Build Your Own SLA/SLS

This is what I use and it works great and is cheaper than Sylgard. Only 37.00 for the kit.

I have 3 vats that I keep coated. I use the oven method and I can get a usable coat ready in 2 hours. As long as you can keep your oven between 150 -170 deg. Any warmer and you could warp the polycarbonate - unless you use glass, of course.



The actual Dow Sylgard 184 on Amazon is $52.00.

Jon

"Any warmer and you could warp the polycarbonate - unless you use glass, of course."

That's one of the reasons I switched to glass. Now I can vacuum de-air then oven cure it for 15min @300F (150C).

Is the entire vat glass or just the bottom? If it's just the bottom, how do you get a thick layer of PDMS on the glass, what do you have on the sides to contain while baking? Curious.

Just the bottom of the vat is glass. It is held in a 2 piece frame of HDPE that clamps onto the glass.

I put 1" blue painters tape around the edge of the glass to make a wall. I pour in the Sylgard, wait for it to level and for the bubbles to go away (or vacuum degass if I'm in a hurry). I bake it in a toaster oven @300deg f for about 15 min. After it cools I remove the tape. There is some adhesive residue left behind but since it isn't near my imaging area I don't worry about it. The slot in my frame is a little too big because I started with a thicker piece of plexi so I run a bead of aquarium sealer around the edge before I clamp the frame together. One of these days I'll get around to making a new frame that is tight enough for the Sylgard to act as its own gasket.

Another advantage to glass is that it is easier to clean off and re use. I had several pieces of Plexiglas that were ruined when the Sylgard failed (tore) and the resin attacked/dissolved it