Build Your Own SLA/SLS

Also, for schematic, you could look at the RAMPs schematic. Obviously you don't need all axis implemented:

Just a thought. Since the resin will only really be cured with the blue wavelength of light, the other colours will do nothing except heat up the resin. I'm guessing the 'gummy mess' you describe is due to the resin heating too much, so wonder if you print with only the blue but at 100% brightness i...

I'm not sure about the rate issues however, with the power issues, is the stepper motor driver getting hot to touch? If so then try turning the voltage down until it just gets warm. With the microstepping, what are the jumper settings on your ramps? When you send the command to move 5mm does the ste...

I think that you would end up with bubbles of water in the print. Either that or you would need 10 min settling time after lift before every layer exposure. Since the weight of water (I assume a salt brine) is not that much different from the resin, it will take a long time to settle, becoming like ...

How much settling time do you have between layers? Have you tried increasing it? Do you have any video of it printing?

Thanks sgraber. Don't want to hijack this thread, but the reason for thinking CO2 is it's cheap and easy to come by (sodastream canisters). Similarly, the small amount of oxygen that you would need have between two FEP layers could be easily made from water via electrolysis with a small power supply.

I guess 'tomorrow' is a relative term when busy creating the next level of vat technology.
Any updates on this? I hope you haven't run into any hurdles.

Wow. That's an innovative design! I wonder if it would be beneficial to have two of the non-captive steppers (one for each side of the platform). From the pictures, correct me if I'm wrong, it looks like you've flattened the lead screw so that its rotation can be restricted, which could cause additi...

This is an interesting idea. If you were going to go to the trouble of creating a pressurized FEP cushion like that, you would probably want to fill it with pure oxygen. I wonder if, without adding pressure, if you were to just have pure oxygen (rather than air, which is 78% nitrogen) under the FEP ...

If you are coming from FDM 3d printers then some of your confusion may be because you are used to building directly on the build platform. I don't believe this is very common with SLA and you will usually have Support base attached to the build plate upon which you have the supports, then at the top...