3D Printed scenery self destructing Thunderchrome/Bad Roll problems

[Cat]

Eeks, the painting time spent!  And I had been dubious about resin prints but thought PLA was a safer bet.

My Mean Streets board for The Warriors movie used 22+  spools of Inland PLA+ from MicroCenter.  Fortunately stored in a cool, dark, and not too much humidity variation place (our cellar).  Hmm, might spray matte varnish on the bottoms/insides and add some large desicant packs to the storage boxes...

[Mammoth miniatures]

One thing you could do prior to painting a pla print is brush the surface with a polyurethane resin. Even if the pla does somehow still degrade, the surface will be suspended in a solid resin layer and that should hold it all together.

[robh]

Trying to salvage what I can from my set I have noticed most of the problem seems to result from the "fill" rather than the surface.

I have 2 distinct problems:
Firstly, the inside of the printed structure is decomposing leaving a void, this is noticeable on the walls and roof pieces. Touching the area of the void causes the remaining shell to collapse into it.
Secondly, smaller pieces like chimneys, oil drums, cable reels, airducts and such like are delaminating, the print is snapping very cleanly along a filament layer leaving a outer shell with clearly visible lattice fill inside. Supergluing them back together is futile as it just delaminates at the next layer.

......the surface will be suspended in a solid resin layer and that should hold it all together....

I think this is good advice, The pieces I completed with primer, paint and varnish coats have survived better than the pieces I never got around to painting or were left just primed. An initial coat of resin would be even better.

[Mammoth miniatures]

Trying to salvage what I can from my set I have noticed most of the problem seems to result from the "fill" rather than the surface.



I think this is good advice, The pieces I completed with primer, paint and varnish coats have survived better than the pieces I never got around to painting or were left just primed. An initial coat of resin would be even better.

If you don't want to splash out on expensive resin to save your prints, you could also brush on cheap superglue. use a couple of cheap and nasty brushes and just paint superglue over the entire surface. it will do the same job as a resin and should hold everything together nicely.

[Rick]

If you don't want to splash out on expensive resin to save your prints, you could also brush on cheap superglue. use a couple of cheap and nasty brushes and just paint superglue over the entire surface. it will do the same job as a resin and should hold everything together nicely.

That is a brilliant idea, Mammoth! Although I'm not sure about the brushes - I don't like the idea of trying to remove stuck bristles afterwards; If I'm coating a mini (or part of a mini) in superglue (more often than you might think - it's a useful technique) then I'll use a cocktail stick (US - toothpick). Now, having said that, there is a way of doing this which is fairly easy, fairly cheap and would provide the full coverage necessary - a 2-part superglue where you'd brush on the glue then spray the activator on afterwards - I may look at using this myself.

[Cat]

You can put a blob of superglue on the surface and spread it around with a bit of tissue or paper towel.  I do this a lot to seal and harden putty filler and bits.

[mikedemana]

My Mean Streets board for The Warriors movie used 22+  spools of Inland PLA+ from MicroCenter. 

It would be a crime against humanity if that amazing board and such disappeared... 

Mike Demana

[Cat]

Yeah Mike, that's the stuff of nightmares.
X_x
 
Related materials query.  I've been using SciGrip 16 acrylics solvent cement on my PLA, which does a nice fused bond.  In the long term, does this strengthen and protect the bonded surfaces?  Or does it introduce moisture and weaken it (or just remain a neutral factor what don't help matters)?

[Dolnikan]

I don't really know SciGrip 16, but as far as I understand, it uses solvent welding. Which is to say, it melts/dissolves a little of the material before setting. It creates a pretty strong bond but it doesn't really add to or change the SLA. So it shouldn't really have any impact on how the material behaves.

[Waffles_vs_Tacos]

I would personally try modpodge or the like rather than super glue. A lot less toxic, less brittle, far cheaper, and very likely to be as or more effective.

I have never used Modpodge on PLA prints as they were never my cup of tea, but I have sealed tons of terrain with it, including lots of things made from foam, expressly for the purpose of making it tough enough to withstand frequent use in wargaming, and it works great for that purpose.

[Mammoth miniatures]

I would personally try modpodge or the like rather than super glue. A lot less toxic, less brittle, far cheaper, and very likely to be as or more effective.

I have never used Modpodge on PLA prints as they were never my cup of tea, but I have sealed tons of terrain with it, including lots of things made from foam, expressly for the purpose of making it tough enough to withstand frequent use in wargaming, and it works great for that purpose.

Modge podge is just PVA with a fancy label and is largely water based. It will add moisture into the print and then trap it. It's also reactive to moisture itself. It works for varnishing and selling foam but in this case it would likely just become a rubbery film that peels off when the print degrades.

[Onebigriver]

I've got to admit this thread and the exploding tank thread has me worried about printed figures, vehicles and terrain I've bought, and stopped me from buying more. Any advice on what I should ask sellers about what they use to print their minis before buying any more?

[Mikai]

Any advice on what I should ask sellers about what they use to print their minis before buying any more?