Anyone have experience with dichloromethane?

Anyone have experience with dichloromethane? It apparently works on PLA the way acetone works on ABS, which a lot of people have been asking for.

Looks like it’s much nastier stuff than acetone, though…
http://thingiverse.com/thing:73120

Not exactly the same as the way acetone works on ABS: “after vapor treating the part is VERY flexible (rubbery)”. Doesn’t sound too good.

That sounds like an effect of how much of it absorbs into the PLA. The surface of ABS parts feel pretty soft and rubbery right after coming out of the acetone vapor bath, especially if it had holes where the vapor could get inside. DCM probably doesn’t evaporate out of the plastic as quickly as acetone.

I’m a little worried that I’m a nervous nellie on this one, but the idea that my printed part is rubbery because it’s filled with potentially carcinogenic chemicals gives me the willies.

Yeah I did get a bit worried seeing all of the cancer warnings…

Have you seen the MSDS for water? It still reads reasonably badly as well. I wonder if PLA just tends to be more absorbant, similar to how it takes up water more easily than ABS.

I was just looking for any PLA solvent we would have already around the lab the other day, but came up blank.

@Jonathan_Buford you mean Dihydrogen Monoxide? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi3erdgVVTw) Nasty stuff :wink:

I can assure you that it is far more toxic than water. Please be safe and use it outside with gloves and glasses!