Step One; Have your printer dialed in and running well.
Step Two; Print as at high a resolution as your printer can manage. Mine will go to layers as small as 0.08mm, but anything smaller than the bog-standard 0.2mm layer will be a big win. And yes, it will take more time to print... but it's time -you- don't have to spent sanding.
Step Three; Sand. Invest in good set of sanding sticks, or print some Sanding Bows and use small sanding belts. https://cults3d.com/en/creations/sandin ... 30mm-belts
Step Four; Print in ABS if you can. Vapour smooting or even brushing on some MEK or Acetone will do a lot of work for you.
As an example; this is my desing for the 3-piece differential cover, available on Cults. https://cults3d.com/en/creations/3-piec ... m4-sherman
Printed at 0.16 (nothing too crazy), using ABS.
Left side unsanded, right side sanded, and the middle part brushed with MEK (Acetone's hotter sister) and stippled with a hard brush for a casting texture.
When you print in PLA you could make some ABS Goop, (ABS scraps dissolved in MEK or Acetone) and stipple that on with the same coarse brush. That piece is supposed to have casting texture anyway.
Also; you can brush HL tanks with Acetone and stipple them to replicate casting texture, since HL tanks are made from ABS...
ttfn,
Rob
PS; No offence Mike, but that print looks -rough-!
ColemanCollector wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 1:43 pm Good question! I too, await the sage replies.
20240104_170952.jpg
Mike.
