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what is the maximum size available for print shops in Vancouver? My initial design was 14cmx7cmx4cm and the website says it is too large for the printers

Also, what kinds of material are waterproof? my designs are tiny boats so i dont want them sink during the experiment.

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that seems small enough for most printers - for example an ultimaker has a bed of 210mmx210mm and a z of 200mm

Have you exported in inches, or mm or some other unit?

Waterproof is different from water retaining. Most of the materials are water proof - but are quite hard to make totally water retaining (I have managed a few vases and pots if printed really slowly, but there is an easy fix to paint with a clear varnish on the outside to fill all the little gaps!

If you are really worried about sinking then design in some polystyrene for buoyancy in the event of an ‘accident’ :slight_smile:

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I wouldn’t recommend PLA, PLA is biodegradable and that process will be speeded up, if you keep the material wet, it may take some months, but you will notice, that it weakens and kind of rots. As long as your ship of choise isnt the flying Dutchman from pirates of the Caribbean, this feature isn’t advantageous! ABS has the downside of shrinkage, which is a big problem for large ABS prints, that need to hold on to tolerances. Some printers can handle the shrinkage better then others, you have to check, if a hub can somehow compensate or minimize the shrinkage. ABS can be smoothed with acetone to chemically weld the layers together, this gives a 100% water tight object. Nylon can take up water and shouldn’t even be considered. Lastly you can also go with XT PET or PETG, these Polyester-based materials are very durable and have good layerbonding, which makes them watertight. Cheers, Marius Breuer

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Hello,

We have a printer that could easily handle that. As for a waterproof material, we can print in ABS and then seal it watertight. Because you are in Vancouver, simply select postage as the delivery method. We are a professional Hub and will supply you with an invoice. Get a quote here: https://www.3dhubs.com/salt-lake-city/hubs/3d-printed-art/3dprint

Cheers,

3D Printed Art

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Hi guys, thanks for your input. Moving forward, could you please use only a link to your Hub profile as means of contact? This is also a heads for moderating your website out. Cheers