Nylon SLS post processing guide
If you want to improve your experience with Stubby Buddy and you have an existing SLS printed cage you have a few things you can do. Please note all post processing is done at the customers discretion and risk, Stubby Buddy cannot be held accountable for the results of post processing done by the customer.
Sanding:
Light Sanding
Upside - Reduces pinching or scratching
Downside - Does not fully remove the SLS printing texture
Effort - Low
Time - 10-15min per part
Materials: 400 grit wet sandpaper
Directions: Lightly sand all parts, use water to keep the sandpaper from gumming up. Pay extra attention on any hard edges like the opening of the cage and splitter edges giving them a slightly bevel to improve comfort. Follow post sanding instructions below.
Sanding to Smooth
Upside - Smooth texture less finish with minimal friction.
Downside - Involves a lot of sanding
Effort - Moderate
Time - 30-90 minutes per part
Materials: 200 & 400 grit wet sandpaper, 600-1000grit optional
Directions: Lightly sand all parts, use water to keep the sandpaper from gumming up. Pay extra attention on any hard edges like the opening of the cage and splitter edges giving them a slightly bevel to improve comfort. Work through the grit range you choose to do from lowest to highest. Follow post sanding instructions below.
Post Sanding Instructions:
Sanding will take away some of the dye use to colour the print. Unfortunately this can't be stopped but you can restore it slightly by using the color bleed that dyed parts suffer when subjected to boiling hot water this will reactivate any dye that is left inside the print surface and will restore a tiny bit of colour by redistributing that to the newly exposed plastic.
Take your parts and put them in an appropriately sized container that can handle boiling hot water. Such as a large clean coffee mug, ideally you want to use the least amount of water to fully submerge your parts. Boil some water and pour it into the container with the parts and add a few drops of dish soap. Loosely cover the container if possible then let the part sit for 10-15 minutes, with a quick stir every 5 minutes.
Results of this process are often going to be pretty minimal, which may or may not restore enough colour for you. If you want to go further you can by RIT dye off amazon and follow the same procedure with 2ml of whatever colour your want to dye it mixed into the water.
Coating Options:
Coatings are either brushed or sprayed on and both seal and smooth the print. Its recommended if you go with a coating to also do light sanding at minimum.
Acrylic Coating
Upside - Mostly smooth parts, inert and safe for skin contact
Downside - Acrylic coatings are thin and weak and can wear away over time
Effort - Moderate
Time - 20min per part
Materials: Acrylic Spray on varnish such as Mod Podge Acrylic spray varnish.
Directions: After sanding your part, place the part on some sort of painting stick so you can spray the varnish on without smudging. Apply a VERY light coat on the first pass, let set in a ventilated area (best if outside in sun) for 10 minutes before applying the next coat. Apply anywhere from 2-5 coats. Let cure for 24-48 hours, wash in hot soapy water and enjoy.
Epoxy
Upside - Completely smooth parts, inert and safe for skin contact
Downside - Epoxy is slow to cure and hard to work with
Effort - Very high
Time - 60min per part
Materials: slow set 2 part food safe epoxy, makeup brush to apply epoxy, a way to securely hold the parts and all the necessary safety equipment to work with epoxy as well as any mica powder or liquid dye you want to add.
Directions: Prep your epoxy and work space, brush on the epoxy making sure to cover every bit of the surface as evenly as possible. Small makeup brushes work best for this process. Hold the piece by the hinge hole on the ring and the lock core on the cages, you'll need a 6mm rod for this. When you are done set the parts in a way that lets you rotate them periodically for the first 3 hours so you can counter act any epoxy that shifts from gravity. Set and let cure for at least 5 full days, (no not 4, not 3, not 2, 5 days!) wash in hot soapy water and enjoy.
Downside - Does not fully remove the SLS printing texture
Effort - Low
Time - 10-15min per part
Materials: 400 grit wet sandpaper
Directions: Lightly sand all parts, use water to keep the sandpaper from gumming up. Pay extra attention on any hard edges like the opening of the cage and splitter edges giving them a slightly bevel to improve comfort. Follow post sanding instructions below.
Sanding to Smooth
Upside - Smooth texture less finish with minimal friction.
Downside - Involves a lot of sanding
Effort - Moderate
Time - 30-90 minutes per part
Materials: 200 & 400 grit wet sandpaper, 600-1000grit optional
Directions: Lightly sand all parts, use water to keep the sandpaper from gumming up. Pay extra attention on any hard edges like the opening of the cage and splitter edges giving them a slightly bevel to improve comfort. Work through the grit range you choose to do from lowest to highest. Follow post sanding instructions below.
Post Sanding Instructions:
Sanding will take away some of the dye use to colour the print. Unfortunately this can't be stopped but you can restore it slightly by using the color bleed that dyed parts suffer when subjected to boiling hot water this will reactivate any dye that is left inside the print surface and will restore a tiny bit of colour by redistributing that to the newly exposed plastic.
Take your parts and put them in an appropriately sized container that can handle boiling hot water. Such as a large clean coffee mug, ideally you want to use the least amount of water to fully submerge your parts. Boil some water and pour it into the container with the parts and add a few drops of dish soap. Loosely cover the container if possible then let the part sit for 10-15 minutes, with a quick stir every 5 minutes.
Results of this process are often going to be pretty minimal, which may or may not restore enough colour for you. If you want to go further you can by RIT dye off amazon and follow the same procedure with 2ml of whatever colour your want to dye it mixed into the water.
Coating Options:
Coatings are either brushed or sprayed on and both seal and smooth the print. Its recommended if you go with a coating to also do light sanding at minimum.
Acrylic Coating
Upside - Mostly smooth parts, inert and safe for skin contact
Downside - Acrylic coatings are thin and weak and can wear away over time
Effort - Moderate
Time - 20min per part
Materials: Acrylic Spray on varnish such as Mod Podge Acrylic spray varnish.
Directions: After sanding your part, place the part on some sort of painting stick so you can spray the varnish on without smudging. Apply a VERY light coat on the first pass, let set in a ventilated area (best if outside in sun) for 10 minutes before applying the next coat. Apply anywhere from 2-5 coats. Let cure for 24-48 hours, wash in hot soapy water and enjoy.
Epoxy
Upside - Completely smooth parts, inert and safe for skin contact
Downside - Epoxy is slow to cure and hard to work with
Effort - Very high
Time - 60min per part
Materials: slow set 2 part food safe epoxy, makeup brush to apply epoxy, a way to securely hold the parts and all the necessary safety equipment to work with epoxy as well as any mica powder or liquid dye you want to add.
Directions: Prep your epoxy and work space, brush on the epoxy making sure to cover every bit of the surface as evenly as possible. Small makeup brushes work best for this process. Hold the piece by the hinge hole on the ring and the lock core on the cages, you'll need a 6mm rod for this. When you are done set the parts in a way that lets you rotate them periodically for the first 3 hours so you can counter act any epoxy that shifts from gravity. Set and let cure for at least 5 full days, (no not 4, not 3, not 2, 5 days!) wash in hot soapy water and enjoy.