Step One in this process is to begin with a good print. All of Rumy’s parts were “sandable” since there were no creases or small angles requiring acetone, so the job was clean and safe. It took him two hours and $25 (for sandpaper and polishing compound) to finish both of Rumy’s parts, but the results were worth it. Iftakher reports that a 1st generation Flashforge Creator he bought off Craigslist was not up for giving him the best print quality money can buy, so he decided that finishing the print well could compensate for any limits in the print job.
There are lessons here for everyone who wants to improve their overall print quality by finishing their prints in a more satisfactory manner. Here’s an account of Arif Iftakher and Thomas Stillwell’s experience finishing a portable sensor controller for smart thermostats ( Rumy). 3D printed objects are notorious for having stringy surfaces after printing, and fortunately there’s an easy way to handle this problem: sanding. This is no small part of an overall successful print.
But let’s not forget that in order to optimize your print job there’s also the prerequisite finishing of the print. When we speak about 3D printing, we spend much time on the design, modeling, and printing of our objects.
