I found that plastic pipe cleaner can be used to vapor smooth PLA.

3D Printing
,
1

I found that plastic pipe cleaner can be used to vapor smooth PLA. Here is the video showing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x7bezgJJaA

2

@Mark_Rehorst : I thought acetone melted ABS, not PLA…

3

Yes, it probably contains acetone, but that’s not what’s doing this. Acetone will not smooth PLA (if it does, it’s not PLA or there’s something else mixed with the PLA). While there are other solvents for PLA, I would say this product almost certainly contains THF (tetrahydrofuran), which can be bought if shipping to a commercial address, and can be found in a number of PVC or ABS cements, cleaners, and primers. Acetone can make PLA brittle or cause discoloration, as can some other sovlents. If you need to do vapor smoothing of PLA, pure THF will give better results (albiet at a higher cost and greater difficulty to source). Whether using pure THF or a mix of solvents like this, be sure to make yourself aware of the safety concerns including fire and explosion hazard and toxicity.

4

I was surprised to see the hot plate.

I’ve done VBs before but not with a heat source, is that common?

Something about expanding gasses in a glass container that holds a caustic solvent sounds like a bad idea; too cautious?

5

@Anthony_Truss : bad idea or opportunity for awesome??

Okay, bad idea. Or at least “er… be careful!!”

6

Did you watch the safety stuff at the end? Yes, I searched for products that have THF in it locally, this 99% of pla printers will easily be able to source. This is not safe, it’s dangerous… And beautifully awesome to not have to sand anything.

7

It boils at 150 Degrees F. The first stuff I used didn’t have THF and the vapor was heavier… it also was slower (yellow can stuff) and more controllable. The tan bottle of PVC primer has THF in it and oh my gosh it will smooth a part in 8 seconds flat… I wrecked a part because I pulled it out with my fingers and the thing warped. The non THF stuff held shape under vapor.

Either way these fumes are super bad… get a good breather mask rated for chemical vapor solvents (not just pesticides) before doing this. Again, do not do this in the house or your wife will literally kill you on the spot. Even in the garage that is vented I have a small fan blowing the fumes away from me. Don’t skip any precautions here people or it could kill you. This isn’t “wear your safety belt” kinda warnings, it’s “if you breathe this still, it can kill you” kinda warning.

Man, the parts are ultra shiny with THF though… I did get a vegetable steamer set today to do larger parts with more precision.

8

I keep forgetting to make an update on this process but it does work, but it is dangerous and has limitations… we use it all the time for our stuff…