What is acetone vapor smoothing?

Acetone vapor smoothing uses gaseous acetone to dissolve the surface of a print. This ‘acetone bath’ blends the 3D printing layer lines together and results in a smooth shiny finish. Since acetone evaporates quickly even at room temperature, this process can be done slowly without any heating.

How do you smooth acetone?

Smoothing ABS 3D Prints

  1. Method #1: Apply Acetone with a Brush.
  2. Method #2: Acetone Bath.
  3. Method #3: Acetone Steam Bath / Vapor Smoothing.
  4. What You Need for Vapor Smoothing.
  5. Safety First.
  6. Step 1: Placing the Object.
  7. Step 2: Wait.
  8. Step 3: Remove Object & Curing.

Can you smooth PLA with acetone?

As we mentioned previously, PLA can’t be smoothed with acetone in the way that ABS can, but there’s still an option to achieve a similar finish. Polymaker Polysmooth is composed of PVB, a material very similar to PLA that can be chemically smoothed. However, it requires the use of the Polymaker Polysher.

How long does it take for acetone to smoothen?

Depending on how rough the surfaces of the object are, and how polished you want the object to be, the process can take from around 15 minutes to several hours. There is ALWAYS a trade-off between the required surface finish and the loss of fine details.

Does acetone make ABS stronger?

In summary, acetone has a slightly negative impact on an ABS part, specifically its horizontal strength. As we now know, if you need a piece horizontally stronger than usual, you might want to avoid acetone smoothing.

Is Asa better than ABS?

In summary, the key differences between ASA and ABS are: ASA is more UV resistant than ABS. ASA is more water-resistant than ABS. ASA has higher temperature resistance than ABS.

How do you make a smooth PLA vapor?

Get a soft cotton cloth, and apply a small amount of liquid polish. Then apply to your 3D print surface in small circles until all the polish is rubbed into the surface. Once you’ve finished that, the surface should look reasonably shiny. The final stage is to buff up the surface into that mirrored, polished shine.

Can you use acetone to smooth 3D prints?

Acetone smoothing can be done by applying acetone vapors or liquid to a printed part, which dissolves the many 3D printed layers. This “binding” of layers is what yields that glossy and smooth finish.

Does PLA dissolve in acetone?

Yes, acetone can dissolve PLA but only under certain conditions. You might get better results with other solvents, but there isn’t one that reliably works for all types of PLA filament. PLA is an excellent 3D printing material, but it does not offer a lot of post-processing options.

Does vapor smoothing increase strength?

In this article, the authors hypothesize that vapor smoothing may increase strength under nonoptimal loading conditions as a result of increased cohesion between layers and a reduction in stress concentrations.