In this regularly updated post, I sum up the results of torturing various resins for SLA 3D printing. I have a very fine and functional mechanical model – a 1:85 compound planetary gearbox. The gearbox uses M0.5 teeth (half the LEGO gears teeth size). It is intended to be used with a brushless motor. The overall diameter of the gearbox is 38 mm. Here’s what it looks like:

The model requires quite tight tolerances (the gears meshing, press-fitting of the bearings), a lot of small details (the teeth of the gear), and shows real-world loading scenarios. So I consider it as a proper torturing piece for practical applications.

In my experiments that should show how a resin is suitable for mechanical functional parts, I print the gearbox 2-3× and measure how much torque it can output before breaking. I also note how nicely it fits, how well the gears mesh, etc. It is not the perfect test (it would be nice to properly test specimens for tensile strength, impact resistance – but I don’t have machines for that), but it gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from the resins.

Experimental Results

Recent news: My open letter to the 3D-printing community

I love the 3D-printing community, but I think there is room for improvement. Let's get better in 2023! Read the full letter.

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