You’ve made it! You imported your model, meticulously set up supports in RayWare, and patiently waited for MoonRay to finish printing. Follow these steps to complete the finishing process, making sure that your model comes out looking like you imagined.
Cleaning Supplies
Here’s what we use to clean our parts. Many of these items are found in your finishing kit. Most of them are optional and can be swapped out at your discretion, but we find this configuration to be a great starting point:
- Finishing tool
- Flush cutter/precision knife
- Gloves
- Isopropyl alcohol (90% or higher)
- Dunking container
- Cleaning tool (i.e. toothbrush)
- Compressed air
- UV Cure Light
Removing the Platform
Begin by removing the cover from MoonRay and setting it aside. Take off the build platform by unscrewing the handle and sliding the platform toward you.
Note: Always remove the build platform before removing the resin tank to avoid excess resin dripping inside your MoonRay.
Replace the cover on MoonRay so that the resin in the tank does not cure while you’re finishing your part. Place your build platform in the finishing kit and carefully use the finishing tool to remove your part from the platform.
Supports and Cleaning
Now is the best time to remove supports as they are still soft and pliable. Typically, supports can be easily snapped off of the model with minimal effort by hand. However, for difficult areas or to ensure that the surface of your model is smooth, a precision knife and/or flush cutter are recommended.
Clean the excess wet resin from your part by rinsing it thoroughly in isopropyl alcohol. The intention is to dislodge any uncured liquid resin from the surfaces and crevices of your print. You can use automated equipment like a magnetic stirrer or a toothbrush to clean the part.
Drying and Curing
Once your part is clean, let it dry so you can be sure that you didn’t miss any excess resin. Uncleaned resin will appear as a greasy smudge on the surface of your print. For best results, use compressed air to dry your model.
Use a UV Cure Chamber, such as SprintRay Pro Cure to cure your parts. Parts are not fully polymerized until they have been exposed to enough UV light to make them completely dry and matte. If a low wattage light is used this may take as long as an hour.
