¶ Sparkmaker
The Sparkmaker is a SLA (Stereolithography) 3D printer that uses a UV light to cure a liquid resin layer by layer into a solid plastic object. Prints are much higher resolution than from a FDM printer, but it's slower, has a smaller build area, and the consumables are more expensive.
¶ Safety
See the 3D printer Assessment
¶ Resin
SLA printer resin is toxic and an irritant. Avoid contact with skin, eyes and lungs. Gloves should be warn whenever handling it. Please don't drink it...
- IF ON SKIN (or hair) : Wash with plenty of soap and water
- IF IN EYES : Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy
to do. Continue rinsing.
- IF SWALLOWED : Immediately call a POISON CENTER or doctor/physician
- If skin irritation or rash occurs: Get medical advice/attention.
- Take off contaminated clothing and wash before reuse.
- Collect spillage.
¶ Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is toxic, an irritant and flammable. Wear gloves, and keep it away from an open flame. It will get you dead before it gets you drunk, don't try it.
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Eye Contact - Remove contact lenses if present. Flush eyes with water or a regular saline solution for at least 20 minutes and seek medical attention.
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Skin Contact - Remove and isolate all contaminated clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention if skin irritation or redness occurs.
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Inhalation – The affected individual should be removed from the area immediately and brought into fresh air. Seek medical attention immediately if any breathing problems are present.
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Ingestion - If victim is conscious, give 1-2 glasses of water to dilute the alcohol. Do not induce vomiting, as there is risk of the chemical being aspirated into the lungs while vomiting. Seek medical attention immediately.
¶ Usage
¶ Preparing a 3D Model
- Download Spark Studio or use the copy preinstalled on the Hackpace PCs.
- Open an STL file containing your model
- Select the correct material in the dropdown in the sidebar, the standard material is "LCD-T"
- Select the resolution you want to print your model at. Higher resolutions are more detailed but take longer to print.
- Select your model and select the support tab on the right (the center tab)
- In most cases you should be able to just hit the "Auto Support" button, but if you have issues with your print you might want to try changing some support settings.
- Go back to the first tab, then select the slice button (3 layers) on the left
- Select your SD card. This will overwrite any previous sparkmaker file on the SD card.
¶ Starting a print
- Raise the build plate by turning the knob on the front
- Loosen the large screw at the top and slide the build plate out
- Clean any excess resin from the build plate using a paper towel
- Replace the build plate
- Insert an SD card containing a sliced sparkmaker file (see below)
- Press the knob on the front
- To pause the print and raise the model for inspection, press the knob. To resume, press the knob again
¶ Finishing
- When your model has finished printing, remove it from the build plate using a wallpaper scraping tool and gloved hands, taking care not to scratch the build plate
- Wipe down and clean the build plate
- To clean your print, put it in a container with Isopropyl alcohol and gently agitate it to wash away any excess resin
- To further harden your model, leave it under a UV light or in sunlight.