using this process.  Air erasers look and work like an airbrush, but cost a lot less, and emit common household baking soda as a non-toxic grit to smooth surfaces.

 

Hope this helps.

He should know. I have several items from Model Monkey and their parts are always fine and smooth.