So I've been wanting to make those Clear Keychains for some of my Artist Friends that we saw at a Convention, with my first idea being Resin 3D Printing, a thing that I am very much unfamiliar with!
My Idea is to 3D Print out a Transparent shape, then Print the same shape but mirrored, then take both and Sandwich a Paper Print picture of one of my Friends Characters between the 2 and bind it all together!
There is a concern that I have Before I go out and get myself setup with a Resin 3D Printer... how Clear is Clear Resin anyway? All I can seem to find Online is Prints made by the Resin Sellers, which lets be real, cannot be trusted on its own. Given that the Paper Picture Sandwiched in the 2 Resin Shapes needs to be very Visible, the Resin Shape must be basically Near Perfectly Clear. What is your Folks experience with Clear Resin? Would you recommend using a Resin 3D Printer for this or should I go look for other Methods?
Edit: Thanks too all of you for shimming in with your Many Detailed Experiences, Ideas and Suggestions! After considering everything, I've decided that the best Route I should take is utilising a Laser Cutting Machine with Acrylic. A thing I've somehow not considered before! I want to choose the Lasercutting method in Particular as I think it'll also allow for many other Possibilities to Create things in the Future! Now I do have to do my Research on what machines are on the Market for Transparent Acrylic, as from what I've read only certain Laser Types can Handle those. But I think I'll find something that Suits me! Much thanks for everyone who Commented here!
Not terribly clear off the printer but I've seen people dip them in something. Can't seem to remember what it is. Epoxy, maybe? And that makes them super clear. You could probably also just hit them with a clear coat from a spray paint can.
Even then, it's susceptible to absorbing oils from your hands, and being damaged by UV, both which will turn them yellow after a while, like all clear plastics (other than acrylic).
I think youre thinking of an acetone bath which will melt the outer layer of some plastics and make them smooth.
Acetone smoothing is mainly for FDM prints made from ABS or ASA and works because those plastics are readily soluble in acetone.
For resin prints acetone can be used as a substitute for or additive to IPA when cleaning off excess resin before curing. There's even some evidence that it works better than IPA alone for this purpose. Although, if you leave a resin print in the acetone too long it can cause some discoloration and make the part more brittle.
No, the reason clear 3d prints are cloudy is because layer lines cause scattering, which makes it appear cloudy. Coating the surface with a clear epoxy fills in the tiny gaps that causes light to scatter, improving the optical clarity.
Whether you're filling the low spots or melting away the high spots, I think you're achieving the same result.
Yeah but this whole post is about resin prints, which cannot be acetone smoothed.