Looking forward to hearing how this works out!
May even consider a small cross-post to the Injection Molding category if you want to?
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11 days later
UPDATE 2018-08-31
**Today I molded with a new material, Troll Factory 35 Durometer. This had a listed 90 min cure time. I used the same mold making procedure as I did in my previous silicone casting. **
I am happy to report 100% success!!!
Further inspection of the original mold, by way of the sniff test, the mold has a much more neutral odor than when I last casted (about 2 weeks ago). I stored the molds on a desk, which was exposed to the light half the day (this was unintentional).
Next… I will try the smooth on material and see what results I can get.
(if this part degassed because the mold cured extra in the sun, then maybe there is a way to speed up this process??!!!)
Awesome! Thanks for the update.
What method do you currently use to cure the parts, is there any sort of post-cure after the print completes?
If not, using a UV-light container (cheaply, a container filled with reflective foil with a UV light on the top, and the part is placed on a rotating table) would help to overcure the part.
Finally found some answers, which I updated in the body but I also add here.
Currently, I was the parts to remove the support material and scrub with dishsoap and rinse with water afterwards.
I wonder if a UV container will do the trick (Or if a reptilian UVA and UVB light bulb would do the trick).
The cornell article talks about “degassing” which, if true, may not be solved with UV light… wont know until I try!
*Update
I found an article from Cornell Nanoscience and Technology 12 who talk about this!!! here is the relevant info… albeit, I am not sure on all the terms they use, but still, they highlight this curing inhibition issue
Can printed devices be used for casting PDMS (silicone)?
Yes, with antistiction and/or parylene coating, the devices can be used as molds. There is a tendency for vertical sidewalls to be rough and to continue to outgas during the molding process, so some post-printing treatments will be required. See the next question.
What are some common post-printing treatments for the devices?
The following procedures can be performed at the CNF. These are typically done by the user (not staff).
· High-temperature RGD 525 can be baked to make to resist low heat (75-80°C).
· Devices can be put in a vacuum for outgassing. This is useful (and sometimes necessary) for coating devices with parylene, silanes and/or preparing for cell culture.
· Devices that will be used as molds will likely require antistiction treatment. FOTS ((1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorooctyl) trichlorosilane) is an excellent antistiction coating and can be used as a release layer for molds.
· Some materials withstand low-temperature metal deposition such as sputtering of a seed layer followed by electroplating.
**END of update
This is some great information, do you mind if I move this topic to our Injection Molding category instead? It may be more appropriate there.
Hi Taltos,
I’ve had a bit of trouble with cure inhibition while using Smooth-on’s Platinum cure products in the past. Especially when trying to duplicate surface finishes of post-processed 3D printed parts.
Have you tried any of their Tin cure products? I’ve had great success with MoldMax 30. I particularly like to use it with Fast Cat 30 which can drastically decrease the silicone cure times.
-Joe
