I was sitting at my work table today with a pair of standard pliers, cranking off the support material of a customer's part and I thought... I wonder if there are better tools for this?
I've always just used pliers and stuff, but what do you guys use?
What's your cleaning setup?
9 years, 2 months ago
1
elpulpo
- OMG! I must have, like 30lbs of cleanup tools of one kind or another. 4 different tools for removing rafts from the build plate, from a standard scraper that's been sharpened and polished, to a wood scraper - Rectangle of thin Stainless Steel with a plastic holder along one of the longer sides, once again, sharpened and polished. Then a couple of palette knives of different sizes. Thinned, sharpened and polished - Are you detecting a pattern here?! :-D
Then, for actually removing support materials, everything from snipe nosed pliers and a cheap set of dentist's tools. BUT!! I'm afraid my most useful tools aren't available in any store - My thumb nails are like 1/64" thick, 1/5" long and though as old boots! :-)
sd3dprinting
- Oh yes, the struggle is real. Most days I do not have feelings in the tips of my thumbs due to being used for support material removal for multiple years. I also tend to use that area of my body to troubleshoot faulty thermistor/thermalcouple readings but I'm going to have to switch that up to a more sensitive area soon.
9 years, 2 months ago
0
nateybo
- lol! a 5-in-1 putty knife sharpened and polished for removing objects from bed, a metal file for tapping the putty knife and cleaning up parts, a tiny craftsmen needle nose plier( favorite), an exacto knife(seldomly used), and a cracker barrel gift card for quickly wiping plastic boogers off the bed.
9 years, 2 months ago
0
the_robo_forge
- Fingers, small plier, and exacto knife but for the totally smooth look Acetone Vapor Bath.
9 years, 2 months ago
0
n23d
- I also use many of the above. Flush cut saw, xacto razor saw, Dremel tool with sanding drum, Diamond blade (makes a fine line cut and plastic does not stick as bad as cut off wheels), Ball burr. Also nail files. Sandpaper different grits, loose and bonded to foam board. (not related to question about supports but general finishing ) A rock tumbler with tetrahedral deburring stones. I would like to get a virbratory bowel polisher like the big boys use.I have also found that a blow torch with a built in igniter works well for removing strings, takes a very light touch.
9 years, 2 months ago
0
nathan
- An oyster shucker to pop parts (not pop tarts) off the build plate.
9 years, 1 month ago
0
sd3dprinting
- Wait a second...you use a blowtorch on your parts? Interesting.
Then, for actually removing support materials, everything from snipe nosed pliers and a cheap set of dentist's tools. BUT!! I'm afraid my most useful tools aren't available in any store - My thumb nails are like 1/64" thick, 1/5" long and though as old boots! :-)
Well! Nathan started it! :-D
Why use soluble supports when you can just harpoon that sucker? Genius!