Build Your Own SLA/SLS

hp,
I am using a 0.005" FEP sheet 200mm x 200mm
Build plate is 150mm x 150mm
Where on Alibaba did you get your FEP?
I see you are using 0.05mm (0.002"), that seems really thin?

ahh our flexvat is arround 150x100 its to small for your build plate
although the fep film is nice and thin we get good prints
we orderd on taobao, but for your convenience, alibaba is more easy.

cheers,
hp

I've just order some stuff here - http://f4zp.taobao.com/

HP,
Thanks for your assistance. Looks like I may be buying some more FEP. What exposures are you using and what is the biggest part you have printed with your flex vat?

How good is fep film

Its like printing on butter lol

So my film finally arrived on Friday 5min later I have working vat and for the grand price of around $5

Should call it the 5,5 vat 5min to build 5 bucks to make

My exposure time was 5sec with 2mm lift these vats make sla printing viable into the future.

I hadn't built a silicone vat but why would u when u have fep film.

More pics

Hi chemstar,

I love it.. Good work!!

cheers,
hp

hi dangre,

my exposure settings vary depending on the resin i use, i have 4 different manufacturer who make all their own different type of resin. varying from 0.9ms per llayer depending thickness to 3.4 sec per layer

the first few layers i use 10 seconds or 13 seconds. the biggest part is a 26cm long bottle, the widest part is a ironman helmet, 10cmx8cm
cheerst,
hp

HP, thanks for the info. I love your vat designs, I'm trying to hard with my tensioned vat. Hopefully my long exposures are due to my FEP. I'll try to get some from Alibaba. One thing I just ran into -- I was having an issue with the part not sticking to the build platform and I solved it by adding more tension to the FEP. I think the FEP was 'bulging' due to my long exposure and causing the resin to move around during curing. I've learned to 'tune' my vat like tensioning a drum to get the right taughtness.

Hi dangre,

i do pre-tension my container Flex vat, as you can see in the picture below, I have room to tension the fep film by pushing a piece of 10mm electronical cable between the lid and the fep film.
giving pretty tensed fep film. And thanks to my neighbour who cut of the bottom part of the container makes it a perfect usable Flex vat

this is the top side:

this is the bottom side

the rest of the pictures are just some pictures I took.

cheers,
hp